Revelation (The Forever Series Book Three) (15 page)

“Well I am honored that you thought of me. Although I have a
terrible feeling that Lance may have, how do you say, stuck his oar in
already?”

I laugh into my hand at that one, “Yes, somewhat.”

“I can only assume that is not acceptable to you, under the
circumstances.” He scowls at Constantine and I am somewhat surprised that he
has been apprised of that whole situation. Then again, I have no idea how close
he is to his other charges so I have nothing to go on.

“Off the record Dmitri, I want you to be the Ambassador for
Eastern Europe. However, I am going to offer it Lance first so that I can gain
control of his magick bearers. I then intend to kill him and you will then have
your rightful place.”

“Ah, the Romani. A loyal bunch. You will find it most
difficult to turn them.”

“I know. But I will. I, we, are going to see Lance tomorrow
at
Castelul Negru
to start the ball rolling.”

“You are going back? To Castle Black?” he asks in horror.

“Yes,” I say warily, wondering just how much he knows and
why.

“Do you think that is a good idea? I was there when we
pulled you out of that dungeon. I don’t think you should go back,” he says
forcefully.

I look stunned as CK growls a very low feral noise deep from
his throat. Flicking my eyes to him, his face is as always unreadable and
looking back at Dmitri, his has gone the same. Like sire, like charge, indeed.

“You were there?” I ask hesitantly.

“It is of no consequence,” he mutters.

Oh where have I heard that before? Infuriating beasts, the
pair of them.

“Humph, well, no matter. It has been decided. We are going,”
I say quite rudely and then smile apologetically.

He smiles back a forced smile and says, “I accept your
offer. I will keep it to myself once word gets out about Lance,” he spits the
name out, “and I look forward to you finishing him off once and for all.”

“Wonderful. Thank you so much for coming here to meet me
today. I would under ordinary circumstances have come to you but we have a lot
to accomplish in the next few days.” I stand as does he and we shake hands.

“It is not a problem. I have some recommendations if you
would be interested,” he adds slyly.

My eyes light up and knowing that I will incur the wrath of
my sire I say, “That would be great. Thank you. Email me a list and I will take
it under advisement.”

I can feel CK’s eyes boring into me but I ignore him and
turn to Devon and say quietly while I remember, “Please, can you ask Esther to
go find that other chair.” He snickers behind his hand as he bids Dmitri adieu.

“Goodbye, Dmitri.”

He nods once and with a swift goodbye, CK grabs his arm and
Teleports him out. I am slightly surprised that he is unable to accomplish this
himself, but then I think back and it really is only the oldest Vampires who
can do this, gaining the ability at well over two thousand years old. My own
Astalling ability has come to me as a part of my Dragon package, being far too
young to have gained this ability on the merit of my Vampire self alone, which
leads me to believe that it must be a very recent addition to Lance’s bag of
tricks.

“Well that went well,” I say brightly, even though I just
want to go back to sleep. Glancing at the clock I see it is now a little after
1 PM. Time for another nap I think. Telling Cole and CK that I am shattered I
swirl off and climb into bed after taking my shoes and clothes off. My head
hits the pillow and I am out for the count.

I wake up some time later next to Devon. I blink in surprise
and sit up, realizing I am also in his bed.

“How did I get here?” I ask.

“I don’t know. I found you in here,” he shrugs.

Oh that’s right, I do seem to remember Astralling in here,
as it was closer than my own room. Cole is going to freak.

“Shit,” I mumble as I climb out of bed and get dressed.

“Liv?”

“Mm?”

“What the fuck is wrong with you?”

“Pardon?” I ask in a huff at being spoken to so rudely.

“Why are you so tired all the time?” he says as if I am
stupid.

I shrug, “It’s been a tough couple of days. I’ll be fine.”

“Stop saying that you will be fine! You clearly aren’t fine.
And another thing, I don’t think you should be going to Lance’s like this.”

I shake my head at his concern, “Don’t worry about it, about
me. I’m…”

“Fine!” he interrupts in a huff. “I am worried. We all are.”

“Don’t be. Look, I am going to have to go find Cole.”

