by Cara E Holt
Ten minutes later we portal into New York and walk from a side alley to the club. The club outside is painted all black and the club name ‘Elysium’ is displayed in silver mirrored letters above the main entrance. The queue to get in goes down the street and entry is controlled by three big muscle head bouncers.
“Oh man look at that queue.” I moan to which Noah shakes his head and laughs. “Fae prince remember.” He says gesturing to Lorcen. “Princes don’t have to queue.”
Lorcen guides me to the front of the queue. The body guard with the shaved head’s gaze falls on us and I see recognition in his eyes. He bows his head in respect and lifts the rope barrier to allow us entry. The heady sound of music greets us as we walk inside. The club is gorgeous inside. The floor is glossy black and the ceiling is decorated with large circular mosaic mirrors. Seating areas run along the edge of the room with black carpeted stairs leading up to each seating booth that houses a curved black sofa. The bar over to the left is black with a mirrored counter top. The front of the bar is back lit in a bright white light. The dance floor is in the centre of the room and is a large circular shape with the DJ box in the centre on a raised platform. I don’t know how to describe it but the atmosphere is hedonistic, the air feels thick with lust and magic. Bodies gyrate against one another on the packed dancefloor and couples make out in seating booths. I follow Lorcen through the club my hand in his as I gawp at those around me. As we walk through Fae stop and stare at us and whisper behind hands. I can see through their glamour just as I imagine they can see through mine. We head to the back of the club and reach an area that is cordoned off and raised up by about six or seven steps and is manned by two bouncers. As soon as we reach them they bow their heads and allow us past. Up here there is a further bar but it is much smaller and just one large seating area that looks out over the club. Sitting there is a blonde haired fae dressed in a suit with a human girl on either arm who are clearly hanging on his every word. Pathetic if you ask me. His eyes fall on us as we get closer and he smiles.
“Well well well, It’s been a while.” He stands and moves around the large round glass table and comes to stand before us. He places his right hand on Lorcen’s right shoulder and Lorcen does the same.
“Welcome my friend. You went from being here most nights to not at all.” His smiling eyes fall from Lorcen’s and land on me. “Ah and now I know why.” He looks me up and down and grins. He moves past Lorcen and comes to me and takes my hand in his and raises it to his lips and kisses it, his eyes never leaving mine. “It is an honour to meet you princess. I am Odhran and I own this place.”
I blush and smile shyly. “Hi Odhran I am Ebony.”
He winks at me playfully. “Beautiful name for a beautiful creature.”
Lorcen laughs and comes to my side. “Okay Odhran enough flirting with my mate.”
Odhran grins a wicked grin. “No wonder you haven’t been back to sample my beauties here at the club. Please sit.” He gestures to the sofa behind him on which the two human girls are still sitting. They whisper to each other and I see them both ogling Lorcen. Odhran clicks his fingers. “Off you pop ladies, go mingle.” The two girls look disappointed but give him wide smiles and pass us to go down to the dancefloor. As one of them passes Lorcen she gives him a sultry smile and blows him a kiss. Oh please! I roll my eyes, some girls are so blatant. Not like me who can’t flirt or look sultry for shit.
“I need to talk business.” Lorcen turns to me. “You go have fun with the girls.” He tells me. “I’ll come and find you.” He gives me a quick kiss on the lips. “Don’t go anywhere without Megan, Okay?”
“Got it.” I tell him but give him an eye roll to let him know that I am more than capable of looking after myself. Megan grabs my hand and giggles. “Let’s go dance.” And she leads me away as we walk down the steps I turn and Lorcen is standing there totally checking out my ass as I walk away. Megan leads us over to the bar and orders us all vodka cokes and a shot each. She hands us each one and holds hers up. “Bottom ups ladies.” We clink glasses and down them and I gasp at the rancid taste. Megan who always appears shy and quiet grins mischievously. “Come on Mel, let’s show Ebony how we supernaturals party.” Mel grins in response and grabs my other arm and they both pull me towards the dancefloor. We weave in and around bodies and find a spot. We start to dance and I find I relax quite quickly and enjoy myself. I lose myself to the beat of the music and close my eyes and move. I open my eyes and smile at my friends as we dance when my eyes feel drawn across the room to a table. My eyes fall upon a pair of dark eyes that are watching me intensely and I find I can’t pull my gaze away. The owner of the brooding eyes has dark hair that he styles back off his face, his neck and arms are covered in tattoos. His eyes never leave mine and a shiver runs down my spine as I watch him watch me dance. There is presence about him that screams power and danger. Not taking his eyes off me he leans to a man sat at his side and says something into his ear. Melantha pulls at my hand tearing my gaze away and smiling at her I forget about the stranger with the dark eyes and laugh and dance with my friends. I can’t help but glance back over a minute or so later, but dark eyes is gone.
