The Two Kings (Afterlife Saga)

by Stephanie Hudson

  “Home,” I said under my breath, but of course he heard it, because he lifted the whole of my body up to his face. I really don’t know how he did it considering he had been holding me now for quite some time. Talk about superhuman powers or what! He leaned his head to my face and said,

  “Yes, you are.” His voice was covered with happy emotions as he said this. He walked us inside and placed me gently down on the couch as though I was made of fine china. Of course I laughed out loud when he handed me a steaming, hot mug.

  “I think you need this.” He said, smirking down at me. I looked down to see the thick dark liquid and one smell had me wrinkling my nose as the bitter taste of coffee invaded my nostrils. Draven frowned at me.

  “Keira it will help sober you up.” He tried to reason with me but there was nothing he could say to get me to drink that horrible stuff!

  “I think being sick helped with that thanks. But I wouldn’t say no to a nice cuppa?” He rolled his eyes at me.

  “I thought that classified as a “Cuppa”” He tried to mimic my accent but I don’t think the mild Liverpudlian accent was his forte!

  “Oh no, see a Cuppa means a cup of tea, see I’m somewhat of an expert on this.”

  “Oh really, then please educated me so that I never make such a grave mistake again.” He moved to sit next to me and instead of lounging out I moved my legs to give him room. I actually got excited about teaching him something, even if it was all just playful banter. I mean I know I was drunk but I hadn’t completely lost all my marbles!

  “Well ok, but you have to understand... ‘We’, as in the English people....well, we take drinking tea as a very serious business. See it can’t be any old shit!” At this he laughed at me, which I relished.

  “No, but of course.” He said as if obviously he was in agreement.

  “See, some of the posher lot of us like something called ‘Twinning’s Breakfast Tea’ but this is not your everyday stuff, more like the stuff you get out when you’re rich Aunt comes to stay, and your mother wants to impress your father’s sister.” I explained all of this like Draven understood which I doubted...I mean it’s not like he had anyone in his family richer than himself...If anything he was the rich Aunt!

  “Ok, so I prefer something called PG tips which has a monkey and a comedian do the adverts or there’s a brand called Tetley and they have little funny characters that I used to collect as a child with little teapots and...” I took one look at Draven’s face to find him looking highly entertained at my drunken ramblings that I blushed before continuing,

  “Anyway that’s not important...where was I...Oh yeah, well either one brand is nice but you can’t buy the stuff here, so I get my mum to send me a monthly supply.... you still with me?” I asked raising my eyebrow and looking to the side. I knew I was babbling on a bit so I wasn’t surprised to find Draven sat there with a half hidden smile. Half hidden because he had one hand covering his chin. Like this, he reminded me of some sexy professor! At this I slapped my forehead as I remembered one vital bit of information...He could hear me!

  “Should I purchase some glasses, tweed jacket and a school room for this fantasy of yours?”

  “Draven! You need to stop doing that! It’s not fair to pry into my secret thoughts, not when I can’t hear yours anyway.” I said pushing him but he just grabbed my chin to pull me in for a fierce kiss, which I stopped.

  “Keira!” He pleaded, but I had my reasons and considering I had not long ago puked up there wasn’t a chance I was letting that happen.

  “You have to try and control yourself,” I warned making him growl in return.

  “But I don’t want to, in fact I want to strip you naked and bathe in your scent.” At hearing this I shouted out in shock. Because, of course, he never actually spoke the words, I just heard them being said in his mind...he was letting me in.

  “I heard you!”

  “And did you like what you heard?” He asked like a true bad arse.

  “ Maybe. Ok yes but I still want my cup of tea...besides this is cold now,” I said handing him the mug I still had hold of.

  “We can’t have that now, can we?” He then reached across and dipped his finger in the liquid. I watched over the brim like a child would have. I couldn’t keep the grin from my lips when the liquid started to move round before turning a lighter shade of brown. Once he’d finished he pulled his finger out and popped into his mouth and sucked it clean. I looked on like it was the sexiest thing I had ever seen.

  “Umm... I still have to say I prefer coffee.”

  “That’s because you’re not English. Which makes me wonder what are you?”

  “I’m a Demon/ Angel half breed King of the supernatural world.” He said it as though he had been doing everyday of his life but then again I couldn’t really see Draven saying this to himself every morning in front of the mirror. This thought once again had him laughing.

  “I’m Persian!” He then said proudly as if it was common knowledge.

  “Oh...so no tea then?” I said taking the first sip of my very own bee’s nectar.

  “So is that like the Prince of Persia?” I continued but he just stared back at me blankly.

  “Sorry?” He obviously didn’t understand the joke. Not a game fan clearly.

  “It’s a video game.” Once again he was frowning.

  “There is a game people play called this?”

  “Yeah, us people play stuff like that. It was cool but I was hopeless...I kept dying, falling off walls and such but my ex was really good at it.” As soon as I mentioned an ex I realised my flaw. Note to self, never mention the ex’s and what’s more never praise them! Draven’s eyes turned darker and his frown made them look lost in a deeper rage.

  “Oh come on don’t go all Demonic on me, it’s not like you ever have to meet them like I do!”

