The Two Kings (Afterlife Saga) (13 page)

I forgot to ask Draven if he wanted a drink, so I popped my head round to ask when I noticed he was looking at a picture of me and Libby when I was seventeen. It was one we had taken at Alton Towers
,
a theme park we went to for my birthday. I had shorter hair that looked way out of control and a little red vest with a short denim shirt. I looked so different to how I dress now and no doubt Draven was thinking the same thing. Well
,
it was summer and a very hot one at that. I got burnt on the shoulders that day and that night
,
when out with my friends, I was dancing like Michael Flatley
, Lord of the river dance
!

“I hate that picture
.
” I said as I tried to take it from his hands but he just lifted it out of my reach, which wasn't hard. I was so short next to him that I knew there was no point even trying.

“Why? You look happy, was it a special day?”

“It was my birthday, I was seventeen
.
” I said feeling my skin blush at the way I was dressed.

“I didn't think England had
such
good summers
.
” So he did notice.

“We had a heat wave that year, plus I used to dress quite differently than I do now
.
” I wasn't sure which Keira he preferred
,
the carefree young blond that liked to show off her slim figure or the shy
scared
girl that stood next to him now, wearing black jogging bottoms and a grey long sleeved top with thumb holes.

“
I like that you
save
d
yourself for me, I do not think I would be happy for so many eyes to see your flawless skin in places that are for my eyes only. I like the way you dress now and that I am the only one that gets to unwrap you whenever I choose.” He winked at me before placing the picture back.

“But I do have o
ne question, why do you have me
tal teeth?” I laughed so hard tears formed.

“What, you do?” I couldn't keep my face straight, he must have thought this looked more like a torture device. Then I stop
ped
laughing as soon as I remembered what Sammael looked like when I had seen him in his Demon form. His lips had been sealed shut by thick metal pieces that looked like crude stitches. This had been his punishment and done to him by the Draven brothers.

“It was my brace, I had crooked teeth when my wisdom
teeth
started to come through
.
”

“It looks barbaric, did it not hurt you?” Bless him for thinking about my pain.

“It just ached mostly, but sometimes the metal would go into my gums. That I didn't like so much. But it was worth it
.
” I said smiling showing him the result.

“I think I would have preferred you to have crooked teeth than go through pain
.
” He said sincerely. I kissed him on the cheek for saying something so sweet.

“Ok, ba
ck to our date. Argument -
check… make up kiss
- check…
pizza
- check
…
now moving swiftly on
.
” He was smirking thinking I was talking about sex.

“Draven! You
’ve
really never had a date before have you. You don't fool around until the movie is on and the lights are off
.
”

“Ok
!
” He clicked his fingers being cocky and the lights went out and the TV came on, amazingly on a movie channel. I giggled like I was back to being seventeen. I plopped down on the couch next to him with my back against his chest and picked up the remote. His arms went round me and I snuggled closer to him, loving every minute of the best date of my life.

“So what will it be action, romance or horror?”

“Don't like comedies?”
When he spoke, he blew air down my neck and my mind filled with his scent making it harder
to find words to his question, especially when his large hand was moving up and down my neck.

“
Yeah sure I do, but I like
being the one that makes you laugh...plus there is the whole snorting issue
.
”

“Ah yes
,
I remember that adorable little noise you make
.
” His hands
then
slid down to my weak spots and I started giggling. But I stopped him before I was in fits.

“Behave!” I warned
.

“Never!
...
So what is customary for a first date?”

“W
ell it depends what the goal is.
Horror usually gives the guy the chance to show how brave he is and protect the girl when she jumps at the scary bits but I think you have already proved yourself with that one
,
more than enough!”

“Protecting you is my job Keira
.
” He leaned round to see my smile.

“Or there is action, this gives the girl chance to show she is cool with watching violence, which i
mpresses the guy but i
n this case I have seen enough action in the last few days to last me till the end of the year!”

“I must agree with you there
,
”
h
e said with a controlled bitterness.

