Afterlife (Afterlife Saga) (85 page)

“Sophia what is this place?” I asked as I caught up with her, as she was moving towards a more private part at the other end of the room. This was partitioned off by a wall of fabrics that hung down overlapping each other and I wouldn't have known where to begin to try to get through it all. But Sophia just held up her hand and they moved apart, flowing up and down and through one another, allowing us passage through the gap they created.

“This is my bedroom… amongst other things,” she giggled before continuing,

“I have asked Draven if you would like to join us but he is very set against the idea, so you will have to miss out...he ne
ver did like to share. This way
” She said motioning me through the last door, which finally must have been where Sophia slept. This looked more like a ‘Sophia bedroom’.

It was a Gothic dark fairy princess’s room, with a huge wrought iron bed that was covered in the same fabric that flowed around the posts. It looked both deadly and cute at the same time. The room also had a punk vibe as the walls were papered with the most unusual design. It was black velvet with the biggest bright pink roses that looked lethal with pointed sharp petals, some tinted at the ends in what was blood red. I knew one thing and that was RJ would have freaked out seeing a room like this! The furniture was a fairy tale design but it was black and it screamed out that this belonged to a girly demon!

“Ok, first you need to take a bath,” she said opening a set of double doors into a massive bathroom that held a different feel. It was like walking from evil to pure good. This room was like a tropical paradise, with plants and flowers up the walls giving off an incredible scent of a rain forest. She must have seen my face drop.

“Like it?”

“It's amazing, I just...it's just... the Garden of Eden!” I said as it finally came to me. At this she clapped her hands like an excited child.

“That's the look I went for… now wait until you try my bath!” She said pulling me further into her private heaven. Around one corner was an actual waterfall that flowed down the wall behind her bath. The bath was sunk into the floor so you had to step down into it and I realised that the waterfall wasn't just there for effect, it was the shower. The whole bath was like an infinity pool that just overflowed into an abyss I couldn't see. She let out a laugh at my face and I was starting to feel thankful that she wanted to share this with me and well at least if this makeover went horribly wrong I got to use the most awesome bath in existence.

“I will leave you to it. There is a bag there with all the usual stuff you use...you know?” She said making me laugh as she pretended to shave her armpits. She was just the most unpredictable girl I had ever known.

She left me alone in paradise and I nearly ripped off my clothes to get in there quicker. I lowered my naked body in the water, which was the perfect temperature and let the liquid caress my skin, making it soft and smell amazing. All I wished now was that I had Draven in here with me and that thought alone was enough to make me start fantasising about what naughty things we could be doing in here.

After a long soak I decided that I should start on the reasons I was in here in the first place, so with that in mind I reached over for the bag that Sophia had pointed out. It was filled with all the things I needed but it amazed me to find it was the same make of razor I used, the same gel, I even found a new toothbrush for me to use later. It felt strange doing all the usual things you do in a bath, because in this one it felt as if it was only meant for two things, relaxing and the other was for a more erotic activity, one that I was getting desperate for.  Draven was most definitely like a sexual drug, the more I had, the more I wanted...no not wanted more like NEEDED!  

Once I had showered under the warm waterfall I squeezed my hair, ringing out the last drops from washing it with the most marvellous smelling products. I got out
as my wrinkled fingers told me that I had spent too much time in there already. I looked around for a towel as I dripped on the floor but couldn't find one.

“You will be needing this
” Sophia's voice startled me and my hands flew to my more private parts as she held out a lush thick white robe.

“Sophia I'm...”

“Yes, yes, you don't need to worry, you don't have anything I haven't seen before...well except them,” she said nodding to my arms and I blushed. 

“Sorry I didn't mean to be so blunt...I usually just say what I think without …well thinking about it.” She said as I hid my nakedness away under the soft towel material.

“It's fine... I guess it just takes some getting used to,” I said quietly hiding my past.

“Well we have work to do...or more like I have work to do, so come with me and we will get this show off the roof!”

“Isn't it show on the road?” I asked laughing nervously at what she had planned.

“Not when you have wings my dear!” She giggled as my face dropped. She took my hand with ease and pulled me to what looked like a Moulin Rouge boudoir.  There was a grand looking chair waiting for me in front of the biggest gilded mirror I had ever seen, which filled the whole of one wall. I swallowed hard knowing there was no way I was getting out of this and Sophia knew it too as that evil grin reappeared when she held out a hand for me to take a seat.

“What are you going to do?” I asked sitting down slowly and looking at the entire contents of a beauty counter on the table in front of me.

“Don't you trust me?” She said pulling my hair from under my robe and holding out a pair of scissors. This did slightly unnerve me at the sight of someone I knew to be a demon coming at me with a sharp implement in her grasp.

“Not with those in your hands!” I said panicking at what my mother would say if I cut it all off.

“I'm only going to trim a bit off the bottom, don't worry Keira...try and relax. I'm only going to enhance the beauty that is already there.” She said brushing my long waves and for a demon she was a hell of a lot more gentle that Libby had been.

