Swallowing hard, I pushed away the hanging discomfort that loomed over me and adjusted my wilting posture.
“Oh, no, no sir. That was my mistake,” Mags bit her lip and ran a flirty finger over his jawline. “Actually, not a mistake at all.”
I shrivelled my face in disgust. I need a drink.
“You girls feeling okay? Do you need water?” he asked.
As I attempted to tear my eyes away from him, I noticed he had a nametag. “You work here?” I questioned.
He kept an arm around Mags, but not in a creepy way. More like a trying to keep her stable way, which eased up my wandering mind for a moment.
“Oh, yeah. I work at the blackjack tables over there. Siles Killian,” he extended a hand to me, flashing a set of pearly white teeth.
Before I could shake his hand, Mags stepped in front of me and threw her arms around his neck. “Maggie Lake Harthrow, do not forget that name Mr. Killian!”
She stumbled back into me and stuck a pointy finger in her mouth, barely balancing on her heels. “Mr. Killian, can you point me to the direction of the club?” she purred.
He chuckled and stepped to the side. “I’m actually just about done my shift. I can take you girls there if you want? Just give me two minutes.”
“Oh! Yes, we’ll wait right here.” She grinned, taking a seat on one of the leather poker chairs.
I watched Siles jog off behind the slot machines and disappear into a staff room. My buzz was fading quicker than I anticipated, but I gave it no thought. The only thing that seemed to plague my mind was the mysterious Siles Killian. Even though he was gone, I somehow didn’t feel the absence of his company.
I chewed on my bottom lip, pulling my hair out of its ponytail. “Mags, we don’t even know this guy.” I tried staying rational. At least one of us was.
She placed her finger over my lips and slumped down on the chair. “He’s cute, we’re keeping him.”
A few minutes passed and Siles returned, coming up behind me with two mini water bottles and a set of keys.
“She okay?” he asked, handing me a bottle. The brush of his cold fingertips sent a chill down my spine.
“Thanks,” I replied tensely. “Yeah, she just had way too much.”
His snake-like stare narrowed, and though he wore a smile, his eyes told a different story. “Good thing you’re here,” he whispered. “You know, to take care of her.”
I clenched my jaw, digging my nails into the cracks of my palm. Goosebumps covered my skin like icicles, piercing my flesh. The heavy tension weighed between us and I didn’t dare move. I examined him, just as he examined me. But what am I looking for…
In an instant, Mags sprung to her feet and grabbed hold of Siles’ hand. “Are we just going to stand around talking or are we going to dance?” She giggled, googly-eying Siles like he was candy.
We exchanged one last heavy glance, then he ripped his eyes away from mine. “I choose dancing,” he smirked.
Siles led us through a winding web of tables and crowds. I couldn’t fathom how much money was being tossed down the drain by people who thought Lamborghinis were affordable. A distant boom echoed through my ears as we approached the front of a massive glass door. Inside, a bevy of coloured strobe lights bounced off the walls and rotated on the ceiling like propellers.
A Latin song blasted through the air while bodies of women and men bumped and grinded to the energetic beats. Two caged pole dancers were side by side in the middle of the room, and a large L shaped bar glowed luminescent in the corner.
Toeing further into the club, a sense of euphoria eased my weary state of my mind. A group of drunk girls wearing neon necklaces pulled us into the belly of the crowd, dancing against each other without a care in the world. I want that to be me.
Mags turned my hips to face her, wrapping her arms around my neck while Siles disappeared into the crowd.
“Let’s dance baby!” she screamed over the music, pushing her bottom into a random guy.
Have fun… Have fun! My voice insisted. It’s your night… Let go.
“Screw it,” I smiled. And I danced.
◆◆◆
After what felt like hours of twirling, grinding and spinning, my feet felt numb, and I knew what kind of blistery crime scene awaited me once I took my heels off. I drank enough at the club to maintain my buzz for a couple of hours, but it began to wear off by the second. These stupid shoes! I pushed through the crowd and leaned against the wall, checking the time: 1:14am.
