The Pentagram Child: Part 1 (Afterlife Saga Book 5) (46 page)

“I know I haven’t always been truthful with you Keira and I will explain the reasons why…I will explain everything…”

“Okay.” I said waiting to hear it but Draven shook his head gently.

“But not now.”

“But why?” I said thinking nothing could be more important than the truth.

“Because sweetheart, as per usual these days, time is not on our side. But I promise you, I will explain after the Ball.” He said pushing back a stray curl behind my ear.

“Do we have to go?” I said fully admitting that I sounded desperate. He laughed without humour before saying,

“By the Gods you have no idea how much I wish we didn’t.” He said suddenly pulling me hard to him and kissing me once more. It ended as quickly as it had begun and he whispered down to me,

“All I want to do right now is pick you up and fly to the top of St Mark's Campanile to re-join our bodies by making love to you.”

“Oh God!” I said before grabbing his face with both hands and then being the one to force my kiss upon him. It took all of about two breaths taken before he took control of the kiss and soon our hands were all over each other.

“We have to go.” He said tearing his lips from mine before coming right back at me. I kissed him back and then pulled away myself saying,

“I know but…”

“Just one more kiss.” He said finishing off for me and finding my willing lips again. It was as though now our minds had finally let go of all the barriers we ourselves had put there, then now there was nothing stopping our bodies from celebrating the fact.

“Have…to…go…” He said as he now took to kissing my neck and my head fell back to look up at the ceiling in a dreamy haze.

“I know…uh, actually I don’t…why do we have to go again?” I asked and he pulled away from me to laugh.

“The Ball won’t start without me.”

“Seriously?!” I said and he shrugged before responding awkwardly,

“I’m their King.”

“Oh shit, then we really
do
have to go.” This made him laugh out the word,

“Yeah.”

“Okay then, let’s go.” I said pulling away from him but I found my hand quickly captured and as I was pulled back I fell into him.

“Not yet.”

“Draven?” I asked as he tilted my body backwards and just before he took what he wanted from me Draven said something very out of character but amazingly hot all the same.

“Let them fucking wait!”

And then he
really
kissed me.

“Can you run?” Draven asked and I shot him a cheeky grin before lifting up the front of my skirt with both hands.

“I don’t know, can you keep up old man?!” I said winking before turning round and running down the long gallery with a Demon King close on my heels laughing. Not surprisingly it didn’t take him long to catch up and he grabbed my hand as he went past, pulling me along with him. He looked back at me grinning and I wondered if the picture we painted was one of two lovers from the past on the run from the world? 

“You guys are so late.” Sophia said shaking her head as we ran round the last corner together and down the steps. I went to answer her by stepping forward when Draven suddenly whipped me around and with a hand at the back of my head he kissed me in front of a speed boat full of his family and council. Then he let my lips go and pulled me towards the boat in a daze.

“We don’t care.” Draven said as he passed Sophia before nodding to the guy at the wheel. She then turned to me and couldn’t hide the shocked grin from lighting up her face. Only then did she really take in my appearance and turned an accusing look to her brother with hands on hips.

“Look at her hair, her makeup…what did you do to her, ravish her?!”

“Well it’s about damn time.” Vincent said making Draven step up to him and clasp his shoulder before agreeing,

“Yes, it certainly is.”

Sophia rolled her eyes at me but the smile didn’t match her pretend frustrations. Not only that but I think my own beaming grin was enough to show I cared little for my messy hair and smudged makeup.

“Come here and let me fix you.” She said and pretty soon with the Draven’s own brand of Mojo I was back to how I looked pre Draven and the beautiful confession.

“There, beautiful again.” She said standing back and obviously admiring her handy work. Draven walked up to me and pulled me into him like it was the most natural thing in the world once again. I wondered in fact if he had any clue what this was doing to me or my neglected nether regions?

