Torment (9 page)

“It put a smile on your face, didn’t it? And isn’t that what you told me to do?”

“You know sometimes, just sometimes…you amaze me.”

“Hmmm, only sometimes; well, I suppose I can live with that.”

I walked over and stood in front of him.

“Are you going to pass me to someone else or not?” I asked.

“No.”

“Good, I swear I will never attack you again,” I said, letting out a sigh of relief.

“Keira, it wasn’t the attack that pissed me; it was the fact that you could have been killed. You didn’t call for me when you knew he was strong. I know
you’re
strong, but you haven’t mastered even a quarter of your power yet and until you master it all you’re going to need help.”

“I know I was a bloody idiot and acting cocky; I was just so annoyed…Eligos, do you only see me as a job and Lilith’s daughter?”

“I wish I did.”

I couldn’t help but smile, but he didn’t smile back. I reached up and kissed him on his cheek. His eyes went wide, showing just how big they actually were.

“That was for bringing my dad here,” I told him. Then I reached up and kissed his other cheek. “That was just because I wanted to.”

“You wouldn’t do that if you knew the real me.”

That took me by surprise and I stood there looking at him with a frown on my face. I’d spent the best part of three months with him…how could I not know the real him?

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked him.

“It means, what you see isn’t what you get.”

As soon as he finished his sentence he disappeared.

All the way back to my house I was wondering what he could have meant. I knew he wasn’t a horrible person; I knew him well enough to know that. I knew he cared about me and that he wouldn’t hurt me, so it couldn’t have been anything to do with that. ‘What you see isn’t what you get.’ Those words went through my head over and over, repeating themselves like a broken record.

When I walked in the house I found Lily and Jake in the living room. They told me the others had decided to give us some peace that night and had stayed at home with their families. I was relieved really; I didn’t want to have to put a smile on my face to stop them from worrying. I walked into the living room and stood in front of them both.

“I need to ask you something,” I said.

“Fire away,” Jake said.

“Would you mind if I went away for a few days.”

“Do you mean back to Hell?” Lily asked.

“Yeah,” I answered.

“Keira, we know you’re not dead; that makes a big difference,” Jake said. “If it’s something you either need or want to do, then you must do it. We’re not your keepers, no matter how badly some of us wished we were.”

“Thanks, guys.”

“Just let us know when you go, so we don't worry and wonder where you are.”

“I will.”

I walked up to my room, smiling to myself for a moment. Then I shut the door and sat on my bed.

“Eligos,” I said.

“You know sometimes I wish you didn’t know my name,” I heard him say from behind me.

“Tough!” I giggled. “You could always ignore me.”

“I might try that next time.”

I turned around to see him lying back on my bed with his hands underneath the back of his head.

“Comfy?” I asked.

“Quite, thank you.”

“I want you to tell me what you meant before.”

“Keira, just forget it.”

“I don't want to?”

“Tough!”

“Please, it’s driving me mad,” I said, moving so I was lying on my side next to him.

He got off the bed quickly and stood next to it instead.

“Why do you do that? When I was in Hell with you, you wouldn’t stay close to me for long. You never seem to want to come near me; you won’t catch anything you know.”

“I know.”

“So what's the problem?”

“Like I said before, I can’t get close to you.”

“You say you
can’t
, but do you
want
to?” I asked him.

“It doesn’t matter whether I do or not.”

“What if I want to get close to
you
?”

“Look, I’m not arguing with you,” he said walking away from me. “Let’s just leave it there, OK.”

“But…”

“Please!” he almost pleaded. “Don't do this to me.”

“I don't understand you. You want to be close to me, but when I try you push me away. What about how I feel? Doesn’t that matter?”

“Yes, of course it does, but it doesn’t change anything, you live here, I don't. I’m older than you, and you have people here who love you and who you could be with.”

“How can I be with them? I’m not like them anymore, and what if it’s not them I want to be with?”

“This needs to stop.”

“Or what? You’ll decide to get someone else to watch over me?” I asked.

“If I have to I will, whether I want to or not.”

“I can’t believe you,” I said, turning away from him.

