“Yeah, my head is splitting with everything that is going on inside,” I answer.
“You okay?” he asks.
I shrug. “I’ve been better. How are you? Must be weird for you.”
“Very,” he says. “But I’m good, thanks. I feel even stronger now. I am guessing it is because I don’t really have a sire to depend on anymore.”
“Makes sense,” I say, nodding slowly.
“That’s kind of what I wanted to talk to you about,” he says.
“Oh?” I ask.
“Seeing as I no longer need to be here, I was hoping you wouldn’t mind if I left. I know it is bad timing what with Cole leaving and everything,” he says, appearing flustered as I get my angry and then sad faces on, “but this was my plan. Your life is, well, it’s too much drama. I just can’t do it anymore.”
“Makes two of us,” I mutter meaning every word. “Look, Cade, ordinarily I would be happy to let you go, I know you haven’t been happy for a while now, but as I told Devon before, with the war coming you need to be safe so I can’t allow it. I’m sorry.”
“But, I’ll be on Earth. She wouldn’t dare,” he says.
“Maybe, maybe not. I am not going to put it past Her to use everyone She can to get me to give Her my daughter back no matter where they are. If you come with us to the D.F.K. then I know you will be safe.”
“You are kidding, right?” he scoffs. “I am not going there. It sounds medieval and backwards.”
“I’ll give you medieval in a way,” I say with a laugh, “but they do have indoor plumbing and electricity. It’s not that much different to being here.”
“I hate being here,” Cade grouses, but he sees my resolve is in place so he gives up, for now. Instead, he says, “Devon told me about Sebastian…holy shit!” he suddenly exclaims, sitting uprig
ht and peering at me.
“What?” I ask in dread, looking down at myself. “What?”
“You don’t know what you just did?” he asks.
“No,” I say slowly. “What did I just do?”
“When I mentioned Sebastian…there, you did it again!” he says in unrestrained glee. “Sebastian!”
“What the fuck?” I growl at him.
“You Shifted when I mentioned his name, Seb–”
I hold my hand up to his mouth to stop him from playing whatever game this is. “Shifted?” I ask.
“Yeah, just a flash, you Shifted to your Faerie look when I said his name,” he mumbles around my hand.
I take it away and look down at myself again.
“Sebastian,” he whispers and then I see it, like he said. Just a quick flash, before I return to Aefre, I see the long, purple-black hair of Aeval in my hand.
“Oh dear,” I say weakly and flop back to the pillows. “This is not good.”
It’s getting worse. Before it was a touch from my Chosen mate, now it’s…
“Xane,” Cade says and then claps his hands in delight.
“Let me guess, Xerxei?” I say, indicating myself.
Cade nods and says it again.