by L W Rogers
I rise from my seat and make my way to the bar, although I don’t approach her yet. I don’t want to reignite the anger of earlier. So I take a place a few people down and satisfy myself with occupying the same space as her for a while. I watch as their conversation continues, and feel myself stiffen at every tiny piece of physical contact that passes between them. I want to be the one that holds her attention, the one that feels her skin against my own. I feel uncomfortable and twitchy, my skin suit becoming restrictive. I can feel the rage building and trying to claw its way out through the pores. I need to control this before I destroy the slim chance I have to get Cadence on side. I realise that I am acting more than a little creepy. The people either side of me are eyeing me warily, so I know I must look like the world’s most conspicuous stalker. So I do the only thing I can. I make the decision to return to my seat and regroup.
***
I should have known better.
As soon as I sat my arse down, Cadence’s empty seat became occupied.
“And who might you be, handsome?”
Dammit! Valeria has clearly done an outstanding job crafting this beauty, but can’t I get a break already? I came to gather my thoughts, not collect numbers. I’ve already had issues getting back here running the gauntlet of those trying to engage my attention. I don’t need this crap.
I roll my eyes and sigh, then turn and engage the woman who has decided to inflict her company upon me.
I offer my hand, which she grasps and uses as an invitation to pull me in closer.
“Do you have a name?”
“I’m Blaine.”
I detach my hand from her grip and pull myself away. She huffs an irritated breath and straightens in her seat. She obviously knows I’m not interested, so maybe she’ll stop trying. I turn back to the others at my table, hoping that I’ll be able to engage one of them in conversation. Hopefully my most recent problem will fade away as quickly as she has appeared. Of course, it’s at exactly this moment that the damn music starts up and every one rises from their seats to head to the dance floor.
There’s a tug on my sleeve which I choose to ignore. Rude of me, I know, but I can’t afford to waste time entertaining this woman for the evening. Regardless of my strange attraction to Cadence, I am here with a purpose which means I must engage her in conversation and ensure that she is onboard. Anything else will just be a bonus at this point.
I glance over to the bar and quietly seethe at the fact that she hasn’t moved on yet. You’d think with it being her function she’d be circulating, but no, she’s still there having a whale of a time. I have a good mind to go over there and drag her away. In fact I may just do that.
I begin to rise and feel myself yanked back down. Hard. I glare down at the scantily clad pain in my arse and growl in frustration.
“Damn, that was sexy.” she purrs. “Do it again.”
“It may be sexy, but desperation isn’t. Now kindly fuck off,” I respond.
I straighten my suit and extract myself from the situation before I say something I will regret. And I certainly don’t regret anything that I’ve just said. It may seem cruel, but the last thing I need is to draw attention to myself by causing a scene. I think I hear her mutter the word ‘arsehole’ as I make a hasty exit, but I can’t be a hundred per cent sure. Oh well. At least she’ll leave me alone for the rest of the evening.
***
I promised I wouldn’t torture myself by heading back to the bar, but I’ll give you one guess as to where I am right now. That’s right. Like some sad sack I’ve taken up residence next to the woman herself. I could have stayed by the wall and admired her from a distance, but the over-familiarity between her and the idiot behind the bar is irritating me to ridiculous levels. So here I am, sniffing her hair (which smells divine) and she hasn’t even noticed me. She could be ignoring me, or it could be the collection of glasses next to her is an indication of her becoming less aware of her surroundings. I’m going to go with the latter. If she knew I was here she would probably be arguing with me if nothing else. I mean, look at me; I’m damn hard to ignore all tuxxed up and handsome as fuck. Oh yes, I caught sight of myself in the mirror behind the bar, and if I wasn’t me I’d do me. And no, I don’t care if that makes any sense or not. I also don’t care if it’s leaning towards creepy that I’m sniffing this gorgeous creature.
Until I do.
Because one minute, I’m taking a long satisfying inhale of her floral blend, and the next I’m losing balance as she moves slightly away. I find myself falling and the only way is down. Something soft yet rigid is cushioning my landing. A muffled shriek erupts from under me, and I scramble to my feet to find my worst imaginings have come true.
“YOU!”
Dammit!
“Hi Cadence. Let me help you up -”
“Oh hell no! What the fuck, Blaine?”
“Pretty sure he was sniffing you before he took you out. Probably tripped or something?”
You remember that scene I didn’t want to cause? Yeah, well I guess that’s gone to shit now. I don’t know who the helpful chap interjecting is, but when I find him I WILL kill him!
I glance round and note that most of the people in the bar area are looking at me like I’m something nasty they’ve stepped in. They’re all curled lips and flared nostrils.
Not Cadence though; oh no. When I turn back to face her I’m met with a mouth and nose full of hair. Not only is she off the floor, but she’s within two inches of my face eyes narrowed and blazing fury. I think her heels must be bringing her to my level, but on closer inspection I find she’s holding them in her hand and I marvel at her height.