Megan gestures to the bar and we weave our way over. Megan orders the drinks and when she hands it to me it is bright green in colour. I hold it up and examine it. “What the heck is this?” I take a sip, it tastes sweet at first but then leaves a tangy sour taste and I find it delicious and down it in a few quick gulps. Megan tells me it is a Fae alcohol and contains Saffron.
“I need the ladies.” I tell them gesturing at the sign for the toilets. Nodding they follow me there and we join the small queue. I go first leaving Megan and Mel in the queue. When I come out I can’t see them so I presume they must be in a cubicle. After washing my hands I step outside into the corridor as it is stifling hot in the ladies. I decide to pull out my phone and text Megan to tell her I’m outside. As I am texting a shadow falls over me and I look up expecting to see the girls but stop still when I find dark eyes standing before me. My eyes move up from his chest to his face and those dark brown eyes that are almost black look down at me. I shudder as my magic feels his, whoever this guy is he is powerful. He takes my chin in his hand and inspects my face as if taking in every detail.
“How do I not know who you are?” He asks. His voice is as dark and mysterious as he is. Up close he is even more gorgeous. His chiselled jaw hosts dark stubble. He is lean too, his big arms are nothing but muscle. I find myself rendered speechless as I observe him. He looks down at my wrist and raises with his hand and looks at my mate ring.
“Who are you, beautiful? Tell me your name?” He says softly but in a commanding way.
“I’m no one.” I reply, my voice barely a whisper. He leans in then and sniffs my hair, I can hear him breath in my scent and it causes a shudder down my spine. Everything about him tells me to get as far away as I can but at the same time I am strangely drawn to him.
“There’s demon blood in you.” He states. “Powerful demon blood.” He places an arm on the wall behind my on either side of my head caging me in.
“I’m Fae.” I tell him. I don’t know why I lie but something in my subconscious tells me I should. He smirks at this and his gaze narrows. He sees through my little white lie.
“My demon blood knows demon blood and yours calls out to mine.” He leans in closer and his mouth is inches from mine and I freeze, thinking he is going to kiss me but he stops and moves his head to my hair and sniffs my hair again and then he is gone, vanished before me. I lean back against the wall and take in a large breath and put a hand to my galloping heart. I’m pulled from my thoughts by the sound of Mel’s voice as she and Megan exit the toilets.
“Sorry Ebony.” Megan says as she reaches me. ”Someone,” and she gestures with her head to Mel, “started an argument with another witch.”
“What?!” Mel says defensively. “She was looking down her nose at me. Her coven has always fancied themselves a cut above the rest of
us.”
Megan sighs and reaches for my hand. “Let’s get dancing.”
We head back to the dancefloor and find our spot and have fun dancing with each other, being daft twirling each other around. A slower song comes on with a heady beat and I close my eyes and sway to its rhythm. An arm snakes around my waist and smiling I lean back and inhale the scent of my mate. His hips move with mine and we dance like this, my back to his chest. I move my neck to the side and allow him to nuzzle my neck as we dance.
“You look so fucking beautiful tonight.” He whispers in my ear and I smile in response. His nearness and words are doing all sorts to my body. He tugs on my waist and I turn to face him and he leads us off the dancefloor to any empty booth in a dark corner of the room. We sit down and he keeps his arms around my waist. Lorcen runs a finger along my thigh to where my skirt hugs my legs which makes me forget to breathe. He leans in and kisses softly down my neck.
