As soon as Eromaug had left the room Aoife moved to close the door to the bedroom, leaving her and Lexi completely alone.She studied Lexi closely as she moved towards the bed with measured steps, their gazes locked with each other.
"Do you know who I am?h Aoife asked cautiously, as Lexi swept her eyes over her, assessing her in her own way.
"I do." Lexi answered shortly, a dangerous undercurrent to her tone, "But what I really want to know is how are you here?"
"What do you mean?" Aoife asked as she cocked her head slightly.
"What I mean is, I saw your body…the blood…the…there's no way that it's possible you're still alive…" Lexi replied, narrowing her eyes, "So that leaves me with two options. Either that fuckface out there is trying to pull a fast one on me and has some sort of fucking Mimic playing the fool as my dead best friend, or you never died in the first place and the dead person we saw was a fucking mimic…"
"You forgot the third option." Aoife snapped bitterly, meeting her suspicious glare confidently, "The fact that after my brother in law murdered me so horrifically, after sexually assaulting me I might add, Eromaug had Narcissa bring my body here…to …resurrect me."
Aoife tore her gaze from Lexi's and felt her fists curl into balls at her side as she continued.
"I only know this, because Eromaug took great delight in reminding me that without his intervention, I would still be the broken shell that Narcissa and her fucked up brother brought back." she finished bitterly as she turned back to Lexi, "I know that I'm only here as a method of control over you, so that if you act out and go against him, he can play on your emotions and punish Orynn and me instead of you. But memories of our friendship…it's spotty at best. I remember nothing honestly..other than my traitorous husband and his brother…a cold stone building with no life in it other than the time i spent with you and another woman."
"Ann." Lexi whispered with a small smile, "The Alpha Queen Ann."
Aoife felt a shiver run down her spine. She grasped wildly in her mind, looking for any memory, or shred of an inkling that would reaffirm what Lexi was telling her, but of course, there was nothing.
"And your husband Felix?" Lexi continued softly, reaching for her hand and pulling her to sit on the bed, "You have to know that he was distraught about your death…or, well…kidnapping? I guess?" she grimaced.
"No, he betrayed me…his brother…" Aoife retorted coldly but Lexi shook her head.
"No, Aoife. His brother was exiled not long after Felix discovered that you two were mated. He was a danger to everyone around him and as a prince of a neighboring kingdom, he took the life of and..assaulted my own mate's little sister…" Lexi trailed off as Aoife's eyes went wide.
"Is she…?" she asked, the question hanging in the air momentarily before Lexi shook her head sadly.
"She didn't survive…no. " Lexi murmured, "It was long before I ever met you or Adam or my mates even. The only person I was ever close to was Ann. She and I were inseparable. The princess and the half-breed," Lexi snorted and smiled, "We were a force to be reckoned with…and still are. You were a new friend and ally that we welcomed with open arms and wanted you to be part of our lives. I hope you know that even now, Felix and Ann and Adam will be working hard to put a search party together and find their way to recuse you and I. I can't imagine what Allen and Greyson are going through up there."
Aoife's stomach turned as she suddenly realized that Lexi had no idea who was being held in the dungeons. It was always going to be Eromaugs trump card for if she ever misbehaved, but if Aoife could warn her, then it wouldn't be something that he could hold over her.
"Lexi..wait." She managed to force out as her mouth suddenly became unbearably dry, "There's so much that I need to tell you and I don't know how much time I have."
Lexi frowned as Aoife glanced towards the door anxiously.
"Eromaug…he says that you're his Eternal…yet he allowed NArcissa to bind your souls so that you could not escape him. He.."
"Aoife, it's okay, don't worry." Lexi smiled softly, "I know that I'm fucked. I'm just trying to bide my time until I'm recovered and then, if Allen and Greyson still haven't found me, I'll try to find a way out. I have Orynn and Bella. I'm sure that…"
"No Lexi, you don't understand..he has Allen and Greyson here!" She hissed frantically as Lexi's expression froze.
"Wait..what?" she gasped incredulously.
"Listen, I've done all I can to create an opening in the seal in your chest. Your souls should be able to use their magicks to eat away at the remainder until you have full use of your abilities again. We…"
"I don't care about that right now, " Lexi snarled, gripping Aoife by her shoulders firmly and shaking her, "Repeat what you just said to me!"
Aoife grimaced under the strength of Lexi's grip and the feral light that bore into her from Lexi's eyes, turned her stomach in pure, unadulterated terror.
"Lexi…please.." Aoife begged as Lexi's features seemed to transform in her rage.
"He has my mates?" She snarled, "Here?"
Aoife nodded frantically as she tried desperately to pull away from her.
"Where?!" Lexi demanded furiously, but it wasn't Aoife that answered her.
"They're in the cells, my treasured Eternal," Eromaug's smooth and unbothered voice came from the doorway as he smirked in her direction admiring the beauty she radiated when she was provoked in this way.
"What the fuck are they doing in the cells?!" She demanded, releasing her grip on Aoife and attempting to get out of the bed, but failing and falling back when her legs failed to support her.
"They're keeping your dear mother company," Eromaug shrugged as Lexi's roar of utter soul-shattering fury tore through the air.