Cult of the Hexad (Afterlife saga Book 6) (21 page)

Home.

My fingers automatically went to the symbol carved in the middle and just as my fingers ran along the curve of what looked like a family crest a voice shouted at me from behind.

“You there, move it!” I looked back for a split second and when I saw one of the security guards coming at me I ran inside before he could get to me.

“Hey, I know you! Come back here!” I shook my head against where I had seen the face before and pushed my way through the mass of bodies, hoping to get lost in the sea of black. I looked back to see him scanning the crowd trying to find me and I felt better knowing he had little chance now I was in. I ducked and pushed my way further into the centre and just as I thought he might see me again, the band started playing the chorus. Everyone around me went crazy and started jumping around me doing a perfect job of hiding me.

In the end I saw him throw his hands in the air in a gesture that told me he was giving up and this was confirmed when he started to push his way back to the entrance. I took a minute to calm my racing heart and bent over in the small space I had. Then the band began a new song that started off strange before everyone around me started singing in sync… ‘Freedom, la, la, la, Freedom, follow me’ before the main singer started the song. That’s when I started to take in my surroundings.

“Amazing.”
I whispered to myself looking up at what could have been the inside of a forgotten cathedral. The ceiling was a series of stone arches interlocked with medieval wrought iron chandeliers hanging down at the central points. It reminded me a little of some modern day throne room and I half expected to see the King seated at the end. I looked that way and saw no king, however what I did see was two grand staircases that mirrored each other, curving around the stage until they met the top of the mezzanine level.

I don’t know why I was so drawn to the upstairs but when I saw them I gasped, knowing this was where I needed to go. However, one look at the giants standing guard at the base of both staircases and I knew I would have no chance! No, I needed to find someone who worked here that could take me to the owner or I would no doubt be thrown out on my sore behind.

I scanned the vast space that was separated into different levels with seating all around in hopes of seeing someone that obviously worked here but one look told me I doubted it was the uniform type of place. Finally, through all my searching I found the two largest groups of people were either by the band on the dance floor or by the bar. So even though I couldn’t see it for people, I took a chance and squeezed my way through to the other side.

The closer I got, the tighter the queue for drinks got and at this rate I knew it would take me half the night! I umm’d and ahhh’d for a minute and then said,

“Oh sod it!” Then I pushed my way around the mass of people and approached it from the far end.

“Hey!”

“You pushed in, she pushed in!”

“Oi! Get back!” The chorus of angry Goths made me wish I had rethought this plan of mine.

“Sorry, I just need to ask a question, I’m not ordering anything.” I said to one girl with black lines down her face like she had smudged her make up on purpose.

“Oh well that’s alright then!” She said sarcastically. Then she turned back to her friend and continued to moan, 

“Can you believe this Bitch?” I decided to ignore them and try and grab the girl’s attention who was serving.

“Excuse me!”

“Back of the queue, Blondie.” She said without looking at me and I looked down to see my plait was on show.

“But I just need to ask you a question…I…”

“I don’t do chicks, happy now?” She replied dryly and I was getting frustrated and angry.

“That’s not what I…”

“Look you heard her!” The irate clubber barked and I rolled my eyes, which turned out to be an even bigger mistake.

“Did you just roll your eyes at me?!”

“Wow observant much.”
I muttered.

“What did you say to me Bitch!?” She snapped and I was finding my patience was unravelling and quickly.

“Jerry, we have a situation here.” The barmaid said just as I turned my back to the girl, which turned out to be my third mistake since entering this giant hub of negativity.

“I am just looking for someone and he…” I was cut short when I was pushed from behind, hence me falling forward and slamming into the bar. Oh yeah, now I was pissed! I didn’t come all this way to deal with this shit! Oh Hell no!

“That’s it! You got a problem Shithead!?” I shouted turning around and pushing her back. She fell backwards into the crowd of people and was unable to right herself due to her hooker heels. I could feel that similar tingling in my fingertips that I had done back in the barn that day, so I took a deep breath to calm myself. But doing this gave the crazy Goth time to get up and the next thing I knew I was being punched in the face.

