The Two Kings (Afterlife Saga) Read online

  There, right in front of the dancing beauty, was an audience of great importance. The seats were made up completely of beds of rich crimson cushions. Gold bowls and pitchers were scattered around them ready for the picking. It was as if I had stepped back in time and I half expected to see Jasmine and Aladdin to be sat there. That would have been better than what I did find.

  Sophia was curled against Zagan while he whispered in her ear making her giggle. Vincent was also there with two beauties giving him every ounce of attention their bodies would allow. He was close to being covered completely by their legs alone. Even Celine and Takeshi were enjoying themselves in local company. But this is not what made my stomach lurch and tie into knots in seconds. This isn’t what made me want to cry out and run from the room with water filled eyes. No, it was none of these things, because there in the middle of it all was the King himself,

  There in another woman’s arms was Draven.

  Chapter 33

  Sophia’s Play Room.

  I froze in a numb stance that couldn’t believe what it was seeing. I had been having one of the worst nights of my life and here was my boyfriend in the arms of another looking more than comfortable. I wanted to scream. I wanted to throw my arms up in the air and shout “WHAT THE HELL!” But I didn’t do any of these things. After staring for a full five minutes I was finally noticed.

  Sophia’s eyes lifted from Zagan’s neck and found mine that were still locked in shock. I saw her mouth my name and knew that Draven would respond but I didn’t want to wait. I just wanted to run more than I ever had before and when I finally stopped running, I just wanted to cry until the end of time.

  I felt so betrayed. Like a cold slap of reality had finally reached my cheeks and the aftermath left a sickening metallic taste in my bitter mouth. I never saw Draven’s eyes but I knew they had found me. I, meanwhile, had turned around and ran from this nauseating room that was known as Sophia’s playroom. Well I found nothing playful about it, considering it held my biggest fears…Lies and betrayal!

  Draven’s lies. Draven’s betrayal.

  Part of me wanted to stay and wait for an explanation, to find out just how deep the lies ran, but I knew one look at him would open the flood gates to a never ending misery. Every time I closed my eyes I could see that exotic looking beauty draped across him like she was stating her claim. I kept shaking my head, like this was some sort of nightmare that felt far too real for me to cope with. I was actually hoping to see Lucius so then it would have been confirmed, but when I heard my name being called and the sound of footsteps getting closer I knew the horrible truth. I wasn’t dreaming.

  “Keira, damn it, wait!” It was Draven’s voice sounding more and more irritated with every step I took further from him but I knew my running was to be short lived. I quickly felt him grab me but I whirled round and pushed him back (well at least tried too!).

  “Just leave me alone!” I screamed out at him but I couldn’t look up at him when I said this. I turned back around, intending to storm off again but he had other ideas. He hadn’t even moved an inch from my pushing him, which had been like a cub scratching at a brick wall and expecting it come crashing down! He grabbed me this time by my shoulders and refused to let me go. I tried to struggle and worm my way out of his hold but he held me like bear.

  “Keira don’t struggle! Stop it!” He was shouting at me but this just added fuel to my jealous rage that was burning out of control.

  “Draven, LET GO!”

  “No, not until you listen to reason!” His voice made me want to shake with fear as his uncontrolled demon was coming through. His eyes started to glow purple and a vein pulsated in his jaw. I don’t know why, but in my head I thought this would be a good time to make things worse, and I wriggled my hands up to his chest and started pounding my fists against him as hard as I could.

  This didn’t hurt him, of course it didn’t, but it sure did make him angrier. He was trying to control me and grabbed my wrists with lightning speed. Although he held me by my arms, my body had other ideas and I pulled back with all my weight, which seemed to add nothing at all.

  “KEEP STILL GIRL!” His voice now growled with a demonic frustration and it shocked me into doing at I was told.

