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

by Stephanie Hudson

  “Out of time.” I followed her intense gaze to the door to see she was right, we were out of time. We could hear not only the footsteps outside but also when Ranka dismissed the guards from their duty.

  “Quick, on the bed, pretend to be asleep!” Pip whispered desperately and I didn’t waste time. I could just see the door opening as Pip did a running leap over the balcony, dropping out of sight. I sucked in a gasp not knowing where my friend had landed but the second I did, I also heard her voice pop inside my head.

  “Don’t worry about me Sugar Toots, I am fine but remember, no nookie for you, not until Ari turns up or shit will hit this time warp and our cover will be blown. Now have fun…but not too much…nighty night.” I tried not to smile at her mindful farewell, along with her ‘no sex warning’ and closed my eyes just as I could hear them both walk through the door.

  “You see my Lord, she is safe and well.” Ranka said in hushed tones obviously believing that I was fast asleep or at least playing along with it after what she had seen only minutes before back in the hallway. No wonder she also sounded slightly relieved and I was sure Pip and I would be explaining that one tomorrow.

  “Very good, you may leave us now,” Draven said sternly and I had to wonder what had been said between the throne room and here. Had Ranka told him of the attack and how Stateira’s sister had been sent to kill me?

  “My Lord?”

  “I must know that she is safe and the only way for me to know for certain is if I remain with her.” He informed her and my heart skipped a beat. He was spending the night? I don’t know who was more shocked, me or Ranka.

  “I…uh…do you think that wise my Lord, it is just that if people find…”

  “Do you think me to be more concerned with palace gossip over the life of the woman I love?” he asked seriously after first interrupting her and again my heart was going berserk.

  “No my King, forgive me. The grounds for my concern is only making her more at risk from those who learn of her importance to you through such actions.” After this I heard Draven sigh because he no doubt knew she was right. It had been the same reasons for his caution back in my time as he knew once his people got wind of me then it would also be like asking me to live with a big target on my back.

  At first I remember thinking that he was simply being over protective but now looking back at all that had happened, I knew he had been right. For I hadn’t spent many days since then when some plot against us wasn’t being hatched by our enemies and I wasn’t in danger of some sort. Hell, it was exhausting just thinking back over the years of what we had been forced to endure just so we could stay together.

  “Her importance to me will soon be known at the choosing tonight and once the announcement is made, then there will be no more opportunities to be had, not when she will remain by my side and therefore have my constant protection.” This was the point I wanted to stick my head up and say…uh, what now? Because this wasn’t exactly the Draven I had planned for. Yes, an overbearing protective cave man act I was used to but never letting me out of his sight…I think that was a little much.

  And besides, how was that going to work when he had not only an entire kingdom to run but also a hidden supernatural race to rule? And when he thought I was mortal just like the others who had no clue as to what was lurking in the shadows of this secret world of his. What was he planning to do about that…tell me and hope for the best? Well whatever he had planned, I doubted very much it was based on using a logical mind and more on acting with an irrational heart. Not that I was one to judge considering half of the crazy shit I had pulled in the name of love…one called Draven.

  I guess it was nice for a change watching it from the other side and knowing that the Draven from this time was being less cautious with being blinded by his feelings for me. For in the past, or should I say the future, it had always felt as if I had been the one ready to just dive right in there, saying to hell with the bad that could happen. Whereas Draven had been the one trying to shield me from the dangers as long as he could. Well it was quite obvious that this was the effect that time had bestowed on Draven’s personality and no wonder after living through how many lifetimes worth of enemies to deal with.

  “Then I will double the guard until then,” Ranka said obviously foreseeing even more trouble ahead of me.

  “Do so in the morning, for they will not be needed tonight. That will be all,” Draven said his voice remaining firm.

  “Yes, my King,” Ranka replied obediently and I heard her footsteps take her to the door.

  “And Ranka…” Draven said just as I heard her opening the door before she left.

  “Yes, my Lord?”

  “You have done well.” Draven’s praise was no doubt a welcome thing to hear considering all the trouble she had gone through in just keeping me alive.

  “As always my King, it is an honour,” Ranka replied respectfully no doubt bowing before she walked from the room. I heard the door close and waited for the sound of Draven coming closer but it never came. What was he waiting for? In the end I couldn’t help it so I opened one eye just a crack to see what he was doing. At first I couldn’t understand it, why was he down on one knee where I had been stood when Pip had dried me?

  “Tut, tut little Lamb of mine,” he said to himself shaking his head. He still had his back to me so I couldn’t see half of what he was doing but whatever it was, it seemed he had found something out. When he stood back up I sucked in a silent breath at what he now had grasped in his hand…my wet tunic.

  ‘Oh shit.’ I mentally scolded myself for not thinking of throwing it over the balcony along with my friend. I then watched as he lifted it to his face before taking a deep breath as though he was trying to draw my scent from it. I heard the quiet rumble rise from his chest as if this time it was his Demon responding for him. His head snapped back around to me with barely enough time for me to slam my eyes shut and go back to faking sleep. I heard my wet tunic slap back on the floor before I heard his footsteps bringing him closer to the bed.

