"Not really, aren't you a mind reader on top of your glamouring."
“Sorry to disappoint but no.”
"Are you sure? Your family sure has stalker tendencies, am I that appealing you can't get enough?" Luxor remarked sarcastically.
"Aren't you a bundle of Little Miss Sunshine? I parked my car at the Village Bowl, so don't stroke your ego." he replied sardonically.
"What do you want Castor?"
"I'm Theo," he replied. Luxor bit her lip from bursting out laughing. "But of course, you know that!" He shook his head in disbelief. "No wonder you and Hunter match, both pain in my asses."
"We are anything but a match, besides I like somebody," she said, hoping he would go away.
"Oh yes he's blonde haired, blue eyed. Didn't figure you to go for the stereotypical pretty boy."
Luxor leaned against the railing and faced him side on.
Theo retrieved a bag of bread pieces from his pocket, and threw them in the air where they dropped onto the surface of the water. Ducks from all direction swam in eager to be the first ones to gain the precious food.
"Hunter doesn't know the full extent of what’s been going on, and I don’t need him going off the rails so to speak,” Theo said.
“About too late for that,” she said. “Besides why should he care?”
“Oh, the irony coming from you." He lent her the bag. Luxor scooped up a handful and scattered the water. "You might lie to him, to your friends, but he as well as us aren't blind. Use the blonde guy, get him out of your system, because in the end, it'll always be him."
She scoffed. "You obviously haven’t received the memo, any affections I had for Xavier were manipulated. And besides I have greater things going on than to deal with guys.”
"Cane, of course.” He nodded. “Want to hear a story? It might calm you down so you don’t look like a crazed animal.” Without waiting for a response Theo cleared his throat. “This is important as well. I've known Hunter my entire life, and never once have I seen him act like this towards a girl. You want to know how we met?"
“Hunter briefly told me.”
“So, you’ll know Castor and I grew up in an orphanage, our mother died in childbirth, our father deserting her to die alone. We were six when we met him, he was climbing a tree, near the lake where he lived, and asked if we wanted to play, and eat dinner with him. Here we were, two boys, literally being starved and beaten to death, but he didn't care. A month later Castor fell ill with meningitis, the nurses disregarding him like trash. The orphanage was filled to capacity so who cared about some useless orphan, right? Wrong. Orion stormed in and grabbed us, he was poor, like barely surviving, but he didn't care. He treated us like we were his sons, and Hunter was our brother.
They saved us, and even though we've done stupid stuff, we never judged each other. With you, he has reverted to that boy. So, whatever happens, don't judge him before you know the whole story." When he finished, the pain was etched in those light grey eyes. He might have had an aggressive appearance, but the softness of his tone belied his image. "Besides it's Castor and Melita you should be worried about. He's unhinged and she's a whore." He chuckled, and plucked a twig out of her hair.
Luxor's mouth gaped open. Not giving her time to absorb the information, Theo ventured ahead, stopping once to look over his shoulder.
Seven feet of muscle stomped over, his yellow eyes bulged seething with rage. "Who gave you permission to finish? Do you have any idea the mayhem you have cause? You are lucky I hadn't called your aunt in yet," Coach Davis barked, droplets of saliva spitting out. A thick vein protruded from his neck, with a prominent one down his forehead.
“I’m tired.”
“So? Do you have any idea the mayhem out there? You are lucky to have this power. You’re lucky I haven’t called Principal Wright to sort your sorry ass out.” His veins protruded from his neck, and a prominent one down his forehead.
"I'm sorry," she replied softly, playing around at her sleeves, unable to meet his eyes. If she tended to his ego maybe he would ease off.
"I don’t want you to be sorry, I want you to try harder. Be mad. Show your hate.” Realisation dawned on Luxor. He was attempting to get her angry. “Do you understand me?"
“Perfectly.”
“That’s all for today.” He dismissed her with a wave of his hand.
Once at home, Luxor collapsed into bed not even having the strength to undress, but her mind twitched all wired from the exercise. She held onto her necklace, her support system, and let the serenity of glow infused her.