  “Is that it, do I have to scare you to get you to listen to me!” His eyes burned into me like they were filled with purple lava ready to bubble over and burn me. I just swallowed and fear filled tears started to swell up. He did soften slightly when he saw this but when he saw the cut on my cheek from the glass shard earlier, he saw red or more like purple again. His face went hard and his hands tightened their grip making it impossible to move any other way than how he wanted me.

  “Fine, you have your wish.” He then walked in front of me pulling me along like a child does a rag doll.

  “Draven, let me go!” I shouted out as it seemed to be easier when I wasn’t looking into his powerful eyes.

  “NO!... It’s always the hard way with you, isn’t it Keira? You wouldn’t just listen to me…No instead I have you acting like a wild cat that can’t be tamed!” I didn’t respond but I really wanted to say something that including scratching his eyes out but I knew that way would just result in more fury and his rage was far scarier than mine!

  He was taking me to his room as now I was back in familiar territory. We only had one more corner to turn and we would be at his door. I had gradually started to relax under his hold and as a result he had loosened his grip. I knew if I wanted to make my move it would have to be now or once in that room he wouldn’t let me leave until he saw fit. I had to act quickly or he would home into my thoughts and put a stop to it before I even had chance to take a breath.

  I counted to three and yanked my hand from his as hard as I could, taking him off guard. I was already facing the right way so all I had to do was sprint down the hall to the main doors.

  “Oh no you don’t, come here!” No surprises I didn’t get very far. I turned back as he spoke but by doing this I bumped right into his arms as he was standing in front of me ready to catch me. He swept me up into his arms kicking and screaming to be let down but he roughly pulled me into his body causing me to be still. He then kicked open his door making the hinges break and the wooden frame hang limply from the wall. As we passed through it I could hear him say something under his breath and I watched the door heal itself before slamming shut and sealing me in.

  He let go of me and I ran from him into a corner, panting like a small frightened animal. He too was breathing heavy and from what I knew about Draven, this was him trying to calm down. He had his back to me and it gave me a chance to wipe the tears from my cheeks. I wasn’t in the mood to let him see me crying and weak like the scared child I felt like.

  It was also the first time I noticed what he was wearing as he had changed from earlier. Before, he had been wearing black trousers with a pinstriped shirt without a tie. Now he was more casual in a tight black t-shirt that looked stretched to the limit around his tensed arms. His shoulders looked huge and indestructible, like he had spent his life chopping wood and carrying tree trunks over his shoulders.

  He went down into a V shape at the waist and his long legs were also hidden in black having not taken his trousers off from before. He looked frightening all in black and when I lost my nerves I also lost my gift. The next thing I knew, two massive wings erupted from his back as though there was an angel inside of him trying to burst through his golden skin.

  The wings took up a lot of space and seeing them inside a well lit room, made me want to go up and touch them. They were fascinating to watch. The way they moved with his body was so fluid and precise, as though the marriage between human and angel was so close to the thread, it was hard to believe they weren’t one and the same. Not the way I was seeing him now anyway.

  It had started with the wings but now the power had transformed his body into a demonic host that flowed to every visible piece of him. Purple veins lit up his strong body which had found a wall for bo
th hands to rest against in frustration. He hung his head down and was muttering to himself in a different language that sounded purely evil.

  “Sit down!” He ordered and when I pushed his buttons by saying no, he hit the wall making me jump.

  “SIT DOWN!” He shouted making me obey instantly. I placed myself on the edge of the bed and held onto the bed post with both arms like it would protect me from a demon’s wrath. The wall had crumbled under pressure in the shape of a fist. He turned his head and said with an eerie calm,

  “Thank you.”

  He then turned his body and simply wiped the wall’s stone dust from his knuckles that remained untouched and lifted a hand to the spot. The tiny particles scattered on the floor below all gathered in a little cloud and hovered its way back to the hole in the stone block. There they began to fuse back together and into the wall that was soon back to being whole again.

