by Eve Newton
I shake my head. “Humph,” I say rudely. “You would do well to remember who you are winking at, Mr. Draconis. Now, can we get this show on the road?”
“Of course,” he says with a slight smile. He moves to a cabinet and withdraws several white pillar candles, the same as my own. I watch him as he arranges them – to my surprise – in threes around the room.
“Threes?” I croak.
“Yes. Standard Demon protection magick. Something wrong?”
I hesitate. “No. I like them in threes,” I say lamely, but he grins at me.
“Of course, you do. It’s also the Dragon way.”
Is it? Is that why I like it that way? Even hundreds of years before I knew of my real nature, was it ingrained in me to give me comfort? That, in itself, is comforting.
He finishes lighting the candles and comes to stand in front of me. He pulls a blade out of thin air and holds it up, a smallish dagger with a long, thin blade. “Your hand.”
I shake my head. “It won’t cut me,” I say.
“This one will,” he says confidently.
Oh?
I hold my hand out and he slices it slowly across his own palm and then over mine. To my surprise, it cuts through my flesh with a sharp sting, causing my blood to well up and not heal straight away. He quickly puts his hand against mine, mingling our blood together. I feel a fire course through me. A good burn though, as opposed to Cade’s blood which is most definitely a bad burn.
“Close your eyes,” he whispers, and I do. “Feel the power,” he says.
It flashes through me like lightning and I open my eyes. We are standing in the center of a fiery vortex that is swirling around us. Xane tightens his grip on my fingers and steps closer to me, muttering words in Latin. I feel different this time. After all the other different power transfers, this one is the most noticeable.
“How do you feel?” he whispers close to my ear.
“Better,” I say. “Complete.”
He lets go of my hand and the vortex swirls away to nothing. “Good,” he says smugly. “We are bonded now.”
What? Oh, no! Not again. I really am going to have to watch the company I keep. I sigh.
“How so?” I ask resigned.
“My blood runs through yours and yours through mine. We are linked together.”
I close my eyes and wonder how the fuck I’m going to explain this.
“Now. Do you know about the Grimoire?”
My eyes open with a start. “No.”
“Then we need to teach you.” He reaches into the cabinet and pulls out a book as old as me. Well, probably older, actually.
“What do you know of Demon magick?”
“Nothing.”
“What do you know of Dragon magick?”
“I can displace things. I can also use my mind to change things that are in front of me. Make them how I want them.”
He nods. “Something from something. That’s how it works for you. But now you get to make Something from Nothing.”
“Something from Nothing? Like Conjuring?”
“Yes. Observe.” He holds out his hand and says, “For you.”
“What is it?” I step closer. In his palm is a necklace with a small glass ball pendant, and in it flickers a tiny fire.
“The fires of Hell,” he says and clasps it around my neck. “Your new Domain, my lady.”
I reach down and it feels warm. Warm as in I can feel it warm, like I haven’t felt since I was human.
“You just made this?”
He nods. “You try.”
“With what?”
“Anything you like,” he says and smiles.
I close my eyes. Something from Nothing. I clench my hand into a fist and then open it. “For you,” I say shyly.
He peers down at my outstretched palm and grins in delight. “I love it. Very thoughtful.” He pulls the ring out of my hand and puts it on – to my chagrin – his left ring finger.
“It wasn’t meant for…”
“It fits,” he interrupts determinedly and admires it. I start to get a tiny bit worried. “Very nice work.”
I have to admit; I’m quite impressed with myself. I’d wanted to give him something meaningful as he gave to me and as I thought of the painting downstairs of Dracul, I conjured a ring of a tiny Dragon with ruby red eyes. His ancestor, my brother.
“Well, you are a quick study, my Queen.”
“So, I’ve been told,” I say wryly. “Although, to be fair, everything that is in your Grimoire, is now in my head.”
I shrug at his amazed look and add, “It’s a thing with me. I have more info stored in my brain than I care to think about.”
“Most impressive.” He looks at me admiringly. “Well, now that the ritual is complete, I suppose I should get you back to your…entourage,” he says wickedly.
I snicker at the word. “Don’t ever say that in front of them. There is enough grousing as it is.”
“Mm, I can imagine. How you have pulled them into this is still a mystery.”
“There was no pulling involved,” I growl. I’m not taking the blame for this. Devon and I have been together for five hundred and seven years. Cole and I are married. CK suddenly decided he wanted more from me again once he felt threatened by Cole and Lincoln chose me…and my mother accepted him. Screw this. As soon as I get back, I’m going to talk to Devon. It’s ridiculous that he thinks I’m just going to accept his behavior.
“Take me back. I have issues to deal with.”
“Of that I have no doubt. What will you tell them about us?” he asks slyly.
“There is no ‘us.’ Not in a personal sense. It's just business.”
“For now,” he murmurs as he takes my hand and Astraports me back into his casino office.
“Thank you. It has been a very informative afternoon. Please tell your parents I was honored to meet them.”
“I will, Your Majesty,” he says sarcastically, bowing to me. “I will also tell them that you will be seeing them soon.”
“Oh? Why is that then?”
