Trials (The Forever Series, Book 6) (24 page)

“Liv, sweetie. Are you sure you are okay?” Cole says.

“Just peachy,” I say with a bright smile. I feel like crap
though. I am still tired and my heart is breaking over this thing taking over
Fraser’s body. I have to get to him as soon as possible. I make a sneaky plan
to try and get to the other world just to track him down. To see for myself if
he is still alive.

CK strolls in with none other than Ramon. My feeding buddy
from
Ponte
.

“
Buongiorno
, Liv,” he says with a big smile and I
smile back at him.

“Ramon. How nice to see you,” I give my sire a pointed look
and he shrugs.

“You said to revise his job description. He is here now at
your beck and call.”

“No, CK, I told you I don’t want that,” I whine at him.

“You need it whether you like it or not.”

“Not,” I say and then suddenly remember something. “Oh crap.
I don’t think I ever let Simone know that I wasn’t coming back to New York.”

“Taken care of,” Jess says, also just strolling into our
bedroom carrying my iPad. “We have spoken to her and told her, her Feeder
services are no longer required, unless we are back in New York, and we also sorted
her out a severance package.”

We? “Wonderful. Thank you.”

“No worries. There are some things we should sort out when
you are ready,” she says, standing in the small patch of sunlight over by the
window.

“Feed first,” CK says. “A bit of privacy, please.”

Jess and Nico leave and Cole watches jealously as I stand on
the bed and advance on the hunky Ramon. Standing a bit taller than him now, I
lower myself down to his neck and drink from him. I sense the jealousy coming
from CK now as well, as Ramon wraps his arms around me and I smile inwardly. He
is the one who insists I feed this way. I feel loads better after but could
still do with more of a boost. In an ideal world I would have a Vampire feed
followed by a Dragon feed chaser. I should speak to Xane about that. I am sure
he would be amenable. “
Grazie
,” I murmur to him as I brush my lips
lightly over his and he puckers up as Cole and CK glare at me. He leaves and I
leap off the bed. Both Cole and CK look down at me and then at my bare feet.

“What?” I snap as they look curiously at me.

“You seem to have taken a preference for no shoes, my
sweet.”

“Nothing wrong with that,” I say in a huff as I stalk out
and they follow me closely.

Both of them sit idly while I sit with Jess and revise my
schedule for the next week.

“I am still a little upset about you not seeing me next
week,” CK says as he drums his fingers on the sofa arm.

Cole, Jess, and myself all turn to look at him. “I told you
why,” I say.

“I know and while I understand that you need to focus, I
don’t see why you can’t do that with me. I can help you. ”

“This isn’t the time to discuss this,” I say with a grimace.

“What better time as you are sitting there cutting me out of
your schedule?”

“I am not cutting you out. Just postponing you. And not just
you,” I point out.

Cole is sitting there looking like he wants the earth to
swallow him up and I smile apologetically at him. I turn back to Jess who is
looking quite uncomfortable. “Get used to it,” I mutter to her and she looks up
at me, eyes wide.

“Postponing means that I will still get my two days. Does
that mean I get four the following week?” CK asks, pushing the issue now to my
annoyance.

“No!” I snap at him as Cole shakes his head at me. “We will
discuss this at another time.”

“Tomorrow then, when we go to see Ahmed and Corinne.”

“I have other things to discuss there. More pressing
issues,” I say through gritted teeth.

“Hm,” he says, clearly not caring that I am mortified he is
talking about this with Cole sitting right next to him.

“Liv, my love,” Cole says, now trying to draw the
conversation to something different. “You look like you could do with more
blood. Shall I get you some?”

I smile gratefully at him, “Yes, please. Same as yesterday.”

He chuckles, “A bit early, isn’t it?”

“Oh who cares? It’s five o’clock somewhere,” I say
offhandedly.

“It sure is, you could even take it somewhere where it is 5
PM and drink it and come back.”

I laugh as he stands to get me my bloody wine cocktail. CK
watches him with narrowed eyes as he prepares my drink and eyes widening again
as Cole hands it to me, his eyes dropping to my bare feet and back up my über
casual outfit.

“Red wine?” he asks, raising his eyebrow.

