The Forbidden Chapters Part 1: Afterlife Saga

by Stephanie Hudson

  “She was alone?” Vincent asked and this time the Albino answered him.

  “As we found her, Vince.” I watched as Draven’s brother looked around the room and I ducked back behind just in time before he got to the bar. He didn’t look sure and I soon found out why.

  “She is wearing Keira’s jacket,” he informed the others and my panic doubled. They knew I was involved.

  “You think she is here?”

  “I have no doubt that she was…but where she could have gotten to is anyone’s guess.” Vincent replied to his pale comrade.

  “Should I inform the King?” he asked back in return and I turned back around and mouthed the word ‘King’ in question. Tell me they didn’t class Draven as their king?

  “No. Take this one with you, place her in a bed chamber. Then look for the girl. I will inform my Brother.”

  “Yeah, good luck with that...better you than me.” The pale one joked and I bit my lip. I looked back around and saw that Vincent shrugged his shoulders and said coolly,

  “Just call me shit storm delivery boy. You know what to do,” he added, nodding down to the sleeping RJ who must have passed out from drink. Then Vincent started walking back to the doors when he paused, looked back and at first I thought he had ‘felt my presence’ or something.

  “Make sure she doesn’t wake…after all, we can’t have two lost girls running around the place.”

  “It will be done,” the pale one said bowing respectfully making me wonder two things, each equally as dark as the next…what the Hell were they going to do with RJ to insure she wouldn’t wake and second, who the Hell were the Dravens! I watched Vincent leave and then the big one bend down to pick up RJ, which looked difficult considering his colossal size. Jesus but the guy looked close to being eight feet tall!

  He picked her up as though she was just a child and given the size difference she looked it.

  “I know not why don’t we put outside.” Ragnar said frowning down at his new burden.

  “Because she would freeze to death and I think our little mortal waitress would have an issue with that…which means the King would as well,” the pale one said half laughing that his large friend would even think about it. Meanwhile I was still lingering on being labelled as ‘Mortal’.

  “I forget, they break,” Ragnar replied making the albino chuckle.

  “And just when I thought the King’s foul mood couldn’t get any darker. Looks like Takeshi is going to be busy in the training room,” he commented as they both walked through the double doors, letting them shut on an echoing slam. I took a deep breath, let my head fall back against the bar and said the only word to describe my current situation…

  “Fuck!”

  I then waited another minute before getting up and trying to decide what on earth I was going to do next? I guess I could follow them through the doors and try and sneak RJ back out but what then? And damn, why hadn’t we thought about just using the phone downstairs behind the bar…we could have had our asses in a nice warm taxi by now heading our safe and lucky backsides back home. Oh but no, I was back here, hiding like some sneaky little burglar soon to find Mr Brute Strength, crush a man’s skull with one hand and the Pale Ninja who looked like he ate kittens for breakfast, the bloodier the better!

  “Shit, shit, shit! Think Kazzy!” I said to myself looking around the room and trying to decide what to do. And more importantly, what type of shit would I find myself in when Draven knew? I doubted I could talk myself out of this one, or get out of here without implicating myself so that was out of the window. No, the only thing next was trying to get RJ back to know that she was safe. Because one thing I was now certain about and that was whoever these people were, it hadn’t been who I thought. So, I couldn’t trust them not to hurt her and she was my main priority now, not this farce of a job!

  So, with nothing else to lose I walked to the back doors ready to do something stupid and something I was warned against ever doing…

  Stepping into their world.

  Chapter 30

  Lost and Found.

  Book 1

  NEW

  Well okay, I would have stepped into their world if the bloody doors would have let me! I didn’t know how but they had seemed to have locked automatically once Mr Large and Mr Lean had walked through carrying my friend off with them.

  “Great! Just great! Now what do I do?” I asked myself, looking around and wondering if there was another way in there. Then my last chance came to me and I ran towards the door I usually used when getting up here to do my shift. I pulled on the door, only to find that it too was locked so my very last shot at this was to run back downstairs and check it from the other side.

  “Ha! Bingo!” I said when it opened thinking they must have been in a hurry to leave tonight because someone forgot to lock it. Well, lucky for me they did as there was only one more door between me and getting back there and I just had to pray that this one wasn’t locked like the rest. I ran up the side staircase that was hidden in its enclosed room that reminded me of sneaking around in a castle. I reached the top and instead taking my usual door into the VIP, I tried the one opposite.