  Seeing Draven get angry was one thing, but seeing him in his true form getting angry is not something to ever forget. He seemed to get bigger with it and I wondered if the reason I could see him fighting that night in the forest was down to him increasing in size. He didn’t speak again until he had calmed and with him having time to control his emotions was enough time for me to control mine.

  I closed my eyes and placed a memory of the usual Draven in my mind. When I opened my eyes again he was back and it was, thankfully, easier to breath. He let out an exasperated sigh making me stand once more. I didn’t care if this set him off again, I wanted to be on equal grounds. I knew deep down that would never truly be, but the lie gave me more strength than the truth.

  We were both now stood staring at each other, having some sort of Mexican stand-off show down. It felt like we kept coming full circle instead of ever moving forward. Like something wasn’t right with us being together, some sort of imbalance the world was trying to correct. Why couldn’t we just be together without other people getting in the way…was I to blame with provoking the whole Justin thing. Was this my punishment?

  “Tell me what you’re thinking… please, it’s driving me near to insanity!” His desperation took me off guard. He came towards me slowly but stopped when I gestured for him to. At this he looked hurt.

  “Why?” This was the only reaction to his question I could find but this just made his features turn to a haughtiness I had never seen before, like it was an obvious answer everyone knew but me. He looked for a second like he was going to answer me but then thought better of it. Instead he changed the subject and pointed to my face, bringing me back to the night’s earlier horrors. The memory of Justin lying on the cold, wet ground, blind and frightened sprang back into my mind, generating a spark of anger into my already watery eyes.

  “What happened to you, did he do this? If he did....!” His fingers curled into fists causing his knuckles to crack and turn white, making the blood from his hands to drain away and flow straight back to a fiery heart.

  “You’ll what? Blind him again? Torture him or will you just out right turn to a cold blooded killer this time?”

  “The BOY did this to himself, he had a choice!” The word boy grated through his teeth like chalk on a black board.

  “Choice! What choice? ‘Cause I doubt he would have poisoned himself.”

  “I warned him what his actions would bring but this would have never had happened in the first place if you would have done what I asked. But oh no, not my girlfriend, not my Keira who always knows what is best!” For the first time I was seeing Draven’s mocking side and I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

  “I can take care of myself!” I said stubbornly and somehow by standing up and crossing my arms I was proving this.

  “Ah yes, because that has been proven so well in the past.” This was a cheap shot and he knew it, I could tell by the quick flash of guilt in his eyes that he tried to hide by looking down. His hair fell forward covering half of his face and after minutes of silence, he pushed it all back with both his hands and looked back up at me. He found me still shaking my head at him.

  “So you’re blaming me for tonight, am I hearing that right?” I cocked my head to one side trying to come across as confident but he didn’t seem convinced. Of course it didn’t help when I was pulling down at my sleeves nervously, which he noticed.

  “Partly yes… I tried to tell you of the boy’s intentions but, as usual, you would not hear of it. In the end I took matters into my own hands and decidedly knew how to protect what is mine.”

  “You’re trying to justify nearly killing someone just because they fancied your girlfriend?” I was expecting something more of a response than a simple shrug of the shoulders but no, that’s all I got!

  “The boy was in no danger, I take it the effects have worn off by now or you would be here accusing me of murder not just an attempt, which it wasn’t.”

  “Did it ever occur to you that I could handle it myself, without all your voodoo mumbo jumbo crap?”

  “Voodoo?” He almost smiled but instead, the corners of his mouth, although looking amused, did not quite make it to humour.

  “And how did you handle it may I ask, and be warned Keira, if this has anything to do with that mark on your cheek the boy will lose his head?” This was a serious threat that I didn’t dare mock.

  “I punched him!” I said holding my head high and realising that my chin was jutting out, I quickly lowered my head, which did make him smile. I soon understood this wasn’t because he was amused with my behaviour, it was down to pride. I met his eyes and they were staring at the evidence of my bruised hand, with a strange quirky grin like he was picturing me pulverising Justin’s body into a bloody pulp.

