The Pentagram Child: Part 1 (Afterlife Saga Book 5)

by Stephanie Hudson

  We both came back up for air but I knew only one of us needed it.

  “And you think I have behaviour problems.” He said pushing all his wet hair back with one large hand. I was just thankful I didn’t start spluttering at the sight. In fact all he was missing was a waterfall and him throwing his head back to some cheesy nineties track…I had something like Mysterious Girl by the endearing Peter Andre in mind.

  “Keira, you’re chuckling again and I have no clue why.” On hearing this I stopped and bit the bottom part of my smile.

  “And now she blushes…I have no hope.” When he said this I couldn’t resist and put both my hands together and pushed water in his face, splashing him. I ended up giggling again when his hair flopped down in front of his face and I could just see as he lifted an eyebrow at me. This was when I started moving backwards again smirking.

  “Now, now Draven, play nice.” I warned in vain.

  “Just remember sweetheart, you started this war.” And this was my only warning before he was at me and lifting my body in the air to then throw me back into the water. I went under like a sack and came up gasping to find him laughing.

  “Oh you are so going down!” I warned pushing my hair back like he had done and the play fight began. I wasn’t sure how long this went on for but it only stopped when I was gasping for air from both laughter and exertion.

  “Ok, ok! You win…you win.” I said as he had my wrists gripped tightly in his hands.

  “Of course I do,” he said being cocky. I rolled my eyes and tried to pull my hands from his hold but he wouldn’t let me. I gave him my wide eyes in question as he walked us both backwards into the deeper end.

  “I can’t stand up here.” I said now relying solely on Draven to keep me afloat. He leant his face closer to mind and whispered,

  “Oh, I know.”

  I was left treading water but after our ‘fight’ my legs felt like jelly and really weren’t up for the task. I think Draven must have felt me flagging because he started holding up all my weight with his hands.

  “I think somebody could do with a little pick me up.” He said and for one shocked moment I thought he meant his blood. However this panic only lasted for a second before it was consumed with another one. He suddenly let go of my wrists but before I could go under he had both my thighs in his hands and he spread my legs at the same time moving flush in between them. Then he wrapped my legs around his waist and my instincts kicked in to grab onto his shoulders.

  “Much better.” He commented looking intently down at me.

  “Uh…I think at least one of us should point this out as I don’t think you will but…”

  “But?” Draven said getting closer to my lips.

  “But…this isn’t exactly being friendly.” I whispered the last word as I continued to trace his movements as they got even closer. It was only when his own lips hovered over my own did he respond with,

  “I disagree…I believe this is me being very friendly.” And with that he only had barely a centimetre to go when…

  “Mi scusi, non puoi essere qui!” I felt Draven’s growl vibrate up his chest and he looked far too reluctant to turn his head from mine. It was as if our eyes locked in some silent battle and it was only when I saw the flames of Hell staring back at me did it pull me back from his hold. Draven growled low again and then turned his head to face the security guard who had a flash light on us.

  Then the bulb popped and went out, which I knew Draven had done. The guard jumped at the sound and after hitting the end of it a few times promptly gave up.

  “Il centro benessere è chiuso Signore, tu e tua moglie ha bisogno di lasciare” The guard said and I whispered to Draven,

  “What did he say?”

  “That we need to leave” Draven sounded about ready to commit murder and even more so when I started to struggle to get off him.

  “Lasciaci!” ( ‘Leave us’ in Italian) Draven barked and the guard stepped closer as if to get a good look at him.

  “Mr Draven! Oh, me sorry Signore, I not know.” I pulled my face away further to see Draven grimace as if he had been caught out, which of course he had.

  “And why would he know you exactly?” I asked folding my arms but Draven still had hold of my legs around his waist. He let out a sigh before saying,

  “Go, now!” To which the guard quickly nodded his head and almost ran out of the room. Then Draven walked us through the water and when we got to the edge he hoisted me up and onto the side with little to no effort. I got to my feet at the same time Draven lifted himself from the pool. If I wasn’t so angrily preparing myself for what I was about to hear, then I would have definitely taken the time to admire the lust worthy sight.

  “So?” I said after Draven remained silent. I watched as he walked over to grab two big white bath towels and came back to me to wrap my body up in one before he answered,

  “I own the hotel.”

  “What!?” I shouted making him for once look contrite.

  “You own the hotel…this hotel?!”

  “Yes.”

  “Of course you do…Jesus I am so stupid! I should have known they wouldn’t have just upgraded us like that!” I ranted turning my back to him, walking away and then storming back again. I wrapped the towel so tight and tucked it in around the top of my breasts before carrying on.

  “So you planned all this?”

  “I wanted you close, yes.” At his answer I shook my head and then as a thought entered my head I had to ask quickly,

  “How close?”

  “I have the suite next door to yours.”

  “Oh…My…God…oh my god! Oh my god, Draven!” I shouted and then added,

  “Does your level of crazy know no limits?” To which the bastard actually laughed.

