The Two Kings (Afterlife Saga)

by Stephanie Hudson

  I did as I was told and soon was at his door gearing myself ready to knock. I tried to think of what I was going to say but the pain decided for me, the time was now and not to waste it. I winced as I bent my arm up to knock. I didn’t do it very loud but it seemed I didn’t need to as Vincent’s voice was clearly awake and said a very distinctive,

  “Enter!” So that is what I did. I opened the door slowly and entered a low lit space where all the candlelight was concentrated around the middle of the room. Of course this is where I found Vincent and no...he wasn’t alone.

  One look and I wanted to turn and run away from the level of shame that doubled my pain. Vincent’s room all centred round a huge round, white bed that was raised only slightly from the ground. The bed was surrounded by a stream of pillar church candles, all flickering as the air came in with me. Vincent lay on his back, naked with only a white sheet covering the manly parts of his anatomy. I gulped at the sight of milky white skin covering a mass of muscles that flexed when they saw me. Of course the two beauties that lay on either side of him weren’t paying me any attention what so ever. One was too busy kissing every inch of him and the other was sucking on his neck, legs draped across half his body. Oh yes and did I mention they too were both very, very naked!

  “Keira!” Vincent’s voice sounded a mix of strained, shocked and mortified. If I could have formed words I think mine would have sounded the same. I decided this was one of the worst idea’s I had ever had and bolted for the door with shame flooding an already emotional state. I started to run back the way I came but couldn’t find the door Karmun had led me too. I was feeling along the walls in hopes of finding a handle or anything that led me far away.

  “Keira! Where are you?” Vincent’s voice filled the hallway and I knew he would soon walk around the corner and see me, the thought filled me with dread! Of course I gave up and sank to the floor to lean back against the doorless wall.

  “There you are...Keira?..What’s wrong, what’s happened?” He ran towards me and dropped to his knees opposite me. He grabbed my arms to shake me and I screamed causing him to freeze. I was sobbing now at the unrelenting throbbing that set every nerve in my arms alight. He was speaking but I couldn’t make out the words because I could hear nothing over my cries. He didn’t touch me on my body again but just smoothed back my hair that had plastered to my head from sweat. I had slumped forward and rested my head on his shoulders to finish my sobbing.

  “Ssshhh, you’re safe now, no one can hurt you here.” This is what he had been telling me over and over, only now I could hear it as my breathing steadied and my tears ceased for the time being.

  “Do you think you can tell me what happened...Keira?” When I didn’t respond he called my name again.

  “Keira...who did this to you?” He sounded so concerned and also controlled. He had anger bubbling up within him I could tell. He had fisted his hands and his lips were set in a firm line, mirroring his frown. I started shaking my head and was soon crying again.

  “Alright...It’s alright sweetheart, you’re safe now, let’s get you to Dominic.”

  “No...I will be alright, I just came here to see if you could heal me...you know, like before...?” He looked taken aback a moment, confused with my response.

  “You still don’t want to see Dom?”

  “It’s your brother that doesn’t want to see me and I don’t need to disturb him if you can heal me...he doesn’t have to know about this.” Vincent looked truly shocked.

  “I know for a fact you’re wrong and I have no idea where you would get an idea like that from. Dom’s been a worried wreck since you left him, he was getting prepared to let you go, so I don’t know why you would think this? And besides, I would never keep something like this from my brother” I looked down like I was a child being told off by a parent. But then my head shot up just as quick.

  “He...wants to see me?” I couldn’t understand how my sister would have got a message so wrong.

  “But of course...I believe the word “desperate” would be a good way to describe it.” He gave me a smile and when I lowered my head in disbelief he raised it back up with his finger.

  “You don’t believe me? Do you really think an Angel would lie to you” He laughed with his words and through the pain I managed a smile.

  “Come.” He said rising to his feet and offering me his hand. He noted the way my face creased as I lifted my arm through the torment.

  We made our way through his home like ghosts creeping through the night. I half expected Vincent to stop at a wall and assume I would follow him through it. It didn’t take any time at all before I was back to being on the familiar stone flooring I knew so well. We came to Draven’s door from a different angle and Vincent knocked on the side door, instead of the main door to his room that was situated at the end of the great hallway leading directly from the VIP.

  My pulse quickened in anticipation of seeing Draven. Would he be angry I was here or pleased? Well given the circumstances he didn’t have much choice in the matter and besides I really did have bigger problems at this current moment. Like the blinding torture that was inflicting every cell up my arms.

  Vincent knocked strong and hard three times, all the while looking down at me. I held my breath until I heard the familiar voice echoing through the iron studded, wooden door.

  “Enter!” I was surprised when it sounded so awake...didn’t he sleep when I wasn’t around? Vincent went in first while I decided to remain around the corner of the door frame out of sight. I wanted to judge his reactions first before committing myself to these actions, although I had little choice in anything else.

  “Vin? What’s wrong?” Draven sounded concerned for his brother and his voice was smooth velvet without one ounce of indifference towards his kin.

  “Dom, I knew you would still be awake.”

