Sacrifice of the Septimus: Part 1 (Afterlife saga Book 7)

by Stephanie Hudson

  “Kazzy!” My sister shouted hugging me to her and then she quickly whispered in my ear,

  “Please tell me you brought the food.” I chuckled and said,

  “Cinderella is here and yes, she brought the food.”

  “Oh thank God!” Libby shouted and suddenly everyone (supernatural that was) stopped dead and looked at her. My sister blushed and gave me a look as if to say that she didn’t know we had churchy people in our house.

  “Dom! How are you?” Libby said as she passed on her hugs to Draven.

  “I am very well indeed Libby and thank you for not only inviting us to dinner, but also my extended family.” Draven said politely nodding to the living room where everyone was fascinated with Ella.

  “You’re more than welcome and hey, pretty soon we will all be family, eh.” Libby said nudging Draven and I knew my time had come,

  “Uh yeah about that, Libs I…” Or maybe not.

  “Kazzy!” Frank’s booming voice came from down the stairs and suddenly I was up in his arms getting a big brother bear hug. Once again everyone froze as they took in the scene and Zagan even looked as if he was about to get up until Draven shook his head slightly. They obviously weren’t used to this mortal family custom.

  “Dom, my man, how the Hell are ya?” I couldn’t help it but I burst out laughing and started snorting in a way that no matter how hard you tried to control it, it just ended up getting worse.

  “Jeez Kaz, what’s up with you?” Libby asked and I looked to Draven who was trying to act serious but his smirk said he was failing.

  “Did I miss the joke?” Frank asked, having no clue he just asked a half Demon how the hell he was and Draven replied,

  “Inside joke.” Frank just nodded and then changed the subject by saying,

  “Here, let me help you get the shopping…holy shit! Libs, check out this car!” Then he began whistling as he ran down the steps and Draven kindly followed, answering all his car related questions.

  “Well there goes my coherent husband for the next week, doesn’t he own like a minivan or something?” I laughed at my sister and before I could mention about the wedding the next thing we knew…

  “Ooops, Houston I think we have a problem.” This came from Pip, who still had hold of Ella above her head, only now she was covered in something a lot more than glitter. No, now it was Ella’s puke.

  “Oh my…oh gosh I am so sorry.” Libby said rushing to Pip and taking Ella, who was shouting

  “Again, again, again, Aunty Pip!”

  “Aww she called me aunty, did you hear that?” Pip was beaming with happiness even though she was covered in sick.

  “I heard sugar sweet, let’s get you cleaned up.” Adam said winking at Libby who pointed to the downstairs bathroom.

  “Sorry again!” Libby shouted and Pip giggled. She wiped up Ella’s face with a wet wipe and whipped off her t shirt like she was a pro and used to doing this five times a day. Ella squirmed to get free and it almost looked as though she was trying to wrestle a wild lion cub with a red mane of curly hair.

  “Okay, okay child, go be free!” my sister said joking once she got a new top on her.

  “Aunty azzy!” She screamed and ran towards me. I picked her up in my arms and hugged her to me. However in Ella’s mind I must have been holding her for a small eternity because after three seconds she was squirming to get free again and made a run for the door.

  “Frank!”

  “Yeah?”

  “Code 123 again!” Libby shouted and he turned and looked confused,

  “What’s that one again? I only ever seem to remember code brown…for obvious reasons,” he told Draven, making him laugh.

  “Child on the run!” she shouted back, just as Ella started running towards the tree line.

  “Let me. Oh Ella!” Draven shouted and suddenly she stopped in her tracks and her head looked behind her to see Draven. Then she went berserk!

  “DOM, DOM, DOMMY, DOM, DOM!” She shouted running back to him as she had to me and he picked her up and swung her around in his arms making her giggle until she coughed.

  “Again, again, again.”

  “Uh I wouldn’t if I were you, we’ve already have one man down due to a puke attack.” I told him.

  “Sorry kid, your Aunty will tell me off.” She huffed in his arms, which didn’t last long when he started making funny faces at her.

