The Pentagram Child: Part 1 (Afterlife Saga Book 5) (42 page)

“…but only because I like you.” Which he had no idea, but in cartoon land my toes would have curled up like the witch from Wizard of Oz. However he caught my blush no problem. So with half his lip tipped up to one side he took my hand and led me through the house.

“Oh wow!”

“You like it?” He asked and I could hear the pride in his voice, one I could understand why.

“It’s stunning and very you.” At this he laughed but still gave me a look that silently meant he wanted me to explain that comment.

“It looks like a palace.” And boy didn’t it just! It was all highly polished marble floors, pale walls that had heavenly figures painted into what looked like the plaster and elaborately carved wooden ceilings. The furniture all looked pristine as though it had been plucked right out of the past. Even the glass chandeliers sparkled as if they had only been cleaned no more than hours ago.

“I have had this place since the 16
^th
century and it is one of the most impressive Grand Canal palazzi in Venice…if I do say so myself.” He added smirking down at me.

“Palazzi?” I asked.

“It is Italian for a large splendid residence or public building, such as a palace.” He winked at me for this last bit.

“It’s strange thinking about you living anywhere else but Afterlife.” I said being honest.

“And why is that?” He asked in that smooth voice of his that was bordering on teasing and seduction.

“I don’t know why, maybe just because I love Afterlife so much, that’s the only place I want to see you.” The words were out before I thought about what it would mean to Draven to have me saying this.

“By the Gods woman, you are killing me!” He said stopping me and pulling me solidly into his embrace.

“I… am?” I asked in a shy, unsure voice that wavered. I couldn’t look him in the eyes as I asked so he tipped my chin up with his fingers curled so I had no other choice.

“Yes,
you are.”
He said and there was not one thing in his look I could fool myself into saying was anything other than lust. The purple ring intensified and just as his head lowered they quickly transformed into a blazing inferno.

“Draven?” Upon hearing his name he ceased his decent to my lips and closed his eyes tight as if in pain.

“What is it…why does that keep happening?” I asked but when he stepped away from me I knew I had lost him. It was obvious he took a few seconds to calm himself enough that when he opened them again, they were back to black.

“You must be hungry, come and let me feed you.” This wasn’t snapped at me but there was something that wasn’t right with Draven. It was the same as when someone puts on a fake smile when inside you know they are freaking out about something important. So instead of pushing, which I had every right to do, I decided to do what was best for Draven and that was to smile back and nod my head.

After that strange moment we shared in the grand looking hallway I soon found myself sat in a less formal kitchen nook. But even then it still looked as if it had just jumped from the pages of a rustic homes magazine. All thick butcher’s block counter tops and hand carved cabinets, with panels and wrought iron hinges. There was a big island in the middle with a massive black slab of marble which broke up all the wood in the room.

Draven had led me into the kitchen and before I spoke a word on its beauty he had picked me up by the waist and sat me on top of the island like I was its new centre piece. My legs just dangled from the ground making me feel tiny.

“How hungry are you?” I looked out of the window and noticed it was only now just going dark, so I knew I must have slept a few hours.

“Snack hungry.”

“Right, baguette, cheeses and meats it is then.” He said turning to open the huge stainless steel fridge door.

“Sounds perfect.” I said still finding this action from Draven an odd one. Then he started to get out packets of sliced meats, quarters of cheese, olives, butter and some baby tomatoes. Then with his arms full he carried them to a table by a bay window, where a half moon shaped bench was carved from the stone wall.

“I must say you look very domesticated right now.” I said once I was sat in this little nook. This was of course after he had stepped up to me and hooked me with one arm around my waist, brought me down from the counter before sitting me in said nook. Now he was walking back over to take his own seat with the baguette in one hand and bottle of wine in the other.

“Well I don’t cook as you know, but I can raid a full fridge with the best of them.” He said as he popped the cork and poured me a glass.

“So I see, does this mean your next Christmas present from me should be a frilly pink apron?”

“I don’t know, do you like getting spanked?” He asked over his glass before he took a drink. I on the other hand nearly choked on a cherry tomato!

“So this ball…you know I was in a bit of a rush and well…I didn’t have time to bring anything with me, not that I had a ball gown stashed in my case or anything…” I said talking none stop to try and hide exactly what his last question had done to my girly parts.

“It’s fine.”

“It’s fine?” I repeated as a question.

“You don’t need anything whist your here and tomorrow evening has been taken care of.” He replied tearing into the bread with his hands and handing me a piece first.

“Taken care of how?” I asked but then thought it odd when I saw Draven roll his eyes as if listening to something else and that something else wasn’t me.

“You’re about to find out.” And after less than a second the doors burst open and he wasn’t wrong.

I found out and I found out in the best way ever…

“Tootie cake!”         

Chapter 28

Girl Madness

“Pip!” I screamed and launched myself at her, which wasn’t an easy feat, as shimmying out of a nook is never a graceful thing. But I didn’t care and why would I? This was Pip we were talking about. I think I would have belly flopped over hot coals to get to my Pip.

“Whoa Tootie pants, you miss me or what?!” Pip said as I grabbed her tiny frame and yanked her to me for a fierce hug.

“You’re really here!” I said stating the obvious making her laugh.

“Well it’s not every day an Imp gets the royal invitation.” She replied winking at me but wait, it wasn’t at me at all, it was at Draven. I turned my head to watch as he unfolded himself out of his seat and only had eyes for me.

“You did this?”

“I did.” Was his simple reply.

