Trials (The Forever Series, Book 6) (30 page)

“Doesn’t matter, you come to my world, I will find you.”

“Fine. But whatever it is you have to say had better be
worth my while or I swear to the old gods, I will kill you.”

She laughs at me, “Sure you will. I have five hundred and
six years worth of Queen Power on my side. Plus also Empress now. Doesn’t seem
likely you could best me.”

“Ah, but I am the one who taught you to time travel…oh
wait…you don’t seem to have grasped it much, only to get yourself back to your
own timeline. And there’s me jumping all over the space-time continuum,” I say
sweetly.

Her face flushes with anger, “How do you know I can’t time
travel?”

“You said you’d come back and you never did. Catch me if you
can,” I say with a little wave and--hoping that I am right and she can’t
follow--I relocate myself back to my own timeline.

Chapter 14

I find myself alone when I come back to my time. Well, I
hope I am back in my time. I was expecting a mass Q & A session but
apparently everyone had better things to do.

“You’re back,” Cole says from behind me, coming out of the
bedroom.

“Yes.” I smile at him and hug him fiercely to his surprise.

“All good?”

“It is now,” I tell him and he beams.

“What happened? Did she tell you anything useful?” he asks
this casually but deep down he wants to ask what I did to gain any info she had
to give.

“All she said that was new, was I can only kill it in the
Spirit Realm. Problem is, she didn’t tell me yet how to get there and back. I
know she is not saying a lot, but I can’t quite place my finger on the extent
to which she is holding back.” I ponder this. Her facial expressions and her
word usage has me piqued. Not once did she say “kill” only “defeat”. She told
me there was a way to get rid of it, but that she defeated it. Am I being
paranoid here? Probably. I am too suspicious of just about everyone’s motives at
the moment.

“Do you have to go back?”

“Yes. But don’t worry. Her Constantine is on to our plan. I
can’t pull her off, she is too…” I shudder. “He saw right through me.”

“But he will help?”

“Yes,” I say, leaving out his request for said help.

“Well that’s something. But hopefully Corinne and Ahmed
might be able to come up with something in the meantime.”

“That would be preferable.”

“Come to bed then? I have missed you.” He kisses me and I
kiss him back desperately.

“Yes,” I murmur and he picks me up and carries me off to
have his delicious way with me, again and again.

I fall asleep with my arms wrapped around Cole, at peace for
a while. But then I start dreaming of the other Constantine and the other me
and I am restless and stir, but the dreams keep pulling me back under until I
dream of my CK and Sebastian. At least I hope it is a dream as I don’t really
want to be sitting there watching what is going on.

CK is standing, staring out of the window as Sebastian
gets fucked by a pretty young human over on the sofa.

“Do I really need to be here for the whole show?” CK
says.

“The idea was that you join in,” Sebastian says.

“Not likely,” CK says much to my relief and the
disappointment of the girl who is looking at him hungrily like a treat she just
has to have. “Let me know when you are ready.”

As if on cue Sebastian drops his fangs and feeds from the
girl as she comes intensely and CK moves to stand behind Sebastian. As soon as
he releases her CK drops his fangs and feeds from Sebastian as he comes inside
the girl. I don’t want to see this. It is way too intimate. It is too personal.
I try to cover my eyes but it doesn’t work. I feel like I have violated them by
being this unwilling voyeur.

Sebastian slaps the arse of the girl as CK releases his
bite and shivers as the effects of his blood kicks in. Huh, it really does make
a difference to him. She climbs off Sebastian and pulls on her dress. She grabs
the wad of cash from the table and leans over to kiss him. “See you tomorrow,”
she says and I grasp that she is a regular Feeder, with benefits. Paid extra
well to keep her trap shut about what she sees pass between CK and his charge,
judging from the hefty stack of bills.

CK moves back to the window to stare out pensively as
Sebastian stands and pulls on a pair of sweats. As he turns his back towards
me, my mouth drops open. He is marked. A lot. His back is a myriad of swirls
connecting what appears to be leaves all across his back. I have never seen his
back before as he has never been shirtless in front of me. It must have
something to do with his Faerie genes. He quickly pulls a t-shirt over his
head, clearly conscious of it, even when it is just the two of them.

