Sacrifice of the Septimus: Part 1 (Afterlife saga Book 7) (14 page)

“Keira?” He questioned as I lifted up one leg and began straddling him, placing my knees either side of his thighs. Then I placed my hands on either side of his face, mirroring my legs and holding him in place. Once in position, I then got very close and told him what I needed to say,

“Now listen to me Dominic, and listen good. I love you and I see no fault in the way you love me back. Now if that includes keeping things from me to protect me then so be it but…” I had to take a gulp of air before I carried on as this next part was the hard bit but it was something I needed to say before it was too late. So looking him in the eyes I spoke the only truth I could give him, 

“…but life is too short to waste even a second of it and I want you to know that an eternity with you… Draven…the truth is…
it will never be enough.”
Then I buried my head into his shoulder and sobbed quietly, knowing he would never know the reasons why. But instead of asking me, he gave me what I needed the most at that moment…

He gave me all of him.

After this he drove me home, telling me that he had called Libby’s cell only to find they weren’t home and wouldn’t be until tomorrow as they were staying with Frank’s parents for the night. Draven knew how I hadn’t really gone there just to see my family but more of an excuse to be alone, yet he told me about Libby to keep up the pretence, which I appreciated.

But something else must have been on Draven’s mind because he broke the silence in the car and asked,

“What changed?”

“What do you mean?” He raised an eyebrow at me as if to call my bluff and I sighed,

“Can I ask you something first?” He nodded and I could see him smirking in the dark under the low light of the dash.

“If I knew, then would it change our future?” As soon as I asked it, I wondered if I had gone too far when his head snapped round to look at me.

“Why would you ask me that, Keira?”

“Because if me knowing will change the outcome of our future or have an important impact on others, then I would want to know but if you tell me it doesn’t, then I will believe you and simply let it go.” I told him knowing my lie and now just waiting for his. His features tensed and he looked back at the road ahead, with his grip on the steering wheel so tight he was close to snapping it.

“No, you knowing wouldn’t change the outcome of our future.” And there was his lie, so here was mine,

“Then I will let it go.”

And with those simple words spoken our fates were sealed and all that was left to follow was the eventuality of discovery caused by actions to come. The only difference between us now was that I knew what was coming and Draven only
thought
he knew.

“So, did you find what you were looking for?” I asked him looking out of my side of the window and seeing my sad refection looking back at me.

“How did you know I was looking for something?”

“Sophia told me but she didn’t know what.” With me asking questions again Draven seemed to relax slightly as my strange behaviour had obviously been getting to him. He sighed and with it relaxed his death grip on one of his favourite Aston Martins.

“No, I didn’t find what I was looking for.” I almost smiled to myself when I asked,

“Was it a clue to where she was?” Again his head whipped round and I had to bite my lip when he snapped out,

“She?” It was at this point I decided to give him a break before he really did damage the car.

“Aurora aka bitch face.” Once more he relaxed and gave me a fake laugh at the ‘bitch face’ gibe, obviously too strung out from worrying that I knew something. At this point the demon sat on my shoulder was saying ‘yeah, well that’s what happens when you lie and keep shit from us!’ But this would no doubt be quickly followed by my angel saying ‘Uh, just to point out, Demon Dearie, that we are doing the same, so let’s not be too hard on the boy’ … and did I happen to mention that in my mind they both looked like Pip. Of course in the real world demon Pip would have kicked angel Pip’s ass off that shoulder a long time ago and used the spare side as more closet space.

“So how was Leivic?” I asked and it took Draven slamming on the brakes, causing the car to skid to a halt, to realise my mistake.

“And how do you know I was with Leivic?” he asked turning in his seat to face me and I swallowed down my urge to swear, but thankfully for me my shoulder demon Pip said it for me…

‘Oh fuck, now you’re in trouble, I’m outta here, you’re on your own Toots!’ And she was right…

Now I was in trouble.

Chapter 14

Wink, Wink, Nudge, Nudge

“Keira.” Draven repeated my name, dragging me back to my current predicament. Okay, so without mincing my words, I will call it what it was…the one-way shit street I had driven myself into!

“Uh…well...would you believe that I just guessed?” I said and from the look he was giving me, that would be a definite ‘no’.

“Try again, Sweetheart.” I wanted to say that this was easier said than done as I hadn’t a clue what to say other than the lies that I blurted out.

“Ranka told me.” I think at this point if Pip hadn’t bailed on my shoulder then I would have received a bitch slapping from the both of them.

“Come again?”
Draven asked in a mix of disbelief and controlled anger. And this is where the trouble began, because now I was either about to drop Ranka or myself in the shit. And for selfish reasons, I was really hoping it was Ranka. Because the reality now was that if she didn’t lie for me and tell Draven that what I said was the truth, then he would still demand an answer from me and well, I wasn’t just down shit street, I was also up shit creek and without a paddle, because I didn’t have one.

“Ranka rang me and told me so I wouldn’t worry.” I told him and by doing so taking a chance on what the Oracle had said was right, Ranka was on our side.