“Hate me if you want, I would rather you hate me than get close to me. One day you would find out about me, and you would leave me…Keira…I couldn’t handle that.”

When I turned to look at him again, he had gone.

There was a knock on my door and Lily walked in.

“Hey,” she said, closing the door behind her. “I take it you and Eligos are OK now.”

“I don't know what we are and what we’re not.”

“Where did he take you?”

“To see my dad.”

“What?” She almost choked.

“Yep, it seems an angel owed him a favor, so he claimed it and brought my dad here for a few minutes.”

“Wow!”

“Yeah, I couldn’t believe my eyes. It was amazing, Lily. I hugged him and talked to him, and he knows what I am and what's happened recently.”

“What did he say?”

“He said he was proud of me,” I smiled.

“I knew he would be, and I told you Eligos liked you. Doesn’t that prove it?”

“I know he does.”

“What!” she gasped, getting excited. “Tell me more?”

“There’s nothing to tell, he won’t get close to me. He said if I was to see the real him I would leave him. He said he wouldn’t be able to handle that.”

“What did he mean?”

“I don't know, he wouldn’t tell me.”

“If he said he couldn’t handle you leaving him, then it sounds to me that he likes you more than he’s letting on.”

“It doesn’t matter though, does it? I can’t have him.”

She didn’t know what to say to me so she sat there cuddling me instead.

Chapter Thirteen

Warning

It had been three days since my conversation with Eligos. I hadn't called out to him and he hadn't appeared. Lily hadn't mentioned his name and I hadn't spoken about him with anyone. I told them I’d changed my mind about going back to Hell for a while; after all, what was the point in going when your reason for going in the first place wouldn’t be close to you. I was sitting with Danny and Lucian at one of the tables on the deck beside my house.

“Right, Keira, it’s Friday, so how do you fancy a night out to Heaven and Hell?” Danny asked.

“Yeah, I’m up for that,” I told him.

“I’ll call the others and let them know,” Lucian said, pulling his phone out and walking away from us.

“Tyler told me what happened the other week,” Danny whispered. “Don't worry; I haven’t said anything to anyone.”

“Thanks.”

“Why can’t you two be together?”

“Danny, I don't want to talk about it right now.”

“OK, no problem,” he said sweetly.

“Right, the others are up for it,” Lucian said, joining us again. “I said we’d all meet there about nine.”

It was four o’clock now, so they decided to go home and have their dinner and get ready. I had two hours to myself now before Lily and Jake got back. I don't know why Jake hadn't just moved in; he spent all his time round here anyway. I ran a nice hot bath and stayed in there for over an hour just trying to relax. My mind had been working overtime these last few days. All I could think about was Eligos. I think Lily was right; in fact I knew she was. I was in love with him, desperately! I kept thinking what it would be like if we were together, to be able to hold him and kiss him, to have
him
hold me and hear him say he loved me. It didn’t matter how many times I told myself I couldn’t have him; I knew I would never stop wishing and hoping.

By the time Lily and Jake came home I was out of the bath and picking my outfit out. I chose my little black dress that came halfway down my thighs. It was low cut and had an open back. It looked really nice with my black leather boots and jacket. At eight we were all downstairs ready to go, and decided to leave; at least if we got there early we would get a good table. We called a taxi and set off.

“Well, I tell you, there are a lot of guys who would love to be in my position at the moment,” Jake smiled.

“What do you mean?” Lily asked.

“Sitting between two beautiful women.”

Both of us smiled at him.

When we arrived at the club Jake went to get the drinks while me and Lily went to get a table. We chose a table next to the dance floor. It was quite busy considering how early it was. Jake brought the drinks over and sat next to Lily.

“I’ve missed this place,” I told them.

“I know; so have I,” Jake said. “I love it here; you can be yourself.”

“Hey, guys,” Tyler smiled as he sat next to me. “You’re here early.”

“So are you!” I said.

“I got fed up and thought I’d come and wait for you all.”

“Are the others with you?” Lily asked him.

“No, but they should be here soon.” He took his jacket off and put it under the table. “You look very nice,” he said to me.

