The Power of One (The Forever series Book Two) (17 page)

The rest of the performance was fantastic and I ended up
thoroughly enjoying myself after I got over my--let's face it--envy of the
ballerinas. We stand and clap at the end and CK pulls me towards him and
whispers, “I love you,” much to my surprise.

XXXXX

All too soon we are back in the car and heading towards the
hotel.

“Stay awhile?” I ask CK and he agrees.

As we are standing at the door to the hotel room I get a
weird vibe and hesitate hovering the key card over the lock.

“What is it?” CK asks immediately as he feels my Vampire
senses go into hyper drive.

“I think we’re about to enter the next phase,” I say slowly
as I unlock the door and push it open.

As we all warily peer through the doorway from the
threshold, all we see is the hotel room. Exhaling in relief I step across and
into the room, while everyone follows. As soon as Devon pushes the door closed
the room goes hazy and sure enough we are now standing in the cave from my
vision with Corinne and who I think is Ahmed in front of us. With a quick
glance at me to confirm, I nod as CK strides forward to stand in front of the
man. He tops CK’s six feet with at least another foot and glares down at him as
CK glares up at him and starts speaking to him in… Sumerian? Actually no, not
Sumerian. Similar. Akkadian then? Either way, a super dead language. Having no
experience of actually speaking Sumerian outside of a scholastic environment,
this is quite fascinating for me. I glide forward intent on their conversation.
Yes, definitely Ahmed, trying to patiently explain to my furious sire where he
has been for the last two thousand years. My wide eyes flick to Corinne
standing serenely watching me. A petite brunette, she is like little a china
doll: flawless. She inclines her head, “Aefre. Nice to finally see you again.”

“And you, Corinne,” I have only met her once briefly back in
1053 when she came to Tuscany to see Constantine. He wasn’t there and she left
and never returned. “You brought us here?” I indicate the cave.

“Yes, my magick transported you,” she says and lightly
places her hand on her sire’s arm and he breaks off his conversation with CK
and looks adoringly at her.

“You are being rude, my love,” she scolds him gently and he
clears his throat and looks at me.

“I apologize,” he says in that deep, gravely voice I am now
familiar with. “Your sire is a stubborn man.” He glares at CK who glares back.

I smile, “You don‘t need to tell me twice.” CK glares at me
but I ignore him. “Ahmed, I presume?” I say holding out my hand. He bows in
response taking my hand to his lips, “At your service, my lady.” Straightening
up he adds, “You have kept us waiting for a long time.”

I raise both my eyebrows at his comment, “Through no fault
of my own, I assure you, sir.”

He laughs, “Of that I am certain.” He says cryptically, “You
are the Chosen One, my girl. You will become more powerful than you can
imagine, but first there is something you must do.”

I narrow my eyes at him. “Let go?” I ask.

Again he laughs, “She listens.”

“What do I need to let go of?” I ask, still having no clue.

Ahmed glances over my shoulder at Devon who is watching this
with interest. “Your boy knows. He will go with you.”

Devon looks suspicious but stays silent.

“You will also need the strength of your sire and the love
of your husband. The four of you will go and return here when you are
complete.”

“Go where? And where is here?” I ask.

“Here is the Underworld,” he answers simply, ignoring my
other question. “Go now. Corinne?” She raises her hand and mutters some strange
words and a strange glow washes over us and we are transported somewhere else.
Somewhere dark. It takes a second for my Vampire night sight to kick in and my
stomach drops and I want to be sick. I spin around in disbelief as the chill
night air seeps into my very soul. “No!” I shout, “No!” Louder and louder until
my voice is hoarse. I drop to my knees, my hands on the damp grass as I hear
Devon whisper behind me with dread, “Culloden.”