“This. Is. Not. Happening!” I shouted in disbelief as I dodged another blow. She powered forward with her fist out and after I ducked it was her turn to fall into the bar. She turned round with murder in her eyes and grabbed a bottle from the bar. The beer poured out of it as she raised it up ready to hit me with it like a woman possessed! I decided I didn’t want to get hit again so I side stepped as she swung it down aiming for my head. As I did this I brought my fist up into her stomach, hoping to get her hard enough to wind her.

Thankfully it worked. The bottle fell from her hand and smashed as she sacked it to the floor gasping for breath. I looked down at her panting, with my fists still tight and ready to go. When I knew she wasn’t going to get back up for round two I tried to calm my body down from the adrenaline rush. I looked up and noticed everyone had suddenly given me a wide berth. I took another deep breath for good measure and simply stepped over the girl I had knocked to the floor.

“Now, let’s try this again. Where is Dominic Draven?” I asked the barmaid who looked terrified of me. Her eyes shot behind me and I knew what I would find there if I looked.

“Come with us.” The stern voice said behind me and there was only one thing left to say,

“Ah shit…would you believe me if I told you this wasn’t my fault?” I asked without looking at the security guards I knew were there.

“Now!” They snapped and I eyed the glass of clear liquid on the counter and thought, what the Hell, I am in enough trouble anyway. I grabbed the glass, held it up and said,

“Here’s to Afterlife!” Then I shot it back in one, trying not to kill the cool and cough after swallowing what felt like battery acid! I let it fall into my other hand and before I knew what I was doing I dropped it back on the bar after doing a neat little trick with it…where did I learn that from?

I turned around to face my judgement and saw it wasn’t the guys from outside like I thought it would have been but more like the giants from the stairs. These guys were scary but I put on a brave face, raised my head high and let them lead me out of the club.

“You know that’s unnecessary, I’m going to leave without making a fuss, so if you wouldn’t mind.” I said nodding to the grip they both had on the top of my arms. They didn’t answer me and I became even more confused when they started to walk me to the back of the club instead of the front.

“Where are we going…? Is there another exit back here?” I asked but again wasn’t surprised when all I received was the silent treatment. What was surprising however was when they led me directly to the stairs and started marching me up them. Suddenly I wasn’t so sure this was where I wanted to be and I wondered exactly how many mistakes I could make in only an hour.

“Look guys, let’s talk about this!” I said losing my bravery with every step I took up the stairs. We were nearly at the top and I started to squirm around but it was no use. They held on tight enough that I was going nowhere. Well at least they weren’t hurting me I thought finding it my only silver lining.

Once we reached the top there were two more mammoth guys standing guard and I had to wonder who was up here, the Sultan of Brunei! I scanned the room finding a small bar to one side and tables full of characters of the likes I had never seen before. My dread doubled as all eyes watched me in shock, probably wondering what on earth I was doing being dragged up here.

They continued to storm me to the centre and I looked behind me and over the edge of the balcony longingly at all the free people below. In front of me I could make out a large table that was slightly raised than all the rest with people all sat around. There was a bigger seat in the middle and it didn’t take a genius to guess that whoever was sat in it was who I would have to deal with. I couldn’t make out the details yet as my eyes quickly found a sight that had my bravery quivering in its boots before it hitch hiked right outta here!

“Whoa.” I said as the guys let me go right in front of the real giant! Jesus this guy made the other two look normal sized. I stumbled a step in front of the Goliath who had his tree trunk arms folded and I giggled in a nervous habit as I looked up and up and up some more before finally reaching his head.

“Okay, come on home bravery.”
I muttered to myself and righted my jacket, taking my hood down. As soon as I did this a whispered wave shuddered through the upstairs area.

“Little Apple?”
I thought I heard the big guy in front of me whisper but ignored it and I decided to get out what I wanted to say first before I was in even more shit than I was right now. 