  “Thank you, fairy Godmother,” I said aloud thanking whoever was responsible for locking up around here as they had obviously forgotten this one as well. I pushed open the door and my mouth dropped. Facing me was a huge open walkway that was exposed to the elements, making me suck in a frozen breath and hug myself. Again, you think I would have learned by now not to jump when having a door slam behind me but that was what happened anyway.

  I turned, tempted to try and see if it was still unlocked but decided there was no going back now anyway so what was the point. So, instead I turned and faced my two options. The long passageway went straight ahead or off to the right, which would make the most sense to take if I wanted to follow the same direction the two men had gone. It looked like some kind of open gallery, only looking down into the centre there was no ornate gardens or statue filled courtyard to admire. No instead there was just a massive golden dome that looked as if it was some sort of temple roof that must have been built deep into the ground. I frowned not understanding any of this. It wasn’t exactly what you would have expected to see attached to a Gothic nightclub in a small town in Maine!

  No, something wasn’t right here and RJ and I had just unknowingly placed ourselves in the centre of its secrets. Secrets its Master obviously wanted to be kept under lock and key. I decided to shake my thoughts of dread back to the depths of my mind so that it wouldn’t stop me from carrying on. I needed to find RJ and get us both the Hell out of here without being seen. Now if I could accomplish that then granted, it would be a freakin’ miracle…but I had to try. I couldn’t just let my friend go through whatever they had planned for her.

  So, with this firm in my mind I walked on, trying not to let the cold seep too deeply that it could freeze my steely reserve, one that was starting to feel more like jelly the closer I got to the other side. I tried to stay as close to the wall as I could as even with the strong stone balustrades that separated me from the daunting drop below, I still couldn’t look without feeling sick…and that was with a belly full of liquid courage. One that, at the moment, was more of a hindrance than a help as I stumbled a step just before I heard a sizzling pop igniting behind me.

  “What the…” My voice trailed off as I watched one by one the iron cage lamps that lined the walkways start to burst into flames as if on their own. I screamed and decided to make a run for it! Nope, I didn’t need that right now and looking at the demonic looking lights, I was happy with just the moon that was showing me the way.

  I slammed into the door at the end just before the last lamp could blow and flung myself through it just in time. Then I slammed the door closed behind me and panted behind it, waiting for my panic to subside. I was safe. I was…in a strange room. I thought as I finally started to take in my surroundings. It resembled a drawing room from a stately home back home. We had many Mano
r houses, castles and rich estates back in England to choose from if anyone fancied a day walking in the steps of history. But here in Maine, I wasn’t sure a country that was only a few hundred years old would have anything like this in some small town like Evergreen Falls.

  Rich furnishings and exquisite carved antique furniture filled the room, along with bookshelves filled with what looked like first editions and some crumbled spines. It looked like some books had been used more than others and I was half tempted to check for names, quickly remembering I was on a mission here. History would have to wait.

  The side of the room had massive sliding doors of glass so that the room could be opened up to the view of the mountains beyond. In fact, it was the only part of the room that looked to belong to the twenty first century. Currently the doors were open which would account for how cold it was in this room as well. Okay, so I understood trying to save money on your heating costs but what was with keeping all the doors and windows open? It was almost as if they had been left that way for a purpose, one I couldn’t fathom for the life of me.

  I decided to have a look out onto the balcony the open doors led onto and see if I could make head or tails out of this labyrinth of stone. The cold hit me even harder now that I had walked into a big open space that no longer gave me the barrier against the cutting wind. I was just about turn back and see if there was another door in the room that could lead me into the belly of the beast that was Afterlife but then something caught my eye. It looked like lights coming from some window further along and I wondered if there was a way in there.

  So, I took a deep breath and hurried along the side of the building, hugging the wall as the balcony curved around towards the other side. It seemed like the whole place was connected by balconies and gallery walkways, as though it was important to have all rooms easily accessible from this point, looking out towards the national park. Well it certainly offered a lot of privacy because unless you were in a helicopter, there was no one seeing in on this side of this fortress.

  I continued to follow the path round until I found another door, this one again thankfully unlocked. I walked through it and was amazed at what faced me. It was like a huge, square room that had tall arched glass windows that were the full length of the high walls. In fact, the whole two sides of the room were full of them and thanks to the open walkway that framed its length, it made it easy to see inside.

  I crept around, making sure to try and keep out of view but also spy on the room below. It looked like a private party was going on, with it being some kind of ballroom. The floor wasn’t level with the windows, so it gave me a good advantage point to look in and watch what was going on. The place was full and in full swing at that. Heavy rock music played from a band set up in the corner, one I hadn’t seen before playing at the club. Club lights mixed with the old church pillar candles that were dotted everywhere. There was even a bar running along the length of the room like in Afterlife, and there too were candles stood in dried pools of their own wax.