“So then there is romance that gets you in the mood, but considering you get horny just watching me eat then I don't think it's needed
.
” He moved my hair from my neck and licked my skin, proving my last statement.
I was momentarily hushed to silence and my teeth found comfort in my bottom lip.

“Ok
,
then I will cho
o
se...
mmm
.
” I tried to sound unfazed but it wasn’t convincing as I moaned when his lick
ing
turned
in
to sucking.
I let the remote slide out of my hands but before it could crash to the floor his hand left my neck and caught it
,
before passing it back to me.

“You were saying
?
” He said over my skin and I could feel his lips turn up into a confident smile.
I swallowed down the breath caught in my throat and tried to continue.

“That’s not fair when you have such control over my functions like that!” I shook my head and closed my eyes as I tried to focus on finding a movie.

“And
you don’t believe you have the
same control over me? Why do you think I find it so
hard keeping my hands off you?
” He whispered this last part and I lowered my face to conceal a smile he could feel there.

“Ok
,
back to the movie…umm ah here’s one….Blade!”
I thought I had chosen well until I heard the tut behind me.

“More Vampires, Keira please tell me you don't have a
thing
for these vile creatures
? I will never understand human obsession with the scum of the underworld!” I turned to face him and in
the glow of the flickering TV
, he looked serious.

“I li
ke Blade because he fights them. O
k, so he is one but he still wants them destroyed. So what is your beef with them?”

“Beef?”
It was obvious he hadn’t heard this expression.

“You know, like wh
y don't you like them or is
hate
a better word
?
”

“I don
't want to discuss it.
” He said stubbornly but I frowned at him.

“Come on, just tell me.
..I think all things considered
, I can take it
.
” Of course I was soon proven wrong with the next words to leave Draven's lips.

“
Lucius is the Vampire king
.
”

Oh dear
,
this
really
didn’t look good!

Chapter 6

Vampires

I could now understand why Draven didn't want to talk abou
t this with me. First I had to ac
cept that Vampires were
real and now they had a King, oh yeah and that
he was the one after me! This was really h
itting my limit on the
‘
crazyo
meter
’
.

“Ok
,
you
’
r
e
going to have to explain this all to me because otherwise I am left with all I know from movies and Bram Stokes
.
” Draven made the TV go
off and the lights come back on, making
me wonder if we would ever just have a normal date that didn't include conversations that scared the
living
shit out of me. I sat facing him and folded my legs together ready for story time.

“I should never
have
said anything. Being with me is already taking
its
toll
.
”
He traced a finger down the side of my face, as if soothing out a suffering line around my eye.

“And what is that supposed to mean?” I was a little hurt at this comment.

“
It means that we
have been together only but a few days and already I am telling you things that will only make your nightmares worse
.
” He was trying to tread carefully around the subject but I just guessed he was sta
l
ling for time.

“Draven! T
hat is ridiculou
s. I have been going through this since I was seven
years old
and guess what...you weren't around then and I coped! I'm stronger than you think, please give me a little credit
!
” This had him in the palm of my hand within seconds. I could tell my words had hit home.

“You are right.
I forget how strong you are. I can't imagine what it must have been like for you to go through that on your own
. I wished I had known of you
s
ooner, I could have helped you
.
”

“Things happen for a reason and I wouldn't change a thing....well ok being hunted by Demons might be one thing
.
” I lau
ghed but he frowned at my joke
on the matter.

“Oh come on if I don't laugh I will cry, so pick one
.
” He didn't pick, he just kissed me instead and obviously I complied.

“Anyway you are sta
l
ling for time
.
” He smiled on my lips and
I
couldn't contain my own.

“You know me well Keira
.
” I liked it when he said this because he w
as proving to me on a daily basi
s just how well he knew me. This gave me some unneeded power.

“I have known Lucius since his beginning
.
”

“Have you always been enemies?” I couldn't help but ask question
s
but he grinned at me, which told me he had been expecting me to do as much.

“No we have not. For
most of his
years we were friends, we even fought side by side in battle but that is another story and one I am in no hurry to tell you
.
” I gathered by his tone it was bad
,
with no doubt lots of blood shed.