“Thank you,” he says softly.

CK shrugs.

“You really should stop this whole true-to-one crap. It
isn’t like she repays the favor,” he says slyly.

“Don’t start, Sebastian,” he sighs.

“I’m not. Just pointing out a fact,” Sebastian says and
holds his hands up in defense. “Too bad you can’t convince her to come to me.
It would change everything.”

“She said not yet. So just leave it. I’m not pushing
her.”

“Just ask her again. Just ask her to come to me for one
night. I can convince her to come to me again after that.”

CK turns, “Quite confident of your abilities there aren’t
you, my boy?”

“You don’t know what it’s like. You don’t know what I
feel when I touch her. What we feel when we touch each other.”

“Oh? Why don’t you enlighten me?” CK says nastily but
Sebastian doesn’t flinch. He turns square on to his sire.

“Like it is meant to be. Like we belong together.” He
holds his hands out palms up and fingers outstretched. “It’s electric,” he says
and sparks fly from his fingers.

Whoa, put the power away before you hurt someone,
Princie.

“You are in love with her,” CK says.

“Yes,” Sebastian says and CK’s face hardens. “She can
give me everything I want.”

“She isn’t yours,” CK says shortly.

“She isn’t yours either. Not yet, anyway,” Sebastian
retorts and CK’s hands clench into fists.

“Watch your mouth,” he says.

“Again, just stating the facts.” He steps closer to CK
and takes his arms in his hands. “Please ask her again,” he says quietly.

CK shakes his head, “No, she made it clear the subject
was closed. I am not going to risk pissing her off. Not now when she is being
reasonable about our future.”

“She is being reasonable because of me. Because of what I
am doing to her. Please,” Sebastian implores his sire, tightening his grip, “I
have to be with her. I feel whole when she is next to me. It is like she is…one
of my kind…one of my old kind.”

CK brings his hands up and removes Sebastian’s grip from
him. Sebastian might have the edge on the juju power but CK is still physically
stronger and quicker than him. “She is not Faerie. It is impossible. They do
not fall under her rule, you know that. You are mistaken, and I will not
discuss this again. And you will keep your hands to yourself. I don’t know the
ins and outs of your little whatever it is, but you are only supposed to be
spelling her. Not touching her.”

“We kiss and we feed from each other and on occasion we
bring pleasure to ourselves while we do it,” Sebastian says smugly.

CK looks pained as he hears the words but adjusts his
features slightly and asks, “You please her? You fuck her?”

“No, she won’t do that. She touches herself,” Sebastian
admits. “But remember that you did give me permission to fuck her. She just
won’t.”

CK turns away from him, “She kisses you? Willingly?”

“Yes,” he sighs. “This is what I am trying to tell you.
She feels the connection we have as well. I know she does.”

Silence.

“Either you speak to her again or I will spell her to
come to me willingly,” Sebastian says boldly.

“You wouldn’t dare,” CK snaps at him.

“Oh I would. I did before we left L.A., but then she did
that Dragon Shift and it threw the spell.”

“You did what?” CK launches himself at Sebastian, hand at
this throat.

“I suggested she come to me and let me make love to her.
The only reason I haven’t done it again is because I love her and I don’t want
her that way. Unless I am left with no choice.”

“You are pushing your luck. If I find out that you
spelled her to come to you, make no mistake that this time I really will end
you. If she comes to you of her own volition then fair enough but you will not
influence her. Your job, your only job, is to spell her to make her come to
me.”

“I did. Yesterday. And I told her plain to her face as
well. I have your back, you know that. I just want something in return is all.”

“Remember this, Aefre,” Lance’s voice echoes in my head,
“You have to remember this, to see what your sire is planning.”

“Aefre. Aefre.” I hear Corinne’s voice and I open my eyes. I
was dreaming about CK and Sebastian. They were plotting and discussing me like
some kind of commodity. I frown as I remember the details.

“Aefre,” Corinne whispers, hovering over me.

I bolt upright. “Corinne? Wait, is that really you?” I ask,
thinking it must The Thirteen because of the awful dream I just had.

“Yes, Your Majesty, it is really me.”

“How do I know?” I whisper at her, not wanting to wake Cole.

