Xander groans softly and turns towards me and Xanthe freezes where she is.
“No,” she whispers softly. “No. Get out of here, right now!” She yells at me in terror and I back off, not wanting to take her on with only half a Faerie on my side.
“Somebody start explaining,” I say as I continue to back out of the room with my hands up. Xane looks like he is going to be sick and Xanthe looks like she is going to go on a rampage. She ushers Xane out of the room with a rough shove and then slams the door closed behind her, sealing it off with a ward that is so strong it is visible in the dim light of the hallway.
“He’s responded to her,” Xane croaks out.
“This isn’t all bad, Xane,” Xanthe says. “He may wake now, and we can reverse the spell.”
“Hello?” I ask, waving my hand about. “Do you see me, or am I completely invisible?”
Xanthe turns to me with a forced smile. “Xerxei, how nice to see you again.”
“Not all bad?” Xane spits. “They are bonded for fuck’s sake!”
“Not for long,” Xanthe murmurs.
“Bonded?” I ask. “I am now bonded with Xander?”
Oh, fucking Hell! This is not happening.
“Yes,” Xane says reluctantly, knowing he can’t keep me in the dark any longer. “When he touched your marking, his intention was to corrupt it, but somehow it got transferred to him instead.”
“Oh,” I say faintly. “What does this mean?”
“NOTHING!” Xane roars at me. “It means absolutely nothing,” he adds in a quieter voice as I flinch. “We will fix it.”
“Why did he do this?” I ask, knowing it is a dumb question. His jealousy has been evident since day one. I just didn’t know he had the power, or the balls for that matter, to defy his brother and mother.
“He was coerced,” Xanthe says. “I am sure I do not need to tell you by whom,” she adds with pursed lips.
“Remiel,” I state flatly. “He wanted to destroy our bond.”
“I fear he has been planning this for quite some time, my dear,” Xanthe says. “He was the one who gave me the vial of…the spell to reverse turn you.”
My furious gaze bores into her head. How dare she bring that subject up with me!
“To separate you from your Vampire ties,” she adds, quite unnecessarily.
“Yes, I get it,” I snap at her, so unbelievably pissed that I had to find this out now of all times. He is a monster. “You need to fix this,” I add, also quite unnecessarily.
“I will, but I need him awake,” Xanthe says.
“And willing,” Xane growls.
“Willing?” I ask. “He won’t give this up.”
“He
will,” Xanthe insists before Xane can have an apoplexy. “Do not worry about this, Xerxei. It is in hand.”
“Very well, speaking of things in hand, have you found out who killed my baby yet?” I ask bluntly and out of the blue.
“Not yet,” she says carefully. “Xerxei, I am so sorry about the news that I sent Xane with to you.”
“Yes, about that, are you absolutely certain the child was Xane’s?” I ask.
Xane hisses at me, and Xanthe licks her lips and narrows her eyes. “Yes, of course. I would never have mentioned it to my son if I wasn’t sure.”