Revelation (The Forever Series Book Three) (22 page)

“His agent has been ringing all night. I told him to take
it. He doesn’t need to be here for this.”

“Fine. You do it,” I resign myself, as it is a moot point.
He will do it anyway. “I will go and sit with her.”

“No, you go with Constantine. I will sit with her. You need
to see this through,” Devon says.

I pull him close and whisper, “Thank you. I love you.”

He nods and leaves us.

Constantine grabs my hand and leads us to the door. “Break
it,” he says. I focus my Power and break through the wards as if it were
nothing.

He pulls me forward but I say, “Wait.”

“What is it?”

“I’m going down with you,” Lincoln sidles up to my other
side and we both look at him in surprise.

“Lincoln, no. Just go and wait in the sitting room.”

“Not a chance. He kept me prisoner for half a century. I
want to see him finished.” He grabs my right hand and his fingers brush against
my ring and he mutters, “Interesting,” as he gazes intently into my eyes.

CK glares at him, “And who are you again?”

Lincoln standing his ground says, “A victim of what I have
assumed over this last half an hour, is one of your own. You owe me this.”

“Don’t get in the way,” he says shortly as he pulls me
forward.

“Wait,” I say again and he stares at me impatiently.

Having already been down those steps once tonight, I know I
cannot do it in my six-inch heels. I pull them off but keep them in my hand as
no way am I going down there without them.

CK tuts at me as I lose a few inches but staring up at
Lincoln’s great height, he smiles at me.

“Allow me,” he says and takes them from me. Standing at
least six feet two inches I smile my thanks up at him and wonder again how it
is I attract such tall, gorgeous men. He winks at me and says “After you, Your
Majesty.”

Oh lord, but he is just wonderful.

Descending the steps quickly we reach the bottom and he
hands me my shoes back. I slip them on and feel loads better.

Finding Lance in my old cell, we watch him closely as he
does with us. He is chained to the wall but with magick, seeing as I had broken
the chains to release Polly. And also it would be the only thing to keep him in
place and unable to Teleport anyway.

“Father and Sister. Always together. I should have known you
would be my first visitors,” he glances slyly at Lincoln and adds, “But you.
You are unexpected.”

“Our Queen broke your curse on me. I wanted to be here when
she finished you off,” he says calmly.

Lance laughs, “She won’t end me. If she didn’t allow it
before I see no reason why she would have changed her mind.”

Putting my hand to the cell door, I once again break through
the magick lock and it springs free. I step inside with my sire casually
holding my hand as if this was the most normal thing in the world. I pull away
from him though and narrow my eyes at Lance. Leaning my elbows on the altar I
say to him, “I am here to give you what you always wanted.”

I sense the shock from Constantine and Lincoln’s confusion.

Lance looking somewhat amused says, “Oh and what is that?”

“What you always wanted to see in my eyes. My pleasure.
Only…” I pause and slide a glance at CK who is looking mighty annoyed with my
plan of action, “you get to watch as our sire gives it to me.”

Lance’s eyes light up but behind that is a flash of anger,
quickly hidden, “I have already seen you two together. Admittedly I was rather
put out that you Shifted, blue-eyed brunettes aren’t really my thing. Quite the
insatiable whore, aren’t you?”

“Hm, so I am not mistaken in thinking this is something you
want to see?” I press him, ignoring the whore comment, “I know it’s what you
always wanted to see.” I move around the altar now and crouch before him. “I
was so close to giving you everything you wanted,” I whisper and he hisses at
me, struggling against his magickal bonds. “You did break me. I was yours for
the taking. I was ready to give you myself the next time you came down those
steps.” I stand up then, “But the kicker was, the next person down those steps
was our sire. Here to save me. Here to rescue me from you.”

“That bitch!” he yells. “She dropped the wards long enough for
them to sense you here before they left. If she weren’t already dead I would
have her head again!” he snarls.

“Oh too bad,” I say in mock pity, walking back around the
altar. “But here’s your chance to get what you never could. To see my
willingness, to see what my pleasure looks like.”