Mags and Siles were still centered in the middle of the dance floor, making out like no tomorrow. I was happy for her, now that she was finally being single. But I still couldn’t shake that weird feeling for the life of me. You don’t even know the guy Maya, cut him some slack.
When Siles grabbed Mags by her thighs, lifting her up around his torso, I thought it was time to look away. Ew. I rubbed my eyes, peering down at my ring once again, the red glow still radiating. Is this thing defective?
I shook my head and waved my hands in the air, yelling to Mags. “Hey, I think we should head out, it’s getting late!”
She gave me a thumbs up but continued to grind on Siles, laced around his body like entwined vines. My eyes travelled up his silhouette, meeting his gaze. His green eyes burned into mine, and he flashed me a coy smile as he wrapped his arms tighter around Mags’ middle.
My heart bounced in my chest as he continued to feel every inch of her body, watching me with a feral expression. I wanted to say something, anything, but the words died in my throat. You’re drunk, he’s drunk, it’s in your head… Yeah, that’s it.
His hands gripped at Mags’ dress and for a second, I could have sworn his green eyes blurred into a different color. A darker green maybe? I narrowed my stare, attempting to get a better look, but only then did I wish I hadn’t.
Through the neon lights, the horde of bodies and the encompassing darkness, his shifty eyes were clear as day.
His eyes were crimson red.
Chapter 9
Arc Royale, Present Night
Go get some air… You’ve had too much to drink.
I had to rationalize it to myself, I had to. If not, who would? I know what I saw, I couldn’t have mistaken it for any other color. They were red.
When I turned to look at him again, his eyes were that familiar grass-green… only there was nothing familiar about them.
I managed to capture Mags’ attention and pointed to the entrance of the club, crossing my hands over my legs. Whenever we were out, Mags and I used that as a signal to use the restroom. And once again, she threw her hand up and waved at me to go, but didn’t follow.
The cool levelled air was refreshing upon exiting the club. My ears rang faintly and the booming music faded into the distance the further I walked. I took in a breath, feeling surprisingly calm now that I was out of that crammed cube and away from… him.
I pulled out my phone to check the Uber cost. I was just about done with this night. But my phone wouldn’t turn on. I pressed hard on the power button, but nothing. Completely dead. Black screen. I’m so screwed. Of course I forgot a charger too. I had one too many scary instances taking taxis, so that was out of the question, and my dad was surely asleep by now. Think Maya, think.
I decided to walk around the area and ask people if they had a charger I could borrow. Of course, every single person shook their head. I knew damn well they were lying, but I still carried on. Snobs.
I rummaged through my purse, checking all the little zipper compartments to see if I could find a spare phone cord. Maybe that way I could –
“Watch it!” I said, bumping into a hard frame. The contents of my purse poured out onto the red velvet carpet. Are you serious? As I bent down to pick them up, a familiar tone sent my nerves spiralling.
“Maya?”
I stopped dead in my tracks, gripping my lip-gloss tightly. There’s no way. My eyes began at his shoes, slowly moving upwards until I met his shaded grey eyes. I swallowed hard,
unable to comprehend the fact that he was standing right in front of me. “Beau?”
A crisp laugh rose from his throat. “We have got to stop meeting like this.” He bent down and picked up the mini water bottle Siles had given me. “Interesting size,” he smirked, insinuating a dirty joke.
I swatted it out of his grasp, shoving the rest of my things into my purse. “What the hell are you doing here?”
He ran his hands up and down his all black attire. “I work here. What are you doing in that dress?” He took a step back and eyed me like a doll on display. “Not that I’m complaining.”
I rolled my eyes, forcing an attitude. “It’s my birthday. Well, was.”
The corner of his mouth lifted to a smile as he rubbed the stubble on his jawline, not taking his eyes off me. “Well, you certainly look the part. Happy birthday.”
I scoffed and avoided eye contact. Of course, Beau worked at the one place I was having my birthday at. Of course, the one night it was acceptable to make mistakes, I couldn’t, because of Beau Gabriel. I didn’t want to let my guard down around him, I couldn’t. What would he do if I did? Would he stomp on my heart like it meant nothing? Why are you thinking about this?