The image of Astrid came straight into view, dressed in a coral playsuit, her camera raised taking a few moments to absorb the beautiful before clicking, shot after shot, turning the lens. Her face beamed as she found the Eiffel tower and she clicked away.
“I finally here,” she giggled. She twirled around and clicked, anything and everything, her platinum hair swirling around.
A man sitting in a café with black hair noticed Astrid straight away, and slowly placed his espresso down. He rose from his chair, his company following suit.
Luxor gasped.
Cane.
Cane tapped the chest of the male beside his and when he lifted his head, toffee eyes stared back at her.
Hunter?
No, there’s something different about this man. His hair was longer, and there was a wise-ness in his eyes. She had seen his face before.
Orion.
Orion walked towards Astrid at a steady pace but at the last minute, he spun around and began to walk backwards, his fingers trembling, until he'd bumped into a body. "Watch it." Orion turned around.
Astrid jolted forward and stroked her collarbone. "Excuse me, you bumped into me."
Orion swallowed, the girl was beyond beautiful just as Cane had said, but up close it was small details that beautified her. "If you weren't standing there like a statue, you'd realise others would want to view monuments."
Astrid widened her light hazel eyes before screwing up her nose. The smattering of freckles across her nose only enhanced her allure. "You were walking backwards."
"Enjoying th-the view in front of m-me," he splattered.
"And walking backwards would help you see it better?" She frowned.
Luxor noticed the hidden smile.
Cane joined him. "Orion, where have you been?" Luxor sneered and wished she could hurt him. "I apologise for my friend, he has problems." He tapped his index and forefinger to his temple.
Astrid rolled her eyes. "Aren't you going to apologise?" She pinched her slender hips.
"Pfft apologising is for fools. Besides I didn't do anything wrong," Orion shot back.
Yep, Hunter definitely got it from him, Luxor observed. She walked around to get a better look at their interaction.
Astrid narrowed her eyes at Orion. "Apologise now." She poked him twice in the chest.
Orion grabbed it midway before she did it for the third time. A zap sizzled between them, and they retracted at the same time.
Luxor gasped. Their chemistry reminded her of the one she shared with Hunter; the good times and the bad.
Orion moved back. He slunk his hands deeper into his pockets and shifted from foot to foot, before a melodious giggle alerted his attention.
He raised his head and furrowed his eyebrows. "What's funny?"
"You," she replied playfully.
"Great to be of amusement," he deadpanned and turned his back on her.
"Don't mind him," Cane said, waving him off dismissively.
Astrid placed a reassuring hand on Orion's forearm.
Luxor saw the sharp inhale of breath, and he closed his eyes, the mannerisms so similar they scared her.
"Would you like to join us for lunch, call it an apology of sorts?" Cane asked, gifting her with a blinding smile to entice her.
"You didn't do anything wrong, I want your friend to ask," she said stubbornly.
Cane narrowed his eyes.
"Astrid, would you join us
for lunch?" he said, frowning.
"Of course," she smiled. "If you apologise," she sang.
"I regret my transgressions, that's the best you'll get."
Luxor burst out laughing. “Oh, Orion. You really met your match with my mumma.”
"Good enough. Shall we go?" She attempted to link her arms through Orion's but he moved a fair distance ahead, shaking his head.
Luxor’s eyes flashed open, drenched in sweat. Her heart thrashed behind her ribs.
Hunter.
She fumbled from her phone and without a second thought she dialled his number. It rang out and went to voicemail.
“You know what to do,” Hunter’s voice said.
“Hunter. Hi, ummm. Can you call me?” She dialled again. And again. And again. Each time leaving a frantic message until her voice cracked. “Hunter, I need you. Please call me back,” Luxor said to herself. She slumped down on the floor, and laid her head against her knees but she couldn’t sit still.
This isn’t you.