“Plus Dom would have my head if I were to change you too much, I have had my orders,” She said rolling her eyes at the memory.

“Sophia, can I ask you something?” I once again played nervously with the sleeves of my robe as Draven had pointed out earlier.

“About?”

“About Draven
” I said looking down, feeling the heat in my cheeks.

“Keira, I think it is about time you called him by his first name don't you?” She said amused at the idea.

“Well I wanted to know about Aurora?”

“I think that is a question best left for him, don't you?” She said stopping the comb for a moment, which told me she knew where I was going with this.

“But I have asked him!” I said regretting it as soon as it was from my lips.

“And?”

“He wouldn't tell me anything.” I said deflated.

“Then what makes you think I would?” She asked taking pride in her grooming me, which made me feel a bit like a pet horse of hers.

“Beca
use I have bribery in my favour
”

“Oh really and what bargaining power are you playing with?” She asked intrigued.

“Well if you were just to answer a few of my very innocent questions then I will let you do
whatever
you want to me with no moaning about it...free rein!” I said swivelling my chair around to face her. 

“Or I could just put you in a trace and do that anyway,” she said bringing out her cocky side that reminded me of Draven.

“Sophia please...I won't tell him and besides, wouldn't you want to know?” With this I had her, knowing that she would most definitely do everything in her power to find out, after all, her and her family had found out everything about me! 

“Ok well I can understand it when you put it like that...but Keira he is extremely powerful and he will already know we are having this conversation.” This shocked me and I couldn't help but turn nervously towards the door as if readying myself for him to come bursting in the room.

“So you won't tell me?” I said like a sullen child.

“I didn't say that but let me ask you, do you love my brother?”

“Yes of course!” I said full of certainty and she smiled. 

“And he loves you, so what does it matter about his past?”

“Well my past mattered to him!” I said being firm and proving my argument with a damn good point.

“Your logic is hard to argue against, you are right he did in fact go to great lengths to find out everything about you.” Her hands were now running through my dry hair even though I hadn't heard a hair dryer being used.

“So I gather he knows about every tiny last bit of my past and therefore my past relationships....why then should I not get the same privileges?” I said cringing at everything he knew.

“It does seem to be very one sided doesn't it?” She stated and I felt as if I had someone on my side for the first time and my triumph showed through, presenting itself as a wide cunning smile.

“Ok I give in! Sorry Dominic...What is it you want to know?” 

“Were him and Aurora ever you know....together?” I asked knowing this was a no-brainer! 

“Well if it helps then yes they were...involved intimately.” She said shaking her head but I didn't know if it was at me or the memory.

“For how long?”

“Not very long and it was some time ago.”

“Ok, so explain ‘
not long’.
”
I asked hoping for weeks more than months...of course I was very wrong!

“Oh I don't know ten or twenty years give or take.” She said this so matter of fact. I on the other hand nearly swallowed my own tongue!

“WHAT!” I shouted at her, not being able to contain it.

“Keira...understand that we view time very differently...that is not that long.” Oh
no, not long at all, I thought bitterly.

“I don't think I can breathe. No wonder she hates me....” I said, putting my head back giving me a full view of the spectacular moulded ceiling that right now I wasn't that interested in!

“Keira, she doesn't hate you, she is just extremely jealous of you.” She said liking this fact more than I knew.

“Why on earth would a goddess like that be jealous of ME?” I said feeling all my hope fade.

“Simple, because he ended things with her and now he is with you, only the big difference is that he loves you dearly and he never loved her.”

“He dumped her?” Now my ears pricked up at this new bit of information and my fading hope was quietly
creeping
its head back around the corner.

“Dominic has never been
happy,
he has never been in love before so his distractions were just what they were…distractions! But he has been waiting for you since the beginning and this was something Aurora could never accept”

“I bet it must make it even harder looking at someone like me,” I said biting down on my lip at the thought....at what her thoughts must be.

“Keira, you underestimate yourself greatly! No doubt you saw the way she looks at my brother. She has done this always but when you joined our table last night his eyes never left your face. I know Dom well enough to honestly say this is the happiest I have ever seen him and he deserves to be happy...he deserves you and you him.” At this she motioned towards my arms reminding me of my past and all I had endured. Was she right? When it came to Draven did she really think that I deserved him?

“Thank you Sophia, I feel better now I know...I think he tries to protect me too much when all I need is the truth.”

“I think he keeps expecting you to run from him.” She added before carrying on with the next stage of my beauty regime.

“Why would I ever do that?” I asked amazed...surely he didn't actually think this?

“Keira you are a human, granted not like other humans, but still, he is what he is....No doubt you were taken back when you saw his other form?” She said reminding me of the immense power that I saw coursing around his indestructible body. 

“I learnt long ago how to deal with things I couldn't understand but I controlled the fear and well, that night I was more nervous than frightened. Not because of the way he looked but because of the obsession I have on him. To find myself in that position with him, my heart pounded for other reasons shall we say?” I said being completely honest and she seemed not only shocked but happy with my response.