Trials (The Forever Series, Book 6) (27 page)

“Liv!” he calls after me, “Liv, baby. You can’t do that.”

I ignore him with a small smile and step under the stream of
water, letting it run over me in small rivulets.

“Liv,” he says desperately, following me into the bathroom.
“Don’t be mean.”

“You are the one who started it,” I say to him, turning my
back so he doesn’t see my smile. He steps in behind me and turns me and drops
to his knees under the pounding water, pressing his mouth to my clit. He sucks
on me, flicking his tongue expertly over me until I come again. “Please finish
me off, baby. I love you,” he whispers and I can’t resist him any longer. I
pull him up and kiss him sweetly. He lifts me against the wall and swiftly
enters me and we come together in perfect harmony as the water beats down on
us.

“Were you playing with me the whole time?” I ask him
sometime later as we lie in bed.

“No. Only after I made you suck my cock,” comes his reply.

“Made me?” I scoff. “Why did you do it?”

“I told you. I wanted to be in complete control of you. I
love you and I love our sex life but you always consume me. Even before you
told me what you were, you always made me feel…”

“Feel what?” I ask.

“I want to say the word less but that isn’t really what I
mean. I can’t explain it.” He sighs.

I sit upright, “I make you feel less? Cole, why did you
never say anything before?”

“Because that isn’t what I mean. And after you turned me it
seemed to be the way it was. And lest you forget I have seen you with both
Devon and Constantine. I see the roles. I know you take control of Devon and
Constantine takes control of you. I guess, as your husband I just wanted to be
different. I am explaining this so badly.” He rubs his hand over his face.

“But I do treat you differently. You know that. I don’t go
all sire on you.”

“I know that, but you are still more powerful than me and
you never let me forget it.”

“What?” I ask in genuine surprise. “How can you say that?”

“Because it’s true. Even when we make love, even when you
let
me
make love to
you
there is still that little part of you
that has to take control.”

I am perplexed. I didn’t know I did that. I thought I was
being rather good about
not
doing it.

“Oh Cole, my love. I didn’t know. You should have said
something sooner.”

“I didn’t want you to get mad at me.”

“So instead you devise a plan to put me in my place?” I say
dryly.

“Maybe.”

“Well, we shall be leaving this kind of play at the door,” I
state firmly.

“Fine.” He sighs, disappointed.

“Fine, maybe every now and again. Like once a year,” I bend
slightly and he laughs.

“Done.”

“You know,” I say slyly, “if you took a human lover you
could feel that way, powerful, all of the time. You could use her and feed from
her and there would be nothing she could do about it.”

I leave that to sink in as I get up and go to get myself
something to drink. I am getting quite addicted to my bloody wine cocktails and
add a dash of Tabasco in this one just for an extra kick. Hm, delicious. I have
always tried to stay away from the cliché of the Bloody Mary but maybe next
time I will give that a go. It sounds quite tasty.

Cole takes longer than I expected to come and find me to
lambast me about my remark. Only instead of a lambasting, I get a thoughtful
look. “Is that why you have been pushing me to do it?” he asks.

“Part of the reason,” I shrug.

“What’s the other part? So you don’t feel so guilty about
doing it yourself?”

“Erm, no,” I say, although he kind of has a point. “It is
just the way with male Vampires. Especially new ones and I am away so much of
the time. I just want you looked after.”

“That is a lame answer, Liv. I would have preferred you said
that you feel some guilt.” He goes about making his own bloody wine drink and
to my surprise adds a dash of Tabasco to his too.

“Snap,” I murmur and he frowns at me until he sees me
looking at the drink.

He tilts his head, “You did the same?”

I nod and he says, “In perfect sync with each other. I like
that.”

“Me too.”

“I will think about what you said,” he says carefully and my
eyes go to his. He is being serious and while I feel a pang of jealousy I am
glad that he is going to think it over. “But I’m not going to be forced into
it, so drop it now, Liv. Please. I have heard you and I have told you I will
think about it. I don’t want to talk about it again.”

“I promise.” I step forward to kiss him but he holds up his
hand.