He grabs my hand as I turn to leave. “Don’t go. Not yet,” he
murmurs, pulling me to him and kissing me softly.

I pull away. “I can’t, baby. The rules,” I remind him.

“More rules,” he snaps. “I wish it was just you and me
again.”

I sigh deeply at his pain.

“We still haven’t talked about what happened in Tuscany,” he
says suddenly.

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Well I do. What the fuck, Liv? He punishes you? As in
actually, not in a joking kind of way?” he asks softly.

“It’s complicated.”

“Well uncomplicate it. Does he hurt you?”

“No. It’s nothing like that. He dragged you into it as it
was the only way he could think of to get back at me for something I said and
did, without him compromising his newfound principles. I’m sorry, it is my
fault you had to go through that. But it backfired on him and I don’t think he
will try it again.”

“Yeah, I’d say. I’m surprised he took it with such good
grace when you broke ‘the rules,’” he chuckles.

I laugh quietly too, “Me too but, I don’t mean that.”

Having caught his interest he stares at me intently, “What
do you mean then?”

I sit heavily on the bed and debate whether to tell him or
not. It isn’t really anything to do with him but I want to talk to him. I want
to be here with him so I open up. “I don’t think he realized how much he would
hurt me by asking me to betray you. When I felt your pain, he felt my own and
it caught him off guard how much it hurt him. A lot. Not that he would admit
it,” I say ruefully. “But we are all connected now in ways that we weren’t
before. We are a true family and we feel each other’s pain, and the opposite.
We really feel it instead of just having a sense of it.”

“Oh,” he says. “That’s… intense.”

“Yes, it is. Everything is changing, nothing is the way it
was. I envy Cole that he will only learn the new way,” I admit.

“Hm, I suppose being a newbie has its advantages. But I
wouldn’t give up the last five hundred and six years for anything.” He strokes
my face and curls my hair behind my ear in a familiar gesture. 

“I should go,” I say as I kiss his palm and this time he
lets me go.

Finding Cole in a bit of a temper, as expected, I apologize
saying, “I’m sorry baby. I was so tired, it was closer.” I know it’s beyond
lame but it is what it is. “You could have just moved me if it bothers you that
much.”

“I didn’t want to disturb you. I assume Devon did though,”
he says nastily.

“Hey, no rules were broken. I was asleep. He just happened
to be sitting there when I woke up.”

“So you were in his bed together.”

“No, not like that. Stop it!” I yell suddenly, more than
irritated. “Just stop it right now.” I flop down onto the sofa and he glares at
me momentarily before he sits next to me.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.” He takes my hand
and I snuggle into him.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to snap. I’m just…”

“I know.”

We sit then in silence for a while.

“What happened to CK?”

“He went back to Italy, thankfully. He is in a proper bad
mood about this charges thing. Why does he want to keep you all apart?”

I giggle at the mood comment knowing exactly how much of a
moody sod he can be. “It’s more he wants to keep them apart from me, I think.”

“Because of Lance?”

“Since that incident it is a part of the reason but not all
of it. I am only speculating. To be honest, I’m not entirely sure I want to
meet them anyway. Certainly not any of the ones that are younger than me. Or
women,” I grouse jealously.

He chuckles, “How can you be jealous when you yourself have
charges, who are men?”

I shrug, “I don’t know. It’s not rational. It’s just a dodgy
area.”

“Well Devon and I get on just fine. Most of the time,” he
amends in a sulk again.

“Yes but you are jealous and so is he. It’s only natural.
Anyway, enough about that. I will deal with them as and when. Right now I have
to concentrate on Lance.” I stand up and pull him up with me. “We need to leave
soon to get there in the morning. I want him at his weakest.”

“Where exactly is it that we are going?”

“Sibiu. Transylvania.”

And he bursts out laughing. “Are you joking?”

I frown at him, “No. What is so amusing?”

He snorts, “Really? You don’t find it kind of a cliché?”

“A cliché?” I ask confused but then grumble dryly, “Oh
because of the Stoker thing? What a menace he was to our society.”

“I wonder if Dracula was based on Lance then?” he asks.

My turn to snort, “I’m sure he’d like to think so. Arse.”