“Okay, so what happened down there…I can explain…” I started to say when I heard a dee
p
delicious voice speak,

“Ragnar.” It was a warning so he stepped aside and I was hit with another memory I couldn’t touch. I mentally shook the feeling aside, readying myself for what was to come. I took in all the people sat around a huge table all staring at me like I was some kind of freak…that or some holy messiah!

“I think I should say now, that girl was crazy and tried to smash a bottle over my head…so you see…” I stopped when the man in the middle seat leant forward so his features came into view and my heart stopped.

“It…it can’t be…” I stuttered my disbelief at the sight of him. What the Hell was going on…was I dreaming this as well! I kept taking steps backwards but I had no clue where I expected I would get to.

“Hello, Keira”
His gorgeous voice spoke someone else’s name which was like a bullet to my heart.

Because of the pain the only thing I could think to say slipped from my lips before I hit my limit for the second time today…

“Hello, My Demon.”

Then I fainted.  
   

Chapter 19

‘I do’
not want to believe

Waking up this time I wasn’t sure where I was expecting to find myself but I would say the very last place in my mind was where I ended up. Opening my eyes to a very familiar sight was both shocking and exhilarating. Of course my first thought had instantly been, ‘am I dreaming’ again but then as soon as I lifted my head and felt the pain, I knew this wasn’t a dream.

No, this time it was real. But most importantly of all, now I knew that
he
was real. I didn’t know what to do next as I think I was in a state of shock. As I lay there too afraid to move just yet I started to notice the small differences to the bedroom I always saw when looking through that barrier of glass.

For one there wasn’t a mirror above the bed as I had often seen. The second was that there were quite a few picture frames around the room that strangely had all been turned down. This intrigued me the most and just as I reached out to grab the one closest to me on the side table, I heard voices.

I didn’t know what to do. Should I hide, should I pretend to be asleep, should I run or find a weapon? In the end I completely panicked. And because of this I ended up rolling backwards off the side of the bed furthest from the door and getting tangled up in the covers as I went. I landed on the floor with an undignified ‘Umpf!’

“She’s as graceful as ever I see.” I heard a woman’s voice say in amusement that lacked any malice. I popped my head over the bed considering there was very little point to me hiding…if you could even call it that. There I found myself staring at two of the most beautiful people I had ever seen and one of them I had been dreaming about for what seemed like forever.

The small beauty queen next to him was so utterly striking you couldn’t help but be drawn to her. She had doll like features with silky dark curls and flawless skin, I almost wanted to go up to her and poke her just to check that she was real.

And then there was
him…

My Demon.

This thought brought me back to the idiotic thing I had said to him before my re-enactment of the perfect wimpy freak out. I noticed the girl was smirking at me and for some reason looked as pleased as Punch. So I decided this was the point I really needed to stop staring at them and say something.
 

“I uh…panicked.” As soon as I said it I had to squash down the urge to smack myself on the side of the head…and for some reason this thought didn’t seem like a foreign one to me.

“So I see.” He said and I then found myself having to now squash down the urge to sigh at just the sound of his voice. He was breathtakingly handsome, even more so in real life. And I don’t think I had ever seen anyone who looked as if they held so much authority it just oozed from them like a dark aura.

I could feel myself biting my lip as my eyes drank in the sight of long legs encased in suit trousers of a colour very similar to my own eyes. The white shirt he wore matched the dark blue/grey colour but was worn as if ready for action, with his sleeves rolled half way up his forearms and the first two buttons undone with no tie in sight. Even the belt he wore looked expensive, like the black leather men’s dress shoes on his feet. But this handsome attire would mean nothing if it wasn’t for the man wearing it. And boy, what a man!

Black raven hair was pushed back in one of those smart casual ways that seemed effortless to achieve. This matched the rough stubble a few days without shaving produced and it gave him a raw beauty against his flawless olive skin. However, the real striking feature he held above all others was his incredibly powerful eyes. They were like pools of heated dark emotion that looked to be barely kept in check. They made me want to cower in both fear and quake in desire all at the same time.         