“Did she now? I do find that strange considering she was the one who convinced me not to tell you in the first place, so that you
wouldn’t
worry.” I laughed nervously and shrugged my shoulders.

“Maybe she just had a change of heart but oh well, no harm done. So are we going?” I said trying to brush it off as nothing and nodding to the road in front. Draven put the car in gear and sped off into the night, replying,

“A change of heart…umm, that doesn’t sound like the Ranka I know, but like you said, there’s no harm in asking her.”

“Um…I don’t think I said that.” I told him, but it was in vain as I knew Draven was like a dog with a bone when it came to extracting the truth out of people, which was ironic really considering the amount of times he had lied to me.

“I know what you said, Love,” he told me patting my leg, which I took as a warning to say no more. He didn’t believe me and now we were heading back to Afterlife for him to prove it by asking Ranka outright. Great! Good job Keira, all you had to do was keep your mouth shut and give him no indication that anything was wrong and I fell at the first hurdle…actually I didn’t just fall, I put the damn thing right in front of me to jump over when I asked Draven that stupid question! I’m thinking if this had been spy school then two words…
epic failure!

Shortly after this monumental blunder we arrived back at Afterlife. We both got out of the car and walked up the staircases and through hallways until we came to our bedroom door. 

“Your very quiet, little dove,” Draven said pulling me close and tilting my head back to look at me. If anything it looked as though he was looking forward to catching me out in my lie. I bit my lip to prevent myself from calling him a ‘sadist’ as a cocky remark and instead faked a yawn,

“Just tired I guess, time to hit the sack I think…” I said turning to go through to our room and hopefully escaping what Draven had planned. But he grabbed my hand laughing and said,

“Oh no, I don’t think so.” Then he pulled me in the direction of the club, taking long strides so I had to jog in order to keep up with him.

“Slow down! Jeez it’s not a race,” I grumbled and then ended up screaming out as I was suddenly swung up into his arms so he could get there quicker. I started to panic a little so decided to try something else…
seduction.
I stretched up in his arms so I could whisper in his ear,

“It’s a shame you’re not this eager to get me into bed instead.”
This made him stop dead in his tracks and I smiled in triumph.

“Are you trying to seduce me, wife?”

“Who, me?” I asked, faking my innocence.

“Very well,” he said and when he suddenly turned and started walking the other way I could barely believe my luck. Had it worked? Had I really got out of it that easily?

“Okay, so this is more like it!” I sai
d
enthusiastically as he pushed open the door, slammed it shut and pushed me against it as he kissed me. I could barely think for lust and I sank deeper into the spell he was creating. I actually think I meowed in protest when he pulled his lips from mine.

“Now’s your chance love, tell me the truth.”
He whispered over my cheek before kissing his way down my neck. I quickly realised he wasn’t giving into me at all, he was trying to get
me
to give into
him.

“You know the truth.”
I uttered the whispered lie back on his cheek and his hands gripped my behind tighter so I moaned.

“I see,” he said before releasing me and letting me slide down the length of him. Then he placed his hand over my head, resting it on the stone wall next to the door I was currently being held against, thanks to Draven’s arms caging me in and he gave me a cocky grin before saying, 

“Send Ranka in here.” I frowned at him, at first thinking he had asked me to do this, but then it dawned on me when I followed the muscles of his outstretched arm, to find his finger pressing down on the intercom button.

“Yes My Lord.”

I made an aggravated noise and pushed my way out of his hold ready to plead my case when in no time at all the door opened.

“Who…?” My question was cut off when Draven spoke her name,

“Ranka.”  My confusion hit new levels because I had never seen the warrior woman in front of me and it certainly wasn’t the Ranka I knew.

A pair of startlingly beautiful but equally serious eyes stared back at me. They were almond shaped and the colour of hazel and honey, both framed by thin arched eyebrows. The triangular shape of her face, with her pointed features was made to look even more so with how she wore her hair. It was tightly braided, with multiple tiny plaits covering the sides of her head. The rest of her black hair was pushed forward slightly, giving the slicked back style volume on the top.

Around her hairline the skin looked to be blackened with soot or dust, as it stained her forehead half way down ending in a point at the middle. Her slightly pointed ears were also darkened with the stain and she reminded me of some tribal warrior with her war paint, all ready for battle.

Even her clothes suggested someone ready for a fight as she wore a plain, dark green, hooded tunic, the length of a short dress with one of the widest belts I had ever seen. It was brown leather and tied at the front with three bronze belt buckles, reminding me of an under bust corset, it was so tight. To finish the ‘ranger’ outfit she wore, she added tight brown leggings with thicker leather patches on her inner thighs for riding a horse and dark brown boots, with a wicked looking spiked metal heel.

She also looked as though she could kick my ass without getting off her horse, whilst drinking a protein shake and firing arrows at a moving target…this so wasn’t looking good for me right now.

“Ah but of course, you haven’t seen Ranka since yesterday. This is her true form.”

“Peachy,”
I muttered not knowing what else to say and I noticed Draven’s jaw twitch in amusement.

