The Two Kings (Afterlife Saga) Read online

  The others then arrived and Jack got Chaz’s attention and we went over to sit in a booth. Justin made a bee line for me and ended up in between me and RJ. Jack then sat opposite me and gave me a smile that said, “I feel your pain”. I mouthed a thank you at him when no one was looking. The night seemed to drag on and on, which made it near impossible to relax, knowing I still had hours until I could give in to what I really wanted to do.

  “So where is the Prince of Darkness this evening?” Lanie asked as she snuggled up to Drew, who she had started dating not long after I had arrived here. Drew was RJ’s best friend from childhood so she had a few issues when she had found out and took a while to adjust but thankfully she was now cool with it.

  “Yeah, are we too beneath him to warrant an introduction?” Justin said spitefully and Jack’s peaceful face turned deadly, but I butted in before anyone could say anything.

  “Below the belt there Justin, he knows that I’m having a night with my friends and he doesn’t want to intrude, that’s all.”

  “Yeah and it’s nice that he’s been letting the bar give us all free drinks all night.” Lanie said as she pushed her glasses back up her nose and looked to Drew for back up. But it was Jack who spoke up for him.

  “Yes he has and if I were you I would judge on what you know rather than that on what you clearly don’t!” Jack and Justin then had a staring match, which if I could’ve had money on, I would have picked Jack every time. His ‘boy next door’ charm had turned into something protectively lethal.

  “Chill out Bro, he was just kidding around, weren’t you Justin?” RJ came in and saved the day and when Justin didn’t respond, she nudged him and gave him a look to back down.

  “Sure, why not?” He said dipped in smugness. OK, so Jack and Justin would never be sporting buddies but Justin didn’t strike me as the type that shared his toys or conquests, which incidentally is what he classed me as. Not long after, I got up to use the bathroom and RJ came with me.

  “Ok... so what was all that about?” She asked as soon as the other girls had left the bathroom. We both stood at the basins that were covered in expensive gold leaf and held up with twisted iron. The gilded mirror showed two very different friends having a discussion about two very different boys.

  “I don’t know what Justin’s problem is but it’s not about Jack.”

  “Well durr, it’s about Dominic Draven that’s who! Oh, come on Keira, you can be so naïve sometimes. It obvious that Justin’s got a major thing for you and the Dark Prince is in the way.”

  “I wish people would stop calling him that.”

  “Are you kidding, that’s the shortened version, it’s normally ‘The Dark Prince of Hotness’ but we shorten it out of respect.” I couldn’t help but laugh and when she started to join in, we were giggling like a couple of schoolyard teenagers.

  “Look, I know you will hate me for saying this but he kind of has a point, he has never come down to meet us…I mean, don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I’m expecting him to come down and kick it with us or anything but it would be nice to at least meet the guy.” What could I say to that? If they only knew the truth, would they want to meet him then? I was about to answer, when a noise from one of the cubicles startled us.

  “Is someone…?” Just before she could finish, a girl emerged from behind a door and came to stand next to us. I knew instantly it was Draven. There was a flash of purple that RJ couldn’t see and my heart dropped. Had he heard everything? I started to replay our conversation over and over like a broken record that was now counted as evidence.

  The girl finished washing her hands and I looked over to RJ who was putting on another layer of thick black lines under and above her eyes when something happened. The water that I had been running stopped…no that’s not quite right, not just stopped but froze.

  It was as if this was a video being played and someone just hit the pause button. I looked to my right and RJ had frozen, still holding the eyeliner close to her lid. She was pulling a funny face like most girls do when trying to straighten their faces so that the makeup would somehow be applied better.

  I then turned slowly to my left and found that only I and the girl were running in true time.

  “Ah crap!” I said making the girl laugh.

  “Hi Keira.” The girl said sweetly and I knew Draven was having far too much fun with my reaction.

  “Hi,” I said with an unimpressed edge to my voice and this just made the poor vessel Draven was using smile.