  “Lucky for them.” He said coldly and when he saw my face, only then did he start to unclench his fists. We sat in silence for a bit while I finished my tea because in truth I didn’t know what to say next. It seemed everything out of my mouth was just going to anger him or seem very childish in his ancient eyes.

  “That’s not true, I love to hear about what your life was like before I met you. It fascinates me to hear you speak. But feel free to leave out past lovers won’t you.”

  “Deal. What do you want to know?” I said turning more to face him after placing my empty mug on the floor.

  “What was your childhood like, was it a happy one?” I laughed at the thought of me as a child, all tomboy and scraped knees. Messy, wild, golden hair that grew more upwards than it did downwards. Dirty finger nails from digging worms in the garden and racing snails up my mum’s clean windows. Running into the wooded area near our house just after it rained because I loved the smell of wet earth and dripping leaves. Climbing trees and crying one day when my favourite one was ripped from the ground to make way for a new development of houses.

  Making marble runs and our own board games out of crisp boxes, finished toilet rolls and sticky tape with my sister. Spending time with my best friend on the school wall talking about boys we fancied. Going to the school disco and having my first real kiss by the Maths room, from a boy I fell hard for..... Yes... apart from seeing Demons and Angels walking the earth with me, yes it was a happy one indeed. Of course I didn’t need to voice my answer, I had just shown him everything by accessing my own memories.

  “And yet seeing my kind never prevented you from finding such happiness, how is that?” He spoke so softly as he ran his fingers along my jaw line and up to my cheek.

  “I don’t know...I guess I just decided that it was better to live with it than not living at all.”

  “Good answer.” He said this but he still looked sad for my early experiences with his kind.

  “Do you wish you’d had a childhood?” I asked not meeting his eyes.

  “It’s hard to wish for something you don’t fully understand. In my position it is not practical to be a boy with po
wer. Innocence is not a wise virtue to hold in my world. I had to be strong from the beginning just as I have to remain so now but...” He hooked my chin up so that he could see my eyes before he continued.

  “But?” I asked shyly.

  “But being here with you is like being the child I never had the chance to be. Here with you is my chance to feel a happiness I have never felt before. I have never had moments like this Keira. I have never had someone to speak like this to, stories to tell and to hear in return...It is all so new to me and yet I find that I could be happy to do it for all eternity and the rest of my days!”

  “Oh trust me, you would get tired of hearing my voice!” I joked and although he laughed it was for a different reason.

  “That is impossible. I could listen to you until my ears bled. I especially like this new, no bounds Keira that speaks freely and full of an adorable Northern English accent, thanks to a little... well a lot of, what is it usually called...liquid courage.”

  “You just like that because you can hear my thoughts.” Again I was making him laugh.

  “Yes well, that too. Have I told you lately how much I love you?” He said pulling me closer until my head tucked under his chin.

  “Even when I throw up over your balcony and talk drunkenly about tea and video games?”

  “But of course! And what is it with that balcony that makes you want to throw up all the time?” He was making fun of me and it was working as my cheeks went cherry colour.

  “Umm, that blush of yours could warm any man’s blood to boiling point.” This wasn’t an exaggeration as it didn’t take long before I could feel his blood boiling for myself...down below that was. So much so that I had to shift myself to one side so as to give him more room down there.

  “Can I ask you a question?” When I said this he lowered his head and kissed me on my forehead after smoothing some of my hair back.

  “Anything.”

  “You might not like talking about it.” I warned and this is when he moved back to look at me.

  “I will answer your questions even if I don’t want to.” He promised making me grin.

  “It’s about what happened to me today.” I said, making his jaw tense at the subject. I think he was hoping that this afternoon was just going to evaporate into nothing and not have chance to make a memory.

  “One can only hope.” He said bitterly before continuing,

  “What is it you would like to know?”

  “Well firstly...who was it that you went there to see?” I waited to see his response with eager eyes. I knew it was a woman from when Leivic said “She is waiting for you”, I couldn’t help the little twist of jealous curiosity that snaked in my belly.

  “I was there to see a very good friend of mine, her name is Pythia.” As soon as he said the name it pricked recognition from my brain. Where had I heard that name before?

  “You like history yes?” I nodded at his question as I was still searching my head for answers.

  “Are you familiar with Greek mythology?” As soon as he said the words my mind clicked and I found the answer.

  “She’s an Oracle!” I shouted a bit louder than what was needed.

  “Actually she’s The Oracle...as in, she’s the only one.”

  “But I thought throughout history there has been many?” Even today some clairvoyants are sometimes considered to be the Oracles of our time.

  “No, there is and only ever will be one. Pythia is the only direct communal link between the Gods from both sides. Greek mythology has her known as the Oracle of Delphi, where she was the high priestess at the Temple of Apollo. There is some truth in this, but it is only where she was found, not where she remained. See it was believed back then that the Oracle changed from girl to girl but it was not true. Pythia just changed bodies every few years so that no one was ever sure it could be the real her. This still happens and it is imperative that it remains so. If she were to get into the wrong hands then they would have a direct line into the Gods’ plans. You can see how that would be bad?”

