Sacrifice of the Septimus: Part 2 (Afterlife saga Book 7)

by Stephanie Hudson

  I couldn’t help but think about how much simpler all this would have been if he knew who I really was.

  “I should leave,” I told him as I looked out onto his balcony into the night, wondering how many more people out there felt as lost as I did right then. I felt his arms get tighter before he growled in my ear,

  “No, I do not permit it.” I released a sigh before saying,

  “You may not permit it but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t the right thing to do,” I told him softly, wishing the sound of my voice didn’t break the way it did.

  “Time is all some of us have in this life and right now, having you here in my arms is enough to consider as a gift and the right thing to do is not ignore such a blessing,” he told me and I was just glad he couldn’t see the tear that trickled down into my hairline. They were such beautiful words but I knew the time he spoke of was only mine to lose, as I was mortal…he wasn’t.

  “Then I will stay,” I told him knowing this was what he wanted to hear, at least enough to make him relax his hold on me.

  “Good. Now you can tell me why you were ready to take such a punishment in place of another?” he asked, stroking the hair off my neck and surprising me with the sudden switch in conversation. This time I was the one to tense in his hold and with it he could tell that it was a conversation I would rather not be having right now…or ever.

  “Parmida told me of what happened earlier with Stateira and her threats,” he added after I still wouldn’t say anything. I had a feeling this is what she had needed to speak with him about as it wouldn’t have looked good coming from anyone else, not when so many people had witnessed it. Again I didn’t say anything which no doubt prompted him to roll me around to face him so I was once again on my back with him looming over me.

  “Explain this to me,” he demanded in a sterner voice. Right in that moment I so wanted to lie but once again I opened my mouth and the truth came out.

  “I am not afraid of her.” I told him and this time my voice didn’t waver.

  “Then why did you run from her?” he countered and this was where things got complicated. I knew I had to carry on what I had started to say and just hoped that he would keep his temper in check long enough for me to explain.

  “I didn’t run from her…I ran from you.” I whispered this last part not taking my eyes from his. I knew the exact moment he started fighting with his temper and therefore the other side of him which began to show when the tiniest specks of purple started sparking through the black.

  “Why?” he asked through gritted teeth.

  “Self-preservation,” I told him making his eyebrow arch, so I continued.

  “After all, it’s like you said, you will only bring me a heartache that you’re not free to soothe…I knew this before you said it, so therefore thought it best to run before I experienced a taste of it for myself, although it’s too late for that now.” I muttered this last part even though I knew that he would hear it. Well it didn’t matter if he did or not, he’d already witnessed it for himself when he walked back into the room and found me in the same position in which he left me, only the tracks of my tears were definitely hard to miss.

  He obviously didn’t know what to say as he silently stared down at me before shifting to allow me more space. He sat up and it was only now that I could see he was bare from the waist up, unlike before. I quickly realised it wasn’t just the scar on his face that he had kept on his vessel, not allowing it to heal but also the ones on his body as well. I guess when you were injured in battle in front of an entire army, it was a little difficult to explain making it through those injuries without a mark to show for it.

  I didn’t care either way, as it wasn’t like I was without my own scars, strangely ones he hadn’t yet asked about. I knew he was frustrated when I saw him bend his head and push all his hair back with both hands. I couldn’t help but smirk having seen this same action a hundred times before and usually because of something I had said.

  I decided to move and when I started to pull myself up he shot me a look over his shoulder. As a human who had no knowledge of the supernatural, I would have naturally questioned how he moved his hand so fast when he suddenly grabbed me. It was obvious that with one look he thought I had been about to run, but after seeing that I wasn’t going anywhere he relaxed enough to let me go, so that I could continue to sit up as was my first intention.

  “You told me that you think I am dangerous to be around,” he said out of the blue after long moments of silence and he did so without looking at me. I pulled my legs up to my chest and let my head fall back giving me that sense of déjà vu from only an hour ago. I looked up at the flames dancing in the oil lamps and knew it might have been safer putting my hand in one than the fire I was currently playing with by being here.

  “You are,” I eventually answered. He looked back over his shoulder once more and the undiluted lust I saw heating up his gaze caused me to gasp. He looked up and down my body as though eyeing up his next meal and once more had I been any normal girl I would have been running in fear from the purple flame I saw spark in his eyes. Did he not realise how much of himself he showed me? I didn’t have long to question it further because he grabbed my ankle and yanked my body down quicker than human eyes could track. In the same swift movement, he was holding himself above me keeping me caged in by his large muscular frame.

  “You’re wrong,” he told me in a tone that gave away far more than his words ever would. No doubt he was angry at his own lack of self-control although he probably wanted to blame me, but in the end he knew that he couldn’t.

  “You are the dangerous one, for the power you hold over me feels like a dagger in your hands held firmly over my chest and one simple push is all it will take to destroy…” he stopped himself before he said it but I couldn’t let it go. Not now, not ever…not with this man.