  “If I was you sweetheart, I would check my phone, you never know who wants you…your attention!” she corrected herself or was it, he corrected himself?

  “Draven you can’t jus…” I started to object to him being here but by the time I turned back to face him, the girl was gone.

  “Hey, are you ok?” RJ asked back in full swing of real time and full of concern at my pale, confused face.

  We finished in the bathroom and made our way through the crowd when I decided to hang back and check my phone…

  “Don’t keep me waiting Keira, or I will have to come and get you. See you soon.” Dominic

  GULP!

  Chapter 30

  Coming to Get Me.

  I was still in shock that he had gone to those lengths just to get my attention. RJ kept looking behind her making sure I hadn’t gotten lost in the crowd. Bless her, she didn’t know my half functioning state was due to just meeting my boyfriend in the girl’s toilets in the form of a blue haired nineteen year old girl with braces and furry boots.

  I think that one would throw anyone off their game. I kept walking towards the booth but jumped when a hand came out of a bunch of dancing bodies which turned out to be my friends. The hand belonged to Justin who was determined to make me stay and dance.

  “Hey, there you are. I was looking for you.” I was about to pull my arm away and walk back to the booth where Jack and Chaz were still chatting but he gripped me tighter.

  “Dance!” He urged but I was still mad at him for being a jerk.

  “Why, have you grown up in the past ten minutes?” I asked sarcastically.

  “Look, I’m sorry about before, I was being a Jack arse…forgive me?” He started to plead with hands together praying but when I didn’t respond he made it worse by getting on his knees in front of everyone. This was causing a scene, so I grabbed his arm and pulled him up.

  “Ok, ok, but just one dance.” I found myself whispering it, like this would somehow help. I could tell he wanted to dance one on one but I made it a group effort which thankfully RJ understood and got in between us as much as she could. I would have to remember to thank her later. Unfortunately though it didn’t last long enough to warrant thanks as she was quickly distracted by a tall Goth in army boots and a hacked off look. She went in for the kill and left me and Justin to dance with the couple, Lanie and Drew, who were currently making out.

  “So, how did I do?” He leaned in to ask, sending a whiff of aftershave, mixed with salt water that smelt so fresh you could have almost swam in it.

  “Huh!” I said looking round only half listening.

  “You know… earlier, when I covered up my age.”

  “Oh that, yeah that was great…I’m mean really great. I guess I should have warned you that no one here really knows about me…well apart from Jack that is.” His smile quickly turned sour at the mention of his new nemesis.

  “Oh, that surprises me.” He tried to play it cool but I was having none of it.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked with a distinct protective tone that made my voice deeper.

  “Just that he doesn’t strike me as the type you could trust, but it could be his ulterior motive keeping him quiet.” This actually made me stamp my foot and the look he gave me, made me feel like I was an endearing spoilt little girl, which didn’t help my mood!

  “You don’t know anything about him! And while we’re on ulterior motives, what exactly are yours, why are you playing this game? I just do
n’t understand!”

  “Isn’t it obvious? I don’t want to upset you Keira, I really don’t, but it’s so frustrating being around you when all I want to do is…” He never got to finish his sentence because every person in the room was now staring at us, making his words die away into the club’s atmosphere. Even the music had ceased, making the only noise gasps from excited onlookers.

  I turned to see RJ showing her tonsils as her mouth hung to her chin. She wasn’t the only one sporting this look and finally I looked in the direction everyone else was fixated on, only to find myself doing the same thing. The only face that didn’t match the rest of the room was Justin’s.

  “Excuse me while I just steal my girlfriend away.” Draven’s powerful voice cut through the whispering room like a judge delivering his sentence. I found I had forgotten how to breathe, along with every other girl in the club. Justin looked like a little boy in the sand box after being pushed down by the bigger kid, meanwhile Draven barely even acknowledged his existence, which just made Justin’s hate burn with an even brighter flame.