I stop in front of CK, eyes on Lance. I back up to him
forgetting all about Lincoln watching this from the corner. He growls his
protest in my ear, but does as I want anyway, bringing his hands around to the
tops of my thighs and pulling my skirt up slowly. Having already magickally
ditched my knickers he groans in pleasure in spite of his earlier protest, as
he reaches me unhindered.

Lightly brushing his fingers over me, Lance again struggles
against his ties, itching to get his hands on me. “What does your husband think
of this?” he sneers at me.

“He wants what makes me happy and this…” I sigh, “this makes
me happy,” and I gasp as CK inserts his fingers into me.

Getting on board with this plan he says to Lance, “Mm. I love
how she is always ready for me. So wet. Always so ready.”

Lance’s eyes go even blacker as he Shifts in an attempt to
break the ties that bind him to the wall.

Pulsing his fingers in and out of me in a very loud slurping
noise in the silence of the cell, all eyes on me, CK continues. “I bet you
never felt this. Never felt her this wet. This hot. I just have to look at her
and she gets this way. I bet you had to work really hard to get even a drop out
of her,” he murmurs all the while working his fingers over and in me.

“Oh baby,” I say squirming against him.

“Are you close, my love?” he asks. “Are you going to come
for me?”

“Yes,” I pant and eyes still boring into Lance’s furious
ones I come loudly for extra measure as he howls in anger.

CK groans in pleasure as he feels me throbbing against him.
“Oh there really isn’t anything quite like it in the world. If you knew, you
would know why I didn’t want to share.”

“And yet you share her with those two children!” he snaps.

“We are a family. She is mine and they are hers.”

“WE were a family!” he yells in anguish. “Why did you turn
your back on me?”

“You betrayed me!” CK hisses at him, “You took what was mine
and defiled her. I will never forgive you and for it I will kill you.” He
pushes me not so ceremoniously out of his way now and advances on his charge.
His protégé. I have never seen him so hell bent on killing someone before and
it scares me.

“Oh? And what of the other one? Does she not warrant some of
your wrath?”

“She means nothing to me. I know you are linked and I will
still kill you even if it means ending her as well.”

Lance looks slightly panicked now and I realize that he did
it in an effort to save himself. He didn’t think that Constantine would destroy
an innocent charge just to get revenge on him. In spite of myself and my
feelings of killing an innocent--even though I have to say I dislike her
immensely--it isn’t her fault what Constantine did to her, or Lance. I pull on
my handy armory and G.I. makes an appearance with a loud
zing
as it
breaks through the castle wards, much to the shock of everyone in the cell.

“Aefre. Put it away, I will handle this.”

“No. I will do it.”

“Still saving you from yourself,” Lance scoffs. “When will
she learn you aren’t worth saving?”

I feel his inward stab of pain at that and it makes me even
more resolved to do this myself now. No one hurts my sire like that and gets
away with it.

“Lincoln, step back. I don’t know how this will affect you,”
I say as I stride forward and past him as he cringes against the heat of the
hell flames. I twirl the sword in a large arc and with only a moment’s
hesitation, bring it down to sever Lance’s head clean off his neck. He
disintegrates instantly and I step back feeling slightly sick. Not for him, but
for CK and for Polly. 

 Letting the sword go, I stand there in momentary shock much
like I did with Gregor and Eloise, but as CK crouches down to where his once
beloved charge used to be it snaps me back to attention. “I’ll just be a
minute,” he croaks in pain. “Get out of this place. You shouldn’t be down here
any longer than you have to be.”

No need to tell me twice. I touch his shoulder and he pulls
away as I thought he might and turning on my heel I pull my shoes off and run
back upstairs to the sitting room, Lincoln hot on my heels.

Bursting into the room I stop as I see Devon and wait. He
shakes his head. “It was quick. She didn’t feel it.”

I choke and collapse onto the sofa, dropping my head in my
hands. Devon comes to sit with me quietly, just putting his arm around me and I
feel comforted.

I sense Cole at my side and hold my hand out for him and he
sits too, “What happened?”

“I killed Lance. And Polly,” I say.

He pulls me to him and strokes my hair. “You did what you
had to do. He hurt you terribly and God knows how many others. You did what you
had to do,” he repeats over and over and it starts to sink in. I feel terrible
about Polly but Lance had to go.