I close my eyes tightly hoping this is a dream. Or a
nightmare. It is a nightmare. My worst nightmare. I haven’t set foot back here
since that day and I had every intention of never seeing this place again. I
hear the three sharp intakes of breath and Cole’s “Motherfucker.” I open my
eyes hoping to be anywhere but here but I can still feel the wet grass
underneath my hands. I sob in horror as I see the scene playing out before my
eyes. The sounds of battle are loud in my ears. I see him. I see Fraser. Hard
to miss, cutting a swath through the government soldiers. I struggle to stand
and push off CK’s attempts to help me. I move forward towards the scene unable
to look away. It’s playing back as sure as if it was that day in April of 1746.
My eyes are completely focused on Fraser. I hear my voice scream for him as
everything literally slows down. He is run through viciously with a sword
twisted and pulled up and out. The man who killed him turns briefly towards me
and I realize now why I never really saw what happened. It’s because it
happened in super speed. Vampire speed. It was Gregor. Gregor had killed my
husband in battle. Time speeds up again and I see myself as Emily reach him and
kneel beside him, ripping my wrist open to feed him my blood, to turn him, to
save him but he was already gone. I am weeping, the tears falling down my face
as I relive the worst moment of my life in high definition.

“You know, lass, I would have been furious with you had I
still been alive for you to turn me,” Fraser’s voice comes out loud and clear
behind me and I spin. Seeing him standing there, all six feet seven inches of
him close enough for me to touch, my heart lurches. “Fraser,” I whisper.

“Aye lass, it’s me. You on the other hand…” he waves his
hand at me. “Pretty enough but not my wife.” He grins that devastating smile at
me and I Shift instantly. I feel my hair tumble down my back in soft curls. I
feel myself get slightly taller and the bodice of my dress gets slightly
tighter.

“There she is,
m’anam charaid.
” My soul mate. He
whispers softly touching my face. I clap my hand up to his, feeling him. Real.
In front of me once again. He leans down and picks me up into his arms, lifting
my feet clean off the ground. “It’s good to see you again,” he says and I am
still speechless, crushing him to me, never wanting to let go. Finding my voice
eventually I say what I have wanted to say to him every day for two hundred and
sixty-six years: “I love you. I miss you.” I know somewhere Cole is watching
this but I don’t care. In that moment I just want Fraser. I pull his mouth to
mine and kiss him desperately. He moans into my mouth and kisses me back before
pulling away with a sad smile. “Do you know why you are here, lass? Why you
were sent here?”

I shake my head. “No. I don’t know. To let go? I don’t want
to let you go. Not ever again,” I whisper urgently.

He sighs, “Did you see what you were supposed to see? Did
you see who killed me?”

I nod hesitantly, shaking all over.

“So you know that I would have been dead either way?”

I stare at him dumbly, not following.

“Sweet Emily. Even if I had let you turn me, I still would
have been killed that day. Not by sword to the gut but to my neck. There was
nothing you could do to save me. You have to forgive yourself and let go. Let
me go.”

“No! I should have gotten to you sooner. I should have saved
you,” I say vehemently.

He shakes his head, “No, my love. It was inevitable. He came
for me and he got me.”

“Oh Fraser. This is all my fault. I’m so sorry. If you
hadn’t ever met me, it wouldn’t have happened.” I weep openly into his shirt.

He laughs sadly, “And the alternative? Never knowing you,
never loving you, never sharing your bed and being your husband. Ending up dead
in battle anyway or in prison for treason? No, my love. This is how it was
meant to be.” I cling to him, not able to let go. “Forgive yourself, Emily.
It’s the only way.”

He turns then to Constantine who is watching us intently.
“There is a lot to come. Protect her for me,” Fraser says and Constantine nods
stoically, “Of course.”

Fraser looks at Devon, “Devon, yes?” Devon nods. “Emily told
me all about you. She missed you terribly while you were apart. I’m glad you
came back to her after I was gone. She needed you and she’ll need you again.
Thank you for helping her.”

Having no words, he just inclines his head.

He looks back at me, “Go now to your husband.” He chokes out
the last word. “He needs you. Needs you to be strong Emmie. He needs all of
your heart my love.” He pulls away from me and I die inside knowing I have to
let him go. Again. “I love you. I will always love you,” he says softly.

I square my shoulders trying to be strong… for him. “I will
avenge you
m’fhìor ghaol,”
I say to him, not caring that two of the
three men behind me understand as I call him my true love. “I swear to you I
will have his life for yours.”

He nods.

“I love you.
Ne Obliviscaris
.” Forget not.