  He didn’t wait for his answer but instead took me gently by the arm and led me to the bar, along with every eye in the building. I don’t know how but I knew Sophia was watching all this from above and giggling her little demon heart out! He only looked back once to stare at the band, which quickly started back up again as though being secretly commanded to. This seemed to break the spell and once again the room began to dance to the new club beat.

  Once we got to the bar, Draven only had to nod at Mike to get him to move into action. Jerry quickly ran to his side and was about to take over, when Draven spoke.

  “Mike, isn’t it?” Mike, bless him, could only manage a head bob in return. Jerry backed away, taking Draven’s look for code and therefore letting Mike serve us.

  “The lady would like a coke and I will have a Corona.” He ordered the drinks with ease and perfect manners, not like I was used to seeing in the VIP. Don’t get me wrong, he was never rude but there was always a clear cut masterful tone with everything he ordered, although now he was acting like just another regular. Except he wasn’t fooling anyone…everyone in here knew who he was. You could see the gossip travelling amongst the club like a freight train.

  Mike brought our drinks over, only mine had lost a bit on the way due to trembling hands, which made a little tune on account of ice tapping against the glass.

  “Thank you. Now be sure to get one for yourself.”

  “Yes…Sir, Thank you…Mr Draven…Sir.” He stammered out before moving to the other end of the bar to breathe.

  “Cheers!” He said tapping the side of my glass with the bottle neck. I had never seen him drink a bottle of beer before, so it looked a little foreign in his large hand. He wore an amused look, by which I could tell that he was enjoying my shock. He leaned into my ear and moved a stray piece of hair before whispering his thoughts, or more like mine.

  “You didn’t think I would do it, did you?” His cheeky smile made my heart flutter and I smiled with him.

  “No I didn’t but I’m glad you did.”

  “Why, did you miss me on your date with the human boy?” He teased and I bit my lip.

  “Firstly, you know it wasn’t a date and secondly…I always miss you.” At this he did something unthinkable in front all these people and I didn’t know whether I wanted to cry out with shame or bliss! He had grabbed the back of my head with one palm and turned it aside to kiss me. The whole room seem to gasp at the same time making it sound like a surge.

  “Ah, that’s better. Now you’d better introduce me to your friends because the pink one is trying to refrain from running to the bar just to shake my hand.” He turned just in time to look down at RJ, who looked close to hyperventilating.

  “And you must be RJ?” His smooth tone had her instantly hypnotised into falling in deep and it took me back to the days when I had felt the same. It was like being pulled under the waters of a dark lagoon and knowing that you should try and swim to the surface but just don’t want to…you just wanted to drown in him.

  “Y…You know my…name!” She snorted out like she was meeting a celebrity.

  “Keira has told me all about you and, being one of her closest friends, I’m sorry I haven’t met you sooner.” Oh jeez that did it, now she wanted his babies! For once she was speechless. Which was a monumental day in itself. That, along with a Draven coming down to spend time with the common folk.

  “Oh that’s alright, Keira had said how busy you are and we all appreciate all that you do for our little town.” I don’t know why but her eyes kept fluttering like something was in them. Anyway, this had quickly become a change of tune, it wasn’t long ago she was singing to Justin’s little jealous beat. Now what? Had she had joined cheerleader for the Dravens of Afterlife.

  “Can I get you a drink?”

  “That’s very kind…thank you.” Ok, this was getting weird now, like pod people had come and switched RJ with a quiet, polite, carbon copy just to try and impress Draven their leader. Draven was clearly waiting to find out what liquid form she wanted but she just stood there looking up like he was her new Gothic God.

  “Bloody hell RJ, this is the part where you tell him what you want to drink!” I said with a little overload on the attitude. I just couldn’t help it, she was acting like someone I had never even met, a band groupie I could take but sister Rachael Jane, soon to join the church, becoming the first Goth fairy nun…Oh no!

  Draven looked down at me like I was the one acting out of character but I ignored him as what I had said seemed to have taken effect.