Constantine walks back into the sitting room with his usual
air of indifference as if nothing has happened. I know he is hurting though as
I can feel it. I watch him but he makes no move to come closer to me so I leave
him be.

“I’m going to check the tower room. Make sure it’s empty,”
he says suddenly.

I look up sharply and say, “I’ll go with you.”

“No. Don’t. You have been through enough.” And with that he
turns and walks away. I sigh and put my shoes back on, again. Bloody castles
and their dungeons.

Wanting to discuss something normal for a change I turn to
Cole, “What did Peter want?”

“Oh, it doesn’t matter. It can wait,” he says offhandedly.

“No, tell me. I want to discuss something normal, please.”

“Okay. Well, I got the movie,” he says.

I blink at him, realizing I should have already known that
due to my position at the Studio but clearly other issues have been more
pressing. I am curious as to his lack of excitement. “Baby, that’s great news.
I’m so proud of you.” I kiss him and Devon slaps him on the back.

“Congrats.”

Cole still not looking too pleased accepts the praise with
indifference.

“What is it? Do you not want the part?” I ask him.

“No, I do. It’s a great part, a great script but…”

“But what?”

“I will have to film in Canada and various other locations
that aren’t L.A.,” he says.

“Oh. How long for?” I ask cautiously.

“About eight months,” he says sadly.

“Okay, well don’t worry about it. I can work from anywhere
with wi-fi so I will just come with you. Simple solution,” I smile
encouragingly at him and he lights up.

“You will? I didn’t think it would be as easy as all that
what with your new duties.”

Oh crap. I forgot about that. “Well it won’t be easy and
maybe I will have to go home some of the time, but we will make it work. I
promise,” I say confidently and his face falls slightly as I all but change my
tune. “Whereabouts in Canada?” I ask.

“Toronto.”

“Well actually that works out quite nicely as we need to go
back to New York anyway and it’s a quick hop over the border, two hours max
door to door. And with a push I can always do a stealthy Astral in and out
before someone sees me.” I grin at him and he relaxes again now that we have a
plan of sorts in place.

“What business do you have in New York?” he asks.

“The Cade thing, remember? And also I could do with spending
some time in the offices there. You know, rustle a few feathers.”

“Oh that’s a good idea,” Devon says. “I will also come. I
have been meaning to suggest a field trip. This is perfect.”

“Hm, speaking of Cade. Where did you meet him?” Cole asks
innocently, ignoring Devon, and I wondered when that topic was going to come
up.

I clear my throat and say, “I saw him Milan, in our hotel
first. I was, um, looking for something to, well you know, eat, and he was the
only AB Neg in range.”

“You went hunting? In the hotel?” he asks incredulously.

“I was hungry. It was the day of the Power transfer. I was
going crazy.”

His face hardens as he remembers that day and the Devon
incident.

“Anyway, when I got off the jet at JFK he was behind me in
the coffee line. We spoke, briefly.”

“Oh,” he says, annoyed.

Lincoln drums his fingers on the table as we have basically
been ignoring him and I feel bad for excluding him.

“So Lincoln, before you came here. Where was home?” I ask.

Surprised by the sudden interest in him he says, “Chicago,
before here. I came to Europe to find more of my kind. And got caught in the
Lance trap.”

“How did you manage to get yourself cursed?” Devon asks with
his usual bluntness.

“Devon! That’s not really any of our business,” I scold him.

“It’s not something I care to discuss at the moment if
that’s okay,” Lincoln says grimly and the subject gets dropped.

“Well you will be coming home with me now,” I say to him.
“With us,” I amend at the bristling going on next to me.

He looks surprised, “To Los Angeles?”

“That would be home. I think,” I add wryly. “We seem to have
been everywhere but there lately.”

“You don’t need to take responsibility for me Liv. I will be
fine.”

“You are my responsibility. You are one of mine now.”

He looks at me sharply, “One of yours?”

“I don’t mean in a prisoner sense,” I snap. “I am your Queen
and it is my mother’s wish to unite the Underworld. You are a member of the
Underworld, are you not?”