The Two Kings (Afterlife Saga) (120 page)

“You thought wrong
.
” He winked again and his eyes flashed a bright blue that was startling to witness. It was like I was watching the waves of the ocean through his eyes. 

“Let’s see what we can do about this lip of yours
.
” I couldn’t help but take a step back but I quickly found I
had
nowhere to go. I couldn’t help my reaction. I mean
,
having Vincent so close to my neck was one thing
,
but my lips! My mind kept going back to that night when we had kissed and my heart thundered in my chest.

“I think it will be fine
.
” I said quickly causing a bad boy grin to invade his lips...ok so I take it back, they obviously did have a few things in common.

“Normally
,
I would agree with you
,
but considering how much you bite your lip when nervous I don’t think it would last the night. And from what I have gathered for myself, I do believe my brother is fond of those lips of yours.” Ok
,
so now I was beetroot red.

“You shouldn’t be flirting with me
.
” I bravely said and he raised one blonde, amused eyebrow at me.

“Me flirting? I am shocked you think this, I was merel
y stating facts that’s
all. Besides....Angels don’t flirt
.
” He was now teasing me and I tried not to smile at his playfulness.

“Oh no? I guess they don’t bullshit either
.
” I was now sporting a full on smirk after that come back and he was trying very hard not to do the same.

“But of course not, that wouldn’t be very angelic of me now
, would it?
Of course my father is a Demon so I am bound to have a streak or two
.
” He winked again and took a deciding step closer.

“Now stop stalling and let’s fix you up before Dom gets anxious about your whereabouts.” He sounded both seriously demanding and vivacious at the same time. Whichever he meant
,
I did as I was told.

“Close your eyes,” h
e ordered gently and as soon as I did so, his palm covered my left eye which I gathered was the bruised one. He didn’t apply much pressure but I could feel the heat building
,
making little beads of sweat form on my forehead. It was stranger than the sensation had been on my neck, like some deep heated therapy was being used. Then I noticed his head had moved very close to mine as I could feel his breath on my cheek. This time we weren’t inches away but millimeters. One small action from either of us and we would be touching.

I started to see red spots behind my eyes and as if I had told him so
,
the feeling of heat stopped and his hand moved away allowing my skin to breathe
in
the cool night air again. He might have moved his hand away but his lips were now directly over my own and I was terrified if I moved, even one tiny muscle, there would be contact. The tension of our situation was building like a tightly wound mechanical toy and any second one of us would let go and allow it’s in built reaction to be released.

“Don’t move. Hold very still for a moment as this might feel strange
.
” Strange! This whole night couldn’t get any stranger! Here I was, after just beating the crap out of my cousin, outside on a magically lit hallway with my boyfriend
’
s brother who is so close to kissing me, it felt strangely right amongst a night full of so wrong.

NO! I couldn’t think
like that, what was I thinking
? It was just f
rom the effect of all this craziness
in
the air, that’s all, nothing t
o it! 

I was still mentally scolding myself when I felt the same cold air hit my lips with the force that felt like the pressure of his lips. I flinched when it happened and Vincent’s hands whipped out faster than my action and grabbed the tops of my arms to hold me still. His lips hung over mine like a tempting well to a dying man that just wanted to drown in its cool liquid. I could smell them and almost taste the air that pa
ssed
over them. It was sweet like honey and cold like an ice cube had just been held to my mouth to suck. I even had to resist the urge to do so. Minutes seemed frozen and it felt like I was lost in a labyrinth of time.

“There, all better... although a little flustered
.
” I opened my eyes to find a safer distance between us and Vincent
’s
features could only be described as cocky.

“Umm...thanks
,
” I said reverting back to shy, safe Keira
.
”

“Oh you
’
r
e
welcome, it was an honor to almost kiss you, one I doubt I will forget as soon as I
should do.
” He looked away to the sky when he spoke and just before I could say anything that might comfort the regret in his voice he turned to me suddenly and took my hand.

“Come, I need to get you back to my brother. I can feel him waiting and his impatience is growing
.
” I didn’t doubt that for a second knowing Draven but I still wanted to say something to Vincent but I didn’t know how, so instead I showed him.

I pulled back on his arm, making him stop and look at me. I didn’t give him chance to protest. I threw myself into him and wrapped my arms around his body which made his every muscle tense. I didn’t care, I
just
wanted to explain
,
but this was the only way that felt right. I then lifted myself up on my tiptoes and put my lips to his cheek to kiss him lightly. Once there I whispered in his ear....

“Thank you Vincent, it was great for me
!
”

Chapter 53

All for t
he Healing.

Vincent and I didn’t say another word to each other as he escorted me back into the VIP. The first thing I noticed was Draven pacing like a wild cat, back and forth by the balcony. We walked round to meet him and I started to see all the unfamiliar faces that made up Draven’s guests. I don’t know why, maybe because I wasn’t yet used to them
,
but they all seemed a lot scarier than
the last lot. One table we passed
looked like they want to first play with me and then devour me. A girl with bright orange hair even licked her cherry lips as I went by.