“Because you will come to me, and I will take you there,” he says casually.
I glare at his tone. “Good day, Xane. I will make a note to come and see you later, where I expect a report on our Domain.”
“Good day, ValamAtrux. I look forward to it. I hope you enjoy your stay.”
“I’m sure we will,” I say stiffly and with a final bob of my head, I beat a hasty retreat out of his presence before I do something I will regret.
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-THREE
I make my way across the casino to the hotel lobby. Sebastian catches up with me and pulls me into an empty conference room.
“Well?” he asks.
“Well, what?”
“What happened?” he asks suspiciously, inhaling deeply and narrowing his eyes at me.
“Nothing you need concern yourself with,” I snap.
“Did you fuck him?” he asks bluntly.
I glare at him. “No, not that it is anything to do with you,” I growl.
He growls back, a low feral sound and pushes me slowly back against the wall with his hand at my throat. His eyes catch sight of the necklace and he gets an angry look on his face.
“Everything to do with my sire is my business. That means anything you do to hurt him is to do with me,” he says menacingly.
Whoa. This is the scary side of Sebastian. I wondered if one lurked underneath his fun-loving exterior. No one can be as old as he is and not have a dark side.
“Sebastian. I won’t hurt him.”
He tightens his grip. “But you are whether you mean to or not,” he whispers closely.
“Get your hands off her,” Devon says from the doorway.
Sebastian turns slowly, with a predatory air about him and I see his dangerous side in full bloom. I see the warrior he once was. He is no longer the easygoing Sebastian. He is Vincentius. Roman warrior. First Charge.
“Protecting your sire,�
� he sneers. “It’s only what I’m doing.”
“Difference is, your sire is also her sire. Don’t think he would take too kindly to your current treatment of her,” Devon says in his perfect offhand way.
With a final squeeze, Sebastian releases me. “Well, you have me there,” he says with a laugh and I see the fun-loving Sebastian again. But I can’t forget the other side to him. He is every bit as scary as CK, and I would do well to remember that in future.
“I like you, Liv. A lot. But I won’t stand by and watch you hurt him,” he says quietly as his hand tightens over the pendant. He hisses and draws back quickly.
“I won’t,” I say just as quietly, and he nods briefly.
“Go and find him now,” he orders. “It’s his time.” I mock salute him and he grins, that easy-to-please persona back in a flash.
Devon watches him go and then he moves closer to me, studying me intently. “Everything seems different,” he mutters to himself. I remain quiet as he continues to just look at me.
Eventually, I speak quietly, “This is the longest we have been apart in two hundred and sixty-seven years.”
He looks sad. “I know.” He steps closer. “Christ, Lizzie, it’s only been a week and I miss you so much, my heart is breaking.” He swoops down on me, cupping my face as he kisses me. He picks me up and I wrap my legs around him as he pins me to the wall. His hands work first to push the hem of my dress up over my hips and then to pull the top of the strapless dress down so that my breasts pop free. He runs his hands over my nipples, tugging gently. I moan in delight. I quiver under his touch, feeling his cock pushing hard against me through his sexy black jeans.
“I need to taste you,” he murmurs and drops his fangs. I tilt my head to the side, eager for him to penetrate me. He sinks his fangs into my neck with a desperate sound, filled also with anguish and then pleasure.
“I need you, Dev,” I gasp. “Please, baby, I love you, I need you.” I push his head closer to me, causing his fangs to sink deeper into me. He growls, sending a vibration all the way through me.
“Devon?” a woman’s voice interrupts our bliss and causes him to release his bite. He turns to the doorway, fangs still down, my blood in his mouth.
“Jess,” he hisses and retracts his fangs.
She runs from the room and with a desperate, apologetic look at me, he releases me and follows her quickly, choosing her over me this time, leaving me unfulfilled and alone. He turns back to me with a furious look, and then he’s gone. A wave of sadness washes over me. I sink to the floor, adjusting my dress in the process.
I sit with my head on my knees for a few seconds but then I resolve myself to my fate. I stand up, making a decision. Well, two, actually. Both to protect myself. I quietly leave the conference room and make my way to the elevators. I see Devon and Jess in the corner a little way from me. They are arguing but I can see she’ll get over it quickly. She’s playing him like a fiddle. I’m filled with sorrow because he will end up turning her and I have to let him go.
Decision number one: accept that Devon will sire and no longer be just mine. Once I accept that, it will be better.
Off to face decision number two. I stab the button, stepping into the elevator as it arrives and I push the button for the top floor.
I step into the suite that CK and I are sharing. He looks up at me from his newspaper. Such an ordinary activity and it makes me smile as he is anything but ordinary.
“You are back,” he says, returning my smile and standing.
I move over to kiss him deeply, catching him off guard.
He pulls back, looking suspiciously at me. “How did it go?”
“Good. Their history is incredible. I will fill you in later. Right now, I have something else to say to you. Something to ask of you.”
He doesn’t look very happy at all about this and to be honest, I have no idea how he is going to react.
He waits.
I take a deep breath.
“I need something from you. Something I don’t know if you will give me.” I pause. His face remains impassive.
