“No,” I say, shaking my head. I look at Sebastian and he is grinning at Delinda as she pats his face with her little hands. “No, Remiel is her father,” I say weakly. “He took me during my Heat.” The only thing holding me up now is Drake. I can’t get my head around what he is saying.
“You must have already been pregnant,” Sebastian says. “Remember Faerie pregnancies take a year, not nine months.”
I see Pyleah edging closer to Sebastian, her face a wretched mask and she gasps.
I look back at Drake and his scowl has returned in full force. What now?
“Oh, Aeval,” he says to me and grips my elbow even tighter.
Sebastian looks over at me and his face is full of joy. I smile hesitantly back at him and try to get used to the notion that my daughter is half Dark, half Light. That can only mean one thing.
“My daughter,” Sebastian says to me with such happiness I want to go to him. Only Drake’s hand stops me.
There is complete silence as Drake lets go of me and steps forward to catch Pyleah, who has swooned. At the same time, he places a big hand on Sebastian’s shoulder, and I feel CK’s hand go into mine, crushing it to the point of breaking.
“No,” Drake says quietly, but it sounds like a scream in the silence. Sebastian looks at him in puzzlement. “Not your daughter, Kalen,” Drake says, shaking his head.
“Your…your sister,” Pyleah chokes out before she passes out.
Epilogue
Los Angeles, USA, September 2014 – Cole
He looks out of the window of this house he now shares with Carolyn and his son. His life is so very different now from what it was a few weeks ago, a few months ago. After Carolyn finally told Michael that Cole was his father, it eased the agony he had inside over her denial of his role in the boy’s life. He leans down to kiss the top of his son’s head and when he straightens up, he sees something that he has been expecting for a few days now.
“Wait here,” he murmurs to Carolyn and places the boy in her arms.
“What is it?” she asks, peering out of the window.
“Take Michael and go upstairs,” he says. “Do not come down for anything until I tell you to, okay?”
“Cole, what is it?” she asks. She looks towards the door as there is a loud rapping at it.
“Go now,” he says urgently.
“Who is it?” she asks. He knows that she thinks it is Liv, but it is so much worse than that.
“Go upstairs, now,” he says and pushes her towards the staircase. He watches as she quickly scampers up the steps and when he hears their bedroom door closing, he turns to the front door. He opens it and before the person on the other side can say anything, he pushes past and closes the door behind him.
“Out here?” Tiamat asks with Her hands on Her hips.
She has come to him in Her normal human form, but minus the flowing gowns he has always seen Her in. She is dressed in a black pantsuit, trying to blend in with the human world probably.
“What do you want?” he asks Her, crossing his arms to show Her he isn’t afraid. He knows exactly why She is here. Devon was right. He is the only one left She can get to.
“Is that anyway to greet your mother-in-law?” She drawls at him and he scowls at Her.
“Liv and I are divorced,” he says. “I haven’t seen her in months. I have nothing to do with her anymore.”
“Oh, but you do,” She says. “I am surprised she left you vulnerable. She took everyone else with her.”
Cole stays quiet, keeping up the pretense of not knowing why She has come to him.
“Oh, you don’t know, do you?” Tiamat asks him.
“Whatever it is, it’s nothing to do with me anymore. Go and hassle Constantine,” he says mutinously.
She giggles at him. “Oh, I would if I could get to him. He would be so much more fun to try and break. Sadly, you will have to do.”