Draven spotted us immediately and the harsh eyes and tensed jaw told me he
had
been waiting. He stormed towards us now wearing a very power inducing black suit. Everything on him was black apart from a very deep purple tie that brought out the purple now in his eyes. He wasn’t happy.

“Where have you been?
” At first I thought he was asking me
,
but he was looking over my head, which wasn’t hard giving my lack in height. His gaze burned into his brother’
s, who
stood behind me.

“Calm yourself Dom, she is fine. She just got herself into some trouble
.
” Vincent said in the most lucid way po
ssible. I wanted to shout back ‘Traitor’
to him but I doubt the timing would have been right.

“Tell me
!
” Was all he said but his words sounded like they had been skimmed through acid.

“It was nothing
,” I spoke up feeling
as this was about me I might as well have some say on the matter! He glowe
re
d down at me but he didn’t reply, instead he raise
d
a finger to my lips and shook his head. This was all the warning I needed. When Draven was this far gone it was sometimes best to let the beast calm down before pulling on its tail.

“She got in an altercation with her cousin
.
” He was choosing his words very decidedly, which I appreciated.

“I will kill the bitch!” He said shocking me enough to make my mouth form an “O”.  He turned as if he was about to do it right now when Vincent’s hand shot out and restrained him back.

“Keira attacked
her
!
” Vincent said
,
as though he was trying hard not to smile. I’m glad to report he achieved it because I don’t think I could have stopped myself sticking my tongue out at him. Draven stopped dead and Vincent’s hand dropped now he knew his brother wasn’t about to run off to kill a
‘not so’
innocent human girl.

“She what
?” Draven sounded as though the wind had been knocked out of him.

“I went down to get Keira as you aske
d and found her on top of
her cousin, pounding her fists into her head and trying to rip out her hair
.
” Vincent said this like reciting poetry. Personally
,
I don’t think it was as bad as he made out, for starters I had only been trying to rip out a handful not the whole lot. But I guess tomato, tomatoe!

“Was she hurt?” He asked seriously as he now started scanning my face and body for injury.

“Excuse me...I’m right here!” I said getting inpatient. Draven growled down at me and I rolled my eyes once and shut up.

“She received a scratch down her neck, a bruised eye and a cut lip
.
” Ok
,
so now it was like he was reading off
an
inventory. Draven made me jump by placing his hands on my neck and turning me this way and that to see for himself. He traced where every mark had been as though it was still visible, which I knew it wasn’t.

“You healed her yourself?” Draven’s
cold
question frightened me. Would he be angry?

“Yes, she was in pain and I didn’t think you would want her walking in here like that
.
” This was one hell of an interrogation.

“Your actions were right. Although I would want to heal her myself
,
that would not have been practical at this time. You did well brother, I would not have been pleased if anyone else had touched her
.
” Draven was speaking like the reason for this conversation wasn’t stood next to him. I felt like slipping out from them both and making my escape.

“Well
,
if you two will excuse me, I think I will get a drink
.
” I was about to slid
e
out from the Draven sandwich I was currently in when Draven’s hand gripped my waist in a very primal way.

“Stay
!
” Was all he said.

“Okkiedokkie
.
” I replied quietly as he slid me back in place.

“And what of the cousin?” He enquired.

“Bloody, bruised and beaten. She fought well
, brother.
” Oh jeez wasn’t I just the star pupil! It felt like I was in some weird, supernatural parent teacher conference.

Draven looked down at me and took my hand in his.

“Good girl, I am proud of you
.
” He said before squeezing my hand, that was, my right hand that had the
‘
maybe
’
broken knuckle. I yelped
in pain
and Draven growled letting go of the pressure but not my hand. He lifted it to examine.

“Ah yes
,
well I meant to tell you about that. Naturally
,
she hurt her fist in the beating process and that I could not heal...without...” He didn’t need to finish, evidently Draven got it.

“Yes, I understand. I would not have permitted that. I will fix it myself.
” He stated in his usual masterful manner. Vincent made his move to leave but Draven spoke again putting full weight into his next command.

“
Give me your hand brother
.
” Drav
en asked Vincent who looked as though
he had
expected what was about to happen
. I was being moved to stand by Draven’s side while Vincent stepped forward to place his hand in Draven’s. They both closed their eyes and I could just make out the faint flickering under their lids. Almost like they were watching something.

I was waiting for a reaction I could never predict but he did startle me again when something he saw made a growl ripple its way up through his chest. I was moving backwards slowly trying to get away from whatever it was but his hand zipped out and stopped me without ev
en opening his eyes. It was as if
he could feel every move I made. Although I was breathing hard and scared of his next reaction, the hand that held on to my wrist start
ed
to sooth his thumb around in circles to put me at ease. Then he spoke but I know not what.