  “He’s great with her.” Libby said after letting Frank pass to bring the bags of shopping in through to the kitchen. The sight of his chasing her pretending to be a wild beast nearly brought tears to my eyes. It was obvious that he had seen my family a few times in the nine months I was away and I had to wonder if Sophia had played ‘me’ as she too looked very comfortable around my family.

  “Jesus Kazzy, what’s with all the sweets?” Frank said coming out of the kitchen to find everyone again had frozen to look at him, even Pip and Adam who had just emerged from the bathroom…

  “What did I say?” I giggled to myself when I heard Libby pulling Frank back in the kitchen, whispering,

  “Less of the Gods, Christs and Jesus’s…I think they’re church people.” Once out of ear shot I heard Sophia mutter,

  “If only she knew.”

  Soon after this I found myself in the kitchen cooking and it felt like old times. Both Pip and Sophia had come in to watch and the guys all sat in the den, drinking beers and talking about men’s stuff. I found it fascinating just thinking about what they could be talking about and it was only when I heard Pip saying,

  “Well you will need a dress soon as it’s in five days,” that two things happened, one felt like slow motion as I turned around and shouted,

  “No!” and at the same time I knocked the water I was boiling ready for the pasta over my hand.

  “Oww!” I shouted holding my hand but before I could cradle it to my chest out of instinct, it was being held in Draven’s hand.

  “It’s fine really…oww.” Draven looked down at me and growled.

  “Kaz are you alright?” Libby said getting worried trying to see for herself but thankfully Sophia took over and steered her out of the kitchen.

  “Let’s just give them some space. Don’t worry, Dom will sort it…he’s good at this type of thing…or so I hear, unfortunately.” My cheeks quickly went the colour of my burnt hand as I heard her muttered comment, knowing exactly what she meant.

  “Yeah, he’s got nice hands.” Pip added thinking this would help.

  “What am I to do with you?” He told me as he walked me over to the sink and held it under very cold water. I sucked in air between my teeth at the sting and Draven tutted.

  “That’s going to be a nasty burn. I’m going to have to heal you.” I blushed a deeper shade, knowing what this meant.

  “What, down here… in the kitchen?” I hissed in disbelief.

  “If I don’t now then you will be stuck in pain all night and I refuse to allow that, so yes…here and now.” This was Draven’s ‘this is final’ voice and I knew never to argue with that. He pulled it from under the cold tap and I looked down to see he was right, it was already starting to blister.

  “But what if someone comes in?” I asked and he said confidently,

  “That’s not my main concern right now,” frowning down at my hand.

  “Draven.” He sighed when I whispered his name telling him my worries were real and he said,

  “Sophia and Pip won’t let her in here until I am finished…okay?” I nodded feeling better as he took my hand in one of his and covered it with the other. It didn’t take long before the usual feeling started to take hold whenever Draven healed me. The sensations that felt like ice along my skin were sensually being moved along my hand, held firmly in between his lips. It lit up my nerve endings and my skin tingled before that tingle started to travel elsewhere.

  “Draven?” I uttered his name like a prayer, gripping onto him with my free hand.

  “Ssshh, it’s alright love, just let it happen.”


  “But I’m in my sister’s kitchen.” I told him letting him know my concerns. I heard him chuckle and he put his forehead to mine and said,

  “I know, but you’re safe with me…just let yourself go.” I wanted to tell him that I didn’t think I had any other choice as the feelings increased and the intensity grew. I started panting as warmth overtook me and suddenly if felt as though a hot shower head was right above that perfect bundle of nerves between my legs. I started moaning,

  “Yes, yes, yes…” gripping on tighter to him so that I wouldn’t fall. I felt my knees started to buckle as my hips rotated faster and faster against something that wasn’t there. He must have known when it was coming because he let go of my hand, using them instead to hold me upright.

  “Yes!” I shouted but thankfully he clamped his other hand over my mouth so that I came screaming into his palm. I bucked and jolted against him and suddenly I heard Libby’s voice,

  “Oh dear, she’s not crying is she?!” Thankfully Draven’s body hid me from view. From around Draven’s shoulder I saw Libby walk through into the kitchen and she was quickly followed by a panicked looking Pip and Sophia, who had obviously tried to stop her. I growled up at Draven and wanted to say ‘so much for keeping her out’ but instead was only left frowning up at his grinning face.