  I really wanted to open my eyes again but I knew then that I would have no choice but to answer why there would be my wet clothes on the floor.

  “I know you are not asleep, little Lamb.” I couldn’t help but jump a little when I heard his voice whispering in my ear calling my bluff.

  “No one’s heart beats that erratically when resting as soundly as you pretend,” he said running the back of one finger down my cheek.

  “So come on now, open those pretty eyes for me.” I couldn’t help it but I bit my lip as I did as I was told knowing I wasn’t getting away with it any longer. His finger still travelled down along my neck but now he could see what I was doing with my lip he decided to use it to stop me. His eyes blazed into mine and the intensity of it nearly unravelled me. Why was it that with only one look this man had me almost ready to confess everything?

  “Good, now hold still,” he ordered and I frowned, unsure about what he was about to do. It didn’t take long before I started to panic slightly with Pip’s warning dinging alarm bells in my mind as he put one knee at my thigh before lifting his other leg so he could straddle me. Then instead of lowering his body over mine like I thought he would, he sat back on his haunches looking down at me. It was as though he was searching for something and wasn’t happy with the results. He frowned as though whatever I was doing was insulting him but before I could ask him what I had done, he moved suddenly.

  “My…Lor…?”

  “Sssh.” I started to question what he was doing when he whispered his command down at me before snaking an arm underneath my body, starting at the base of my spine. The further he pushed his hand up the more pressure he applied, which slowly lifted me up to meet him. Then with his free hand he walked his fingers up over my breast, gathering the covers that hid my nakedness from him as he went. All that was left was a gentle tug and the material slipped away leaving the top half of my body bare for his pleasure.

  He held me still
as he lowered his head to my neck where he inhaled a deep breath and continued to do so all the way down my shoulder and at the side of one breast. I wondered what he was doing but then it quickly fit into place as it was no doubt doing for him.

  He was just confirming that I was the one wearing the wet tunic as he could no doubt still smell it on my skin, just as he had scented my skin on the tunic. Sometimes I forgot all of his supernatural skills which included heightened sight and smell.

  Which meant only one thing…

  I was busted.

  Chapter 53

  Moonlight Ashes

  “It seems that my Little Lamb has been out wandering again,” Draven said in what I knew was a dangerously soft voice. I didn’t know what to say but thought desperately of what excuse I could use that would be good enough for having a soaking wet tunic lying discarded on the floor. I hated to admit it, but unfortunately it was looking like the best one was Pip’s excuse and that was me being sweaty.

  “I…uh…I got hot,” I stammered out and he raised an eyebrow at me.

  “Is that right?” he asked pulling me closer and making it even hotter. I gave him a series of little head nods letting him know how nervous he made me.

  “And now?” he asked before grazing his lips against my shoulder as if testing the temperature for himself.

  “Still hot,” I said on a breathy sigh.

  “Mmm, so you are… And what about now?” he asked after pausing to blow cool air along my neck. The shiver he invoked tingled all the way down my spine which he could feel for himself, if that smirk was anything to go by.

  “I uh…think…” Actually, that was a lie because I couldn’t think, not with the way he was teasing me. Especially when he dipped his head lower and blew air across my nipple making it stand to attention silently begging for his hot mouth.

  “You were saying?” he asked after I threw my head back and moaned without restraint.

  “I was saying?” I repeated back at him because as far as I knew I had been speaking in tongues.

  “Yes, you were just about to tell me where my pale beauty dangerously wandered to, but more importantly…” This was where the sweetness ended and his voice turned hard and serious as though a switch had been flipped.

  “How she slipped passed my guards unseen?” The restrained anger in his tone was easy to detect but even if it hadn’t been then the way he circled my throat with one hand certainly was. He didn’t hurt me but he definitely applied enough pressure to warn me that he could if he wanted to. My eyes widened in my panic because truly, what was I going to say?

  Think Keira, think! But no matter how I shouted at myself for the answers it would do no good, so as the very last resort I couldn’t help but call out to my friend, hoping she could hear me in my mind.

  ‘Pip, what do I do?’ When I didn’t receive any guidance back I knew it mustn’t have worked and had no choice but to try and explain what I had been doing. It was that or simply refuse to say anything, which might endanger my new position in his world. It didn’t exactly scream trust if I said nothing.

  “I…can explain,” I said making the split decision to try and give him something. The look he gave me was a sceptical one as if he doubted that I could.

  “I’m happy to hear it and more than ready for it.” he said, in other words telling me to get on with it. Although what I was going to get on with was still left to be seen, for what single reason could I have to have left this room? But not just that, he didn’t just want reasons, he wanted the ‘how’s’ and no wonder considering the guards were stationed outside my room.

  “I must warn you, pretty girl, I am not accustomed to waiting,” he warned and I knew I could stall no longer.

  “I am sorry but I just couldn’t…” I panicked and started to quickly blurt out the truth when suddenly the door burst open. Draven was off the bed and stood like a sentinel in front of me.

  “Pip!?” I shouted when I saw her entering the room dressed from head to toe like a servant and carrying the biggest urn of water I had ever seen.

