37. Chapter 37
37
Chapter 37
Violet
We stayed in Sebastian’s ruined room until midday the next day. We couldn’t keep our hands off of each other long enough to look at a clock and the only reason we found out the time was because Adar talked to him through their bond.
Sebastian didn’t tell me what he said, but it was enough for him to take me to my room where he left me to meet Adar.
Before he left, he placed a glamour on me so no one would notice anything different. My eyes were brown and my hair dirty blonde again. Only someone with the ability to see glamours would notice, and Sebastian assured me that he was the only one in his castle with that ability. He didn’t want anyone to find out about my powers until we talked to my father.
He seemed uneasy about the entire situation, like he knew more than he was telling me, or suspected something at least, but he wanted to hear what my father had to say first.
This may have been something I should have talked about with my father myself, but I didn’t want to be away from Sebastian more than I had to be.
Along with hiding my powers, he thought it would be best to hide what our relationship had become. Being his mate put a target on my back that he wasn’t prepared to face yet.
So I could only see him in secret, at least until he was back to full power. I guess all the years of practice with Calum had turned out to be useful.
I didn’t want to do it because it seemed like I was being put in the same position I had always been in, but I knew he was right.
At least until he was back to full power.
I was not sure of the last time I had attended dinner. Days? Weeks? But this may have been the first time I actually wanted to go.
It had only been a few hours since I saw Sebastian, but I needed to see him. It would take every bit of self-control I possessed not to jump into his arms when I saw him, though. I also wanted to see Bronwen. I had pushed her away recently, but now that everything seemed so much clearer in my mind, I realized how much I missed my friend.
I wanted to tell her everything that happened. Everything about me and Sebastian. But that would have to wait until we had a moment alone.
I walked through the doors of the dining room feeling more confident than I ever had. Even if no one knew, I was mated to the Sovereign of the Night Realm. I was no longer less than everyone else in the room.
Sebastian, Bronwen, and Adar were the only ones sitting around the table when I came in, and while my eyes went straight to Sebastian, my look was cut short when Bronwen jumped up and screamed when she saw me.
I looked at her with a mix of shock and confusion on my face. Her eyes were wide, and she was grinning from ear to ear. I glanced at Adar to see he was rubbing his head.
“You told them?” I asked, shooting daggers at Sebastian.
“Ye—”
“Yes, he did!” Bronwen said as she clapped her hands. “Finally!”
“Did everyone here know except for me?” I asked, throwing up my arms.
“Yep,” Adar mumbled, not bringing his eyes up to look at me.
I looked at Sebastian, ready to tell him exactly what I thought about their little secret-sharing club that I wasn’t invited to, but before I could say anything, he motioned to the door and said, “A conversation for another time.”
Damn right.
I quickly found my seat as Nathara, Calum, and my father came in. Bronwen squeezed my hand under the table and even though I rolled my eyes, I couldn’t help but smile.
At least she wasn’t upset with me for avoiding her lately.
Throughout dinner, I did everything possible to keep from looking at Sebastian. I talked to Bronwen about her plans for tomorrow, I listened in on Adar and my father’s conversation about their favorite forms of combat, and I even ate the nastiest looking peas I had ever seen.
I looked up to see Calum staring at me, and I felt . . . nothing. Not love, not anger, not sadness for everything our relationship had put me through, and not even the slightest bit of guilt for the things I had done in the last twenty-four hours. I was . . . indifferent.
Bonding to Sebastian showed me how minuscule everything was compared to the feelings I had for him. I knew I loved Calum, at least I loved him in the definition of what I thought love was then, but now I knew that I hadn’t experienced true love for someone until now.
I just wished I had realized it sooner.
Stop looking at me, I said down the bond to Sebastian as I took another bite of roast. I didn’t look at him, but I could feel his eyes on me. He shouldn’t have been drawing any attention to us, and yet he hadn’t taken his eyes off of me this entire meal.
How can I not when you wear something like that? You’re teasing me, love.
I didn’t have to think about it when I got dressed today. No one could have forced me to but on a Mountain Realm dress. Not when I finally felt like I belonged somewhere, in the Night Realm, in a Night Realm dress, with my mate.
I smiled before bringing my attention to the conversation—well, argument—between Nathara and Bronwen. I wasn’t exactly sure what they were discussing, but it had something to do with the party after the upcoming wedding.
It was funny watching Nathara squirm in her seat as she had no backup today. I didn’t know where Celine and Lilian were, but their absence was a good thing.
Any part of me that was upset by what Celine had done turned into pure rage since I stopped taking my pills. Any time I even thought about her, I could feel my temperature elevate and my heart rate increase. And since I still hadn’t talked to my father about whatever I was, I had no idea how to control it. If Celine walked through the doors right now, I think she would be a pile of ashes before anyone could stop me.
While I wouldn’t feel remorse for Celine’s death, it’s not what I wanted. I wanted her to live. Live in misery and suffer for the rest of eternity.
Easy, love . I knew Sebastian could feel something brewing in me, and he knew it wasn’t good. Along with the glamour, he placed a shield of protection on me. It was like my own personal force field that kept me protected from any harm, but it also kept whatever was in me contained.
So if I wanted to release this fire, I would have to fight Sebastian’s powers first.
I wanted revenge on Celine, but it would come. In due time.
Sebastian had a note delivered to my father telling him to come to my room after everyone was asleep. That was the only time he wouldn’t be with Calum.
I feared hearing the truth. I knew that the recent events already changed everything, but I knew once I talked to my father, it would become more real.