I thought in this cold place I would feel the icy touch of iron against my skin but I was wrong. It burned me, scalding my flesh as if I had just touched burning coal. That’s when I knew it wasn’t metal at all. Because his chains weren’t manmade and they weren’t of Earth, no… they were made from Hell’s own rock.
The impact of my touch caused a domino effect of reactions but the one most profound was when the man before me whipped his head around to face me.
“NO!” I screamed looking up into the eyes of purple flame, only this time, as I had first witnessed today, Hell’s fire raged there in the centres.
“Draven?!” My raw and pain laced voice spoke his name like it would somehow help in releasing him.
“You shouldn’t be here, my Keira.” These words weren’t spoken aloud in Draven’s voice but that of his controlled Demon. It was growled without malice and it was snarled without threat. It was just spoken from another part of him that didn’t know how to be gentle with me but still had enough thought not to want to frighten me. I don’t know how I knew this as fact but it didn’t matter, what mattered was that I did and I wasn’t afraid.
“Why are you here Draven…what…what is this place?” I asked whispering the last few words as the emotion at seeing those chains around him got to be too much for me to handle. I noticed how where I had first touched had now started to glow, like the centre of a log fire where it’s at its hottest. The heat started to travel quickly along the links and I watched on in horror as it got closer to his arms.
“Draven?!” I said his name again in panic, madly thinking what it was I could do to stop it from burning his skin.
“This place is my prison of choice.” His Demon said looking back over the fog and when I followed his gaze, I could see it had finally started to lift. Only now, I quickly wished it hadn’t, for all at once the last of the links quickly erupted around Draven’s arms and the rest of the vile world came crashing into view.
“This is… TARTARUS!” His demon side erupted fully and I took a step back in fright. He motioned an arm out in front of us and I turned to see a very different kind of Hell.
We stood at what seemed to be on the edge of a chasm in Hell and it opened out into a cavernous space filled with row after row of soldiers. There were thousands of them all stood to attention in too many lines to count, all in formation and ranks. But wait, there was something different about them, something not only demonic but something more. I wanted to step closer but Draven’s burning arm came up, reminding me of what was more important.
I looked down and noticed the chains barely hid something attached to his arms. They were wrapped around some sort of metal plate with symbols on there. It was a circle with words around the edge and in the centre… was that…a star?
“Who is doing this to you? Who is keeping you here, Draven?” I asked looking up at him so he could see the level of pleading in my eyes. But no matter what I expected him to say, it would never had prepared me for the blow he was about to deliver, not to my mind nor to my heart but this time…to my very soul…
“You are, Keira…
Only you.”
Chapter 16
Terrifying Little People
I woke with a jolt that felt as though my heart had actually stopped for a short time. Of course now it was thundering within my chest like a jack hammer. I took in the dark room that only let in a thin slither of moonlight where the curtains hadn’t been closed properly. I scanned the room and it took my fragile nerves a minute or two to calm enough to realise where I was.
My mind took me back to the night before after getting out of the car with Draven. Sophia had been there to meet me ready for our ‘girl time’ and thankfully I hadn’t seen Draven again that night. I didn’t think I could face him and I think Sophia could tell something had happened as for once she didn’t ask. In fact she didn’t mention her brother at all for the rest of the night. Instead she just made it her mission to distract me with what deemed her version of a sleep over and made me laugh at every opportunity.
By the end of the night I think I was well on my way to being drunk after all the champagne she made me consume. But if I had to choose the highlight of our night, it would be seeing Zagan’s face when he walked in and looked on in absolute horror when seeing his wife with a lumpy pea green face mask on. I actually spat out some of my drink I laughed that hard. It was only after Sophia tried to drag him in the room to paint his toenails that he fled in fear.
So now here I was, in some guest room I had never seen before, lying upon an elaborate metal bed that looked like some black iron rose garden, shaped so at least four bodies could sleep amongst it all. I vaguely remembered being shown this room after I continued to nod off on Sophia’s gothic pink and black couch…but wait…I was missing something. The more I thought about it the more I didn’t think I was led to this room but more like carried to it.
“Draven.” As soon as I whispered the name the sound of someone inhaling sharply sounded in the room and my gaze shot up to a shadow of black I now knew belonged to a man’s frame. I held my own breath as I watched him take the first steps from the shadows and into the line of moonlight, bathing his features in an ethereal glow. My eyes scanned the length of him and I could just make out on the side facing the window where his long sleeves looked charred along his forearm.
“The chains.” I said before I could stop myself and watched as he tensed his fists at his sides.
“You had a nightmare.” He stated with his voice sounding gruff.
“You carried me in here last night…didn’t you?” I asked as the snippets of last night came back to me.
“Go back to sleep, Keira.”
“Do you know what I dreamt of?” I asked ignoring his demand.
“Don’t over analyse what you don’t know.” At this I scoffed, making a little snorting sound in disbelief.
“Well what else am I to do, when you obviously won’t tell me the truth…? Hell, I’m not sure you even know what that is anymore!”
