The Two Kings (Afterlife Saga) (76 page)

Seeing Draven get angry was one thing
,
but seeing him in his true form getting angry is not something to
ever
forget. He seemed to get bigger with it and I wondered if the reason I could see him fighting that night in the forest was down to him increasing in size. He didn’t speak again until he had calmed and with him having time to control his emotions was enough time for me to control mine.

I closed my eyes and placed a memory of the usual Draven in my mind. When I opened my eyes again he was back and it was
,
thankfully
,
easier to breath.
He let out a
n
exasperated sigh making me stand once more. I didn’t care if this set him off again, I wanted to be on equal grounds. I knew deep down that would never truly be
,
but the lie gave me more strength than the truth.   

We were both now stood staring at each other
,
having some sort of Mexican stand-off show down. It felt like we kept coming full circle instead of ever moving forward. Like something wasn’t right with us being together, some sort of imbalance the world was trying to correct. Why couldn’t we just be together without other people getting in the way…was I to blame with provoking the whole Justin thing. Was this my punishment?

“Tell me what you’re thinking… please, it’s driving me near to insanity!” His desperation took me off guard. He came towards me slowly but stopped when I gestured for him to. At this he looked hurt.

“Why?” This was the only reaction to his question I could find but this just made his features turn to a haughtiness I had never seen before, like it was an obvious answer everyone knew but me.
He looked for a second like he was going to answer m
e but then thought better of it. I
nstead he changed the subject and pointed to my face, bringing me back to the night
’
s earlier horrors. The memory of Justin lying on the cold, wet ground, blind and frightened sprang back into my mind, generating a spark of anger into my already watery eyes.

“What happen
ed to you, did he do this? I
f he did
....
!” His fingers curled into fists caus
ing his knuckles to
crack and
turn white
,
making
the blood from his hands
to drain away and flow
straight
back to
a fiery heart.

“
You’ll what?
Blind him again? Torture him or will you just out right turn to
a cold blooded killer this time?
”

“The BOY did this to himself, he had a choice!” The word
boy
grated through his teeth like chalk on a black board.

“Choice! What c
hoice?
‘
Cause
I
doubt he
would have
poisoned himself
.
”

“I warned him
what his actions would bring but this would have never had happened in the first place if you would have done what I asked. But oh no, not
my
girlfriend, not
my
Keira who always knows what is best!” For the first time I was seeing Draven’s mocking side and I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

“I can take care of myself!” I said stubbornly and somehow by standing up and crossing my arms I was proving this.

“Ah yes
,
because that has been proven so well in the past.” This was a cheap shot and he knew it, I could tell by the quick flash of guilt in his eyes that he tried to hide by looking down. His hair fell forward covering half of his face and after minutes of silence
,
he pushed it all back with both his hands
and looked back up at me. He found me still shaking my head at him.

“So you
’
r
e
blaming me for tonight, am I hearing that right?” I cocked my head to one side trying to come across as confident but he didn’t seem convinced.
Of course it didn’t help when I was pulling down at my sleeves nervously, which he noticed.

“Partly yes
…
I tried to tell you of the
boy’s
intent
ions but
,
as usual
,
you would not hear of it. In the end I took matters into my own hands
and decidedly knew how to protect what is mine.”

“
You’re trying to justify nearly
killing someone just
be
cause they fancied your girlfriend
?
” I was expecting something more of a response than a simple shrug of the shoulders but no, that’s all I got!

“The boy was in
no danger, I take it the effects have worn off by now or you would be here accusing me of murder not just an attempt, which it wasn’t
.
”

“
Did
it
ever occur
to you that I could handle it myself
,
without all your voodoo mumbo jumbo crap
?
”

“Voodoo?
” He almost smiled but instead
,
the corners of his mouth, although looking amused, did not quite make it to humour.

“And how did you handle it may I ask
,
and be warned Keira
,
if this has anything to do with that mark on your c
heek the boy will lose his head?
” This was
a
serious threat that I didn’t dare mock.

“I punched him
!
” I said holding my head high and realising that my chin was jutting out
,
I quickly lowered my head, which did make him smile. I soon understood this wasn’t because he was amused with my behaviour
,
it was down to pride. I m
et his eyes and they were staring at the evidence of my bruised hand, with a strange
quirky grin like he was picturing me pulverising Justin’s body into a bloody pulp.

“Let me see your hand
!
” He ordered
,
but instead I just looked down and started to pull the cuff of my sleeve over my hand to hide it away. That’s when I jumped and let out a surprised gasp at being touched. Draven had tra
velled across the room in a spli
t second and was now pushing my sleeve back up my arm to inspect my hand further. He held my wrist firmly with one hand and the other soothed my purple knuckles with a warm touch
that sent shivers up and down my spine.