“I know, weird right?” Cole says. “Liv says she has a bit of
a craving for it.”

Shit! I can tell my face has gone really flushed and try to
hide it behind the glass as CK’s eyebrows skyrocket and looks at me
questioningly.

I shrug and ignore his hopeful look that I am in fact with
child. It’s not like the alcohol will affect the child, after all, but I
personally don’t see how it is possible after one ritual with him unless it
is--I gulp loudly in spite of myself--with Lincoln.

Jess clears her throat and I bring my attention back to her.
“Erm, Scott has asked me to ask you something,” she says.

“Oh, what is that?” I prompt her as she stops speaking.

“He said he still has the signing power for your personal
accounts. He said that you should transfer that to me,” she says quickly with a
deep flush of her own.

“Oh did he now?” I say with a slight smile. I cast a quick
gaze at Cole who looks amused and CK who is frowning. He is such a worry wart
when it comes to my finances. I have no idea why, when I am not exactly
careless and hardly broke. In fact, it’s the complete opposite.

“Well, that would mean that you have proven yourself and
that your trial period is up. Do you think that you can do this job and all
that it entails?” I ask her.

“Yes,” she says without hesitation. Well, have to admire her
confidence.

“Fine. I happen to agree that you will be able to keep up
and keep things to yourself. However, you will have to go and ask Devon to sort
you out. He does all my accounting. Oh and while you are at it, ask him to sort
you out a contract.”

“Sebastian can do that,” CK says quickly.

“Oh no, that isn’t going to happen,” I say firmly.

“Why not?” he asks, offended on his charges behalf. “He is
very good at his chosen profession.”

“I know he is. There is a very definite conflict of interest
though.”

“What do you mean?” he asks, confused.

“Cade told me about his own contract that Sebastian just
handed to him without discussing it with me. Which, by the way, he won’t sign
and I agree with his decision.”

“But why not? It is for your own protection,” he says in a
huff.

“Yours, more like,” I retort.

“What did it say?” Cole asks, intrigued.

“Basically that Cade is to report to Nico.”

Cole looks askance at CK who just sits there quietly.

“Fortunately these Hunters seem to have a strong sense of
loyalty and he refused as he said it was insulting as he works for me, not
you,” I continue casually, not wanting to piss him off but not wanting him to
get away with it, either.

“We are just looking out for you. A few short weeks ago he
was hell-bent on killing you,” CK snaps.

“As was Nico before you brought him into the fold and now
you trust him with my life.”

“I have worked with Nico for twenty years, Aefre. It is a
bit different.”

“Is it? Twenty years ago, you had Nico escort me back to New
York from Rome all by himself. Admittedly had I known who he was, not to
mention how young he was, I may have refused.” My turn for a bit of a huff.

“I knew I could trust him.”

“And I know I can trust Cade. He has more than proven
himself with me and I am surprised you think otherwise after everything he did
in Italy,” I say.

“Yes, well he did help you, I will admit to that.”

“Exactly.”

“What did he do in Italy?” Cole asks.

“He helped me stand up to the Lance creature. Reminded me
that I could.” I leave out the bit about him getting me to Shift back to Liv
from Emily.

“Oh. Are you finished here? I want to spend some time alone
with you.”

I look at Jess and she nods, “For now. You fed properly,
yes?” She waves her hand dismissively at the glass in my hand.

“Yes,” I say and she nods and ticks it off my list of
reminders.

CK looks on in approval and I smile at him. He smiles back
at me and says, “Sebastian wants to see you.”

“What? Why?”

“He has a proposal for you. You will have to talk to him
about it.”

“Liv…” Cole starts but CK interrupts him.

“It won’t take long. I will escort you to his suite and make
sure he brings you back here himself.”

“Fine. He gets five minutes.” I sigh. I know what he wants
to talk about and I have to go and reassure him I won’t tell. I stand and CK
holds his hand out to me. I lean down to kiss Cole first, telling him I won’t
be long, and then let CK Teleport me to Sebastian. He must have been expecting
us as he doesn’t look surprised to see us as we land in the middle of his
sitting room. I must remember to talk about boundaries with this lot at some
point.