“You have no idea how good you look in that dress love.” His kisses trail back up my neck and along my cheek and I can’t take anymore I need his lips on mine. “I want to take you home right now.”
I smile in response because yeah I want that too. I pull him in so that our lips meet and we crash together like a storm. I groan into his mouth as the heat builds between us and he lifts me and pulls me onto his lap so that I am straddling him. I am lost in our kisses but suddenly notice that it is quiet all around us, there is no music. I open my eyes and they widen as I realise where we are. Lorcen notices I am not responding to his kisses and he open his and then grins like a fucking Cheshire cat. “Have I told you how awesome your magic is?”
I laugh as he rolls me under him on our bed. Somehow and I haven’t a clue how the flip how but I have sifted us home and onto our bed, a distance that no normal Fae would be able to sift to. I have to say it is very handy though to have such magic skills when I want alone time with my boy.
I dream again that night. In the dream I am back at Houghton Hall, a family favourite for days out. This time I am standing before the gated pond. Around me hundreds of voices whisper but there are so many I can’t make out any of it. The scenery then shifts and I am standing in a large glass domed building that is wall to ceiling glass. The sunlight shines through the glass and causes a rainbow of beautiful colours to reflect off the glass. All around me that room is filled with beautiful flowers in vibrant colours. In the middle of this dreamy setting is dark eyes. He stands there watching me with a predatory look and beckons me with his finger and my legs move towards him of their own accord until I stand right before him. He dips his head down and runs his finger softly along my bottom lip. “Hello again my little flower.”
Chapter Five.
I wake up to wet on my face and find it is Hawkeye licking me.
“Urgh boy, get off me.” I softly push him away but give him a quick stroke on the head. He sulkily takes himself to the bottom of the bed and closes his eyes. I’m in bed alone and can hear the radio playing Rita Ora downstairs. I sit up and stretch out and sleepily walk to the bathroom. I wipe the mirror which is steamed up from I presume Lorcen taking a recent shower and I screech as I take in my reflection. My eyes are red! Like blood red. I yelp as Lorcen sifts in behind me and I clamp my eyes shut.
“Ebs you okay? You screamed.” He strokes my arm affectionately.
I dip my head and nod and will my eyes to be blue and carefully peak one open and thank Christ they are back to their normal none creepy blue. I meet Lorcen’s gaze through our reflection in the mirror and give him a reassuring smile.
“I’m fine. There was a spider in the sink.”
Lorcen grins and shakes his head. He leans his chin on top of my head. “You coming back to bed. I’ve brought you breakfast up.”
I smile at him appreciatively. “Just give me a minute.” He sifts out and as soon as he does I breathe out a sigh of relief and lean in to the mirror to inspect my eyes. What the effin flip what that about? Why were my eyes glowing freaky red? I run my finger over my lower lip where he his finger had been. Why did that dream feel real and why am I dreaming about some demon guy I hardly know. I have a mate, a mate that means everything to me and yet here I was being a complete shit and dreaming about someone else.
An hour later after breakfast and a make out session in bed with my gorgeous boy I’m sat flicking through the tv channels when Mel arrives. Lorcen is out at Noah’s so it is just me and her and a snoring Hawkeye. I’m standing pouring us both a drink and listening to her moan about Noah and his wind issues when she pauses and looks sharply at me. She moves round the island and looks over my face.
“Something is wrong.” she states and I gasp and my hand immediately goes up to my eyes.
“Oh god are they red again?” Mel looks at me puzzled and shakes her head.
“There’s nothing wrong with your eyes.” She leans in and sniffs my hair and I freeze, what is with all this hair sniffing?? She leans back. “Why have you been marked by a demon?”
My eyes widen. “Wh..what? Marked?” My voices rises a few pitches in panic.
She folds her arms and observes me with a frown. “You reek of demon. His scent is all over you.”
I have no idea what demon smells like but I lift my top and smell it. “I do?”
Mel tuts and grins. “Have you been playing away you naughty girl?”
“No!” I snap, horrified at her suggestion. “I would never do that to Lorc.”