  “Let me see your hand!” He ordered, but instead I just looked down and started to pull the cuff of my sleeve over my hand to hide it away. That’s when I jumped and let out a surprised gasp at being touched. Draven had travelled across the room in a split second and was now pushing my sleeve back up my arm to inspect my hand further. He held my wrist firmly with one hand and the other soothed my purple knuckles with a warm touch that sent shivers up and down my spine.

  For a moment everything stopped. Nothing mattered anymore while Draven was touching me, it was like my world had paused and all that remained the same, was me and the man that owned my heart despite all the faults with our never ending circumstances. I closed my eyes and sighed, letting the memories of tonight fade away into the abyss of my mind. His movements were as delicate as a butterfly’s wings and his strength in the grip he still held around my wrist was fading too.

  I saw the night in stages. First the night at the club when my heart fluttered at the sight of Draven unusually coming down to claim me. Then the terrible ordeal with Justin’s kiss and what happened as a result of it. Then came the nightmarish eyes watching from afar, stalking in the night’s rain through a mist of dark fears that still remained. And finally being followed here, thus completing my crazy twisted evening. But then that wasn’t it…There was still the worst to come. There had been Draven in the arms of another! That bitter cold slap was back and forced me to pull my hand free and open my eyes.

  “So tell me, who is she?” I lifted my head and met his gaze head on in a fearless manner not even I was used to. His face went tense before relaxing into a smirk that I wanted to slap off him.

  “You’re jealous aren’t you?” He looked triumphant and laughed making me walk away from him, which instantly caused my body to grow cold from the distance.

  “What did you expect, of course I bloody am?” I shouted without looking back.

  “Good! Then you have some small shred of comprehension as to how I feel. Welcome to my world Keira, I can already see that you can’t deal with it any better than I!” He wasn’t laughing anymore and now it was his turn to fold his arms but across his expansive chest it had more magnitude when he did it.

  It was with these words that I realised I was the one to blame. I had unknowingly caused all of tonight’s actions to go spiralling out of control.
If I had just done what Draven had asked me to begin with, none of this would have happened. If, when I got that text message, I had just excused myself and walked up to the VIP area then Draven wouldn’t have felt like he to go to such lengths to prevent something he knew would happen.

  I knew as well as Draven, of Justin’s affections for me, but I pushed it and pushed it, pretending it not to be true. I had been playing with fire from the moment I set foot into the club with another boy and I let Draven just stand there and watch…what had I been thinking?

  “You planned it? You knew I would come back to the club and you sent Aurora to be there to lead me into Sophia’s playroom. You knew I was there watching didn’t you?”

  “I felt you as soon as you entered the building. I had everyone assembled in Sophia’s room and let the party commence. I knew the added touch of having Aurora be your guide would enhance my point.” For the first time tonight he looked tired and relieved, like he had given up the good fight and walked away with no prize in sight. He had achieved his goal but without the slightest satisfaction.

  “It was all an act?” I asked timidly.

  “Of course it was! Keira I needed to prove my point, I needed you to see, to feel, to taste the bitter sting of jealously and fear that I was losing you to another. Do you understand?” I nodded and let a single tear roll down my cheek which was filled with remorse and guilt.

  “Why are you crying?” He asked softly turning full circle to where we had started this conversation.

  “Because, I am ashamed of myself.” I said, letting my emotions bubble up my throat and soon tears followed the invisible road on my cheeks. One tear stung my little cut thanks to the salty droplet running over to the side. I quickly looked down letting them now find home on the floor, when I felt strong hands wipe them free and gently push my face upwards to look at him.

  “That makes two of us.” Then like a child I buried my head into his chest and flung my arms around him making him hold me while I let all my emotions out onto the material that covered his solid chest. The feel of his hand smoothing the back of my head and down my neck soon calmed me.