  “Alright snappy McGee!! What are you drinking then?” Hail Mary, she was back! I smiled and shook my coke in answer.

  “Well, that’s not much fun.” She noted and had undeniably relaxed enough to drop the innocent act in front of Draven.

  “No, but neither is getting wrapped around a tree…I’m driving.”

  “She wouldn’t understand that, seeing as I’m the responsible one in the family.” Jack said as he came up behind her, seeing us on his way to the bathroom. He laid two hands on either side of her shoulders as he spoke and I was expecting there to be animosity in his tone but he seemed his usual happy self even though he was now faced with Draven.

  “Mr Draven!” He said adding a nod in his direction making me think tonight I had somehow entered the twilight zone. Ok, now it was official, Draven was extending his hand to him and saying,

  “Please call me Dom,” meaning I was in the Twilight zone, only the kind where everyone is happy and getting along with one another. I was just about close to singing the Sound of Music, Julie Andrews’s style when my bliss filled cup smashed to the floor with the sight of Justin stomping his way over. I think Draven and Jack both frowned at the same time. I mean could this night get any weirder?!

  “So this is the famous Dominic Draven then?” Justin spat out, making the cool exterior he was trying for, look like a puddle of misery. It was funny then, that Jack was the one to react first and slapped him on the back while saying,

  “Sure is buddy and Dom, this here is Justin, he’s just such a swell guy!” He said sarcastically before giving a respectful nod to Draven and walking off into the crowd. Meanwhile Justin looked like he was about to turn red from rage and start choking on his tongue.

  “Well, we didn’t think you were going to show up… did we Kazzy?” This wasn’t helping my mental health I will tell you, it was like wishing for an outer body experience just so that I could kick Justin in the shins to shut him up. What was even more surprising is that Draven seemed to be amused by the whole thing, not the eternal wrath I was expecting.

  “Ah, well that’s surprising because Keira knows I always keep my word and I’m always watching over her.” A little hint of the usual protective Draven burst through and Justin knew he had hit a nerve.

  “A little paranoid aren’t we…what’s the matter? Worried someone will come and steal her away from you?”

 
; “JUSTIN, that’s enough!” I said giving him a severe scowl. But Draven merely laughed.

  “I’d love to see them try for a start but I think you missed the point. Being protective and being jealous are two very different things.”

  “Oh yeah, how’s that then?” Justin baited.

  “One is essential, the other is pointless. My protective side I welcome.”

  “And jealously, do you welcome that too?” It was like watching a tennis ball being flung back and to. RJ and I were in the middle, still looking from one to the other like mutes.

  “NO, I conquer it. Drink?” He turned abruptly to the bar and Justin foolishly looked smug, as if he had won this round but I knew differently. I was the only one who caught the purple glint of anger in his eyes, that’s why he had turned…to control the beast within, the beast that wanted to tear into Justin’s vital organs!

  “I will have a shot of something.” Piped up RJ and I was about to protest knowing how she gets when she has one too many but Justin interrupted.

  “I think I will join you. Draven, you game?”

  “Always!” The way he answered made me shiver with a hidden fear. It was the way he said it, like it was a game of life and death he was sporting. He was a chillingly lethal mix of perfect calm and Mt. Vesuvius and like Italy, nobody wants to be around when either erupts!

  “So, what we having big guy?” Justin asked with a distinctive lack of respect in the way he called him ‘Big guy’, like it was meant as an insult.

  “What about tequila?” I piped up trying to lighten the situation. It didn’t work but it at least made Draven smile at me like I was sweet.

  “I was thinking something a bit more…exotic.” The smile he wore for me soon turned into one of cunning.

  “Ooo, that sounds exciting.” RJ clapped her hands together making the chunky metal rings clash.

  “What do you have in mind?” She continued. Justin just rolled his eyes like he was bored of RJ drooling over Draven. Rather that or he was jealous that he was no longer RJ’s flavour of the month.