  “Destroy what?” I asked on a fearful whisper. He closed his eyes and finished his sentence over my lips before falling into his own trap once more and kissing me.

  “Everything.” I gasped in the agony of just that one word and he swept right in there to taste it for himself. I allowed myself to lose the hurt in his touch for just a few seconds before I could stand it no longer. This time I was the one to break the kiss as I turned my face from his lips and started to push at his shoulders to stop him. It didn’t take him long to get a clue but the look of shock was almost laughable. It wasn’t hard to guess that this must have been a first for him.

  “Get off me!” I shouted when he only allowed a few inches between us. He frowned down at me before I lost my mind and gritted out my threat,

  “Now.” Something very serious must have shown in my eyes or heard in my voice because after this he lifted himself off me very slowly. The second I saw the gap was big enough I, on the other hand, flew off the bed like Banshees were nipping at my heels. I could feel the night air cool my bare back but it did nothing to cool my temper. I wanted to hit something and could feel the familiar tingling in my fingertips which told me that I needed to calm myself down. And I needed to do this pretty quickly before I started to give him a show I couldn’t explain. Well, there was my answer as to why I didn’t have my powers, it was obvious now what my catalyst was…

  Draven.

  Why was it that heartache, pain and anger walked hand in hand and undoubtedly ended up with one fuelling the other?

  “I have upset you?” he asked and I snapped, forgetting the part I had to play and this time being nothing but myself.

  “You’re Goddamn right you have upset me!” I shouted and the shock in my outburst was easy to see for someone who wasn’t completely lost in their own anger yet.

  “You dare damn the Gods because of me?” he asked of me in utter astonishment but I was too far gone to try and find the caution in all this.

  “After all they have done to me in my life, you’re damn right I will!”

  “You are not in your right mind and know not of which you speak,”
he replied obviously trying to find a reason for what he must have considered irrational behaviour. Well this Draven didn’t know me and if he did, he would be the one walking on caution right now.

  “You’re right, I must not be in my right mind now if I am still here talking to you!” I snapped and walked straight up to the door ready to walk through it and never look back…well at least until I had calmed down that was. This is when he finally started taking me seriously.

  “Stop! I do not permit you to leave!” he demanded, getting up from the bed behind me.

  “Like I give a shit!” I said and opened the door only to find it being slammed shut with his hand coming out from over my shoulder.

  “Do not forget your place little lamb, for I am still your King,” he warned in my ear and I shuddered before my anger shook off the affects he had over me.

  “Then do your worst, because as far as I am concerned, you already have.” I snarled back at him looking to the side he was on. I could feel his panting behind me as his own anger was building but this time I just didn’t care.

  “You think I won’t punish you?” he asked me and I looked back to the wooden door before closing my eyes, taking a deep breath and speaking the truth,

  “You already are by keeping me here.”

  “Then I intend to punish you a great deal longer for you are not leaving,” he told me, whipping me around to face him and pushing me back against the door. The face of Draven was quickly getting lost to his demon side and I had to wonder what his excuse was going to be when he lost his last shred of control completely.

  “Fine, then I do so as your prisoner and as a slave… not with a free heart.” I told him and after seeing his eyes narrow on mine for a second he pulled away.

  “Then so be it.”

  “I don’t understand.” I told him shaking my head as he walked away from me.

  “It is simple, I am your King, I give you an order and you obey,” he answered arrogantly and I wanted to growl at him in response. However, I replied,

  “What I mean is, I don’t understand why you would want me to stay considering how you feel about me. If I am so dangerous, if I am such a threat to everything…then tell me this…why am I even here, why chance it?”

  “Why do you question me like this?” he asked ignoring my question with an aggravated one of his own.

  “Because I have a right to know.” I told him but at this he scoffed and said,

  “As a slave you have no rights to anything.” I would have been hurt hearing this if I didn’t know who I was to him.

  “Maybe not, but as a woman about to give her heart to a man, then I have every right.” I countered and I could tell by the look he gave me that he wanted to argue but hearing that kind of admission on my part, then what could he really say?

  “One thing is for sure, your bravery is never to be questioned,” he said shaking his head at himself as if still trying to fully comprehend my brazen behaviour.

  “That’s not an answer,” I told him, folding my arms across my chest and he turned back to me, slashed a hand through the air and snapped,

  “That’s the only one you’re going to get!” I decided this wasn’t getting me anywhere so I made the decision to play this power exchange to my advantage.

  “Fine!” I said before reaching up to my sleeves and pulling them down as they were the only part of the tunic that was keeping the shredded dress in place, keeping the front part of my body covered.

  “What are you doing?” he quickly asked unable to keep the startled tone from his voice.

  “You won’t let me leave?” I asked pausing my actions and looking up at him across the room. He folded his arms and said,

  “I will not permit it.” To which I tilted my head in a way of saying, ‘so be it’ and then I pulled my dress off and threw it to the floor leaving myself standing naked opposite him.