Luxor gathered cleaning supplies and headed downstairs, straight to the room with the tunnel. It still had the pungent musty odour but that made her all the eager to get straight to work. She kneeled and scrubbed the room, envisioning it to her soul, cleansing it all impurities. She rimmed the outline of the hatch and would have loved to venture down, except Ayla had guarded it against evil.
Too bad she was the villain.
“You called?” Hunter said, leaning against leaned the doorway.
Luxor yipped, and punched the bucket. It spilled all over her thighs. “A little warning next time.” She crawled back, and wiped the suds off with the cloth at her hip. “I called a couple of times.”
“Why? You have Ayla and Pandora, they shouldn’t leave you alone,” Hunter said, keeping a respectable distance back.
“I told her to,” she said.
Luxor moved along to the next room eager to see what lay beyond. She entered and her eyes widened. Exposed wooden ceiling beams expanded horizontally, with dangling light fixtures hanging from below. Soaring oak bookshelves reached high and took up every inch of the wall, and no space was left that wasn’t filled with a book. A grey three-seater was positing in the middle of the room facing a brick, wood fireplace.
“This room,” she breathed out.
“Yeah it’s a library," he deadpanned, stepping in closer.
Luxor understood his aversion to books but she couldn’t help to be entranced. She ran a finger along the top of a suede grey three-seater couch positioned in the middle of the room, facing a fireplace. She moved towards the ladder on the side, and grabbed a rung. By reaching rock bottom the only way was up, if only it was as easy as climbing the rungs.
“Can we go for a walk?” she said, the room feeling too small all of a sudden. Ignoring him wasn't for the reason he assumed. She wanted him nearby especially since the divulgence of their connection. No matter his rough methods Hunter was the only one who put up with her craziness.
Before he could respond Luxor headed to her bedroom, with Hunter close behind. She gathered some clothes, and changed in the bathroom, removing the dirty and wet ones and replaced them with leggings and T-shirt. She raised an eyebrow at Hunter to follow and jumped off the railing of the balcony and waited near the swing. She pointed to the glades at the back The Chalet and entered through the rich canopy of trees and dunked her head under a lower branch.
Luxor kicked pebbles and they skittered through the lively leaves adorning the ground. “I need space to process,” she finally said.
"Defeats the process of calling me. You’re angry with me...again. I’m getting used to it,” he said with a small smile, his strides matching hers. “Did you confront Xavier?”
“Mission accomplished, he’s gone.” No emotion backed her words.
He rounded and stopped from her going further. His arms reached out to hold her shoulder only to drop them. “I wish I could hurt him for hurting you. There’s no use liking somebody who has feelings for another.”
She bowed her head. “They weren’t real, he manipulated me.”
“And me?”
“I can’t go there now.”
“Can’t or won’t?”
“Both,” she said and trudged on, twigs breaking underfoot.
“Why did you call?”
The streaks in sunlight and sweet aroma of the glades also brought relief with the change of subject. She slumped down and reclined her legs, crossing them at the ankles. “I had a vision.” He straightened up quick, but spun around and held up a hand. “Not like that. I-I enjoyed it. Remember when ummm.” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
“We spent the night together.”
“Yeah that. I asked you who else did your father help. I think your father, and my mumma knew each other. He was there. With Cane. He was there when they met, and I don’t know, I think she liked him.”
Hunter laughed. “In a less than platonic way?”
“Maybe. The way she looked at him. Of course, he didn’t spare her another glance.”
“Reversal in this case.”
Luxor stuck out her tongue. “From the small part I saw, you are like him,” she said. Hunter lost his smile. “What’s wrong?”
“I haven’t seen him in over three hundred years, and I guess I envy what you got to see.” He looked down at the ground. “Is that all you wanted to see me about.”
“No.” Luxor inched closer until see could smell the pine, and deliciousness of the forest. She kept her eyes locked on his, watching them darken until she wrapped her arms around his neck. “I’m sorry,” she breathed into his neck. “I shouldn’t have lashed out at you for telling me the truth.”
Hunter pulled back, and she feared she had lost him. She didn’t want to admit how much it pained.