“Why so glum?” Beau asked, sucking me out of my own head.
“I’m not glum.” I lied.
Of course I was. My feet hurt, Mags was fawning over some strange man, and worst of all, the one person who never left my mind stood right in front of me, eyeing me with intrigue.
I almost wanted to forget him completely, at least for the night. With all the strange coincidences that seemed to have brought us together, I thought maybe tonight, I could just remember me. I could remember what I was like before I’d met Beau.
I looked down at my phone and sighed, pushing away all of my trivial thoughts. “I need a charger, do you have one?” I asked, bluntly.
There was no way of telling how long I’d been gone for since my phone had died, but I knew I had to get back to Mags. There was something off about Siles that I couldn’t put my finger on, and I left her alone with him. If my gut was right on this one, then I needed to save her quick.
“In my car, yeah. Do you need a ride?”
Thoughts of sitting next to Beau in the passenger seat resurfaced in my brain. The warmth in his car, an intoxicating smell of pine and mint engulfing my sinuses. No, not again. I crossed my arms. “No,” I finally responded.
“Well,” he chuckled, “I bid you good luck getting home.” He took a step forward, positioning himself directly in front of me. Lifting two fingers, he dusted a loose strand of hair from my face, a slight grin forming at the corner of his mouth. “Better.”
I stood still, cemented to the ground beneath me. I dug my nails into my palm, sweaty from his touch. A million thoughts raced in my head, but I couldn’t focus on any of them.
He walked past me, nodding once. His grey eyes burned into mine with satisfaction. “Get home safe.”
Before I could stop myself, I reached out to grab his arm. He turned to me with a coy expression, lifting his eyebrows.
I hated the fact that he was standing in front of me, waiting for me to ask him for the ride he had already offered. I hated that he made my heart flutter, even though I hardly knew anything about him. He was a complete and utter anomaly, but yet when I was around Beau, I felt safe. I couldn’t lie to myself any longer, I wanted to be around him – and the universe seemed to be giving me exactly that.
I inhaled a deep breath and kept my posture erect. “It’s a free ride,” I released, acting unfazed. “So yeah, you can drive me home.”
“I thought you’d never ask.” He snickered, bowing playfully.
“But we have to get Mags first. She’s still in the club.”
He pursed his lips and glanced at his watch. “I’m cut in five minutes. Go get her and meet me here, sound good?”
I nodded and watched him run off to a poker table, slapping the shoulder of one of his coworkers. I caught myself analyzing the contours of his silhouette, admiring the black on black attire he wore that hugged his muscular frame like second skin. A sharp pain stunted my senses, and I realized I had been biting my lip. Ew, no. Ew.
By the time I had reached the club, most people were leaving. I shoved past the crowd and made my way to the dance floor that was covered in confetti streamers and glitter. The lights were already dimmed to a jaune hue and the DJ was packing up his equipment. No sign of Mags.
I grew fidgety, scouting the perimeter, running back and forth from the inside and outside of the club. No Mags.
“Mags?” I yelled out to the remaining people shuffling away to the door. “Mags!”
Oh, no, no, no. My phone was dead, I couldn’t even contact her. This is bad, this is really freaking bad. If only she wasn’t drunk and my phone was fully charged. But… I left her. I left her with a complete stranger, in a foreign environment filled with people. Oh you idiot!
I ran up to the DJ and slapped my shaky palm on the wooden booth. “Have you seen a girl with blonde hair and a red dress?”
He scratched at his bald head in annoyance. “Try fifty blonde girls in red dresses.”
Oh my God, I can’t believe this is happening! “She, uh she was dancing with a guy! He works here! Blonde, tall, all black outfit – Siles. His name is Siles!”
“Sorry.” He shrugged.
Damnit! I wanted to scream, darting my eyes around the near empty room. Beau trotted through the glass door with his black peacoat, holding car keys and a backpack.