“Erm, you came to see me earlier, with your sire. Ahmed and
I walked in on you having a private discussion. That is what I am here to talk
to you about.” She holds up a scroll.

Well, that is true, but that doesn’t mean she is who she
says she is. I warily climb out of bed and pull on a robe as she looks away.

“You also asked about your father,” she whispers as she
realizes I am not altogether trusting. “I took Devon on his sire trials,” she
adds.

“I believe you. I just had this awful dream. That usually
happens when
It
makes an appearance.”

We walk out to the sitting room, closing the bedroom door
quietly behind me.

“What was it about?” she asks.

“Oh, nothing you need worry about. Just me being paranoid, I
think. What did you wish to discuss?”

“Are we able to talk freely?” she asks, looking back towards
the bedroom.

“Yes, Cole sleeps like the dead,” I say. “We can go
elsewhere if you prefer?”

“No, here is fine.” She undoes the scroll and lays it out on
the dining table. It looks about as old as I am as I peer at it. It is written
in the same text, sort of, as the Grimoire.

“What is it?”

“A prophecy,” she says and I roll my eyes.

“Not another one? Is it about me again?”

“Yes.” She points to the top line. “This translated says
that your mother is Empress of the Dragon Realms and Underworld.”

Well, we already know that.

“This,” she says pointing to the second line, “says that her
daughter will be Queen and rule as one until such a time that she becomes
Empress. So that is you.”

I nod, we have obviously established that as well. Although
the thought that I would be Empress one day is something that I only thought
about when we switched places with other me on board the jet.

“This third line, we were never sure what to make of it,
being what you are,” she says cryptically. “But when we overheard you talking
to Constantine and seeing his actions it all became a bit clearer. You are
planning to have a child with him, yes?” she whispers.

I narrow my eyes at her. “Perhaps,” I say noncommittally.

“How?” she asks, still whispering.

“Why don’t you tell me what the third line says?” I ask
instead.

“Please, Aefre, can you tell me before I tell you what it
says? You know that Ahmed and I know everything. About everyone. And we keep
the secrets because we have been sworn to do so. Our loyalty is to you, our
Queen, and your mother, The Empress. You can trust me.”

“Fine, but if this gets out I will come for you,” I threaten
her and she bobs her head. “We are doing a Blood Magick ritual which will make
him more than an ordinary Vampire. More like me. Able to reproduce.”

Her eyebrows skyrocket and I continue, “When we went to the
future, they said it was working, but not quickly enough. They asked us to
start it now to give them a better chance.”

“You truly believe that your sire will be able to give you a
child?” she asks.

“Well, we had hoped so. Obviously we couldn’t say for sure,
until future us said it was working. That he was becoming more than an ordinary
Vampire. Now, will you please tell me what this is about?”

“Aefre, if that is your plan, you must be careful. There are
others in your group that are more than able to give you that without the need
for magick,” she says it carefully but I still take offense.

“I am aware of that, thank you,” I say stiffly.

“I don’t mean to upset you, I just want you to be informed.”

“Very well, please, continue.”

“The third line says that your daughter will one day be
Queen and Empress and rule as her mother and grandmother did before her.”

A daughter? CK will be over the moon. “My daughter? I’m
going to have a daughter?” I ask her softly.

She nods, “So it would seem. The question remains though who
her father will be.”

“Yes, that seems to be a running query at the moment,” I say
to her pointedly. “So what is the problem?” I ask, not really getting the
reason for all the cloak and dagger. What’s it to her if CK and I have a child
or not?

She sits down and pats the chair next to her and says, “If a
Shifter female mates with a different species, the child is almost always born
after the father. The same with Demons. When a female Dragon mates with a different
species the child is always a Dragon. Takes after the mother. Due to Tiamat’s
curse, you were born a Dragon, but to human parents who by sheer coincidence
conceived you at the exact moment your mother would have had she been able. So
your essence, as it were, was passed on to them.” She looks slightly
uncomfortable talking about this and I don’t blame her. I am very uncomfortable
listening to this. “So you were the first and only human-born Dragon. This
prophecy states that your daughter will be a human-born Dragon as well but with
the slight difference of you carrying her.”