Was our connection cosmic, sealed before I had been born?
“I’m used to it.” He clasped her hand and gave it a little squeeze.
Luxor frowned, and held on tighter. “No, you shouldn’t have to be. I’m trying to control my anger.”
“In order to do that, you must fix up any issues you have.”
“Like?”
“With Evie. You can’t blame her for what happened with Verity and Aiden. And you need Ayla,” he screwed up his nose.
“I’m not forgiving her,” she said adamantly.
“Then it will chew you up. I’m not saying it’ll happen today, or tomorrow, or weeks even but you need her for the fight against Cane. The confusing part is Ayla’s part. Angels steer clear of us. There's a divide that everybody sticks to."
"What's the teams?"
"Angels hate everybody. From the Seraphim who are on top of the hierarchy to the Grigori. They think they are high and mighty and their shit don't stink. Demons hate everybody but tolerate us when they need something which of course the majority of us don't oblige. Then there's us, the Nephilim. We’re like Switzerland, they don't get involved in this good versus bad bullshit, we're—"
"Grey," she finished it off for him.
“The truth will come out soon enough, and when it does, you ultimately can decide what you want to do and I’ll back you up.”
Luxor spent the next few hours cleaning, with Hunter not lifting a finger and merely proving commentary on her efforts. She held in her ire and restrained from dunking the dirty bucket over his head. With every room came a new squeal consisting of a study, parlour, a formal dining room, a billiard room, and cellar. But the biggest dance came from the opulent bathroom, affixed with rustic features, the claw standing bath being a standout feature.
Hunter low whistled. “Big enough for two.” He raised an eyebrow.
“It’ll be easier to drown you,” she laughed.
Luxor cooked them a meal of macaroni and cheese for dinner, and despite being made with gluten and soy products it wasn’t too bad. She told him all about the tunnel and about the barn and all the places Ayla had said it led to. Hunter listened intently, washed up, and she criticised hi
s techniques much to his amusement. He kept on suggesting activities such as if she had a board game or to teach her poker. Luxor was so spent she ended up pushing him out and bidding him goodnight.
For the first time in a long time Luxor slept with genuine happiness.
Luxor awoke to the sounds of hushed voices, and slid into her slippers she padded down the stairs into the kitchen. "Morning Meredith," she croaked.
Meredith peered up. "It's late afternoon sweet-pea. How are you feeling?" She moved to the side revealing the visitor.
Sweet-pea?
"Hey, Luxor." Ayla smiled, giving her a small wave.
Luxor let out a low disappointed sigh, quickly hiding it behind a yawn to cover her tracks. "Hey, what a surprise," she replied cheerily, when deep down she was annoyed.
There was no escape from Ayla's persistence, she was everywhere Luxor turned. Their conversation lingered like a very present bad smell, and as usual, Ayla had interjected in her home space to get answers. The hate churned inside like acid but she reeled it back heeding Hunter’s suggestion.
"Thought you'd like it," she replied sweetly, swirling on the stool. Meredith dawdled around the kitchen oblivious to the tension, stirring the scrambled eggs on one fry pan, whilst bacon sizzled on the other.
"What are you doing here?" Luxor halted.
"Haven’t heard from you for a while.” Ayla played around with the sleeve of her cardigan.
Meredith interjected. "We were talking about the plans for tonight. Ayla suggested the Twilight festival, and I agreed. Should be fun, oh and her cousin Xander is going along," she said jovially, plating up the food on the counter.
"Xavier," Luxor corrected. “And I wasn’t a fan of the movie.”
Meredith furrowed her brow. "Yes, yes Xavier. Such a lovely boy. How is your cousin, is he enjoying Brighton Falls?"
“Very much so,” Ayla said. “Evie is coming along too, will be a fun night for all."
Luxor injected as much enthusiasm as she could but she was seething. She sliced the crispy bacon with force that the plate screeched. "I'm busy with homework." She hoped the thinly veiled message came across.
Betrayed: The Chronicles of Luxor Everstone Book Two Page 33