Sebastian (Bowen Boys, #5)(17)
It was suddenly too much. The book closed and disappeared before Sebastian was able to form a question. And when he did, he watched Jacob’s face. He had told him he couldn’t lie to him. He hoped that was true.
“She’s an earth faerie and my mate, but she won’t mate with me; so what will happen to her if this man, the demon, finds out?” Jacob looked away and Sebastian knew that his answer wasn’t going to come without some information that he didn’t want. “Jacob, tell me.”
“She’s going to die by her own hand, because she won’t submit to him. And he’ll need her to submit or her powers won’t help him. You see, as an earth faerie the females carry most of the power and when they mate, the power is shared. But the bond must be freely given. Somewhat like the pledge given to your mate.” Jacob got up to pace around the small room. “Her father had been tricked into a deal. Not lied to but tricked. When he lost, the demon was to have his first-born child. When payment was to be made and the demon demanded his first-born, Amarizi’s father said that he would not pay. When the demon came to her father for the babe seconds before his daughter was born, the demon, in a fit of rage, destroyed him. Her father lay dying as Amarizi was being brought into the world. As soon as she took her first breath, her father sent her all his love and all of his power. All of it.”
“And that was a great amount, I’m assuming.” Jacob smiled and nodded. “And you had to tell her what she was, and I guess you had to explain to her what these powers meant to her.”
“No. I wish now that I had, but I was called away before I could help her with a little training, some control I guess. When I was able to return to her, she’d already changed and it was too late for me to talk to her then. She was too powerful for me.”
“So you left her to fend for herself.” Jacob nodded. “And that was supposed to help her how? And if you ask me, I think she has a great deal more control over this thing than I bet you think she does. Or even that thing that came to my brother’s house thought she’d have.”
“She would have gotten that from her father. He was, as I’ve said, very powerful as well. But there is something else you should know about the man who is trying to capture her. He isn’t just a demon, but a great one. If he gets her into his lair, he will breed with her and in turn, she will kill herself. The death of the last female of her kind will be a great loss to all mankind.”
And to me was all that Sebastian could think about. Jacob paced some more, and Sebastian ignored him for the most part. She was his mate, and if he didn’t figure out some way for her to come to him willingly, she would end up with the demon that wanted her and die. When Jacob said his name, he looked up at him.
“She will need her strength to beat him. If you can’t give it to her, I must find her another that can. She will not like it, but I’ll simply make her love another so that she will come into full power. She can’t survive without it.”
The thought of her going to another made him growl. His cat moved along his skin like he wanted out to kill the man who dared try to take what was his. Sebastian stood up and stretched to let his cat know that he’d take care of this. Moving to Jacob, he watched fear roll through his eyes and was happy for it.
“You even think those words again and you’ll wish for the demon to kill you, understand?” Jacob nodded and opened his mouth to speak. Sebastian cut him off. “Let me talk with her tonight. I’ll let you know when I’ve convinced her that she needs me more than I need her.”
“Good luck, Sebastian. I believe you’ll need it.” As he left, Sebastian was pretty sure Jacob was right. He was going to need a great deal more than luck to win this woman’s hand. He made his way to his desk again after Jacob left. His first call was to the cleaning crew to come out, the second to the pizza place where Ama worked.
“Peter, I was wondering if you can help me with a little romance problem I have.” Peter laughed at him and Sebastian smiled. “Your dishwasher is my mate, and she seems to think she can tell me that she won’t want me.”
“You should know that she’s a bit stronger than you. Her power…I’ve never met a…her kind before, and I know them to be strong, but this girl is off-the-charts strong.” Sebastian remembered seeing on one of the pages of the book that you couldn’t say what she was until she gave you permission. She’d obviously not given it to Peter.
“I know what she is and how strong she is, but what I don’t know is how to convince her that I want her in my life. She seems to think that she can simply say no and that I’ll say okay.” He laughed a little. “I hate when I’m told no when I want something.”
“You might live longer if you just walk away from her if she continues to tell you no.” The laughter from the big bear made him think Peter was going to help him. “I’ll talk you up. She wants me to call her a cab when I’m about ready to shut the place down. Want maybe I should call you? You know, you could sort of be her ride, so to speak.”
“That would be very helpful and yes, I’d be very happy to give her a ride home. Thanks.” He thought about the apartment that he thought she’d been about to move into, and asked Peter to tell her that it had been rented.
“I can’t lie to her. I don’t know what it is about her that forbids it, but anyone who speaks to her can’t lie to her.” Sebastian knew that, but wasn’t sure if he’d realized it meant that no one could lie to her.