“Did you see Mags?” I demanded, running past him. “She’s blonde, wore red, she –”
He grabbed hold of my arm and pulled me in front of him. “Hey, whoa, hey. What’s wrong?”
The warmth of Beau’s touch slowly levelled me back to reality. He pulled up the strap of my dress and rubbed his thumb gently against my collarbone. I could have melted at the gesture if it weren’t for my best friend being lost and inebriated in the possession of a stranger.
And the anxiety is back. “I looked everywhere, I can’t find her, I can’t find Mags. She’s just gone.” I talked through panic breaths, rubbing my temples. “I wasn’t even gone that long Beau, I –”
“It’s okay, sh.” He gripped tightly of my hand, intertwining our fingers. Tiny tingles erupted underneath my skin. “She’s probably somewhere in the casino. We’ll find her.”
But we didn’t find her. Beau and I scouted the entire place for over half an hour and she was nowhere to be found.
“This is insane. She wouldn’t just leave.” I let out a sigh of exasperation, scraping my scalp.
Beau stood silent for a few moments, then nudged for me to follow him. We walked past rows of slot machines until we reached a door that read: MAINTENANCE.
He pulled out a set of jangly keys from his back pocket and looked both ways before entering. The tiny, congested room was filled with TV’s and cameras.
“Shut the door.” He said, typing away on a computer.
I did as I was told and looked at the monitors. “Are you even allowed in here?” I asked, nervously.
“Perks of being liked,” he winked.
I rolled my eyes and sat behind him, gnawing at my lip. All I could think about was Mags. She couldn’t have gone far. How did I not see her leave? She would’ve had to walk past me, no?
“What time did you leave the club?” he asked, adjusting the security footage times.
I rubbed my temples, retracing my timeline. I remember pulling out my phone when I got tired of dancing, when I watched Siles practically screw my best friend on the center floor. I grimaced, shoving the memory as far down as possible. “Uh, around 1:15 I think.”
He scrolled through the camera recordings and set the time from 1:15 onward. The video footage showed several minutes of people dancing… and then I saw Mags.
“There, stop!” I exclaimed.
Mags was leaving the club, hand in hand with Siles. As they were walking out, Siles seemed to have looked directly
at the camera and… smiled? What the hell? My eyes have got to stop playing tricks on me.
So, that’s it then. She was with Siles. She left me, to sleep with some random guy she didn’t know. Impossible. She never would have done that, she never has. That isn’t Mags.
Beau leaned back on his chair, pointing to the screen. “Who is that guy?”
I bit down hard on my bottom teeth, attempting to control the betrayal of being abandoned by my best friend, without warning, on my birthday. “I should be asking you that. You work with him.” I scoffed.
It didn’t make any sense. If she wanted to leave with him, why didn’t she tell me when I was there? She left only minutes after I did. She must have talked about it with him at some point… and just forgot to mention it.
Beau turned his head to me, narrowing his eyes. “Maya,” he said, concerned. “Did he tell you he works here?”
“Yeah?” I responded bitterly, leaning up from my seat. “Why?”
He bit the inside of his cheeks and looked at the monitor once again, shaking his head. “I don’t just work at the tables, I work in management. Look, I know everyone who works here.”
A hollow pit formed in my stomach and I knew I wasn’t going to like what he had to say. “And?”
He let out a deep breath and stared into my eyes, his jaw twitching. “Maya, whoever that is… he doesn’t work here.”
Chapter 10
Hell
“Faster,” Marina moaned. “Baby, faster!”
The screams of condemned souls rang loudly through the heated air. Hell fire painted the walls of the onyx cave, mighty and ardent.
Siles huffed into her red hair. “How do you like that?”
Their deafening whines went on for a few more minutes until Marina got irritated and shoved him off of her.
“Boring.” She spat.
Marina was a succubus: a female demon who appeared in dreams to seduce, usually men. If said person was riddled with mortal sin, the succubus would be able to control them with just one kiss. Siles was the same, an incubus who too, possessed this ability.
The Gates of Gabriel Page 6