  “You look so beautiful when you come,” he whispered down at me and my sister said,

  “Sorry, what did you say?” I heard Pip and Sophia chuckle and decided to ignore them, however with my sister I had no such luck. Draven turned round to face her and said,

  “I said it looks fine now.” Libby looked to me with all my hair dishevelled, red faced, hardly able to catch my breath and no doubt sweating. Whereas Draven was as cool as a cucumber, and didn’t look at all guilty about just making his wife orgasm in her sister’s kitchen when she had dinner guests!

  “I’ll open a bottle of wine should I?” Libby suggested.

  “Make mine a large.” I said in a croaky voice, making the two troublemakers giggle. I had a feeling it was going to be a long night…

  For me at least.

  In the end I didn’t get my large wine, forgetting about it as the conversation was flowing and everyone seemed to be having a good time. Even the food went down well with them all and I smiled at Libby when she and Frank started clearing all the empty plates. Next was my strawberry chocolate cake that I knew was a personal favourite of Libby’s, which was why Frank cut her the first piece. The conversation quickly got on to where everyone was from and how they met. Well this was going to be interesting, I thought to myself.

  “So Zagan, where are you originally from?” My sister asked, whilst nicking a stray strawberry from her husband’s plate.

  “Zabulistan,” he said smirking, as from the look on my sister’s face it was obvious she had no clue where in the world that was. But to be honest if I hadn’t already heard the story of how these two got together, then I wouldn’t have known about the Persian legend of Zal and Rudabeh, aka Zagan and Sophia.

  “Also known as the Zabul Province in Southern Afghanistan in today’s time.”

  “Ah, you like your history then. Kazzy was always the history nut in our family.” Zagan nodded his head to me and said,

  “History and tequila fan, in my book she can do no wrong.” Then he held up his hand to me and gave me a peace sign, teasing me. I laughed knowing this was to remind me what I had done that day in front of a legion of Hell’s soldiers, before kindly passing them over to one of Hell’s original commanders of course, that being Zagan himself. I mean, what was I going to do with them, get them to redecorate or do community service on the streets? No, no, they were much better suited to Zagan’s rule that was for sure.

  “And how did you two meet?”

  “I couldn’t get him to stop climbing through my window.” Sophia said on a laugh and again Libby’s face was a picture. I leant to the side closer to Draven and muttered,

  “Sounds like someone else I know.” He got close to my ear and whispered back,

  “Behave or I will tell everyone how you used to sit there and wait for me…that or make you come again.” And to prove his point, he grabbed the top of my thigh and squeezed, rubbing his fingers up against my sweet spot.

  “The moment I saw her I knew there would never be another soul for me. Her intelligence, wit and beauty captured my heart, but do you know what I enjoyed the most?” Zagan said looking at his wife, whilst Pip and Libby and I were all tilting our heads making ‘aww’ noises.

  “It was her mischievous nature that corrupted me first.” At this we all laughed and Sophia gave him a knowing grin with one eyebrow raised. Oh yeah, they were going to have fun tonight.

  “And how about you two?” Libby said turning to Pip and Adam, and before any of us could shout ‘Nooooo’ knowing how utter pants Pip was at keeping the truth, even in front of mortals… it was too late.

  “Oh I killed him.” I think I actually smacked myself on the forehead as I lowered my head in my hand.

  “What?!” Libby shouted and Frank made a strangled noise in shock. Adam laughed and obviously being used to bailing his wife out, quickly took control of the situation by calmly saying,

  “She hit me with her car and believed me dead.”

  “Oh my…uh, really?” My sister stopped herself from dropping the G bomb again, only Frank had no such filter.

  “Holy shit! Really?”

  “It’s true, I thought there was blood splattered everywhere! Uh, I will just let you tell the story, hunny pot noodle.” Pip said after throwing her hands up at the blood splatter bit, but one look from Adam and she decided it best to rein in the gore, or this was never going to be believable.

