Before Xavier parked the car, Luxor bolted from the car and down the hill, ridding her socks and sneakers in the process. Salt danced in the air, kissing her lips, as she spread her arms and swung like a bird.
"You are certifiable crazy." He caught up to her.
"And yet you seem to still like me.” She gasped, and clamped her hands over her mouth, unable to stop the words from pouring out.
What was it about his presence that had me feeling free, without a care in the world?
He pried her hands off her mouth. "Completely." He held out his hand. "Dance with me."
As if floating on air she closed the distance, her footsteps light just as she did when she'd dance in ballet. He held her close, yet with a fragility of a wounded bird. Cheek to cheek they swayed, nobody else existing in the world but just the two of them.
She breathed in the salt water, free of impurities. Like how the sun would beam its glorious rays, and she'd be infused with a happiness she couldn't describe, but craved more of.
Xavier was Summer; sweet and beautiful with a gentle calmness that soothed with the seas. And Hunter was Winter; a raging wild hurricane, impulsive, with an electric charge that ignited a fire, and brightened up her deadened heart. A piece of the puzzle she never knew was missing.
"Want to swim?" his hot breath whispered against her ear. Before she could respond he caught her off guard and twirled her around. Hand in hand he led her to the water's edge. "Wait here." Xavier ventured in, and swirled his hands into the sea. She watched him dubiously wondering what on Earth he was doing. "It's all yours," he told her when he returned.
Luxor anticipated the water to be frigid, and stayed as far back from the shoreline as possible, only allowing the tips of her toes to get wet.
The tide came in and she braced for the cold. But it never came. Not even close.
An infusion of warmth swept over her toes, exactly as if the summer rays were out, rather than it being midnight.
"How?" She cupped her hands, and splashed her legs. “Is materialisation your gift?”
"Sometimes if you wish for something hard enough it'll come true." Xavier leaned his head against his arms. "Besides, I cannot allow you to freeze, that would be a travesty."
Luxor held her hands on her hips. "You know what's an even bigger travesty?"
"Enlighten me." There was humour in his voice.
"You all by your lonesome. Come join me." She waved her hand over.
"As you wish." He dusted off the sand from the back of his chinos and bowed.
In the moonlight his golden hair glowed, the full moon providing the most enigmatic halo atop his head. He held her close to his chest, cocooned in everything Xavier encompassed. "God, have you ever seen anything so beautiful?"
"Never," she whispered, snuggling in close.
Sweet, sweet, sunshine.
He bowed his head. "Me either."
Luxor inhaled deeply, her heart constricting in her chest. Everything was easy, no pain, no headaches, no fighting. Simple.
"Let's go before I do something I most certainly won't regret." His hauntingly beautiful pale blue eyes pierced into hers, and he ran his knuckles lightly over her cheek.
She reached up on her toes, and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Thank you Xavier, you have no idea how much you've helped."
"Anything to see you smile. Hopefully one day I can really call you mine." He kissed her cheek, lingering for a moment too long.
If only I could give him that.
O Theós eísai ómorfi.
Luxor held her hands over her ears, Hunter's voice repeated in her mind.
Shut up, shut up, shut up.
Luxor shivered. Xavier removed his cashmere jacket, and draped it over her shoulders. She pulled the jacket in closer, and inhaled sunshine. It was her only hope to save her heart, and sanity from the hurricane raging inside. Either that or have Xavier superglued by her side.
But she couldn't do that. Even she wasn't that cruel.
Luxor entered her bedroom to find Pandora reclined back eating a tuna and tomato paste sandwich watching a movie on the laptop. Luxor didn’t hesitate, spritzing perfume to get rid of the god-awful smell, but it didn’t appear to mask the smell for long.
“What? Would you rather I ate anchovies?”
“I’d rather you not have fish in my room, it’s like I’m living on a trawler.” She removed the jacket, and placed it on a chair. She hopped into bed and lay back against the pillows, more at ease after Xavier dropped her off.