Two things happen that snap me back into the moment. First, those very same shoes whack me soundly on the arm. Then I am shoved backwards with a force I am not expecting. Of course I’m falling again, except this time there’s no buffer between me and the floor and I land awkwardly, wincing at the pain that shoots through my wrist as I hit the deck. Pain that I shouldn’t be feeling as this isn’t my body, I’m merely a passenger so I should feel nothing. I’m going to have to work out what the problem with that is later though. I have far bigger issues to deal with in the here and now.
I jump to my feet and stroll over to the waiting woman. I am met by another hand to the chest as Cadence blocks my path.
“Not another step further. You and me, we’re going to have a little ‘chat’. Follow me, arsehole.”
Charming! Consider me told.
I follow her through the crowd, watching as people resume whatever it was they were doing before we provided them with the real entertainment for the night. Guess the action’s going outside for the foreseeable.
She passes through the doors slightly ahead of me, the sea of people parting without the need for command. I probably look like an obedient puppy trailing at her bare heels, but at this point I really don’t care. It’s time for some damage control. I may well find her beautiful, but whatever attraction I feel must be put to one side. I shouldn’t let the fact I am here for a reason slip in my list of priorities. Anything else can come later.
As I step into the cloistered courtyard, I am overwhelmed by the beauty of what lies before me. The rectangular sky is littered with a confetti of stars, but its stunning countenance is reflected in the fairy lights glimmering in the area before me. The fountain is off and the bright diamonds are shimmering on the water’s surface. Cadence is standing on the edge of the dormant feature illuminated like an angel. But if she is a celestial being, she is an avenging one. Her aura remains much the same as earlier, all fire and smoke clouds. A cool breeze lifts her hair and the strands form a ghostly halo around her head. Her nostrils flare with barely contained anger. She looks stunning, ethereal even.
“I’m almost afraid to approach you. You look like you want blood,” I drawl.
Cadence says nothing, choosing to raise a hand and direct me to where she wants me. I decide it’s not in my best interests to pick an argument and take up my
spot next to her.
“Why are you really here, Blaine?”
Huh? That was unexpected.
“I’m here because I’m new to the area and thought this would be a good way to meet new people, as I told you before.”
I can’t understand why the half-lie has come from my mouth again. This is the perfect opportunity to explain why I’m here.
I stumble forward as I’m yanked by the collar. Cadence is within inches of my face again, but this time her anger is palpable. It sears my skin with infernal heat I haven’t felt since I escaped the pit of Hell. I’m more than slightly concerned for the condition of my skin suit rather than my expensive tux at this point. I wasn’t planning on testing out how my daemonic skills would work whilst at this event, but it looks like I will now have to. I place a hand on her arm to steady myself and she flinches away. This buys me the time to straighten up and place a little distance between us. My hand is burning white heat and pulsing pain so I place it in my jacket pocket. It makes contact with something cold and metallic. It’s a small dagger-shaped item. I didn’t put it there. Maybe Valeria thought to place it there as a protective talisman. Who knows? I brush off the knowledge for now. I can always ask later.
“You’re a bad fucking liar, Blaine. How about the truth?”
How in Hell’s name does she know that? I can tell she is in full fight mode as she struts towards me. What I don’t expect is for her to grab me by the collar and attach us at the lips. In fact so consumed am I with the feel of her tongue invading my mouth that I fail to notice her fumbling at my trousers for what it is. Nope, my foolish body thinks this is open season for sex, and that someone (that would be me) would be getting extremely lucky tonight. It’s only when her hands fail to grab at my belt, instead rising to my jacket and sinking into the pockets, that I realise I’m being played. I yank myself away and grab her wrists in one swift movement.
“What are you doing?”
“Looking for your i.d. I don’t believe you’re who you say you are.”
“Fine. Take it.”
I drop my grip on her and allow her to sink her hands in to find what she is looking for. Her hand makes contact with the athame and she pauses, before grabbing it and withdrawing it from its hiding place. Upon retrieval of the item, she looks at it, then me, then back at it again in confusion. Then there’s a moment as realisation passes across her features. Of what exactly, I’m not sure. Everything falls silent, aside from our panting breaths.
Then she completely loses it.
It begins with an increase in air pressure in the area surrounding us, followed by a blast of intense heat. The air vibrates with the excess energy being generated and she raises a hand, knocking me from my feet with whatever the hell it is she’s throwing out at me. I crash to the floor and shake myself off.
“What the fuck, Cadence?”
“NO. WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK, BLAINE? Where did you get this? Or are you the one that stole it?” She’s holding up the offending item and waving it in my general direction.
“I didn’t steal that thing. It was in my pocket. I assume it belongs to the person who loaned me the suit.”
“Of course it does. It’s absolutely nothing to do with you. Couldn’t possibly be your fault, could it, Mr. Perfect? If I were to believe that I would be a fool. But let’s entertain your wonderful little fiction for a while and say you didn’t steal it or come by it by underhanded means. Who, pray tell, loaned you the tux? Hmmm? Go on, surprise me?”
Sarcastic, much?