I realised I had once again just been staring at him when the girl cleared her throat, thankfully letting me know that I was still slumped in this ridiculous position and of course looking like a love sick teenager.

“Oh…uh yeah…
Jesus Katie, get a grip girl.”
  I whispered, chastising myself for my embarrassing behaviour and I could have sworn I heard the girl giggle but then quickly try and hide it with a cough. Happily, I hadn’t lost all my functions and made quick work getting untangled from the web of luxury fabric I was wrapped in. I almost felt like jumping up and saying ‘Tada’ but thankfully found the power to squash down yet another ridiculous urge. However, my next foolish act came from stepping out of the mound on the floor and catching my foot, stumbling forward.

“Whoa, it’s okay, I’m okay.” I said as I righted myself just in time. Mr tall, dark and sex on a stick looked like he was about to lunge forward to catch me but luckily didn’t have to. I saw him release a sigh as if he didn’t know what to make of my clumsiness. Well given the ballerina next to him, I doubted he was used to it, I thought with a bitter edge. And this was when a heart breaking thought entered my mind…

Were they a couple?

This was when the girl burst out laughing and then said,

“Oh shit no...! Don’t worry, I’m just the big guy’s sister.” She waved her thumb to her side at him and on hearing this I felt as though I could breathe again. But wait, had I said the question out loud? Oh God I hoped not…but how else had she…?

I never got to finish that thought as I felt eyes were burning into me. He was staring straight at me with an intensity of the likes I had never known and I felt trapped. That was until he demanded something of me, something that I just didn’t want to give,

“Leave us.” His stern voice cut through me like a blade and I swallowed hard before lowering my head in what oddly felt like defeat.

“Oh…right, of course.” I said and walked past him towards the door, muttering to myself,

“I will just find my own way
…Ahh!” I soon found myself shouting out as solid arms circled me from behind, stopping me from going any further. As soon as I felt the first touch from him I knew I was lost and all my fears of his ability of mind control came flooding back if only to be ignored swiftly after.

“Oh no, you’re not going anywhere, Sweetheart.”
He said in my ear making me shiver against him and suddenly feeling trapped by him felt like the best thing in the world. 

“Leave us, Sophia.” He commanded and now I knew that he had meant for his sister to leave us alone. All the while his hands never left me and I could feel his breath against my neck. Once more he had me swallowing hard and I had to concentrate on keeping my legs from collapsing at just the simple fact of having my dream man at my back.

“I think that would be best.” His sister said smirking and with just that one look of approval, I liked her already. I barely heard the door close when I felt his hand snake up my side and come to rest at my neck. Quickly I was transported to one of my dreams of him in this exact same position and I couldn’t help but feel like it had been some sort of premonition of fate. It was the one where he was trying to get me to come home and I had to admit that now I was here part of me couldn’t help but feel that way. But it was also as though something was holding me back and tied to another place and I found myself once more battling with myself on what felt right and wrong. Almost as if somewhere along the line my life was being…

Re-written. 

But no matter what I was feeling it didn’t detract from what was happening now. Because no doubt about it, this was a very trustworthy position I was allowing him to have with me considering his hand was firmly around my neck and I had to wonder if it wasn’t a test. I didn’t know what to say or do, but when he bent his head and inhaled deeply, I sighed back against him from the sweet gesture. This too reminded me of the dream as I had done the same thing in sinking back into his hold. But unfortunately, as I had learned so often in this life, nothing this sweet lasted forever, because then he quickly ruined it. 

“My Keira’s finally home.” At the sound of her name I wanted to crumble to the floor in heartbreak. He still thought I was this other girl and it wasn’t
me
he wanted in his arms…
it was her.

I jerked free from his hold and put the much needed space between us. I heard his primal growl coming behind me and jumped at the sound turning round to face him in case he pounced. This was the reminder I needed. After all he was the Demon I had also seen in my dreams and…

My Demon was back.