“I meant what I said about going Hunting as well. I have
thought about it since we spoke of it here when I fake drained you. And you
don’t get to treat Devon any differently to me. You don’t get to decide if I am
prepared or ready and you certainly don’t get to tell me what I can or can’t
do.”

Wow, assertive Cole is still out in full force. I am getting
all mushy again, but I just can’t agree to this.

“I love you, Cole. More than you will ever know but I can’t
do this with you. I worked long and hard to evolve and if I step back and let
you do this I might as well be doing it myself.”

“So do it yourself,” he says and I glare at him.

“Not very supportive, my love.”

“Liv, you are a Vampire. You are Queen of the Vampires. Of
all of us. You should take a leaf out of ‘other you’s’ book.”

“Cole!”

“I’m just saying.”

“You don’t know what you are saying. I won’t take you
Hunting. If you want to go, you find someone else to take you.”

“Fine. Tell me which one of you still kills? Devon?
Sebastian? Constantine? I am sure he still does but would never admit it to
anyone. Secretive bastard.”

“I have no idea!” I yell at him, getting quite agitated by
this hideous conversation I never thought I would be having with my perfect,
calm, controlled husband.

“Then I will find out. Case closed,” he says as he stalks
off back to the bedroom and I watch him go.

“I’ve failed you,” I whisper to his back, so low that I
didn’t want him to hear me but he does and he spins.

“Is that what you think? Because I want to give in to the
urges that tear me up inside, what you said was the basest part of ourselves,
you think you have failed me? Do you know how difficult it is to be this
controlled? I have tried because it is what you want for me but it isn’t what I
want. I have failed you.”

I shake my head, “No, you haven’t. I just wish you could
have told me all of this…all of this,” I gesture widely, meaning the whole of
this afternoon’s goings-on. “I could have helped you sort it out.”

“I didn’t want to bother you. You have enough to worry
about.” He shrugs.

“But nothing is more important than you.”

“Except Devon and Constantine and Lincoln and this stupid
Lance fucker,” he says.

“No, baby. If you needed me as your sire you should have
told me and when you need me as your wife you have to remind me of my
priorities. I am easily distracted.”

“Yeah no shit,” he says, but with humor.

“I love you,” I say.

“I love you. Are you going to help me? Or do I need to start
asking awkward questions to the others?”

“I will help you,” I say, dying just a little bit inside.
“Just let me wrap my head around it, okay?”

He nods. “Of course. Take your time. Not too much though,”
he adds.

Chapter 13

Sunday rolls around after a very long Saturday night. I
refuse to see anyone and Cole is happy to turn everyone away. I can’t stop
thinking about what he has asked me to do. What he wants to do. It’s
unthinkable. But then I have to remember what I was like, and Devon, and most
especially CK. We were all killers. It was what we were. Just because we, or at
least I – I couldn’t say for sure about the other three, has evolved doesn’t
mean that Cole has to or can even. He is so much younger than the rest of us, I
forget. I always forget. I heave a big sigh as the door goes again. “What is
it?” I snap at CK who is standing there leaning casually against the door frame
as he often does.

“I thought we were going to see Ahmed and Corinne?” he
queries.

“I still want to go on my own.”

“Sorry, my sweet. Not going to happen.” He peers at me
closely. “Something is amiss? Did you have another encounter? I told you to
tell me if It showed back up.”

“No. It didn’t come back. It’s, nothing.”

“Tell me, my love. You are upset.” He takes my hand and I
want nothing more than to fall weeping into his arms and for him to tell me it
will be fine and to fix the problem.

“I am okay,” I say instead. I turn and walk into the sitting
room and he follows, knowing I am lying but leaves it as Cole comes over to
kiss me goodbye.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to come with?”

“No, I need to speak to Corinne alone. I will hurry back
though. Don’t do anything about that thing we talked about yesterday while I am
gone, promise?”

“I promise. I said I would give you some time.”

CK is watching this exchange with interest and I have no
doubt in my mind he knows exactly what we are talking about as he takes my hand
and looks at me knowingly.