“What I do know is that the truth will never be something you could handle knowing, so it would be wise to leave it at that.” Draven snapped back taking another few steps toward me.
“Oh right, I forgot…I haven’t had to handle difficult shit before…nothing like say, my boyfriend faking his own death just to get away from me!” I threw at him like a verbal slap. He actually growled at this and looked like he was fighting shaking me or storming out the door.
“Yes and can you possibly imagine the level of severity which caused such drastic actions…? Can you even grasp what would drive a man in love to do such an unforgivable act?” He shouted down at me as he was suddenly at my bedside but it wasn’t in anger. No, it was nothing short of undiluted pain.
“Why can’t you just tell me…does it have something to do with…” I took a deep breath knowing the explosive side of Draven that would probably erupt when I finished that question…
“…Tartarus?” And just as I thought as soon as the name passed my lips Draven ignited into a purple fuel that coursed through his body like an uncaged beast running riot beneath the surface. His wings burst forth and spread out, plunging the room into darkness. I shrank back against the metal roses at my shoulders and I suddenly felt trapped as he slowly leaned his frame in and over me. It was only the current of his other self that I could see traveling his veins that lit up my startled features.
“Dra…Draven…move back.” I said nervously and suddenly desperate to get back that space between us. Because I was a coward and this was a very different kind of fear screaming out at me to get away. This was the fear of need…of want…of all consuming desire at it rawest form…
This was terrifying.
Draven, despite my fear, continued coming closer until his wings came forward and their tips held all his body weight off the mattress either side of me. His hands then came up and gripped onto the metal frame either side of my head.
“My…An Angel shouldn’t k
now of that place, let alone utter its name.” He said and he couldn’t have missed the way I sucked in a quick breath from what his slip up meant to me.
“What are you doing?” I asked as he started to shift one arm beneath me and I wanted to moan at the feel of his hand gliding down my spine. He moved his head closer to my neck and I felt his lips smile against my skin as he felt me swallowing down the hard lump he caused. I tried to shift out of his arms but it was quickly becoming impossible when his wings started to move under me. Then he finally answered my question…
“I’m giving an Angel wings to sleep in.” He whispered and then in one move simultaneously wrapped my body in both his arms and wings, spinning me so I now lay on my side next to him, wrapped in a feather cocoon.
“Draven!”
“Ssshh now, you need to sleep and last night you slept so well in my arms…don’t fight me, Keira…now rest.” He ordered softly into my hair and I felt his wings curl round tighter as if to prove a point. I had to admit that the fear making me want to run away was slowly morphing into that of a much greater need…
The simple need to stay.
The next time I woke I was alone and feeling foolish. I wasn’t sure if all of last night had been a dream or just the frightening parts. Had Draven really been there or had my mind conjured up that part as a way to deal with my nightmare? Either way, he had played the part of my hero and either way it had once again messed with my head.
I sat up and stretched, then rubbed the sleep from my eyes. The room looked a lot softer in the morning light and without the presence of the masterful figure of Draven to command it. If anything, now the room looked far too girly for Draven to even step foot in it. I giggled at the thought as I took in the large rose patterned wallpaper that looked like velvet on one wall. The other walls were neutral with black painted vines spreading out from the rose paper as if they were alive. It was beautiful and it was all Sophia.
I whipped back the covers that were most likely a zillion cotton thread count and got out of the enormous bed that, knowing Sophia, was made just for mad orgies. I stretched again and realised for the second morning running I had once again slept in my clothes. Well at least I knew for certain this would be the last time as I was off to Italy later today…
“Oh god! Shit...! I have to pack!” I shouted frantically as I started the mission of looking for my shoes. Ok, so they were borrowed shoes but still, I was more than thankful not to still be wearing my sister’s dress. That had been the one snag in last night’s dramatic car exit. I had been hoping to go home first and at least change before my plans with Sophia. But just as always Sophia being as fabulous as she always is, was ready and prepared with a change of clothes in my size. She even assured me they weren’t what were left over from my side of Draven’s wardrobe. Which did make me wonder, what happened to all those clothes? Well as long as I wasn’t wearing any of them then I was happy, as that would have felt too weird and too...familiar.
So now I was on my hands and knees looking for the pair of skull converse Sophia had given to me giggling. I didn’t care as they were comfy and I thought quite cute despite the theme. Plus they reminded me of Pip and anything that did that was never a bad thing.
“I can’t say that’s a bad sight to walk in on.” I heard said from behind me and I looked back over my shoulder to see Draven leaning casually against the door frame with both his arms and legs crossed. Before I could think about it a beaming smile spread out across my face at the sight of his own smile.
“Yeah well if you could use your demon mojo and find my shoes I would be more than grateful.” I had only just finished my request when the pair of shoes shot from under the other side of the bed straight to my hands. I smiled down at them before getting up to sit back on the bed to put them on.
“You’re up early.” Draven stated making me wonder if he was hoping to catch me still asleep.
“Well I have to get home and pack, so I gotta go.” I said in reply as I sat back up after pulling the backs up on my heels after I had kicked them on.