“You gave me this ring and, in your way, asked me to make a promise to you and I did. I promised that one day we would be married.”
He narrows his eyes at me. He has no clue where I am going with this.
“I promised you and I meant it with all of my heart. What I have suddenly come to realize is, that I didn’t get the same back from you,” I say warily as he is staring at me and I’m not sure what he is thinking.
“Aefre. The ring is my promise to you,” he says quietly.
I shake my head. “No. It’s a symbol of my intention to you. I want more. I want your intention to me.” I open my clenched fist and hold it up before him. He peers at it closely. His eyes flick briefly to mine and back down to my palm. He makes no motion to pick it up.
“I want, no, I need, you to take this as your promise to me. I need you to promise me that you will wait for me. As long as it takes. And that one day, even if it is a thousand years from now, you will make me your wife.”
He is still staring at my hand. I know I’m asking him to move mountains here, with his unshakable lack of enthusiasm for such commitments and such gestures. I am convinced he is going to refuse.
“A thousand years from now? It had fucking well be sooner than that,” he says wryly, scooping up the ring I have conjured and peering at it.
It is made from titanium, to stand the test of time, a ‘C’ and an ‘A’ entwined together in script. He looks at the inscription on the inside, ‘Always & Forever’.
“Aefre. I told you that if you loved me and accepted the ring I gave you, I would wait for you and that I would, this time, marry you. I am at a loss as to why you need this from me again.”
He can be so dumb sometimes.
“You want me to wear this as a binding contract. I want the same. I want to know that you aren't going to back out. You have, and quite nicely I might add, placed all of the responsibility on me. I want you to take some back. Equal partners,” I say.
He thinks about it for a long time. Wow. This is actually getting to the point of insulting. Does he really have to think about it for so long? If he’s having trouble with this, how the Hell is he going to be when we finally do make it to the altar? A horrible thought enters my head. He won’t ever marry me. The whole giving-me-a-ring deal was just him getting what he wants from me now.
“No, Aefre. Don’t think that. I do want to marry you. I would right now if I could. That, however, is on you that I cannot,” he says sternly.
I cringe at his words. “Then why are you taking so long to accept it?”
“Oh, I do accept it. Have no fear about that. I am merely curious as to where you want me to put it.”
Well, I could quite happily ram it down his throat now, for making me wait and question it.
He chuckles as he sees my fury. “Well?”
“You choose,” I grouse. “You have to wear it. Oh, and never take it off,” I add as he did to me.
He slides it onto his right ring finger. “I promise,” he says quietly. “I will save the left for the real one.”
I smile then and he kisses me. “I love you,” he murmurs.
“I love you,” I murmur back. “By the way, whatever happened to the Faerie ring?” I add casually.
“It’s safe,” he says, knowing I mean the one he showed me, meant for 1112. “You will see it again, one day. Hopefully in less than a thousand years,” he adds.
We kiss again to seal our new agreement and I take his hand in mine, running my fingers over the ring. I shiver at the feel of it. I never in these thousand years, thought I would get one from him, never mind get one on him. It is very arousing, and I hold his hand up to just look at it.
“Incredibly sexy,” I murmur more to myself than him.
He looks surprised that something so small has such a profound effect on me. Dumb, I tell you!
Unfortunately, Sebastian chooses this moment to ma
ke his appearance. Seriously, this whole willy-nilly Astraporting has to stop.
“Hello, lovebirds,” he chirps. “Am I interrupting?” he asks and yet he sits anyway.
“Actually, yes,” CK says. “Aefre and I were in the middle of revising our arrangement.”
“I thought we were finished?” I say to him.
“Oh no, not yet. There is still one small matter that needs addressing.”
I can’t think for the life of me what that matter is.
“This arrangement is ridiculous,” Sebastian snaps at us. “Just be together already.”
“Shut it,” I snarl at him. “It’s nothing to do with you.”
“Aefre, calm yourself,” CK says mildly. “I don’t want you in a tizz while we are negotiating.”
A tizz? A fucking tizz? I’ll give him a tizz in a minute! I open my mouth to blast him, but he puts his hands to my lips to shush me. I see Sebastian’s eyes flick to his ring and his eyes go wide as saucers. He is about to ask, when CK says, “’Bastian, leave us please.”
He stands up with a final glance at CK's hand and leaves in silence. Probably too astounded to speak.
“What do you want?” I say wearily. “I don’t have much left to give you.” I know it sounds awful, but I don’t. I am beyond worn out, being pulled in all different directions. Also, I am dreading having to speak to Devon, but it can’t wait.
“I know, my love. Your divided loyalties are a sore subject with me. But this is not something for you to give me now, at least not physically.” He hesitates, staring at my necklace curiously and I think I know what he wants from me.
“The child,” I sat flatly.
“Yes. It was a part of my plans before and while I gave up on ever having that with you, now we need to revisit.”
I shift awkwardly, twiddling my charms, not knowing what to say. Not only about being responsible for a baby and rearing him or her but the risk of co-siring and more importantly the risk of me siring in general. He must see these concerns cross my face.
“We will look into it. Somehow we will experiment and see if it is possible.”
“I will think about it,” I say eventually.