“Arse? Is that the strongest word you can come up with for
that monster?” he asks in earnest.

“Ha! No I have plenty of other words for him. Most of them
not suitable to be said aloud.”

We have reached our bedroom door by this point and I open it
and we go in.

“You know you are stronger than him, right? You don’t need
to be afraid of him,” he says quietly.

“I’m not afraid of him,” I say in a huff.

“You were this morning. I saw it in your eyes.”

“Humph,” I say rudely.

“Liv, all you have to remember is with a click of your
fingers you have the most dangerous weapon ever created in your hands. He
doesn’t have to be an Initial Vampire for you to use it on him. Remember, G.I.
is your friend.”

I smile at his use of the nick name I gave the sword,
shortening it as
Gladius Infernus
is such a mouthful. Crawling onto the
bed I sigh, “I know. I forget. He makes me forget. Makes me think of how easily
he subdued me in the first place.”

“Magick?”

“Yes, powerful, I’ve never known anything like it. This is
why I want his backing.”

“Okay, well, we will get it. We will support you and take it
from him,” he says forcefully.

I smile, “I love you.”

“I love you. Now do we have to pack a bag or will we be in
and out?”

“Pack a bag,” I sigh.

We all meet downstairs in the den an hour or so later.
Dressed to kick ass. Well, at least I am. These three vain fools are in their
best designer gear top to toe. I roll my eyes at them as they gawk at me in
casual gear – black combat pants and a vest top and boots… flat ones!

“You do realize that not only will we be Astralling into a
forest but also in fight mode, should things go awry?” I enquire of them.

“Sure,” is the general response and I leave it be with a
shrug.

“Fine. Let's go. CK take Dev. I’ll take Cole,” and wrap my
arms around him and Astral us out thinking of the dreaded dark, black wall of
Castelul
Negru
.

Landing just outside of the castle walls, CK following just
after, my skin begins to crawl.

“Are you okay?” CK asks as he senses my trepidation.

I nod resolutely, “Yes I am fine.” Oh, there’s that word
again as they all grimace at me.

We four stand there for a moment looking up at the big black
walls of the castle. I move slowly forward to touch one of the stones and I
have a horrible flashback but brush it aside as this is business.

A very loud howl resonates behind us and I turn slowly.
Before us is a very large black wolf with several of his pack behind him.

I move towards them not afraid but CK growls, “Aefre,” at me
as I move forward.

Ignoring him I focus on the Alpha, staring intently at him
as if I know him somehow. He backs up and shakes his head in protest but I
continue to move forward until I am right in front of him. I kneel and reach my
hand out to stroke him saying, “Hey there. Aren’t you a beautiful thing.”

He ducks his head and lets me scratch behind his ears as I
smile at him. His clear green eyes looking inquisitively at me.

As the gate on castle wall grinds open the wolves look
startled and move back, backing off as they know we are welcome. Interesting, I
make note: wolves protecting Vampires.

Well, here we go. Back into the hellhole.  I square my
shoulders and stalk into the grounds like I own it… which I shall in a few
days, I remind myself. CK close to my side, gripping my arm almost as if he
needs it more than me. We feel a sharp sensation go over us and we whisper,
“Wards,” to each other as we move forward.

A woman opens the front door for us, I sense her magick and
know straight away she is one of his Romani.

Without a word she steps back and lets us in. I hesitate for
a moment blinking at the sight. Modernized of course as is CK’s
Ponte
but still very much the same, with the exception of lighting. How odd. CK pulls
me forward and I move with him shaking off the dread. My eyes flick to the
stairs and flashbacks occur of me being dragged down them by my hair, but again
I try not to think about it.

“Father, Sister. How nice of you to drop by,” His smarmy
voice greets us before he steps out of the shadows.

CK grip tightens on my arm to the point of pain but I don’t
say anything. I am too traumatized to speak at the moment.

“Lance,” CK growls and I just stand there, remembering
Cole’s words from earlier: click my fingers, dangerous weapon, mine.

“Lance,” I say as pleasantly as possible. “Are we welcome?”

Delighted to be asked he replies, “Of course. You may stay
as long as you like. And it’s Vladimir now, Liv.”