  “Yes and I am surprised you are here and not entertaining in beautiful, twin angelic raptures...were they not to your liking brother or have you grown tired through old age...too much for you were they?” Draven laughed at his jesting and I was so surprised to hear this brotherly banter it made me smile through my dark situation.

  “Not at all Dom, but trying to enjoy myself knowing you would be sat here, yet again, feeling sorry for yourself I felt it my brotherly duty to change that.” Vincent sounded full of amusement as he knew something his brother didn’t...I was his winning surprise soon to be revealed.

  “Then if I were you I would go back to your chamber and enjoy their heavenly pleasures for you are wasting your time on me...Go and leave me to my figureless shadows.” I had never heard Draven sound so small and fragile before and my breath caught in the back of my throat.

  “Why would I do that when I have a gift for you?” Vincent sounded so smug I could hear the smile I couldn’t see. Before Draven had time to ask he took two steps back and nodded for me to come in.

  “Look what I found!” He said as he moved to the side allowing me to be seen by his brother. Draven was on his feet before I could see the actions taken.

  “Keira!” He was beaming at the sight of me. How could I have ever thought he wouldn’t have been happy? He was stood there dumbstruck for a few moments, staring at me like I was a dream or a cruel joke from his brother and if he took a step closer I would simply fade away. That thought took me back to my dream and I shuddered. Then someone broke the spell and he was at me in a blink of an eye. I looked up to smile but it didn’t last long on my lips before extreme pain killed all happiness. Unknowingly caused by Draven.

  He had grabbed me to him by the arms and I crumpled before him screaming out at the unbearable burn that ran to the bone. Draven instantly let me go and through the tears I could just make out the horror on his face.

  “Keira, what happened? You are hurt?!” I couldn’t answer him, that was soon made apparent by the sobbing noises that consumed my vocal abilities.

  “I should have mentioned that first, it seems she has somehow injured her arms but she
wouldn’t tell me how.” Vincent was adding as Draven scooped me up into his arms and was carrying me to his bed. He was so careful with every piece of me that I was amazed he could even hold enough of me to get me there without me merely slipping away from him. I felt him lay me down and he allowed me time to catch my breath and cease my erratic crying before asking me once again.

  “Keira you need to tell me what happened? Did...someone...do...this...to...you?” This question came through gritted teeth and a strained anger desperate to be allowed to bubble to the surface. All I needed to do was nod and I heard something in the room smash.

  “Dom! Focus! Now is not the time to lose it, fix her and then we will reap our justice.” Vincent’s voice of reason could just be heard over my weeping. I looked up to see Draven above me with eyes closed and two hands clasped behind his head as if trying to find the right actions in a mind clouded with rage, revenge and reprimand. He gripped on to himself like it would help pull the answer out from him but the pain in his face was clear...it was fear. This startled me to a point that made me shiver. Draven was never afraid, so something in my situation had snapped, something so bad even the impenetrable man I loved looked terrified. Suddenly my pain had a friend to join in my suffering...the very same fear.

  “We need to see, take off her jacket” Vincent seemed to be taking charge where Draven was unable.

  “DOM! Snap out of it! ta vajab sind” (Means „She needs you” In Estonian) He sounded angry which was unusual for Vincent but one look at his face told me it too was laced with worry. My situation wasn’t looking as clear cut for the healing I was used to. Panic was slowly setting in but my brain was so overwhelmed by other sensations it was hard to focus for long. It was like being very, very drunk. Sometimes your mind would wander through the motions like autopilot, getting you here and there, like the journey here but now it was fogged by the burning throb that replaced alcohol. Through this mist I felt my zip being pulled down and two sets of hands, trying in vain to remove my sleeves painlessly. I screamed so loud I used every shred of air in my lungs. I thought the hands would stop but they couldn’t...not now, I knew that. My mind still functioning at half its normal rate told me this. They had already caused the hurt, why stop now and prolong it. Like ripping off a band aid, like they say here in America. In the England we would have said plaster. I wondered which was right, I lived here should I accept the new terminology or remain true to my roots? It was a strange argument to be having with myself at the mouth of hell, but no one ever said turning insane was logical.

  “Tanrının eliyle! Who did this!?” (Means “By the hand of God” In Turkish). Vincent spoke words I didn’t know but it made me open my eyes. The first thing I saw was Draven’s eyes glowing red like blood had been injected there and then lit by the devil himself. His face was a hard mass of lines and the utter rage that presented itself was just as painful as my arms to witness. I winced back into the soft bed wishing it could swallow me whole and put an end to all this misery. I looked away only to find Vincent staring down at my arms with a violent disgust painted on his perfect features. Then, my next mistake cleared the way for another onslaught of hysterics. I looked down at where their gaze was focused...my arms.

  The red handprints were no longer but instead lay bloody flesh beyond all repair. It looked as though I had been butchered! I screamed again and again, shaking my head to try and get the horrific picture from my mind. Flesh that had bubbled and burnt down until it looked like stretched red plastic over bone. The edges black and scorched around where each finger had been. Deep lacerations spread along the inside where his palms lifeline would have been. My veins had turned black down the rest of my arms, all the way to my finger tips, like an infection was spreading. The skin by my elbow looked to have caved in on itself leaving me with misshapen arms and blood covered the sheets beneath me. I could no longer use my arms and I’m not sure at this point that I ever would again.