  “Keira, come now, are you really so surprised?”

  “That you would pull this kinda crap, no! That you would even bother too…then yeah I am!” I said being honest and I hated myself for loving the way his eyes got soft when I would reveal my true feelings.

  “Look just forget it! I’m going back to my room now or should I say your room Mr I Own The Damn Hotel!”

  “Keira, don’t be like this.” He said and once again after I had stormed past his arms were around me from behind not letting me leave.

  “You’re making this a habit.” I said in response to being captured again.

  “And it will continue to be one if you are insistent that you want to leave.”

  “Let me go.” I asked only now being this close and feeling his arms around me I could feel myself losing the fight.

  “I will but not in the way you think.” He said in my ear.

  “And what is that supposed to mean?”

  “You will find out soon but first, let me dry you so you can put your pretty dress back on.” Damn him but I hated when he used logic against me.

  “Fine!” I snapped and I tried not to wince at how childish I sounded. However Draven just chuckled and before I could come up with a witty response I felt his hands start to rub along my arms before dropping down to my sides. I started to feel the warmth he created and in no time at all I found myself dry. Even my hair was back to how it was before I had put it up for the evening.

  “There now.” He muttered and then peeled away my towel leaving me standing there in just the corset and underwear. I hadn’t been self-conscious before when my anger was in full flow. However having him standing there in just his tight underpants that clung wet to him and the obvious bulge that he shamelessly didn’t even try to hide on full view I felt like I might self-combust.

  “Like what you see?” He asked on a laugh and I mentally scolded myself for openly gawking.

  “That was never the issue.” I threw back and turned to pick up my dress but couldn’t find it.

  “Looking for this?” I snatched it off him and annoyingly made him chuckle again.

  “Allow me.” He said when I started to fumble with my zip.

  “It’s alrigh
t, I can do it.”

  “Yes you can, but I will be doing so for my pleasure.” He then knocked my hands away gently and with one hand holding my hip the other slowly zipped me back up. Once finished his hands then came to rest on my shoulders.

  “I saw this dress and knew I had to see you in it but when I saw the underwear I just knew I had to see you without the dress.” Draven said seductively and I sucked in a shocked breath as his words hit home.

  “You bought it for me?!” I hissed not truly wanting to believe it.

  “I bought it for you and for me.”

  “Oh God…you really are crazy,” was my only response,

  “Crazy for something, yes.” His response made me close my eyes and my head fell back onto Draven’s chest.

  “This is insane.” I muttered mainly to myself, giving my mind a few seconds to play catch up with my heart. When it did I pulled myself from Draven and said,

  “I have to go…thank you for the dress.”

  “I will walk you to your door.” He said taking a step towards me.

  “No, no, it’s fine…please don’t.” And then I turned and practically ran out of there as if being chased by my Demons. It was only when I was in the lift, rising back up to the top floor that I finally let myself lose it. I mean what was all of that?! The whole evening was messing with me but it was back down in the pool that really played with my heart. All the flirting and the playing was something I could put down to natural between us I guess but what about all the hidden meanings to the things he said…what of those? Or what if what was really going on was Draven was so obsessed with keeping me safe that he was now down to playing his last card?

  The door opened and it was only when they started to close again that my hand shot out to stop it. I numbly slipped passed the door and as I walked to my door I couldn’t help but think I might be on to something with Draven’s new behaviour. What if he was trying to get me once again to fall for him. Playing this whole thing a new angle just to get me away from Alex and promising me something he knew I still wanted…him.

  Would that then mean as soon as Alex was out of the picture or as soon as I had blown my chances with him that Draven would then destroy me once again by leaving? Could he even do that to me? I didn’t want to believe it but then again I would have never believed it the first time and look what happened. No it was the only explanation to all this. Because I knew one thing for sure, if the Fates had changed and we could now be together, then all Draven needed to get me back was the truth…something I wasn’t entirely sure he was capable of revealing.

  I came to my door and my conclusion both at the same time unfortunately like most things to do with Draven as soon as I opened the door I was once again thrown into the deep end. For there, now hanging in place of the butterflies behind the bed was the very same painting I had bid on. The very same one Draven had bought and now I knew had in fact bought for me. I walked in slowly with my mouth hanging open and not even bothering to close the door. I just walked straight over to it and after my eyes took in its beauty they then took in something else as well.

  The note.

  It was simple and it simply tore my heart apart before fusing it back together in seconds. It read…

  ‘Seventy seven reasons to say I am sorry, Keira.’

  Draven

  Chapter 23

  All or Nothing

  “So you have resorted to stalking now?” Vincent’s voice came from the shadows of my suite just as I was walking onto the balcony.

  “How do you know I am not just enjoying the night air?” I asked with what I knew was a mischievous glint in my eye.

  “Because like me you are far too old for such sentiments…and besides, ever since you finally made the decision to take back what is yours, you have been like a man possessed.” Well he wasn’t wrong there. As soon as I left the cave with her gift wrapped around my fist and her words in the other hand I had started putting my plan into place. I had demanded to find out every aspect of their trip and had most of the details by the time I boarded my private jet.