Mel shrugs and wrinkles her nose. “Then explain why it smells like you have been getting up close and personal with a powerful demon?”
I groan and rub my face in my hands and taking her hand I lead her to sit down on the sofa. “Okay this needs to stay between me and you.”
She nods. “Of course.” She twirls her dark hair in her fingers. I cross my legs and face her and she does the same.
“Last night at the club a guy approached me when I was waiting outside the toilets for you guys. I had seen him earlier watching me dance. I don’t know who he was but he was powerful Mel.”
She leans in, clearly intrigued. “And did Mr powerful introduce himself?”
I shake my head and chew anxiously on my bottom lip. “No. He asked how could he not know who I was and he asked me for my name but I didn’t tell him.” I pause and shudder as I remember him leaning in. “He erm, he sniffed my hair twice. He knew I had demon blood in me and he said it called to him.”
“What did this hot demon look like?”
I sigh. “Dark eyes, like so dark they were almost black. Tattoos everywhere, even on his neck and he was ripped, like all muscle. His hair was dark too.” I rake my hands through my hair. “I was drawn to him Mel, it felt like he could make me do anything and I would do it.”
Melantha guffaws. “Trust me he probably could if he was a higher level demon.” Mel sips on her juice and looks deep in thought. “You shouldn’t still smell of him though.”
“Ah.” I wince. “He was in my dream last night too.”
Mel looks at me wide-eyed. “He entered your dreams?! Boy you really have caught his attention.” I groan in response and hold my head in my hands. My hand goes to my mouth.
“He touched my lip and called me his ‘little flower’. I do air quotes to emphasise my point. I shudder as I remember his eyes. “His eyes were red and when I woke up this morning mine were too.”
Melantha nods twirling her straw round in her drink. “Demon eyes are red when they use their powers or when they are feeling strong emotions, you know…like being turned on.” Her face breaks into a grin and I playfully slap her arm in response. “Mm I wonder if he has a demon sister for me.”
I choke on the mouthful of juice I was just about to swallow. “Wait.. you mean..?”
Mel laughs in surprise. “You really hadn’t realised?”
I shake my head forcefully my mouth still hanging open. “Yep my little demon magnet, I like girls.”
“Well fuck-a-duck!” I exclaim still in shock.
Mel wrinkles
her nose in response. “Ducks no, I think I’ll stick to girls.” This leads to us both falling about laughing. Who knew?
Once we have calmed down I return to our original topic of conversation. “So back to my dark eyed demon. Do I need to be worried?”
Mel shrugs. “So long as he doesn’t find out who you are and tell Lucifer then you should be okay. If he visits your dreams again though, tell me and I’ll look in my grimoire for a spell to block him out.”
That night we are all gathered together again in our house ready to portal back into Ireland. Drustan is the last to portal in and is once again dressed in human attire. His white blonde hair flows freely down his back and is enough to make most girls envious.
“So what dark wet field are we off to on a Saturday night?” Mel asks looking none too impressed with the plans for this evening. “I’m missing a great band in town for this.”
“You know where the door is.” Lorcen tells her pointing the way to her. Mel gives him her best brooding frown and ignores him.
“Tonight we are off to the hills of Uisneach.” Drustan informs us all.
“Sounds exciting.” Noah states his voice laced with sarcasm which earns him a grin from Melantha.
“You can stay behind with her if you want and keep her company.” Lorcen tells Noah and by her he is referring to Mel.
“Nah I’d hate to miss out on any potential fun. Besides you’d miss Mel.”
“Okay let’s cut the crap and get moving shall we.” Grinds out Blaine who is wearing a frown that could cause a storm.
I touch his arm. “Are you okay?”
He shrugs my hand off him and looks away from me. “I’m fine. I just want to get this done with.”
Noah whistles. “Well everyone is in a fine mood this evening. I feel like Snow White only all my dwarves are grumpy.”
Megan looks at him and smiles. “There were seven dwarfs, you know?”
Noah grins. “Yes smarty pants I know.“ He counts us all smiling and points at Hawkeye who eyes us all sleepily from where he is on the sofa. ”Seven, see.”