“Come here.” I could tell that demand came from forced control and even though I was terrified I stood my ground. So okay merely shaking my head like a defiant child wasn’t going to win any bravery awards any time soon. I knew that but it wasn’t just about being stubborn, it was more importantly about being hurt.

“Now is not a time to test me Keira, not after all this time apart.” He grated out warning me how much my behaviour was costing him. But hearing her name again was when I snapped.

“MY NAME IS KATIE!” I shouted back at him holding myself tense in my anger. I could even feel my nails digging into my palms from tight fists I held at my sides. His eyes widened in surprise for a moment before he closed them in what seemed like pain. He took a shuddering deep breath and swallowed hard as if needing to take this moment to comprehend what I was telling him. Finally, he opened his eyes to look at me and the breath I was holding was freed from my chest. Jesus, he looked like he was in agony and I had caused it all. In fact, he looked as if I had just destroyed his entire world, crushing everything he had ever known under my foot.   

“I…” I had to clear my throat before continuing as the emotions he drew out of me were almost choking.

“I’m sorry…I…I shouldn’t have…” He raised a hand to stop me from saying anymore and I bit my lip to physically prevent myself from doing so. I saw him take a deep breath and I braced myself for what he obviously wanted to say next.

“Only my Keira would have come home.” He said and again it sounded like each word had been dragged from deep within him, it had been that hard to say. I slowly shook my head wishing I could have given him what he wanted right at that moment but the truth of it was as simple as I couldn’t, for it would have been a lie.

I would have been a lie.

“All I can say is that I am sorry I’m not the girl you wished would turn up here.” I replied softly knowing I had no power to offer him anything more.

“That’s where you’re wrong.” He informed me sternly and I raised my eyes to find he was serious as my heart skipped a beat. 

“But you just…”

“You’re her, you just don’t realise it yet…
but you will.”
He said interrupting me and this last part sounded like a threat. And given the intensity of the look he was giving me I would say it looked like one as well. I imagined right now would have made a comedy moment as I gulped down a frightened lump but given the severity of the conversation I could only take a step back in fear and laughter was the last thing on my mind.

He raised an eyebrow at my actions and then did something I didn’t expect when he started smirking.

“You know this reminds me of when we first met.” I frowned in confusion having no clue as to what was coming next.

“You were just as you are now.”

“How so?” I asked letting curiosity replace the confusion.

“Skittish and afraid of me, yet you were also intrigued which is why you didn’t run.”

“I’m not afraid.” I said frowning at him and his smile told me he easily detected my lie.

“No?” He said stepping forward and my natural instinct kicked in making me take a step back. I was angry at myself for letting him prove my lie by reacting the way he knew I would.

“There’s no need for you to fear me.”

“No?” I asked throwing his question back at him and crossing my arms across my chest to show my disbelief.

“Not ever.”
The way he said this gave me little doubt to the depth of his sincerity but I found myself asking what I knew I had no choice but to ask,

“Alright, so you say that you know me…yes?” This question made him smile and the sight was nothing short of glorious to witness. Bloody hell but if I thought him handsome before then when he smiled it was something else!

“Yes little Dove, I know you.” Hearing the sweet endearment was almost as sweet as feeling his gentle touch.

“And you know me well?” I asked continuing down along this line of questioning.

“Intimately.”
He whispered stepping forward and I shuddered. A series of memories flooded my mind of him taking my other self over and over again.

“Then tell me…have you ever hurt me before?” He looked affronted by the idea but then something flickered in his eyes before he answered,

“Never. I have never physically hurt you.” I knew his answer wasn’t a lie but he was a fool if he thought I hadn’t picked up on what that flicker in his eyes had meant.
      

“But you have lied.” I said seeing the truth in his face. He sighed and rubbed his jaw with a hand before speaking,

“Keira I…”

“Katie.” I corrected him and there was that quick, brief flash of pain again that caused me the same pain to witness.