Cane still was at the back of her mind, but she was clear-headed and confident she wouldn’t allow him to win. She would train until she couldn’t move, and if Hunter ever decided to grow some balls and speak to her again, he would be a valuable asset. She needed him, but she refused to go running and apologise when she hadn’t done anything wrong.
Pandora did not question where she had been but Luxor could see she was dying to ask.
“Spit it out.”
“Are you serious? It doesn’t smell that bad.”
“I meant whatever you’re dying to say.”
“My mind is el blanko,” Pandora said sheepishly, and slurped from her chocolate milk. Luxor gave a look that conveyed she didn’t believe her. She sighed and switched off the laptop. “Don’t you think running to Xavier to avoid facing problems is a bad solution?”
“And here I thought you’d hesitate.”
“Never.”
Luxor wiggled up to attention in anticipation to be able to share what weighed her down. “I don’t know what it is about him, but he takes my problems away.”
“Exactly. You need to face them head-on, not hide like a pussy.”
“It’s hard to face the ultimate problem when Cane won’t show himself.”
“Be careful what you wish for, it might come true, and not in the way you desire.”
Xavier’s calmness had dissipated and slapped Luxor square in the face. Waiting for danger to appear was as bad as confronting it, at least then she wouldn’t be on edge.
“What do you suggest?”
Pandora paused and twisted her lips to the side. A wide split showcasing all of her teeth. “If danger won’t come to you, lure danger out. We’ve established who the deal maker is, and they’re on Cane’s demand.”
“Speculation.”
“It makes sense. Offer yourself as bait, just like those idiots did in the alleyway, and Bune will come.”
“That’s a whole lot of assumptions.”
“Deal takers need success to deliver to the Bune to reap the reward. Bune is under the orders of Cane. See where I’m getting at?”
“Ayla won’t like it,” she said, but she could see her point.
“All the more reason I want to do it.” Pandora positively beamed, and pounced off the bed, seemingly too excited with the plan. But Luxor couldn’t wait around, and continue to go stir crazy.
“Okay, let’s do it.”
Luxor slept through her alarm, and for most of the day. When she awoke, she cursed because she wanted to get the Bune problem done and dusted with. But first breaking the news to Ayla was on top of the list. She tracked down her down in the kitchen as usual, with a lunch of salad sandwiches, and a fruit platter.
“Afternoon Ayla, my level headed guardian.” She pursed her lips, holding in the giggle threatening to explode.
Ayla immediately crossed her arms, and on guard. “Do I want to even know?”
“Probably not, but it’s all organised,” she said. “We’re trapping Bune.”
Ayla paled. “No, no, no, a million times no,” she repeated, until the sentence sounded like a chorus of a song. “I swear I’ll lock you up in a bubble.”
Luxor laughed and waved her hand. “Stop or I’ll burn The Chalet down. Test me.” The empty threat was priceless, but Ayla promptly zipped her mouth.
“God, I love you,” Pandora said, and then turned to Ayla. “You not so much.”
As luck would have it, when Luxor ran the idea t
hrough with Becky at the theatre, she was all in with the plan, and actually smiled, albeit small. The only time she used her power was for mundane things such as to generate electricity for the caravan.
The plan was flimsy at best, Becky had a list of deal takers and their haunts. She chose the ones who were the least threatening, and reclusive, in this case, stoners, and Luxor would make a brief, yet noticeable appearance. The only flaw is they'd be too sedated to recognised her.
All packed up and ready to go, they walked for forty-five minutes through the built-up residential area right to the end until they reached a vast expense of vacant land. Far out into the fields the remains of a lone enormous charred house stood precariously, the windows boarded up, and the weatherboard exterior destroyed by the ravishes of fire.
The moment Luxor entered the house the severity of the fire had her in a fit of sneezes. “How is Bune called upon? A dog whistle?” More sneezes. “I mean he is Cane’s lapdog.”
“Bless you. Perhaps. If this doesn’t work out you can always practice here,” Pandora said, a teasing manner in her voice.