“She’s always beautiful.” He said before kissing me like it was once again his given right. In fact it was slightly worrying at how much of a dream this felt. It was almost like stepping on thin ice and waiting to hear the crack beneath your feet. Because once you heard it you then knew you had no chance of reaching the other side and if I looked up I would only ever see one man that I needed to reach.

“Are you alright?” He asked me tilting my face up to no doubt get a read on my expression.

“Yes.” I said and with one raised eyebrow I knew he didn’t believe me. I was however thankful when he said,

“Alright, Keira, I will give you this evening but you have to promise me something.” I just started to pull at my bottom lip with my teeth and nodded. He gave me a small smile before using his thumb to free up my self-inflicted torture.

“I want you to promise me that you’re not going to run scared from me.” We both knew why he said this because one look in my eyes and that was all he needed to know…I was terrified.

I nodded but it wasn’t enough for him.

“I’m going to need words, Keira.”

“I promise.” I said quietly making him smile.

“Good girl, now look, we are almost there.” He said turning me and pointing an outstretched arm towards a line of gondolas. The canal opened up into what almost looked like a lake and I could see the tallest buildings that we were heading towards.

“St Mark's Square is where our Ball is held every ten years.” Draven told me after shifting me to stand with my back to his front.

“Did you go to anything like this last year?” I couldn’t help but ask. I heard him sigh behind me and I gave him the minute he needed. Actually it felt so long to wait for my answer that I was surprised when he spoke.

“Yes I did.”

“Oh.”

“Keira.” He said my name in response to my dejected ‘oh’ and I felt him pull me closer to him as the boat steered its way closer to the side.

“Its fine, I understand life doesn’t just stop because we broke up.” On hearing me saying this he started laughing. I frowned and turned to face him, no longer caring about the spectacular view. However it was only when I saw his face that I realised it was a laugh of the bitter variety.

“But that’s where you’re wrong sweetheart, my life did stop. Yes, I had to continue in my duty to my people. I had to continue in my ruling and maintaining the balance in my world but I did this a shell of a man. I did this as a dead man walking. Which included coming to events like this and trying not to show my world their dead King.”

“Oh Draven!” I said before throwing my arms around him and this time holding him to me. I reached up my hand and placed it on his cheek before saying,

“I had no idea.”

“And for that I am thankful. The pain I inflicted on you was great enough.”

“Draven I…” I started to say I wasn’t exactly sure what but I didn’t get that far.

“Hush now.” Draven said before taking my face in his hands and kissing me silent.

“Uh, I hate to be the one to tear away reunited lovers but we are here.” Sophia said giggling passing us as she then made her way off the boat. I felt the start of Draven’s growl in his kiss before he let me go.

“It’s moments like this I don’t care for duty.” I laughed making him smile down at me.

“You’re stunning.” He said taking me back and making me blush.

“Thank you.” I replied shyly before letting him take my hand and lead me off the boat. It was only when we were on the street that he stopped me from going any further.

“It is why I am both thankful and regretful in giving you this.” He said confusing me. He then produced the other box that had been on the table, one that I had forgotten about until now. Before I had time to ask he opened the box and it all started to make sense.

“My mask?” He nodded and lifted the delicate lace from the box. I didn’t see any ribbon so I wondered how he would get it to stay on my face.

“You’ll see.” He said answering my unasked question.

“This will tingle.” And this was my only warning before he lifted it to my face. He gave me a wink before placing it on my nose first and with his thumbs he pressed the lace down on either side first over my cheeks and then over the top of my eyes. He was right, it did tingle but more in the way your body shivers when something emotional captures you and it’s your body’s way of expressing it.

“There and now time for my matching crown.” He said after he finished placing it on my face, making it stay there in a strange way. It was almost as if I couldn’t even feel it. He held out his hand and Sophia who was now also wearing a mask handed Draven his own.

It was matte black and a very masculine shape with two silver filigree embellishments under the side of the eyes. This then matched the silver wings at each side that started the silver crown. It wasn’t big and in anyway ostentatious but looking at both Vincent’s and Sophia’s matching masks you could see Draven’s was slightly bigger, showing who was in charge between the three of them.