I nod at Cole and close my eyes, picturing myself back in
Corinne’s study. I open my eyes as CK squeezes my hand and we have arrived at
our destination. Although the room is empty.

“I wondered how long it would take. I will take him. You
shouldn’t have to be a part of it if it upsets you,” he says quietly.

I stay silent, not wanting to discuss it, but also shocked
that he offered. I know he isn’t Cole’s biggest fan, but there again it
probably has more to do with Vampire side than his personal one.

“You know he has the urge. We all do. He has done remarkably
well to control it all these months,” he adds.

I shrug, still not wanting to talk about it.

“I will take him,” he squeezes my hand again.

“Thank you, but it isn’t your responsibility. It is mine.”

“My responsibility is to you. To help you.”

“I always forget how much younger he is than me,” I say
sadly.

“As I did with you,” he says just as sadly.

“Do you still…go out?” I ask hesitantly.

He ponders whether to answer that and it tells me everything
I need to know.

“Oh,” I say and turn from him. He pulls me back.

“My love. You are probably the only one who doesn’t. Even
your boy goes out.” He uses my words to sugar coat it.

“Devon? How do you know?”

“I just do. He doesn’t want you to know. He thinks you will
be disappointed in him.”

Oh crap on toast. When did I all of a sudden become so pious
and judgy, after all the things I have done in the past?

Fortunately Ahmed and Corinne enter the room then with epic
timing so I don’t have to continue this conversation.

“Aefre, Constantine. How wonderful to see you both,” Ahmed
says in his usual polite way as Corinne bobs her head at us.

“Nice to see you too,” I say. “I hope that you have
something for me.” I really hope they do, as I am loathe to go back to that
woman and take her up on her deal.

“Ahmed, perhaps we can leave the two ladies to talk while we
have a catch up,” CK says. “It has been too long, my friend.”

Ahmed chuckles, “Yes, I suppose it has. Come then. Ladies.”
He bows at us and they leave us alone.

“Did you learn anything?” I ask.

“Perhaps,” she says vaguely.

Gee, so forthcoming.

“Aefre,” she says. “Ahmed told me you were asking about your
father the other day.”

“Yes. Do you know anything about that?” I ask, surprised
that this takes precedence over my Thirteen issue.

“No. I wondered as to your reasons for asking?”

“Erm, because I would like to know obviously. I mean who is
he? Is he still around? Does he know about me? That kind of thing.”

“Your mother is…um…don’t go asking her. Just try to forget
about it,” she stammers.

Oh she knows something and like hell am I going to forget
it. Especially now. I will ask Tiamat the next time I see her.

I shrug noncommittally and she grimaces, knowing I am not
going to drop it. Why the big secret? Unless it is someone I know? Would have
to be someone older than me but that is a lot of possibilities.

“As for The Thirteen, all we have managed to dig up is that
he was born under a cursed moon, according to the lore. He was a powerful
Demon, that wanted to take over The Underworld, but your mother wouldn’t allow
that and that is why she killed him. We also found out that in order to get to
the real sword there will be some sort of trial,” she says hastily. “And we can
tell you that the rest of the sword is in the Spirit Realms.” A frown appears
on her pretty face and she wrinkles her nose and adds, “For some reason there
is very little on this creature. Almost like the record was wiped clean after
his demise.”

I ponder that for a moment and it does sound like no one can
come up with much on It. She keeps calling It a “him” which is also a bit
disconcerting. “What kind of trial? Everyone keeps mentioning it and yet not
saying what? How do I get to the Spirit Realms?”

She shakes her head, “We don’t know and there is only one
way to get there.”

“Which is? Oh,” I realize, “to die.”

“Yes.”

“So then how come it gets to come here?”

“The rules must be different over there.”

“Or it is just that powerful,” I mutter.

“No, you can defeat this, Aefre.”

“I know. My other self did it so I am sure I can too. If I
only knew how.”

“Your other self?” she asks, confused.

I launch into our tale of time travel and she looks askance.

“Your Majesty, that is dangerous and something I did not
think possible.”