“I will drive you.”
“Draven you don’t have to do that, I can just grab a taxi and…” His face said it all but if that wasn’t enough he interrupted me by saying,
“Nonsense, now are you ready to leave?” I rolled my eyes at him and then giggled when he mimicked me by doing the same.
“Yeah, I’m ready.”
The drive back to my house was mostly taken in silence and I think this was because we both knew this was the end. I was to go off to Italy and by the time I got back the Dravens would have no doubt moved on. And even if they hadn’t what would have changed really? It wasn’t like I could make a habit of seeing Draven like this…no that would never work and in the long run be far too painful. Even just after this small amount of time, it was seriously messing with my head.
These thoughts assaulted me all the way home as Draven silently manoeuvred us in one of his shiny sports cars through the winding country roads. It was only when I heard the crunch of the wheels hit the gravel driveway did I realise I was home.
“That was fast.” I said finally looking at him. He just raised an eyebrow as if to say, ‘this is me we are talking about’. The man couldn’t go slow in a car even if he had an entire state police department travelling behind him and a funeral procession in front!
“Well I guess this is it…I will say…uh…what are you doing?” I stuttered off mid my goodbyes as I saw Draven opening his door and exiting the car. He came round to my side and opened my door for me. I was allowing myself to hope this was all he was going to do before getting back into his ‘death defying speed’ motor and zoom on outta here. But of course this was Draven we were talking about and therefore in that statement meant Draven was completely unpredictable.
So I should not have been surprised when after slamming my door closed behind me he then continued to walk next to me up to the house.
“Draven I don’t think this is a good…” I started only to once again be interrupted, only this time by Libby and Frank coming out of the front door.
“Oh great…perfect, just what I need.” I muttered making Draven cough back a laugh.
“Kaz I was wonder…ing…oh…” Libby soon trailed off that sentence when she saw who was stood here with me. Frank also did a double take and unlike Libby’s scowl, he had a beaming grin.
“Dom, my man! How are you?” Frank said taking Draven’s hand and giving it a firm man shake.
“Frank!” Libby hissed at his side making him drop Draven’s hand as though Libby would whip out a cleaver and chop off his balls if he didn’t.
“Eh…yeah…well...obviously you’re good.” Frank said taking a step back and therefore effectively coming to heel next to Libby.
“Mr Draven,” Libby said in a snooty ‘I hate you cause you broke my sister’s heart you bastard’ kind of way. I was just about to speak when Draven beat me to it.
“Frank, Libby, as always it is a pleasure but I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind giving me a moment of your time?” He said this last part directed at Frank and I was once again left looking for the right words of dissuasion against this little man chat only to be left alone with Libby with my mouth open.
“What the hell, Kaz!?” Libby snapped dragging me back to the twilight zone part of my day.
“Uhhh…”
“Oh no, you’re gonna have to do a lot better than Uh!” I turned away from where Draven and Frank now stood to face my sister’s understandable wrath.
“Ok, ok…just keep your voice down.” I pulled her arm round so we were facing the other way in hopes this would help Mr Super Hearing over there in not hearing us.
“Kazzy, explain what he’s doing here before Ella is old enough to be asking you the same question.”
“Where is she anyway?” I asked looking through the open front door.
“She’s in her playpen watching Bubble Guppies.” I couldn’t help the shiver of revulsion to shake my frame at the m
ention of that show. I’m sure it was fine for kids, in fact Ella clearly loved it but for me I ended up singing ‘It’s time for lunch’ in my damn sleep!
“You mean she’s actually staying in her playpen?” I asked both stalling for time and really curious considering the child was like the reincarnation of Houdini!
“Kaz” Libby said in warning.
“Alright fine, but it’s nothing really.”
“Uhh uh” She made that ‘yeah right’ sound whilst crossing her arms.
“Ok so I went to Afterlife that first night to see Sophia and Vincent and he was there.”
“I gathered that part…so let’s skip to the part where he is now here.” She said hissing the word ‘here’ and looking back over her shoulder at him. I followed her gaze and watched the two deep in a conversation I really wanted to be a part of, only what he could be telling Frank I had no clue.
“He gave me a lift after I spent the night with Sophia doing girly crap…we…uh…well we decided we are going to be friends.” At this Libby’s eyes got wide as she gave me an incredulous look.
“Friends?”
“Yeah”
“As in, friends, friends?” I laughed and said,
“Yeah, is there any other kind?” Now it was her turn to laugh.
“Yeah, there is the type of friends where both parties are trying to fool each other into believing they just want to be friends, when really they want to get back together but both said parties are too damn stubborn to admit their true feelings!” I rolled my eyes and said,
“That’s not what’s happening here.”
“Ok, so I don’t know about him but you…come on Kaz, I saw you…that man crushed your heart, I know he did and you cannot stand there and tell me that him being here and back in your life isn’t messing with your head!” Ok, so she had me there but that didn’t mean I wasn’t going to deny it till the cows came home.
The Pentagram Child: Part 1 (Afterlife Saga Book 5) Page 19