  “We have to heal her...NOW! It has already started to spread and we need to reach it before it gets to her heart.” Vincent’s words seem to pull Draven from his punishment and his head whipped up and looked at him for what seemed the first time.

  “But the pain!” Draven said in whispered panic.

  “Dom, she is already in a great deal of pain as it is, we must act quickly!” I admitted to myself I was glad they were concerned but I did wish whatever they wanted to do about it they would decide bloody quickly!

  “She needs something...think of the pain Vincent!...Morphine or...” Draven was abruptly cut off by his brother’s stern tone.

  “There is no time! The essence of the touch will not accept drugs, look how it spreads. You must get her to open her mind to you....that is the only way but we must hurry or it will be too late!”

  “Keira...my sweetheart you have to listen to me.” Draven was speaking so softly it was hard to picture the words coming from the same man whose eyes were consumed by such fury.

  “It... hurts...ppplllease...make.iit...stop.” I strangled out through screams, moans and cries. He smoothed back my hair from my forehead and kissed my salty skin.

  “I will my love but you must be brave for me. I want you to do as I ask and let me in, open your mind as much as you can so that I can take that pain away...otherwise the pain will be too much.” He tried so hard to keep his voice level and void of the panic rising in him. He wanted to remain strong for both of us, I could tell but the pain they talked about was terrifying me to a point where functioning beyond reactions was a difficult task. I just wanted my mind to open and let Draven in but it was firmly closed. It had shut down thanks to Lucius’ influence. It was now on lock down not allowing any other intruder in. I tried to concentrate, to break down the walls I myself had put there but it was too hard. The mixture of pain and fear had made it near to impossible to think about anything else.

  “Dominic NOW!” Vincent screamed out at his brother who was obviously hesitating.

  “She isn’t letting me in!” He shouted back.

  “There is no time! Do it now or we all LOSE HER!” So this was my answer...the root of their fears. My life and death hung on the scales each side weighing the same. One tip, one wrong movement and my life would be no more. My life, only without pain, without worry, without the traumatic past... but then I stopped breathing as the worst thought seeped in like a purple coloured blur....

  Without Dominic Draven....

  Chapter 59Breaking Walls.

  NO! I wanted to live! I wanted to feel the sun on my skin, hear the wind blowing in my hair and most of all, taste Draven’s lips upon mine. I was NOT going to die! I would fight, I would not let fear take me over to the other side!

  “Restrain her!” Draven snapped out at his brother. Through my mental torture they had turned me around so that my head was now at the bottom of the bed. Vincent was stood at the end and had grabbed my arms to spread them up above my head. He held onto my wrists like live shackles, his fingers circled around bone like he was ready for the fight in me. I looked up to see his face upside down, nod at his brother. My watery gaze travelled back to Draven to find his straddling me, keeping his weight from crushing me. He was on his knees at either side of my waist and was looking down at me with guilt riddled lines invading his stern face.

  I took a deep breath as I waited for Hells fire to touch me.

  Draven gave no warning, which I guess was better for me, but at the moment he slashed open his own hands and placed them down on where Lucius had touched me, I felt like dying! I couldn’t hear anything but my own ear piercing screams of pure and excruciating pain. Every type you could imagine! It was like a lifetime of pain, from stubbing your toe, to breaking your arm, all wrapped up into one moment. Years and years of accidents, illness, self inflicted and Morgan induced body mutilation could not compare to this single moment in time where my body was being pushed so far to the limit, it felt like I was dying over and over.

  “She can’t take much more! Damn it Keira, Let me in!”
Draven shouted down at me. He was now using all his body weight to hold me down as I was using every last surge of energy to thrash around the bed. Draven’s hands were tight around the area that was minus all skin and let his blood flow out from his body into me. I was trying to focus on his words, his actions but the room span around so fast I felt sick. Like being on a Waltzer ride at the fairground, while smacked up on the worst kind of drugs. I was trying to get a clear picture of what was happening, but the world was no longer the same. I felt like Alice falling down the rabbit hole, only my hole was leading me through a passageway to hell!

  “LET ME IN!” Draven screamed at me as though he could feel me falling. I just wanted it to end! I wanted peace after what felt like a life of suffering. I just wanted to be numb!

  “Gods Keira! Then let me help you! Open yourself to me! I WILL NOT LOSE YOU! YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO LEAVE ME, DO YOU HEAR!” Draven was screaming out at me, pleading with me and for the first time ever, he was crying. I felt his tears falling onto my face and the effect was like acid to my skin. The tears of a Demon and the tears of an Angel mixed made for a powerful antidote to my suffering. It was this feeling that made me really listen. I found my mind and the walls surrounding it. Walls that went up so high I could not see the top which was caked in cloud. I was a smaller version of myself in my mind. Stood at the bottom trying to claw it down with tiny hands. Draven’s voice still boomed overhead for me to let him in...but how? I needed to think, to find a way of destroying what I myself had put there!