The Two Kings (Afterlife Saga) (55 page)

“Yes she was, along with other things. She became an artist in the art of manipulation. She liked to feed from the pain and suffering that would flow from the hopeless families that h
ad lost loved ones. Parents who had
lost the dearest beings
to their hearts. She was a monster and to the bitter end she tried to control you and make y
ou set her free. First she tried
pity and when that failed
,
she showed you something that angers me to my very core. Keira
,
I’m sorry you had to be reminded of the pain you went through
.
” Of course he was referring to the vision she had made me see. She had played on my own living nightmare that Morgan had put me through. She knew my weaknesses and used them to her advantage.

“Wait, how did you know what she showed me?”

“When I finished her off, I saw through her eyes and scanned through her memories of her last encounters. When you screamed out I knew what you had seen in the Temple but I didn’t know what you had seen before you got there. I hoped that you hadn’t found her or more like she hadn’t found you. But then when I saw her re-enactment of what you had gone through at the hands of that…THAT
SICK F…
!
” He paused before he could scream out his feeling
s for
Morgan and closed his eyes tight as if trying to lock out a memory.

“S
orry
,
but as you can imagine
,
it affect
ed me in a way you can’t believe.
”
At this I saw the pain
replace his anger fill his eyes and his eyes flashed from purple to two deep, black lagoons in the dead of night.

“How did she even know about my past?” I asked this more because I wanted to get him talking again, to try and get him past that image that no longer only haunted myself. He answered with just a name, one that I would have never expected to pass his sweet
kissable
lips.

“Layla
!
”

“WHAT! Are you serious? What the hell
h
as she got to do with this?”

“Try to calm yourself, I will tell you but you have to trust me, she can’t get to you
.
” This wasn’t as reassuring as it wa
s supposed to be, I will tell you
! I remained silent as a sign that he could carry on
but
now
I
knew why this had been such a hard story for him to tell me.

“
You remember me telling you that Layla escaped?”

“Well no actually
,
you didn’t tell me, I found out
,
remember
?
” I said giving one of those
,
“See why you shouldn’t lie” looks but he ignored it.

“Well after she stabbed you, she went into hiding…or at least she tried. My men found her and I imprisoned
her until she could face a trial
. I needed to get to the bottom of her hate but before I could …umm question her
…..” at this I butted in,

“You mean torture… right?” He rolled his eyes at me but seeing as I was so used to this by now I let it go.

“Alright, y
es I do
,
but the bitch deserved to die! So I will continue now that I haven’t the need to spare you on
the dark details. Yes
,
I was going to torture her and I
would have enjoyed doing s
o, given
what she tried to take from me and Keira
,
be warned
,
that if anyone else was to try again
,
then I would do what I feel is necessary
, for my vengeance is black and deadly
!” From the bulging vein that pulsated through his tensed fo
rearm and eyes that could have
you begging for mercy in seconds of just once glance, I would be going against everything I ever believed in
,
to deny this to be true. He was terrifying! I gently placed my hand on his stone like shoulder and the feel of my skin on his
,
seemed to bring him back to my level of calm.

“I believe it
,
” I whispered and he just nodded in response. I however made a mental note never to mention Layla’s name ever again.

“I will continue
!
” When I gave him my concerned look it was he
,  for the
first
time,
was to say “I’m fine”
before continuing with the facts. 

“I need to explain what the connection is between the two. See Layla
,
before working for me as a waitress
,
was a
possession
officer. The position didn’t suit her and after a string of bad judgments and poor excuses for educated prodigies she was renounced from her position and strip
p
ed of the powers she had
been
granted. This made her resentful but she appealed to me for a softer sentence giving her the chance to rehabilitate. I gave her an opportunity by working for me in the club but with the
chance of
getting
her old role
back. She became impatient and frustrated but I still don’t know the full reasons behind her hate towards you.” I shifted uncomfortably and played with the bottom of my sleeves as I usually did when hearing things that were hard to take.

“I soon learned
last night
,
why it was Vetala who
broke her out from the prison and when I saw it all through her eyes it started to make sense. See Layla was Vetala’s
possession
officer and although she left her, she considered her a mother figure and that she didn’t leave her but freed her. Layla had formed a bond so strong that she must have called to Vetala for help before getting caught. How Vetala got her out I don’t yet know but I do know that Layla betrayed her and pushed her into her
own cell so that
it would give her longer for the head start. By the time Vetala was discovered Layla was long gone.
” Once again he was tense at recalling all the events at Layla’s deception.  