“Or I can practice on you.”
“Shhh, both of you. We don’t want to scare them off,” Becky said in a low voice.
“What if they’re not here?” Luxor said.
“They will be. It’s their paradise, smoke with smoke,” Becky flicked on the torch. “And besides you’re still here.”
Luxor shone the light around the lounge-room. The walls had been resorted to blacked part walls exposing the studs, the insulation stiff balls of fur. On top of the room it was hard to distinguish whether the roof was mould or also the result of the fire. Luxor moved away, resulting in a tinkle. Her sneakers skimmed sharp, dangly pieces from a crystal chandelier which lay in the middle of the room.
A mild sound of laugher came from a bedroom right down at the end of the house and they all halted at once, jumping into each other.
Luxor had no more time to decide if this was a wise endeavour before Becky lead the way, Pandora converted into her feline form, and Ayla guarded her. It was a futile considering the height difference. Not for the first time she wondered why Ayla didn’t manifest her height.
Seriously, that’s what you’re thinking about now?
Luxor smelt exactly what room the people were in, it wasn’t hard with the potent traces of cannabis.
The floorboards creaked loudly underfoot from all three of their figures simultaneously. The three males and one female looked up at a sloth-like speed, their necks craning to see through bleary eyes.
“Heeeey, food is here,” one of the males said. He sluggishly rose from his crouched position, and swayed on over.
“Sorry, we’re not Uber Eats,” Becky said. She flashed the light in his eyes and he hissed and flung back like a bat.
“Visitor?” The girl scratched her oil brown hair, and scrunched up her mouse-like face. “Didn’t you say we will be dealing with you.”
“Who?” Luxor stepped around Ayla to stand at the front.
“A man. He said he will bring us food just as long as we look for a girl with white hai—” The girl opened her mouth in an ‘O.’ “You’re her…guys, guys, that’s her!”
The males didn’t pay attention. Looking around she picked up a packet of chips and scrunched up the packet before flinging it in the air.
“What the hell Katy? I’m starving.”
“I have lots of food, what’s the man’s name?” Ayla said in her sweet, placid tone.
Luxor hoped they’d reveal a name because they sure as hell had no food.
The group all exchanged glances and before they could say a word a smorgasbord of food was placed in front of them. Hot chips, meat pies, deep-fried chicken wings and dim sum. They blinked rapidly and the girl reached out and tapped each piece of food with her finger.
“It’s not a trick,” Katy said, wide-eyed. They erupted in a fit of giggles and chuckles, and shoved their faces with food at a rate they hardly chewed. “And there’s plenty more where that came from.” Ayla bent down and half-turned, waving a hand over thin air. She turned back around and held out a wicker basket filled to the brim with chips and chocolate.
“Tell us what we want to hear.”
As if they had their own universal language, nobody uttered a word, but their wary eyes were expressive.
“He will kill us if we don’t give her.” The girl unwrapped a chocolate bar, and shoved half of it in her mouth.
“So, give me. He will give you whatever you want, right?” Luxor said. They collectively nodded. “Your wish is granted.” She put a chair upright in the corner, and sat down on it.
“You know what to do,” she said, and held out her hands.
Becky shook her head as if regretting her decision and bound Luxor’s wrists with rope before continuing with her waist and legs. She mumbled words under her breath and turned around.
“Call him,” she ordered. “I can’t go anywhere.”
Becky placed a palm on each of the deal takers foreheads one at a time. “Praetereo,” she prattled on afterwards. “They’ll only remember you were here,” she explained.
“Dispareo,” Becky called out and she disappeared.
Pandora camouflaged behind the wood panelling within the walls and Ayla had turned herself spirit-like and despite her suggestions, Luxor didn’t want to be encapsulated in a secured bubble in case Bune would be able to see it and realised the whole set up was a façade. She crossed her fingers, and mumbled a pray to whoever listened that the plan would work otherwise she would be in greater trouble than she had ever anticipated.