It held their family crest at the centre along with that strange symbol I still didn’t know anything about, despite having it on my skin as a birthmark. I was so close to asking but what he did next took my mind from it. He held onto the top of the mask and snapped off the crown part so it was now in his hand in one piece.

“Draven what are you…?”

“I wanted you to have mine.” Was his strange answer and I could see this obviously meant something to him. Then he lifted the crown to the top of my lace mask and held it there, staring at it as if concentrating. I felt something start to move, almost like the lace was growing around it and after a few seconds he nodded.

“Perfect.” He said and placed his own mask on his face, holding it there where his too automatically stayed in place without aid.

“It’s growing?!” I said fascinated as I watched in awe a new crown exactly the same as before start to rise from the top of the mask. He smiled at me and gave my chin a little hold as if he found my excited ways endearing.

“Time to go, Princess.” He said and took my gloved hand in his and I stared up at him as I watched something black darken the skin under the mask like makeup seeping through his pores.

“Your eyes?”

“It adds to the theatrics.” Was his only explanation before leading me along a beautiful arched building.

“Where are all the people?” I asked knowing that St Mark’s Square was the biggest tourist attraction in Venice since my parents had come here for a weekend getaway once. My mum had told me all about it and how romantic everything was and now looking around I had to agree with her.

“Your kind?” I nodded to his question.

“For this night only none of your kind will be interested in seeing the square. The businesses will have closed and for one night it will be like this never happened.”

“Wow, you can do that?!” I said shocked at the level of power needed to control so many people all at once.”

“It’s a combined strength but yes.”

“Dominic.” Vincent called his brother and Draven nodded to his silent question.

“Stay close to me, no matter what…do you understand?”

“Draven?” I didn’t like the sound of this but it was too late as we walked around the corner and I gasped at the sight. The sun had already started to set before we left so now it left the sky an unusual electric night blue colour that made for an effective backdrop for the illuminated buildings of the square. I had seen pictures of the place before as photography was one of my dad’s favourite hobbies, so I knew the place had been transformed for the event. It was as though every single light bulb in every single arched window had been swapped for a red bulb, creating a crimson glow all around us. 

But this wasn’t the most startling part or the sight that had my heart pounding.

“Draven I can’t do this!”
I hissed in a panic grabbing onto his arm like it would save me.

“Just breathe.” He said down at me and gave my arm a squeeze before walking me forward into the parted ocean of people. There seemed to be thousands of masked faces all looking at us as we walked down the centre of the great crowd. I looked frantically behind me to see Vincent first and then Sophia with Zagan behind her. I wish I could say the wink Vincent gave me helped or the thumbs up Sophia thought I needed.

“Breathe again, Keira.” Draven said and I hadn’t even realised until that moment that I had been holding my breath. I looked down at the red carpet we walked down not being able to look at all those faceless masks and studying eyes staring at me.

“Eyes up.” I heard from next to me just as we walked past a group of people  dressed as demonic goats with horns on their masks.

“I can’t look at them.”

“Then let’s rectify that should we and give you something else to look at.” He said confidently and just before I was about to ask. He held up his hand and stopped, which effectively stopped the procession behind us, one I only just now realised was most of the people I remembered from the VIP.

“Draven what are you…”
I started to whisper but was cut short when I was suddenly swooped up into his arms making me cry out.

“Draven!” My startled shout was drowned out by the great wave of shocked gasps from the endless crowd. However Draven didn’t seem to notice or he did but he just didn’t care.

“Now eyes on me, my love.” He commanded and I gladly did what I was told.

“I don’t think I have ever seen a brighter blush on you.” He said laughing at my obvious outrage.

“This hasn’t helped in making them stare less.” I said frowning at his huge grin.

“But that wasn’t my goal.” He replied as he strode purposely to the other side of the square where I could now see an awaiting thrown had been set up.