“You summoned me, my Lord?”

“Yes I did as some information provided by my lovely wife here recently came to my attention and I just wanted to have it clarified.” Draven said answering her and I swallowed hard. Ranka glanced briefly at me and then back at her King.

“Of course, what is it you would like to know?”

“Did you phone Keira and explain to her where we were today?” Well this was it, crunch time. Ranka didn’t know it yet but this was the ultimate test to see who she was more loyal to, her king or the Fates.

“I apologise my Lord but…” My heart started to sink and I closed my eyes against what was about to happen.

“I did phone her.” My eyes snapped open when I heard her answer and had to squash down the urge to shout three Hail Marys whilst fist pumping the air.

“You did?” Draven asked again obviously shocked that it wasn’t what he’d been expecting.

“Yes Sir, I am sorry to have stepped on any toes but…” She was cut off abruptly by Sophia striding through the door and quickly adding,

“I told her to do so, considering you did not.” All I can say was I was glad Draven was preoccupied right now as my mouth was gaping open in shock. Draven growled low in his throat and crossed his arms, clearly showing his displeasure.

“I might have known to expect your interference, sister,” he said sternly. Sophia snapped back throwing her arms up in the air dramatically.

“Yes well, your time should have been better spent
expecting
Keira,
your wife
, to have been a worried wreck all day, left wondering what she had done wrong to deserve this cold treatment from you!” By the time Sophia had finished her little speech I had to hold myself back from adding a ‘whoop, whoop’ and a happy dance to my fist pumping. Sophia looked towards me and just as Draven was turning around to look at me, Sophia hit under her chin, warning me my mouth was still open like a dead fish. It snapped closed just in time.

“Is this true?” he asked me softly and I gave him my sad ‘I’m a lost kitten, stroke me’ eyes and nodded, not trusting myself to speak.

“Leave us!” he commanded Ranka and his sister, without taking his eyes from me.

“Come on Ranka, let’s get a drink and leave my brother to his suck up session, no doubt it will take all night.” I watched them leave, not missing the way Sophia tapped her wrist, indicating to me about time. I wondered then if she was trying to warn me that we don’t have much time left or that we would talk later…either one I certainly agreed with.

“You were telling me the truth.” He stated and I bit my lip, once again afraid to speak and mess it all up now, especially after Ranka and Sophia had both given award winning performances.

“But you were acting so jittery, like you yourself didn’t believe it.” I knew with him saying this that I would have to give him some kind of explanation and thankfully I had one already lined up.

“I didn’t know Ranka and it’s true that I was first taken aback by her appearance but that being said, I still didn’t want to get her into trouble with you. So naturally I was hesitant after I gave myself away by asking about Leivic.” Draven took a moment to think about this and I held my breath, hoping the reason I gave him was enough to end any more questioning. 

What he did next gave me no amount of warning as, for the second time, I found myself in his arms and this time it led to something great not something I was dreading. Draven and I were all over each other as though neither of us could get enough. I tore at his t shirt, trying to get it over his head without breaking contact between our lips. I heard my own clothes rip as his patience ran out and my star sweater was torn in two.

“Yes.”
The blissful word escaped as Draven took a breast in his hand and squeezed, catching the nipple between his fingers. The pinch of pain made me arch, pressing my breast further into his palm telling him without words what he did to me.

“I will never doubt you again,” he told me and I tried to block him out as the guilt of that statement started to take hold.

“Ssshh.” I told him before pulling his lips back to mine.

“I’m sorry I left you to worry.” I shook my head and kissed him again, desperately trying to get him to stop talking. He carried me over to his desk where I wrapped my legs around him and the last of my clothes were split and pulled away, leaving me in just my underwear. Then he reared up suddenly, proving that this was one of those times he couldn’t wait to be inside me and taking things slow wasn’t on Draven’s mind tonight. Again my body arched, loving the feel of him making me his and marking me from the inside out.

I cried out with my head falling back as my pleasure built and soared, as if trying to float to the surface.

“Open your eyes and see me,” Draven said, commanding this of me but his voice sounded strange. It was rougher, harder than I had heard him speak to me before and what was with the accent?

All this combined was enough to compel me to obey and I quickly did as he asked. As my head was back the first thing I saw was the ceiling, oddly not one I had seen before. It was the colour of sand and it was etched with patterns that were painted in golds and reds. A huge oil lamp hung from the centre which looked to be a brass bowl holding the flames and it flickered as the night’s breeze came through the open arches.

“Look at your King
,
Nāzanin.” I did as I was told not understanding how I was here or where here was…or more importantly…
who Draven was!

“How can this be happening?” I asked confused to be in this ancient Draven’s arms…

Had I left already?

He started to grip me tighter to him as if to draw my focus back to him. He looked so strong and so…so barbaric! Thin leather straps were wound around one bicep and both his forearms had leather gauntlets tied with the same binding cord. The rest of him was bare and I looked down at the floor to see a discarded breast plate, dumped on top of delicate fabrics that I gathered had once been mine to wear.