“Master Bune, heed our call, we have the golden one,” they said in unison.
Luxor rolled her eyes at the title. She had no clear idea of what to expect when Bune made an appearance or when. She assumed a dark-haired male would automatically make a grand entrance; lights and smoke with a grand sweeping entrance. Or perhaps that was confined to Cane and his diva antics.
An hour of tense waiting, a male arrived, his strawberry blonde hair tied back in a low ponytail. He held his chin up, dressed as if he was attending a ball in a navy suit, with a matching vest underneath, and tie on top of a crisp white-shirt.
“Evening, evening,” he said in a deep voice, and stepped in forward under the with fractured roof. “Well I guess it’s earlier than that, but I don’t take notice.” He scanned the room before settling his eyes on Luxor, and held out his hands. “There she is, the prized jewel.” She sneered, and hissed when he ventured closer. “Who else came with you?”
Luxor held her breath and hoped Becky’s spell worked.
“Nobody. She wandered in by herself,” one of the males piped up.
“Did she now?” Bune mulled. They nodded in a calm and convincing matter. He unbuttoned his jacket, and leaned forward. “What brought you here?”
“Weed, obviously. I heard they have the good stuff.”
“We do,” the girl said in a high voice. “But we’re running low.”
“And why do you need this disgusting substance?” Bune ignored the other girl, and spoke directly to Luxor.
“To deal with Cane. I surrender, he wins. Take me, and put me out of my misery.” She seeped as much emotion as she could, held up her arms and conjured tears. It wasn’t hard. Some days she wanted it all to end, and to be able to rest without the constant fear.
“And your wish will be granted.” Bune crouched down and clasped her chin with the utmost fragility. “Remarkable, you truly were made in his image, eyes from the sea and sky, albeit the hair is too light, but all will be rectified in time.”
She shivered away his touch. “Any colour is lighter than black dumbass.”
Bune rounded the chair and assessed her up and down. “What do you have underneath your clothes?”
“None of your business,” she hissed.
“Excuses my bluntness. But you don’t have a bag, which leads me to believe you haven’t brought the gladius domini paradisum with you, or i
t’s hidden.”
“What are you talking about, I’ve brought myself. All incapable and served up.”
“As enticing as your Father would find that, he also needs the sword.”
“What are you talking about? I don’t have a sword.”
“Your mother stole The Sword of Paradise when she fled, and since you have the necklace, the sword was with it,” he said and reached out, fingering the chain around her neck. “Which reminds me, he wants this back too.” He yanked and snapped the chain in half.
“No, give it back!” she cried out.
“Hmmm, it’s sentimental. Too bad you don’t comprehend the full power.”
Luxor understood exactly what the necklace could do. Before it had given Cane access to her haunt her dreams, but she had heard and felt her mother when she had tumbled onto the church’s ground. She believed if she tried hard enough, one day she could vividly see her mother.
“Hello, we held our end of the bargain,” one of the males had come out of his self-imposed stupor and stood up.
Bune grumbled and half turned. “Ahhh, filthy humans. They’d sell their souls for material possessions when eventually they’d die.”
“I am part filthy as you call them, and yet you don’t look at me with disdain. Aren’t you allowed to?”
He gave an unnerving smile. “You don’t know the whole truth, do you? You aren’t-”
“Oi, Bun or however you say your name, we want our presents.”
“If you say what is it you desire, I’ll throw up in my mouth,” Luxor drawled. The rope darkened in her lap, as she felt a whisper of movement, and she sat up straighter.
“I’m not that unoriginal. Besides, the specifications of the deals have already been struck.” Bune clicked his fingers, a bored expression across his face.
A pulsation vibrated through the air, boom boom boom, followed by a series of tremors as the wall collapsed and an explosion of light expanded from the end of the room. In a series of motions, beams had been erected to create an entirely new room, one made entirely of plastic filled with pipes and a watering system all with leafy green plants filled to the rafters.
Betrayed: The Chronicles of Luxor Everstone Book Two Page 24