“Liv,” he says. “Thank you for coming to see me…” he trails
off as CK has pulled me in for a kiss, pushing his tongue firmly between my
lips. He runs his hands down my back and I pull him closer to me. I tug on his
shirt, forgetting all about where I am and Sebastian clears his throat. “Unless
I can join in this time, I would ask that you stop that right now before it
goes any further.”

We pull away looking smug and unapologetic. “Sorry,” I
murmur. “But please note that my point has been made. Whenever we are alone
together we can’t keep our hands off each other. This is why I can’t come to
you this week,” I say to CK.

“Point taken. But I will have you at some point,” he says,
kissing me and trailing his hand over my stomach.

I bat his hand away. “I don’t think it is what you are
thinking,” I say. “It’s too soon.”

“We’ll see,” he says. “Sebastian, make sure you take her
back up to her suite yourself. She is not to go anywhere unattended.”

“You aren’t staying?” I ask.

“No, I have business to conduct. I do still have a day job,
you know.”

“Really? I wouldn’t have guessed,” I say innocently and he
chuckles.

“Remember what I said about kings, my sweet.”

“Hm, indeed.” I let him kiss me again and he Teleports out,
leaving me alone with Sebastian.

“What are you?” I ask him rudely as he gestures for me to
sit on the sofa.

“I beg your pardon?” he looks amused.

“I know you are Faerie but you are more than that. More than
a Vampire with Faerie powers. You are more than a Fae-pire,” I accuse him,
pointing my finger at him.

“Fae-pire?” he snorts. “I quite like that.”

“Start talking, Gautier,” I snap at him and he laughs at me
using his surname.

“Sit,
cherie
,” he says, patting the seat next to him.
“I suppose I must tell you something.”

I sit, keeping my eyes on him. I don’t want him telling me
then spelling me so I forget, even though that is allegedly not one of his
powers.

“Don’t look so suspicious,” he chides me. “You are right, I
am more than just an ordinary Faerie, with Vampire powers. Or a Vampire with
Faerie powers.”

“So what are you then? How is it that you managed to keep
your Faerie abilities when you were turned?”

“We don’t know. The only other person who has managed to
retain their other powers is Corinne but she cast a spell.”

“Go on,” I say. “I am wildly curious as to your heritage. I
know little about the Faerie, except what I know about the Faerie Silver.”

He sighs, “Before Constantine turned me, I was the Light Fae
Prince. My father was King.”

Oh, wow! Impressive. “Fae? You were Fae royalty? That
explains your immense power. But not why you still have it. And why on earth
would you choose to be a Vampire over King of the Faeries?”

“Light Fae,” he corrects me. “Faerie is all of us. Fae is us,
divided. And I chose to be a Vampire to be like Constantine. All I ever wanted
was to be just like him. Even as a child he was this presence that you wanted
to be near…oh shit…” he says as he notices my expression turn from interest to
shock.

“You big, fat liar!” I shout at him, punching him in the
arm. “You said you didn’t know him as a human and now you say you were children
together? That you grew up together?”

“Liv. Please. Understand that this is something that is
private. Personal for him and me. Don’t poke at it and ask me questions you
know that he won’t want me answering. I am here to tell you about me, not him.”

I stand and start to pace. I can’t believe this. I can’t
believe that there is still a person alive in this world that knew my sire as a
human. “Seb, please. You have to give me something. Anything.” I drop to my
knees in front of him to his surprise.

“No, don’t ask me. And please don’t look at me like that. I
know that look. It twists him around your little finger. Stop looking at me.”
He covers my eyes with his hand. I take his hand and pull it away and say,
“Please, Seb.”

“No. If he wanted you to know he would have told you.”

Well he might as well have just slapped me in the face. But
the truth hurts so I sit back on my heels and chew on my lip to stop me from
asking again.

He stares at me and clears his throat, “So that is my
story.”

“What did your father do when he found out you were turned?”

“He was furious, but there was nothing he could do. He
wouldn’t allow me to rule as I was and I couldn’t change back. I didn’t want to
change back. He banished me and that is that.”

“And yet you still retained your powers. I just don’t
understand that. Wow. A Prince.” I shake my head at him.