For
a moment everything stopped. Nothing mattered anymore while Draven was touching me, it was like my world had paused and all that remained the same
,
was me and the man that owned my heart despite all the faults with our never ending circumstances. I closed my eyes and sighed, letting the memories of tonight fade away into the abyss of my mind. His movements were as delicate as
a butterfly’s
wings and his strength in the grip he still held around my wrist was fading too.

I saw the night in stages. First the night at the club when my heart fluttered at the sight of Draven unusually coming down to claim me. Then the terrible ordeal with Justin’s kiss and what
happened as a result of it. Then
came the nightmarish eyes watching from afar, stalking in the
night’s
rain through a mist of dark fears that still remained. And finally being followed here
,
thus completing my crazy twisted evening. But then that wasn’t it…There was still the worst to come. There had been Draven in the arms of another! That bitter cold slap was back and forced me to pull my hand free and open my eyes.

“So tell me, who is
she?” I lifted my head and met his gaze head on in a fearless manner not even I was used to. His face went tense before relaxing into a smirk that I wanted to slap off him.

“You
’
r
e
jealous aren’t you?” He looked triumphant and laughed making me walk away from him
,
which instantly caused my body to grow cold from the distance.

“What did yo
u expect, of course I bloody am?
” I shouted
without looking back.

“Good! Then you have some
small
shred of comprehension as to how I feel. Welcome to my world Keira, I can already see that you can’t de
al with it any better than I
!” He wasn’t laughing anymore and now it was his turn to fold his arms but across
h
is expansive chest it had more magnitude when he did it.

It was with these
words that I realised I
was
the one to blame. I had unknowingly cause
d
all of tonight’s actions to go spiralling out of control. If I had just done what Draven had asked me to begin with
,
none of this would have happened. If
,
when I got that text message
,
I had just excused myself and walked up to the VIP area then Draven wouldn’t have felt like he to go to such lengths to prevent something he knew would happen.

I knew as well as Draven
,
of Justin’s affections for me
,
but I pushed it and pushed it, pretending it not to be true. I had been playing with fire from the moment I set foot into the club with another boy and I let Draven just stand there and watch…what had I been thinking?

“You planned it? You knew I would come back to the club and you sent Aurora to be there to lead me into Sophia’s playroom. You knew I was there watching didn’t you?”

“I felt you as soon as you entered the building. I had everyone assembled in Sophia’s room and let the party commence. I knew the added touch of having Aurora be your guide would enhance my point
.
” For the first time tonight he looked tired and relieved, like he had given up the good fight and walked away with no prize in sight. He had achieved his goal but without the slightest satisfaction.

“It was all an act?” I asked timidly.

“Of course it was!
Keira
I
needed to prove my point, I needed you to see, to feel, to taste the bitter sting of jealously and fear that I was losing you to another. Do you understand?”
I nodded and let a single tear roll down my cheek which was filled with remorse and guilt.

“Why are you crying?” He asked softly turning full circle to where we had started this conversation.

“Because
,
I am ashamed of myself
.
” I said
,
letting my emotions bubble up my throat and soon tears followed the invisible road on my cheeks. One tear stung my little cut thanks to the salty droplet running over to the side.  I quickly looked down letting them now find home on the floor
,
when I felt strong hands wipe
them free and gently push my face upwards to look at him.

“That makes two of us
.
”
Then like a child I buried my head into his chest and flung my arms around him making him hold me while I let all my emotions out onto the material that covered his solid chest. The feel of his hand smoothing the back of my head
and down my neck soon calmed me
.

Once he was assured this was so
,
his hands began to move down and remove my jacket. I didn’t speak but just bit my lip with anticipation of being under his touch
, skin to skin. He even smiled as
to how many layers I had on as he started to dissect each item. Finally he got down to the last piece
s
of material in his way and I let out a moan when his hands came into contact with my waist.

He held me under my top and lingered with his hands holding my hips, and then as if seeing a green light he ran his hands up to my breasts taking the top with them. He kept moving unti
l it freed my torso and then despatched
it to the floor. He then did the same with my bra making me half naked in his arms.

Now
,
though
,
I felt it
was
my turn to shed some of his layers and with trembling hands I found the rim of his shirt. When I touched his
skin he also let out a moan which was more animal tha
n human.
I lifted it up but only could reach so far and then he had to take over by lifting
it
the rest of the way. I ran my hands across his chest and the lines of his defined stomach causing him to find the small of my back and run his fingertips up my spine.