  “I am sorry my Lady, but once again the coolest water to be found was in the fountain, so I …oh dear, my Lord!” Pip said pretending to play the part of only seeing the King after setting down her heavy load. Draven looked at me trying to gauge my reaction to all of this before addressing it for himself.

  “Forgive me, my King, for if I’d have known you were with my Lady then I would have waited in bringing her the water she requested,” Pip said bowing gracefully.

  “It’s alright Pipper, the King’s arrival wasn’t planned,” I told her softly trying desperately to get my heart to calm its erratic pounding.

  “This is your servant?” Draven asked me and I nodded. I could see him trying to piece the evidence of what she had said, together with what he had been accusing me of doing. I felt bad for deceiving him this way but couldn’t help that I also wanted to kiss Pip’s feet for saving my ass yet again.

  “This water was for you to cool down?” Draven asked me and I could see in the way his eyes started to soften that his trust in me was seeping back in there. I ended up blushing with my guilt but thankfully this worked in my favour as it was one he took for embarrassment.

  “Yes and I do hope you take my advice this time by undressing first before asking me to just throw the water over you. Won’t you look at all that pale skin, it must have been a cold place you travelled from my Lady for you can see that she is not used to the heat…why just look at her red cheeks now…” Oh yeah, they were red alright and if Pip didn’t put a lid on it soon they were likely to explode. But on the other hand, at least the King was now looking highly amused at not only me but Pip as well. And like most people, he also looked at a loss what to make of her.

  “A cold bath is what she needs but alas we have nowhere to bathe her and when mentioning the communal bathhouse, then by the Gods no! She will kick up a fuss and say that her body is for the King’s eyes only…” This was the point where I popped my head to one side behind Draven and started doing the universal signal for ‘cut it’ by slicing my hand across my neck. She caught my action and smirked before saying,

  “…Oh, but would you listen to me rattle on…I will be leaving you young ones to your lustful ways.” Hearing this I thought I was going to choke when swallowing.

  ‘Lustful ways?!’ I mouthed to her making her just shrug her shoulders at me after Draven looked back at me. I gave him a little smile that I could only hope translated to ‘Don’t ask me, she’s crazy’. Draven turned back to Pip and I couldn’t help but smack myself on the forehead out of habit, which just so happened to be one of the side effects of being around Pip.

  “My Lady, will you be needing my services again this evening?” she asked and in my head I said ‘Oh Christ, but I hope not!’

  ‘Charming. That’s the thanks I get for saving your ‘can’t lie for shit ass’.’ Pip answered in my mind and I wanted to laugh.

  “No, that will be all.” I said out loud this time.

  “Then I will take my leave. My King, My lady,” she said bowing and then huffing as she straightened up as though she was much older than she looked. Which had me wondering if I was the only one seeing her like I was used to and for everyone else she changed her appearance to a sweet unsuspecting older woman? Well, she had certainly played her part well because Draven most definitely looked convinced!

  She was just about to walk out of the door when I stopped her as I couldn’t let her go before saying how I really felt.

  “And Pipper…”

  “Yes, my Lady?”

  “Thank you for bringing me the water,” I said telling her much more.

  “You're always welcome, My Lady. Good evening to you both,” she said in a way that told me that she understand what I was really thanking her for before she left.

  “Your servant…she is…different,” he said after pausing to try and find the right word.

  “That’s one way of putting it,” I said sarcastically,
momentarily forgetting myself. Draven burst out laughing, obviously finding my comment amusing and then seeming surprised by it. Did he not have any woman in his life who had made him laugh before? I had to admit, I liked the sound of that, just as I did when finding out from Draven back in my time that he found me funny.

  Draven came to sit back down on the side of the bed and looked at the urn of water with a sigh. Then he pushed all his unruly hair back with one hand before looking back at me.

  “I fear I owe you an apology.” This was when my guilt doubled.

  “It is not necessary my…” I stopped talking when he held his hand up.

  “I think it is. You told me yourself that you were hot and I thought it nothing but a feeble excuse. But your servant is right, it is quite obvious from your pale skin that you are not yet accustomed to our Parthian sun.” Well, I couldn’t argue with him there as I wouldn’t have been surprised if the chickens here laid omelettes instead of eggs it was that hot and this was coming from someone who had been to Hell…twice!

  “I am sure I will adjust in time, my Lord.” I told him not knowing what else to say.

  “You must remember to cover up when outside, for it would not please me to see this beautiful skin of yours burnt and too sore for my touch,” he said running the back of his hand up my arm. I nodded as thanks to plenty of summer holidays in Spain, I knew all too well what could happen to pale skin under a burning hot sun…thank you, Aloe Vera, that’s all I could say.

  “This new servant of yours, is she a trustworthy one?” he asked looking at the door, which made me wonder if Ranka finally had the chance to tell him about what had happened.

  “I believe so,” I said smiling a secret smile, one put there when thinking of all the things that crazy Imp had done for me over the years. She was truly one of the greatest beings who ever graced this Earth and as far as I was concerned it was an honour to know her, let alone be privileged enough to call her friend. And one of these days I would get the opportunity to tell her that.