I don’t see why I should have to answer that question. My stubbornness may be the death of me (well my body at least, but I can always get a new one), but it’s a worthy price to pay to avoid her finding out I’ve been consorting with a Satanist witch, regardless of whether that wise woman is a personal friend. First of all it may put her off forming an alliance, and secondly (if possible) it makes me come off as even more of a creeper than I have shown myself to be all evening. So I stand my ground and say nothing, which only serves to inflame her more.
I hear the muttered words, know what is coming, but I’m unable to react quickly enough to stop the consequences of the spell-work. I find myself hurled through the air and into the pool at the bottom of the fountain. Cadence’s eyes flash in fury and I feel an invisible hand push me beneath the surface of the water. Air bubbles rise to the surface above me and I feel relief that I’m not human, because I’d probably be nearing my end right now.
It isn’t until the flow of bubbles is fading to a trickle that I feel the pressure on my head release and I reach for the rippled night sky above me. As I break the surface, she drags me from the water by my throat and unceremoniously deposits me on the stone-cold floor with a wet slap.
“Who, Blaine? If that’s even your name.”
I refuse to answer.
Once again, she grabs me by the throat, this time lifting me a few inches from the floor.
“Fucking WHO?”
She throws me to one side, leaving me to barrel into the statue at the centre of the fountain and I finally buckle. I may be able to take more, but this body may crumble in the process. I raise my aching head and choke out the word she needs to hear:
“Valeria.”
Chapter 23
Cadence
“I’m sorry. Did you just…that’s not…” I am numb. I can’t process what Blaine has just thrown at me. How is that even possible? The athame slips from my fingers and falls to the ground. I turn and sit at the edge of the fountain.
The Blaine part makes sense. Not once has he mentioned or reacted to my powers or the use of them on him. He clearly knows about witches and the fact that I am one. What isn’t clear is how Valeria is involved or how Blaine is caught up in all of this.
Tears threaten to appear and I have to close my eyes and inwardly calm my emotions. I feel a warm hand cover mine. It sends static electricity through my body, causing my heart to flutter a little faster. I don’t need to open my eyes to know that it’s Blaine. I have only felt that once before, when we first touched in the ballroom. It’s a feeling I have never experienced with anyone before and one that I have to ignore now. Whatever connection there is between us has to stop. I pull away from him as I open my eyes. His hand falls to my lap. He’s crouched on the floor before me, his dazzling pools of dark and silver focused on my eyes. I’m not sure if he feels the same sense of pleasure from our touch as I do. The sensation continues as his hand lies on my thigh. The warmth continues to pulsate through me. It becomes deeper and faster as the touch prolongs.
I stand to distance myself from him.
“Cadence, I can explain.”
I raise the flat of my palm to him to halt his advance. He stops dead.
“Don’t Blaine.” Tears are pooling at my lids and as I push them away a couple escape and slither down my cheek. I quickly brush them away, not wanting to show any vulnerability. I hold out my hand, palm up and call for the athame that currently lies abandoned on the ground behind Blaine. It swoops past him at speed and I close my fingers around the handle as it settles against my skin.
He stands there, silent. I can tell he is trying to think of ways to explain himself without enraging me, but there is nothing he can say that can make this better. He had the athame that killed my mum, regardless of whether Valeria gave it to him. Somehow he is mixed up in this and I can’t ignore that.
Before I get a chance to say another word, a vision violates my mind and my body is thrown backwards. The effect the powerful images have upon me is so much worse than with any of my other visions. The ritual involving my mum invades my mind, along with her death, and the athame. Then there is Valeria. I see Blaine with her, the athame in her hand, blood dripping from it. None of what I see is making sense. But before I can consider delving deeper into the vision I am thrown back out.
The clouds above are angry, rumbles of thunder forming within them. The air around me is heavy. Blaine kneels beside me, the warmth of his hand on my back as he helps
me sit up. I hold my head where it violently landed on the ground. Shit that hurts.
“Cadence, your eyes.” Blaine looks shocked and worry covers his face. He is even looking quite pale.
I pat at them and look at the familiar crimson colour that is trickling from them.
“Ugh, not again.” I grumble as I get to my feet, Blaine steadying me. As I focus, I can see Blaine going an awful shade of grey, but before I comment flashes of my vision attack my mind, reminding me that he is the enemy.
As flashes of my mum’s death and Valeria come flooding in, my anger builds. All the pent-up emotion I was saving for later bubbles to the surface and no amount of breathing can control it. Valeria is responsible for my mum’s death and somehow Blaine is involved. This amazing, heart-warming, gorgeous specimen in front of me is involved with Valeria. The thought makes me sick to the stomach.
My hands are now trembling and the thunder begins to growl above us in an ungodly manner. Lightning flashes, illuminating the sky. The air around us begins to constrict and go thick and heavy. I can see sparks emitting from each of my fingers. A fierce wind whips around us. Blaine shields his eyes from flying debris. Fire is spreading outward from me, fury building. I have never felt such hatred and betrayal before. Valeria is going to die in the most unimaginable, painful way possible. My heart is pounding so hard. The ground below me begins to shift, a crack forming between me and Blaine. It continues its path up to the fountain, fracturing the walls and causing water to trickle through the cracks.