“Thank you.”

He looked me up and down a few times then looked me in the eyes and smirked.

“Behave!” I told him, giggling and giving him a playful slap on his arm.

“Keira, come and dance with me,” Lily said, grabbing my hand.

“Do I have a choice?” I asked as she dragged me over to the dance floor.

We ended up staying on the dance floor until Lucian and Danny arrived. Then we went back to the table for a while. Tyler went to the bar to get us both a drink, so Lucian pinched his seat next to me.

“He’ll kill you when he gets back,” Jake told Lucian.

“Oh well,” he said, turning to me and smiling.

“You two drive me crazy,” I told him. “It’s not a competition.”

“I know it’s not, but he hogs you; the rest of us would like to spend time with you too.”

“I don't want any nastiness.”

“Come and dance with me,” he said.

“Oh, I’ve only just sat down,” I moaned jokingly.

“Well, just get back up.”

“We’re coming too,” Lily said, grabbing Jake’s arm.

“Where are you all going?” Tyler asked as he put the drinks on the table.

“To dance,” Lucian told him with a smirk.

The look on Tyler’s face was a picture.

“OK that’s enough,” I said, pushing Lucian towards the dance floor. “Stop winding him up.”

Suddenly Lily grabbed my arm.

“Keira, look!” she said, pointing towards one of the fire exits.

I looked over and saw Eligos watching me. My stomach did a somersault. The guys looked over and saw him.

“I’ll be back in a minute,” I told them.

I walked over to him slowly.

“Hey,” I said.

“Hey,” he replied as he looked at my dress. “You look nice.”

“Thanks, do you want a drink?”

“No. Lilith needs to speak with you.”

“What, right now?” I asked.

“As soon as possible.”

“OK, well you come and have a drink with us, and then you can take me to her.”

“I don't think that’s a good idea.”

“Well, then tell her I’m not coming,” I said, folding my arms.

“All right, mate,” Danny said to him as he stood beside me.

“Hey.”

“I’m going to get everyone a drink; are you staying for one?”

I looked at Eligos, raising both my eyebrows, and in the end he relented and agreed to stay for one. I led him over to the table and sat down next to him while we waited for Danny.

“You don't look very comfortable,” I pointed out. “I take it you don't like places like this.”

“Actually you’re wrong, I love these places. Everyone’s very dark, so I fit in well.”

“Good point.”

“Oh here comes trouble,” he smirked.

A moment later Lucian and Tyler joined us.

“Long time no see,” Lucian said, shaking his hand.

“Here we go, guys,” Danny smiled, handing the drinks out.

He sat down facing Eligos. I looked over at Lily who was now making her way over with Jake; she looked at Eligos, then at me and smiled.

“So to what do we owe the pleasure?” Tyler asked him sarcastically.

“I’m afraid I need to take your friend a way for a while,” Eligos told them all.

“Why?” Danny asked casually.

“Lilith needs to speak with her.”

“Fair enough.”

“For how long?” Lily asked him.

“I’m not sure.”

“When are you leaving?” she asked, looking at me.

“I don't know yet, maybe once we’ve had a few drinks,” I told her.

Eligos turned to look at me.

“You said
one
drink,” he said.

“Did I? I don't remember saying that,” I smirked.

He shook his head at me and turned away, but I saw him smiling slightly. Jake went to the bathroom and Lucian and Tyler dragged me and Lily back to the dance floor. I looked over and saw Danny and Eligos chatting away and laughing. Every now and again Eligos would turn to look at me and smile, while saying something to Danny. However, when he turned around and saw Tyler dancing behind me with his arms around me, he didn’t look impressed at all.

“He looks jealous,” Lily whispered to me.

When Tyler looked over and saw Eligos coming to get me, he crossed the line. He grabbed me and kissed me. I pushed him off me and looked at him with an ‘I can’t believe you just did that’ look on my face. Lucian looked as though he wanted to punch him and Lily started to panic.

“What are you doing?” I shouted at Tyler.

I saw him look over at Eligos.

“Hey,” I said, shoving him. “What are you trying to prove?”