  “W…why…?” he started to stutter and I wanted to laugh at the sight of this mighty warrior king lost for words. Then I reached up and pulled the pins from my hair letting it rain down my back as I slowly walked towards him. The power I felt from such a bold action was like sucking down an aphrodisiac elixir that heated my belly before dipping down in between my thighs.

  His hungry eyes drank in the sight just like I knew they would and I looked down slightly to hide my smirk just before coming to stop directly in front of him.

  “Because I am not sleeping in that… just as I am not sleeping in these…” I said first looking back at the discarded dress before then holding up my shackled arms to him and giving them a little shake.

  “You play with fire, Little Lamb.” Draven warned looking down at my wrists as if now only just realising that I still had them on me. His eyes spoke volumes as to what he would prefer to do and for a moment I held my breath stuck in a luscious limbo. And it was lucky I did for it meant I was slightly more prepared for when he snapped…

  And snap he did.

  First his eyes widened at the sight of the chains dangling down that he had broken getting free of my kiss and this no doubt only managed to bring back how it felt to have me chained to him, which from the look of things, he very much wanted to experience again. Then he looked back to my eyes to see if I had heeded his warning but whatever he found there told him all he needed to know when he said,

  “Then we will both burn together!” And with that he grabbed my wrists and spun me around to raise them to pin to the wall before he kissed me and this time he was right…

  Our passion burned.

  Chapter 48

  Ignite The Interrupted

  Kissing Draven this time felt as though I could have opened my eyes and seen us standing in the middle of our room back in Afterlife. It felt like I was finally home. There was no resistance and no holding back this time because whether it was right in the wrong time for me or wrong in the right time for him, it didn’t matter because it could no longer be denied by either of us…destiny just wouldn’t allow it to be.

  His hands still circled my wrists adding flesh to iron as he held the shackles pinned above my head. My head was thrown back enough to reach his lips and his muscular back was arched so that he could dip his head to reach mine, but it wasn’t enough. He knew I needed more when my moaning could no longer be ignored.

  “Impatient, little one?” he asked on a chuckle, pulling back enough to look down at my body trying in vain to mount his.

  “More,” I whispered as I strained against his hold to get closer to him. His eyes blazed for a millisecond enough to let me know what that one word did to him and I looked down to see the other effect for myself. He watched my wandering eyes until they came back up to meet his and we spent those intense couple of seconds trying to read each other.

  There were no words needed to explain what was about to happen as we knew if we crossed this line then it could change the world, for me the prophecy but for him…well, it was nothing short of an eternity of damnation for his sinful soul. Because if he did this, then in his mind he would be breaking the number one rule for all Supernaturals…

  Sex with a mortal.

  And I would be letting him because only I knew the truth. Could I really do this? Could I really let it get that far knowing what he thought of me or worse, what he would think of me when he found out who I really was? God I was so confused! It suddenly felt wrong no matter how much I wanted it…and by the Gods but that kiss…I felt like I was drowning in it and pretty soon I would be so far under that I would never see the surface again, let alone have any chance at reaching out for it.

  I felt his fingers uncurl from my wrists before he ran them down the length of my arms. It felt so good that I closed my eyes and let my head fall back again on a moan. He must have liked this reaction because I heard his growl before he suddenly embedded his fists into my hair, roughly forcing my lips back to his. The warmth of his kiss as his tongue battled against mine was intoxicating. I felt drunk from it and knew I was losing the sense to tell him what I neede
d to. Of course, this didn’t help when he ran two fingers down my bare spine making me arch my body further into him, which was his intention.

  “Your body is so responsive to my touch, as though it was made for my hand to control,” he told me and to emphasise his point he gripped my side causing me take an uncontrollable step into his frame, which had me pressing up against his very hard and obvious erection.

  ‘Tell him Keira…tell him now…’ A voice in my mind spoke to me and I almost jumped in surprise. Was it her? Was she back?

  “Katie?” The question slipped out and Draven froze. My eyes snapped open to find his own narrowed my way and just as his mouth opened to ask the question there came a banging at the door. He closed his own eyes in what could only be described as frustration before he snapped out angrily,

  “I warned you not to push me on this, Saphira!” That’s when the door swung open to show Sophia standing there taking in the scene with nothing short of utter rage which she obviously tried to mask but I knew better.

  “Well your new Pet will just have to wait for you, for there is news from Rome,” she informed him calmly but like I said, I knew better. She was quietly seething inside, which quickly made me realise how lucky I was to have Sophia on my side from the very beginning. I couldn’t, or more like didn’t want to wonder what it would have been like any other way as seeing her like this, then I had to be honest, Sophia kind of scared the shit out of me.

  “He is here?” Draven asked looking over his shoulder at her but thankfully still shielding my nakedness from view with his body.

  “He is and as always he is as impatient as ever,” Sophia said looking at one of her nails which looked as though they had been dipped in gold paint.

  “Very well, go inform him that I will be there shortly,” Draven ordered and for a moment I didn’t think she would do it as she just looked at him as if to say, ‘excuse me’.