He smiles his wonderful smile, “
Ne Obliviscaris
.” He
repeats his clan motto – our clan motto – back to me.

He fades away and I break down into a heap on the wet ground
as the rain starts to fall, mimicking my tears.

Constantine is at my side in less than a second kneeling on
the wet ground with me, pulling me to him, comforting me--Or trying to, as
there is no solace for me. I have lost my soul mate all over again and I don’t
think I can survive this, not again. Cole drops to his knees and strokes my
back as I let my head fall into Constantine’s lap. He is stroking my soaking
wet hair and Devon takes off his jacket and places it over me to keep most of
the rain off. I grip his hand and he too sinks to the cold, wet, muddy ground.

XXXXX

Who knows how much time passes. It feels like forever.

“Be strong Aefre,” CK whispers to me. “Come back to me, come
back to us. We need you.”

Need me? Since when does Constantine need anyone? That
random thought passes through my sorrow.

“I always need you, my sweet. Even if I don’t say it,” his
voice softly repeating my own words back to me, with that uncanny ability of
his to read my thoughts.

Forcing myself into a sitting position I demand, “What did
you just say?”

He looks puzzled. “I didn’t say anything.”

“Yes you did. I heard you. You repeated my words back to me
from the other day. You’ve never said that to me before.”

Watching me closely he says, “Liv, I didn’t say anything.”
But I can tell something is amiss. I huff and fall back into his lap.

Rounding on Devon suddenly I snap, “You knew. You knew this
would happen and you didn’t warn me.”  

He looks at me, confused. “No, Liv I didn’t know this was
going to happen. I knew you couldn’t let go. That you blamed yourself. I think
it’s safe to say, not even a tiny bit of this is your fault, Kitten. There is
nothing you could have done,” he says quietly.

I choke back another sob. “Gregor,” I say flatly. “Why? Why
would he do that?”

“Why does he do anything?” CK snarls.

“We’ll ask him,” Cole says harshly, “right before we hold
him down and you take his fucking head off.” He pulls me to him and I lean into
his chest as he tightens his arms around me.

“Now, my boy. That is a sound plan,” CK approves with pride
and he Teleports us off the wretched Culloden Moor and back into the Underworld
cave.

Still huddled on the floor, we are all soaking wet and
filthy. We must look a fright as Corinne and Ahmed stare at us in pity.

CK and Devon help me stand up. I smooth out my ruined dress
and pull my hair from my tear-stained face. Everyone is staring at me.

“What?” I snap, more than agitated.

“You are not yourself, my dear,” Corinne says kindly, and I
realize I still look like Emily Campbell.

“Shit,” I mumble as I turn my back to them and Shift. I’d
rather none of them had seen me that way. I get now why Devon is so possessive
of Elizabeth. Taking a minute to bring some clips to my hands, I twirl my hair
up and pin it back. Turning back around everyone is still looking at me.

“What now?” I say wearily but they all look away quickly.
Ignoring their sympathy I turn to Ahmed. “So, what next? Is my other dead
husband going to appear?” I snarl. “Pretty sure that reunion will go
differently,” I say, my rage over everything I have just been through firing up
its engines.

“Aefre,” CK croons. “Calm yourself.”

Spinning to him, “No!” I yell. “I won’t calm myself. I want
him here so I can beat the shit out of him myself before I kill him all over
again. You should have saved him for me.” I pout now, realizing how foolish I
sound. The Power is surging through me again and is causing havoc now that my emotions
have been so severely messed with.

“Had I the presence of mind to save him for you, I would
have. As it was he fucked up any chance I had to tell you about myself and to
turn you the right way. I saw red after he stabbed you. Stabbed us. And I
ripped his fucking head off,” Constantine is practically yelling himself now
and he never, ever raises his voice. My eyes wide at this revelation, I start
laughing hysterically.

“Really? You really took his head?” I ask in between laughs.
“You never told me that. I guess I always just assumed you stabbed him back.”

He smiles now, “No my love. If you really must know, I took
his head and placed it atop the spear outside your cottages front door, for all
to see.”

Cole gapes at him in horror while Devon looks impressed. I
cross over to him and embrace him. “Thank you. Somehow that makes me feel
better.”