  “I had been carrying groceries at the time and what my excitable wife means is that she mistook my broken carton of tomato juice for my blood.” Oh he was good, but I suppose decades of covering for your wife made you a natural at story telling.

  “Oh my, what happened next?” My sister asked, totally getting engrossed in the story.

  “She rushed to my aid and when I looked up to see this beautiful creature in a halo of green hair and a rainbow of colour, I knew my grey life would never be the same again. She brings colour into my dark world and makes everything in my life shine bright…who would not instantly fall in love with that?”

  “Aww Libs.” I said as my sister started wiping the tears away, but I had to admit, it was a beautiful thing to say about anyone.

  “Oh shucks handsome hubby, you’re the chocolate to my peanut butter cup!” Pip said, kissing her hand and slapping it on his right cheek, before just going right on in there and kissing him passionately, as if no one else was around. Frank started laughing until Libby nudged him so he turned it into a cough.

  “Sorry, it still feels like we are newlyweds.” Adam said excusing their behaviour. Meanwhile Draven was sat next to me, still with his hand on the top of my thigh, obviously getting frisky.

  “So how did you two get together?” Sophia asked Frank and Libby.

  “Oh yes, tell us please!” Pip added and I smirked at Libby who blushed.

  “I was at a concert when a fight broke out. There was a crowd riot and I was knocked down and would have been trampled on if Frank, who was head of security at the time, hadn’t jumped in and saved me.”

  “Awww, that’s so sweet! You were her hero!” Pip shouted to Frank, bouncing in her seat with her hands under her bum. Libby looked at her husband, giving him soft loving eyes and quietly said,

  “He is my hero.” Frank beamed back at her, putting his hand behind her neck and pulling her in for a kiss.

  “Love you, babe.” Frank told her after the kiss and she became teary again.

  “Yeah and we knew he was the one when she came home and couldn’t stop talking about him!” I added making everyone laugh.

  “Oh and that wasn’t you about your new boss?” Libby said getting me back and Pip made a ‘Woooo’ sound as if we were about to wrestle. A
t this everyone laughed again before my sister said,

  “And I guess we don’t need to ask you two how you got together.”

  “Yeah, talk about wooing her, dude, you got that shit down! Chauffeur driven cars, bringing her home yourself when she didn’t feel well, then buying her a car…phew, you must have had it bad.” Frank said and I felt my cheeks turn bright crimson before trying to defend myself with,

  “Loaned me the money for a car.”

  “Why, you paid it back yet?” Frank asked and I sank a little lower in my seat and muttered a quiet,

  “Not yet.”

  “Ha, didn’t think so and I bet you never will be allowed to, right my man?”

  “Absolutely not.” Draven said, knowing full well he would never take any money from me and Frank burst out laughing.

  “We were just happy that she had someone who was a good guy and wanted to take care of her…someone like I said who obviously had it bad.” I was about to stop Frank from embarrassing me further when Draven spoke.

  “You cannot imagine. I fell in love with Keira the second I saw her but knew I had to take things slow. But yes Frank…I had it bad from the beginning and have continued to do so ever since. That is why I cannot wait to make her my wife for she makes me the happiest man alive.” Okay so now it was my turn for tears and I buried my head in his shoulder, whispering,

  “I love you, Dominic.”

  After this came the screaming tears, that surprisingly weren’t from Pip but actually from Ella.

  “Must be another nightmare,” Libby said as the sound came through the baby monitor and Libby automatically pushed her chair back to go and settle her, until Draven stopped her,

  “Please, allow me. I have a gift for her anyway and I think it will help.” Libby smiled and joked,

  “Jeez you guys can come again, free babysitters for life.” Draven left the table just as Pip was trying to talk Libby and Frank into letting her and Adam babysit first. Through the monitor we all heard Draven enter the room and start speaking softly to Ella, trying to calm her down. I decided to go upstairs and see this for myself.

  “Hush now, there is no need for bad dreams.” I could hear Draven telling her as I approached Ella’s bedroom door. I looked inside and saw Draven on his knees by her bed pulling something from his jacket pocket.