Afterlife (Afterlife Saga) (83 page)

“Surprisingly good but I can imagine that's because I am waking up next to you, no doubt.” I said smiling back at him. Meanwhile he seemed to be studying every inch of my body making me nervous again. It was such a roller-coaster of emotions being around him. One minute I would feel   completely at ease and then the next I would change back into the shy waitress I was.

“Have you been awake long?” I asked hoping he hadn't.

“A while,” he said coolly as he continued to make my skin hot under his constant touch. He was exploring down my back and lifting my vest to get a better view but this made me giggle as his fingertips tickled my side.

“Ticklish are we?” He asked with a mischievous grin.

“NO, no I’m really not...” I said trying to control my laughter as he continued to
move along that same spot to provoke the same response out of me.

“Keira, we are getting a little defensive aren't we?” He said teasing me again and his hand slid down and gripped my vest pulling me closer to him. I loved it when he was
so
demanding as it felt as if I had some shred of control over him and I was understanding ways to use it to my advantage.

“You know you have some adorable little freckles on your back, one in fact that resembled the star constellation of Cassiopeia.”

“No there's not!” I said feeling that he was making fun of me but when I looked at his face he was being serious.

“Well, I have been staring at you for hours now so I think I would know.” He said as a matter of fact. I couldn't help but cringe at the thought.

“No you haven't!” Surely not...well I hoped not.

“Haven't I? I find you fascinating and it has been so long that I have had to admire your body from a distance, now that you are here I am taking full advantage of the time to study you.” At this I hid my head under the covers.

“Oh, please don't say that!” I said full of pure embarrassment! But he just laughed at my response.

“And what is wrong with what I just said, exactly?” He said pulling the covers from me, but I still couldn't look at him. Why was he doing this to me?

“It's embarrassing!” I mumbled hiding in my face in my hands, as now I didn't have the covers any more.

“So you don't take compliments well...I find this astonishing, all things considered.” He said making me look at him. What did he mean by that?

“All things considered?” I asked and he smiled as though he had accomplished something.

“Well, you don't have confidence to believe it when I tell you how amazing I find your body, yet you have enough confidence to give me a private striptease, twice may I add.”

“Once!
The second time didn't count...your rules remember.” I said not being able to keep the grin from my face.

“What are you saying…. that you were forced?” He said teasing me and doing a very good job of it.

“More like intimidated!”
I whispered as there was a knock at the door and I didn't want this conversation to be overheard. Once again he let out a roaring laugh before saying,

“Come in.” Candra walked in holding a tray full of muffins, sweet pastries, bagels, and baguettes. In fact she looked as if she had just robbed a bakery! But most importantly she had a pot of tea on her tray and my heart melted at the sight. Once she nodded at us both a good morning, she left us alone with the mountain of food.

“How many are joining us for breakfast?” I asked getting up and picking the biggest chocolate muffin which I started to pick to bits. I also poured myself a steaming hot mug of tea and couldn't help but smile at the idea.

“Well I realised that I haven't been feeding you properly and today you are going to eat more than just a few pieces of fruit!”

“You know you worry about me too much,” I said munching away in chocolate
heaven, which he couldn't help smiling at.

“Actually, when it comes to you, I don't think I worry enough,” He said getting up and positioning himself opposite to get a better view of me eating.

I started playing with my hands after I had finished with my sweet delight and was thinking about how to ask all the questions that I still had floating around my mind.

“You want to ask me something?” Draven said, amused. I just looked up at him in surprise.

“What made you say that?” He nodded down to my hands and I dropped them.

“You always seem to play nervously with your hands or bite your lip when you are nervous or want to ask something.” He said like this was common knowledge and I couldn't believe how much he must have watched me in this short time to know all these little traits I had. 

“Well...I was kind of wondering about some other things I still don't know,” I asked sheepishly knowing there was one question that, since last night, had been burned to my brain and it was one thing that I was scared to ask.

“Like?”

“You’re not going to like it,” I warned and he now looked intrigued.

“Well I was curious about Celina, what happened with her and Jack?” I asked thinking I would start off lightly with the interrogation.

“Why would I not tell you that?”

“Because that's just the start,” I warned and he frowned at me but it didn't last long, replacing it with a
half-smile
.

“Celina is a Demon, one that fell in love with that boy.” Now I frowned at him.

“Sorry...I mean Jack and well it's forbidden as you know.”

“She's a Demon...really? Poor Jack!” I said but considering my past with Jack, Draven didn't look happy with my sympathy.

“Well it seems he got over it!” He said cruelly.

“Don't say that! Jack told me how devastated he was. I mean one day he had the girl of his dreams and the next thing is, she sees you and then poof...gone. He thinks you killed her you know!” I said, but Draven couldn't control the raucous laughter that erupted from him. I had never heard him laugh so much and although I was trying to be angry at his reaction, I couldn't help but love the sound.

“DRAVEN!”
I shouted.