“
She played her prodi
gy like a fine tuned instrument and let her play out your own
dark
symphony to you. Layla knew what she was doing when she told her about your past and I believe her last command was to get to you if she could.”
I was shaking my head by the time he had finished but it got
to
a point where I was losing my not so cool persona and my cheeks were on fire with my own hate.

The name Layla stuck in my throat like a piece of gum I knew I shouldn’t swallow and the seven year myth of it remaining in your gut became a good analogy for this sick reality. Would I ever get past this? The list of people that wanted me rather dead or hurting was mounting at an impeccable rate.  

“Wow! I mean
, really
,
wow…Why, I just don’t get it! Why does everyone want to hurt me? See in my worl
d I’m a nobody! I just go by un
noticed and stay quiet. I keep my business to myself and my past firmly locked behind closed doors. But in your world I
’
m like this hunted
possession
that people want to hurt and hate! Why can’t I have both…Why can’t I have you and be happy without
having to s
acrifice my sanity?
” Ok
,
so I knew I was ranting on and being all self- pitying but come on…what else did I have to face? What was going to be next?
And
was I
ever
going to be ready for it?!

“I’m sorry Keira but this is my fault. This is why I wanted to keep you from me and why I should still be trying to
.
”

“NO! Don’t you dare say that! I am in more danger without you and you know it. Besides
,
could you really just walk away from it all now…after what we have been through?” My glazed eyes looked up to search for the same feeling as I had.

“No
,
I
simply
couldn’t do that…not now. Not after experiencing you first hand. This skin to touch
.
” He traced a thumb down my neck and it vibrated as my breathing got more intense.

“These lips to kiss
.
” This short sentence ended over my appendage in question and it did anything but calm my breathing. My heart rate went through the roof as he pulled my leg making my body follow to the underneath of him. He held all his weight o
ver me as his kiss intensified. The feeling that coursed through my every nerve made ever
y
horror I had witnessed worth it ten times over. Being hunted meant nothing anymore as long as I had this feeling to hold on to.

His hands started to push up my sweater and the tingles shot up my side like he was communicating with every hair follicle on my skin. I wasn’t the only one breathing heavy and when I felt Draven’s impressive erection rise
,
I knew I would have to find the senses to stop this bliss. I was still on and not that he would have minded a bit of mess, I certainly wasn’t ready for that
undignified step to be taken.

His tongue was creating magic in my mouth as it moved in its skilful dance. I waited for him to move to kissing my neck as he usually did but when he got there I found myself arching into him and my head rolled back to give him greater access. I was losing control and knew if I didn’t stop it all now I never would. Thankfully
,
when his hand found the inside of my thigh and the thought of the piece of string he would soon find there, it made me find my much needed
sense and I sat bolt upright. 

“Hey
!
” He said in disapproval,
and then
his hands tried to reach out to pull me back
down
into the same position.
When I shifted out of his grabbing hands he let
out
a low growl
that
ripple
d
deep in his throat.

“Whoa
,
cool down there cowboy
.
Painters and decorators are in
,
remember?
”
He let out an easy going laugh at the analogy I’d used, before calming down his libido. He gave me a bad boy grin as he shift
ed back to the side of me and
seeing him behav
e
himself I relaxed my tensed muscles.

“
See what you do to me
?
” He rubbed the back of his neck with his large palm and shook his head like he was remembering what the feel of my lips
on his,
did to his manhood. I thought this
the reason because
I
to
o
was still trying to control the commotion he cause
d
to my nether regions.
Raging river came to mind!

“Well
,
when I’m off then I
can
do that to you!”

“When will that be again?” He asked in a hoarse voice that curled my toes.

“Friday...maybe Thursday
,
if we’re lucky
.
”

“If only I poss
essed the power to change time.
” At this I think he was only half joking as when I looked over to him I couldn’t help but see the covers had created a tent near his loins. I knew I had to get up as now I was dying for the bathroom but seeing as I didn’t have anything on underneath, this was going to be like dangling the carrot. I pulled my sweater down as far as it would go but before I
got up, I couldn’t help but pa
t his member and say “down boy!” b
efore jumping up quickly before he could react.

“HA! Wit
h you showing off those perfect little
pink cheeks peeking out…not a chance!” I
was
glad I wasn’t facing him as I went as red as rare steak
and the feel of heat coming off my cheeks could have quite easily
have
cooked one!
I giggled as I walked into the bathroom and the change in my heart was so different to how I felt now
,
it was hard to keep up
.
One minute life was throwing a curve ball at me in the form of Lucius and then I was getting a homerun when waking up
next
to Draven every morning.
I felt almost giddy at the sound of Draven
’
s voice that not only entered my ears but also my
soul
but now I knew I was that way where I could no longer be able to live without it
.