  “And you wouldn’t be the same?” I asked with my back still to him, only looking back over my shoulder.

  “I would have probably killed the Nephilim by now.” At this I couldn’t help but laugh. No one on first meeting my Angelic brother would think him capable of such deadly intent but they would be dangerously wrong in their assumption. Vincent was as lethal as I was but on some level even more so, because facing me in battle you expected death to come at you head on. But with Vincent it was a different matter entirely. He would lure you first into a false sense of security and then lash out like a cobra at all sides. You would find yourself defeated before you even registered the first strike. Oh yes, he was deadly indeed, so his comment on the Nephilim scum didn’t surprise me.

  “Leave the half breed to me, he won’t be a problem for long.” I said walking through the doors knowing he would follow me. We both came to stand side by side and looked out at the sleeping city.

  “You know it’s been quite some time since Lucius played assassin.” I huffed a short laugh at that.

  “As much as I doubt Luc losing his touch in that department I have not ordered the hit.”

  “You haven’t?” Vincent seemed genuinely taken back with my reply.

  “I think you have been spending too much time around our blood thirsty sister, Vince.”

  “Speaking of whom, she will be here shortly…oh now don’t look at me like that Dom, you knew it would not take her long, no matter how you asked Zagan to distract her.” I knew this to be true indeed but I didn’t know what I was least looking forward to. It was a toss up between the ruckus she would no doubt kick up at being left out or the interference that would most definitely follow in her wake.

  “Hey, look on the bright side, her meddling helped the first time, who knows, it might be once again be on your side.” At this I gave him a wry look to the side which made him laugh.

  “So Lucius?” I knew what he was asking and I gripped the railing to the point before my strength could dent it. I was still uneasy with my past lieutenant but I understood his reasons to a point. However, what I knew without a shadow of Hell’s doubts that he cared deeply for Keira and like my brother, only I knew the reasons why. And like my brother it was not my place to say or more importantly to interfere. But I was not above using this knowledge to my advantage in any way that would first protect my girl and then aid me in getting her back to where she belonged.

  “Lucius is a master at finding the truth, he will find out about this Alex I am assured of this.”

  “Well its certain he is hiding something. You don’t go to great lengths at hiding your past as he has unless there is something you don’t wish people to know.” I nodded at this, knowing exactly what my brother was saying. His past was far too clean for one as old as he. Although his documentation only went back to the mid 1800’s I could sense an old soul when faced with one.

  But there was something else that also bothered me. It was as if there was something sour in the air every time I was near him and I didn’t trust it. Not one bit. It was like tonight at the gallery when Keira had run off. I had taken a step forward and the second he could see I was searching for something, I saw the brief panic in his eyes. Then after a threat from me about hurting one single hair on her head and he would know what it felt like to become the next play thing in Hell, he promptly left.

  “Did he say anything before his abrupt departure?” Vincent asked obviously being able to pick up on my thoughts.

  “Just some generic nonsense he thought sounded good at the time”

  “About?” Vincent asked not wanting to let it go.

  “He asked me why I couldn’t I see what I was doing and how I was hurting her by being here.”

  “And once again you didn’t snap his neck why?” Again Vincent made me laugh with his easily concealed violent nature.

  “And here I was thinking I was the one with anger issues.”


  “Ha, I just hide it better, brother.” Vincent said slapping me on the back before turning to leave.

  “I will leave you to your murderous musings and obsessive stalking for the night.”

  “And for that I thank you, Vincent.” I replied sarcastically making the last thing I heard from my brother was his laughter as he shut the door. I then looked left and saw her balcony awaiting me. She had been so angry with me on finding out I owned the hotel, putting two and two together with how I manipulated the situation.

  On my flight over here and while she was still in the air I was putting my plan into place. The start of that plan being to put her somewhere I could control. I needed her close and him far away. Hell I would have had him dropped in the Pacific Ocean, preferably shark infested waters, if I could have but the first floor was as far as I could push it. Or more like push her. I always knew she would eventually figure out I was the reason behind their little ‘mix up’ but I must confess I didn’t think it would be quite this soon.

  I walked to where my own balcony ended and threw myself over the side to then push my body off from where one hand clung to the railing. I made the short distance of ten feet to the other side and grabbed hold of her balcony before swinging myself up until my feet where now that step closer to her. I felt almost giddy at the idea of seeing her again, even though she would be asleep. I waited outside the door and extended my senses until I could pick up her even breathing I knew meant she had fallen under to find her private dreamland, one I could only pray was a peaceful one.

  I had too many memories of Keira lost to her nightmares and the weight of my guilt she knew nothing about was immeasurable. She saw my kind since being a child and all because of her destiny of being mine. Like a cosmic test she had no clue she was taking but every day passed with the kind of strength only the finest warriors could hope to conquer. She was a marvel in my eyes and in many ways far stronger than I.