“Wait,” a strangled croak comes from behind me.
I turn and find myself confronted with Maurelle, the dreaded step-witch. “Vito?” she whispers.
I blink in surprise. She knows him?
“Oh, my brother,” she cries and rushes forward to him. “I haven’t laid eyes on your countenance for centuries.” She takes his face in her hands and kisses him soundly and I am still struggling with “brother.” Vito is Maurelle’s brother? How the fuck did that happen?
“Maurelle,” he murmurs and throws his arms around her.
Drake is watching this with a sour look on his face until he sees me watching. He obviously knew Vito and Maurelle were related and that Vito was a Vampire, but he just as obviously isn’t pleased about it.
“Come,” she says to him, with a weep. “I will see to you.” She helps him away with an arm around his waist.
I watch them go with a pang. I want to speak to Vito and ask him what happened. And if it was CK that did this to him. I turn back to Drake and then I hear Maurelle say, “Aeval.”
I look at her and her usual, icy glare has softened slightly. “Thank you,” she says stiffly. I nod at her and she rushes back to Vito’s side and takes him in her arms again.
I raise my brow at Drake who is glowering at them with his arms crossed. “Daddy,” I say. “I need to talk to you.”
His eyes snap to mine and he smiles and says, “Yes, of course.” He takes me by the arm and leads me to his office. “I want to thank you for keeping your word,” he says.
“No problem,” I say slightly uncomfortably.
“I trust this matter is now closed?” he asks meaningfully.
I nod. Yes, I am going to have a lot to answer for with the Vampires, but this won’t be happening again on my watch. “However, I would keep your people in check. It is probably common knowledge by now what has happened, and the Dark Fae will be targeted even more. I would suggest that no one leaves here for a good, long while.”
“Good,” he says and sits down. “I have already thought of that. So, what do you want to talk about?” Straight down to business.
I sit hesitantly. “Erm, you must know that I spent some time in the Dragon Realms recently?” I pose it as a question. We have never discussed this. I don’t think Drake goes in for awkward conversations and would rather just brush them under the carpet.
His brow furrows and his eyes go dark. “Yes,” he says shortly.
I tap my fingers and wonder how to continue.
“The baby didn’t die,” I blurt out suddenly. Might as well get it out there.
There is a long and ominous pause. “Excuse me?” he asks.
“My daughter lives. My mother and Remiel lied to me and told me that I had a boy and that he died. It’s not true,” I say.
“How do you know this?” he asks, sitting forward.
“Dracul, my brother, came to tell me. He said I needed to go for her before she gets corrupted by Tiamat,” I reply.
He hunches his shoulders and steeples his fingers and just stares at the floor.
“You must,” he says. “Any child you have cannot be raised by that woman.”
“I am going to,” I say. “But…”
Oh crap, how do I ask him if I can bring her here?
“But what?” he asks. “You must do right by your child, Aeval.”
“I know, but she won’t be safe in the Underworld, or on Earth,” I say, letting the question just sort of hang there unsaid.
“I see,” he says. “You want me to grant permission for her to reside here.”