  “So when she left Del..py?” I knew I said the place wrong when Draven smiled but he didn’t correct me, if anything he look like he enjoyed it better this way.

  “She left behind a fake that was believed for years after. I could not allow her to remain and besides she did not want to. She had seen nothing of the world she knew so much about. She had only been allowed to stay within the temple and the only people she would see was those of the priests and the Supplicants that underwent the arduous journey to consult the Oracle’s Devine wisdom. She may have been this creature but she was still just a girl as well. So I took her away to live how she desired as long as she was never discovered for what she really was. She calls upon me when she needs to tell me something and it is always on the seventh day of the month.”

  “Why?”

  “Because the number seven plays an important part in my world. It is a holy number for many of reasons that I cannot go into at this time.”

  “Cannot or will not?” I asked skeptically crossing my hands over my chest.

  “Both!” He admitted but he continued before I could protest “ Keira there are many things you will learn about my kind even if they are things I do not wish for you to know, but at least let me tell you of them in my own time”

  “Fair enough,” I nodded knowing there wasn’t much point arguing as he would get his way whether I liked it or not. Of course he growled at this thought of mine but I didn’t care, it didn’t change the facts.

  “Well, are you going to tell me?” I asked, proving my point, which he couldn’t answer. Instead he just shrugged his shoulders and we both let it go...for now anyway.

  “What I want to know is why you needed to see her now, it isn’t even the seventh?”

  “That is why I had to go, I knew it must have been something very important for her to call to meet with me. It was not like her, but now I know why.”

  “Are you going to tell me?”

  “Keira...”

  “I take that as a no then,” I said not keeping the sulking sound out of my voice.

  “Let me put it this way, the last time I saw her we spoke about the same thing.”

  “And that was?”

  “You!” He said clearly like it was all so obvious.

  “Me? Why, did you tell her about me?” I asked shaking my head wondering what on earth they could be talking about me for.

  “Actually, she was the one who told me about you.” As soon as he said it, I don’t know why, but I started to hold my breath. Why would she know anything about me unless the Gods had told her and what would they have to tell her that would be important to Draven? We had met without any help so I didn’t get it, which is what I said.

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Keira, how can you still doubt yourself and the importance of our union. Before today, the last time I saw Pythia was over twenty three years ago, on the seventh hour, on the seventh day of the seventh month, 1987. So now you understand what it was that was so important for her to tell me”

  “But...but that was....” I stammered out in utter disbelief but Draven finished the sentence off for me. He cradled my face in his hands and looked at me as though I was his greatest gift received from above before saying the worlds I couldn’t find....

  “Yes...it was when you were born”

  Chapter 45

  Let Sleeping Dogs Die.

  That night my dreams were filled with strange images of an Oracle I had never met and a prophecy I didn’t understand. For most of it I was in a Temple but not the one I had seen before. Somehow I knew this Temple was in Europe but I wasn’t exact on where.

  It was all made from the purest of white marble and in my mind it kept flashing in between the old and new. One minute the great structure would be degrading flakes of old stone and weathered floors. And then it would flash back to its glory days of radiant light and gleaming pillars of great craftsmanship.

  I seemed to be th
e focus in the room as all eyes were on me. There were faces here I didn’t yet recognized but somewhere deep down I knew them. It was a bit like when someone you know tells you so much about a friend, so that when you meet this person, you feel like you know instantly it’s them. Well, it was like that only with a temple full. They all lined the pillars and looked on with anxious faces. As though everyone there knew my fate, but me.

  I continued my assessment of the people looking on with a clear mix of desperation and fear. It was only when I looked down at myself did I really understand these looks fully. I was bare footed and lines of blood trickled down them creating deep crimson footprints behind me. I wasn’t in pain as I probably should have been, but can you feel pain in a dream? Sometimes I would think so but now?

  It looked as if I had just walked in and interrupted a battle. Everyone seemed to be wearing combat gear, black and oh, so ready for action. It was like good vs evil and the only thing that separated them was me walking in the middle of the room causing them to part and take each side of the temple.

  I was dressed in a white gown that floated around my skin like I was under water. It was so thin and wispy that I almost felt naked. Of course this stark white material that covered my skin was the perfect contrast to show the deep red pumping from my heart. I had been stabbed there, that much was clear as now there was a long, deep slice that led down past my breasts.

  It was a weird sensation looking down at yourself in this state. I kept thinking that surely I should be dying, not walking towards an altar at the other end of the room. I should have felt weak and fallen to the floor to let the last of my life drain from me but I felt strong. I felt like my blood was leaving me but being replaced by something else...something unearthly, something that felt as though sent by the Gods.

  It was only as I got closer did I notice myself standing to one side trying to push herself through the crowd of supernatural warriors. I was in my own dream looking on in horror. I was screaming something to myself in a blind panic. I was dressed in pajamas and my hair plaited to one side, messy, like I had just woken up from a nightmare. Then I kept flashing in and out of each of my selves. One minute I was the nightmare Keira and then I was watching on as the other me walk towards a brightly lit altar where I knew death awaited me.