“You did this for me?” I asked again only this time clarifying the specifics. This time he only nodded and that was all it took. I left Pip’s arms and ran at Draven. I registered his shocked face for a split second before he caught me and I started raining little kisses all over his face for what he had done. He seemed to keep himself immobile for my assault as if he was afraid any sudden movements would cause me to stop. So he just let me show him my appreciation.

“Aww, well isn’t that just the cutest sight you did see baby pop, pop?” I heard Pip say, smacking her lips at the ‘pop, pop’ bit. I pulled back to find Draven grinning as big as I had felt it with my lips pecking at him.

“You’ve made me so happy!” I told him.

“Then it’s definitely worth all the extra noise and colour invading my home for that very reason alone.” This answer made me smile big and I looked back round to Pip to find her being held from behind by the handsome Adam. Then I turned back to Draven and whispered over his cheek,

“Thank you for inviting a rainbow into my life.” And then I kissed him where I had spoken.

“You’re welcome, Love.”

“Alrighty, alrighty, enough of the mushy shit, I wanna drink!” Pip said light-heartedly making me laugh. Draven let me go and I walked back over to my personal rainbow, as I hadn’t been lying when I said that to Draven. Pip was literally wearing a rainbow!

She wore a chiffon halter neck dress in the brightest colours of the rainbow, with a massive double layered bell shaped skirt. To this she added a skull and cross bone hello kitty brooch at her cleavage and neon green tights with a monster pattern. She also had on round mirrored sunglasses that reminded me of John Lennon and I was only just now noticing the panda bears she had painted on her nails.

“My Lord.” Adam said bowing to Draven before coming over to me and giving me a warm embrace.

“Hello little trouble maker.” Adam said to me with a smile in his voice.

“You are so gonna be glad I’m here for tomorrow night, it’s gonna be a blast and we are gonna have so much…”

“Winifred.”
Adam warned letting me go and crossing his arms across his chest.

“It’s fine Adam.” Draven said obviously knowing what she was being scolded for and for a minute I thought it was because she was about to blurt out something she shouldn’t have.

“What?! What did I do this time, cause you know you already punished me for what I did on the plane, and I told you my teeth wouldn’t get in the way but oh no, you just couldn’t keep still, you had to move and jerk around and I told you that would happen, but would you listen…would he listen…” She repeated again to me making Adam frown down at her.

“Winifred.” He warned again.

“What...? Oh…that.” She said turning back to face Draven and bowing like Adam, only holding out her skirt creating the perfect curtsy.

“My Lordie Boss Man.” She said then looked my way and winked at me making me giggle. Draven just nodded with his lips twitching and Adam rolled his eyes to the ceiling.

“Everyone happy now…um let’s see, punished on plane, check, super happy fun time reunion, check, Royal bullshit taken care of, check, watching Boss man and his little woman practically hump, check! Now let’s get shitfaced!” Pip shouted in a way I think she was expecting everyone else to cheer…of course they didn’t. But I did give her a little,

“Yay.”

So the rest of the evening was spent as a little reunion party and even though the room next to the kitchen was as posh as a palace, none of us really acted like we belonged there. We laughed, we joked and we drank like wine was going out of fashion and we had to get rid of a cellar full before the next season! But I soon learnt that even when you had hundred year old furniture that sloppy wine stains weren’t an issue when you had Draven Mumbo Jumbo.

And this was a good thing because at one point me, Pip and Sophia were all up dancing on the large coffee table in the centre. I even thought it was pretty cool how Draven had offered me his hand to help me step up, the same as Adam and Zagan had done for their girls.

Of course I knew I was drunk when I started shouting for Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5 to come on. Thankfully Draven had the foresight to save me from singing like a banshee by putting his shoulder to my waist and folding me over his shoulder.

“Time for water I think, my little diva queen.” He had said making me giggle.

“Aww, no fair…we lost our human.” Pip complained to Sophia who was swinging her hips without losing a single drop of her pink Cosmo. I smiled as I was manoeuvred into Draven’s lap and handed a bottle of ice cold water. But it wasn’t the water that made me smile, or unbelievably even being in Draven’s lap, although that was always something to smile at.

No, it was none of these things but what it was, was one of the most beautiful things in the world and that was watching my family. The family I thought I had heartbreakingly lost. It was watching the love surrounding me in so many different forms but each holding a powerful place in my heart.

It was also the way the husbands in the room looked at their wives like the sun rose and set with them. Like the only reason the stars came out at all was to see their girls. Zagan kept looking at Sophia like he was fighting a secret grin that spoke of private things she would soon discover later from his thoughts. Adam looked like he was just fighting the urge to grab his wife and run, looking for the nearest building to climb like King Kong taking his prize possession away from the world. Although both tried to act the perfect vision of calm, I knew better.

It almost felt like I was absorbing all the love in the room and it was making me feel lightheaded it was that powerful.

“Isn’t love grand.” I said relaxing back to Draven’s chest and sighing when his arms encircled me from behind.

“It should be the only true reason for living.” Draven’s response surprised me. I turned my head to look up at him from the side.

“You sound like you’ve only just discovered this philosophy?” I asked on a laugh. His eyes turned soft and his hand came to cup my cheek.

“I never knew what it was like. I watched my sister find it and those around me, but I never understood the level of power held there…” He paused and leant further into me before saying,

“…until there was you.”

I don’t know what happened after that but one thing was obvious…I was wasted! I was in that state where you are semi-conscious to all around you and it’s like living in one of your dreams. Well at least it was for me right now because I was pretty sure I was in Draven’s arms once again being carried towards a bed.

“The water didn’t work.” I heard Pip say.

“Well that is what happens when you add vodka to it.” Draven almost growled this and I shivered but that then ended on a hiccup.