“I'm sorry, but you have to see the humour in it, see I was the one that saved her.” He said calming down from his outburst.

“Saved her?”

“She broke the one of our laws. She was going to be punished, when she appealed to my better nature and well since then she has been an asset, proving her worth on my council.”

“OH I bet!” I said being jealous again.

“She makes a good assistant Keira, that's all I meant. It is better for her to be here than cast down to deal with his wrath!” He said pointing to the floor and I shuddered at the thought.

“So you and her...” I said still with my arms folded.

“You know I do find this jealous thing strange...on one hand it is utterly ridiculous and on the other it is also adorable...still completely irrational but adorable all the same.”

“I'm glad
you’re
so entertained by the whole thing but I am not the only one who gets jealous remember...anyway you didn't answer my question!” I was now going red from that last comment.

“No, I thought I already made that clear.”

“Well she could have been lying, she is after all a Demon.”

“Yes and so am I,” he said getting defensive.

“Yes and look how much
lying
you did!” I said feeling that maybe I had finally won a round as he gave up with that one.

“Well the answer is still no....next.” Thankfully he was still in good humour but I knew my next question would change that.

“And Aurora?”
As soon as I said the name I knew the answer and my heart sank.

“Keira, this is getting out of hand!” He said getting up and throwing his hands up in a dramatic fashion.

“That's not an answer,” I whispered.

“Well that's the only one you’re going to get on the matter!” He said in such a way I knew he would never back down. I had my answer
already,
I was just minus the details. However I couldn't help the sinking of my heart. I mean how could I ever compete with such beauty?

“Fine!
But why didn't Jack get chance to say goodbye to Celina?”

“Why, do you think it would have made it easier?” He said without leaving the sarcasm out of his tone.

“Yes of course. At least then he could have moved on,” I said feeling bad for Jack, first Celina then me, all at the hands of the same man...well sort of man.

“Does that mean you will break the boy’s heart by telling him the truth?” He said, thinking he had got me with this, but I already knew that when I got the first opportunity I would explain it to him.

“Yes to a certain extent I will tell him, so then he can find closure and move on without thinking that one day she might come back...or worse think of you as her murderer!”

“You make it very hard to be mad at you when you think of others before yourself.” He said coming over to me and kneeling at my feet. I was about to say something derogatory but he started kissing me gently on my jawline once again, making me forget what we had been talking about.

“Ok, one other thing, what happened to Layla?” As soon as I asked I wished I hadn't as his grip on my chin tightened, his face turned hard and his eyes switched to flaming purple.

“That is not your concern...she was dealt with and this is all I will say on the matter!” I decided not to push it any further but I did look up at him with wide eyes making his features soften.

“Those amazing stormy eyes of yours could control the heart of any man.” At this I blushed.

“There is however, one female that I have wanted to introduce you to and she
would very much like to meet you.... properly this time.” He said pulling me up off the seat which I reluctantly vacated. I didn't know if I could cope with any more beauty queen Demon/Angels! He held my hand in his and I pulled back thinking there was no way I was meeting anyone in my sweat pants and scruffy vest!

“Can I at least change first...and why are you pulling me towards the balcony?” But again he found this highly amusing.

“I doubt she will care what you are wearing...plus I find you cute like this,” he said poking me playfully in the stomach, which again tickled.

“Oh yeah right, pull the other one!” I said with my English northern accent coming out thicker than intended, making him raise an eyebrow.

“Don't!” I warned, knowing he was going to pick up on it.

“Ok, so you said that I need to meet her properly....so I have met her before?” But he just winked at me as he pulled me through the glass door to the clearest day I had seen yet. The view was
breath-taking
in this light. The sky was clear and the sun cast the scenery into a lush green utopia making me look blessed at the sight. But I noticed we were out here alone so I automatically went towards the steps I knew led to the roof as I had once used them under much different circumstances.

“Not up there. Just wait, she
won’t
be long,” he said and then let out the strangest noise...but wait it was one I had heard before, back when I first moved here and when I got a welcoming of another kind...

He stood behind me with his arms draped over my shoulders and looking easily over my head due to the massive difference in height.  Then I saw what he was waiting for as a black figure in the vast blue sky came into view and in this light it looked more majestic than terrifying as it usually did. The bird was getting closer and I glanced up at Draven who looked delighted at the sight of its graceful body swooping down, catching the wind as though it owned all of the sky. Until finally it angled its body ready for landing on the railings and so close up it looked double its size with its wingspan close to two meters wide. The railing shook with its body weight and I couldn't help but stand back at the sight.

“
Rara
Avis,
Quieta
non
movere
...Ssshh
”(
Means “Rare bird, don't move, settled things” in Latin) He said as it shook and repositioned it huge feathers as if trying to get comfortable. I was hiding behind Draven at this point, as it was extremely intimidating. It looked as though it could rip my face off with one swipe! Wolverine had nothing on this one, as its claws were black razor curls of death.