  I couldn’t help but notice that Karmun was behind the bar and the usual waitresses were all serving the groups of people filling the spaces…all the waitresses except me that was, I thought bitterly.

  It was easy to see that if Afterlife’s VIP was the party, then this right here was the private After party, one that was cut off from the rest of the world. And on closer inspection I could see why. The groups below weren’t just gathered close together in groups to be friendly but more like that friendliness was better described as a damn orgy!

  “It’s a sex club!” I uttered in my curious horror, gasping at the idea. I quickly scanned the large room for the only one I needed to see and I held my breath hoping that I wouldn’t find him engaging in some sordid sexual act with anyone other than me. I knew it was sad but I just couldn’t help it, the sight would have crushed me.

  Thankfully this wasn’t the case as, just like in Afterlife, he was situated at the centre of the room watching over his domain. He was raised up slightly, sat in some throne like seat, that was surrounded by cushions like you would have found in some ancient Persian land and coming across its King. Well, he may not have been engaging himself in any sexual acts but that wasn’t to say that he still wasn’t surrounded by half naked beauties. I bit my lip and looked down at my shivering self, knowing that I could never compare and to say the word compete would have just been a joke, I thought bitterly.

  Girls with hair of ebony, long and flowing down to their naked bellies as they danced for his pleasure. But then where was that pleasure? No, there was none as Draven looked more pissed off with it all instead of getting in the mood for taking one of them to his bed. I even jumped when he downed what remained in his glass before crushing it in his hand, throwing the shards off to the side. This was when the dancers started to back away, obviously knowing that tonight they were not going to get lucky like they no doubt hoped.

  This was just before the doors at the end opened and in walked Vincent, strolling in like he too owned the room, which being a Draven, I guess he did. Jeez but what was it with these brothers, it was like they were born with some commanding gene that demanded respect and fear all rolled into one. I watched as he walked straight up to his brother, approaching confidently, unlike the others who probably weren’t brave enough to do so. I saw him lean in and whisper something in his ear, no doubt telling him about RJ and me breaking in. Well, if I thought the shit would hit the fan when hearing this, I never expected it to do so on a nuclear level.

  Draven erupted out of his chair and roared in anger. I screamed unable to help myself or the shock. He looked directly at me for a split second and then the light blew, plunging the place into darkness that obviously mirroring his mood. I yelped at the sight of what Draven could do when fury hit him and I didn’t want to ever be within arm’s length of it. I watched the room, placing a hand on the window, trying to peer inside. Then suddenly the lights came back on and Draven was gone. I couldn’t be sure if he had seen me or not but thinking about it, the lights may have gone off in there but the moonlight had stayed just where it was…shining down on me.

  “Shit!” I said knowing this was my cue to get the Hell out of there. I ran back round to the door only now I couldn’t believe it…it was locked.

  “No, no, no!” I tried it a few more times and then knew I had no choice but to continue round the ‘playroom’. So, I did, trying to hurry but unable to divert my eyes from seeing where Draven’s seat had once been filled was now toppled over, where it had landed in his outrage.

  “You’d better be open,” I warned issuing the pointless threat to the door at the end and kissed my lucky stars when it was. I ran through it not wanting to chance if he had seen me or not. The door led down a small tunnel of steps and to another door at the bottom. I took a deep breath, put my hand on the handle and pushed down on it. The light blinded me for a moment but it only took me a second to realise my mistake.

  “Oh shit.” I muttered to myself as I realised what I had done. I had walked into the middle of the party…one I knew I definitely hadn’t been invited to. I turned quickly to go back but a sudden draft or something ripped the handle from my hand and it slammed right in front of my face. I felt like crumbling down to the floor and hoping no one would notice me until it was all over.

  But I didn’t do that. No instead I sent up a prayer in thanks that at least Draven was no longer in the room, so if I kept my head down, chances were no one would notice me. After all, it wasn’t like people weren’t busy. No, if they weren’t already occupied with taking body parts into their mouths, then they were accepting them and throwing their heads back in erotic bliss.

  Well, whatever was keeping them busy, Keira thought with a blush, the temperature equivalent to the red-hot sands of Saudi Arabia. Jesus but how that woman got that thing all the way in her mouth was Guinness Book of Records worthy! My eyes opened wide and my mouth dropped but nowhere as big as hers had, that was for damn sure.

  Okay so all I ne
eded to do was make it to the doors on the other side and it meant I still had a chance, now if I could just find my legs and make them work that would be great! Yep, just dandy I thought sarcastically.

  I finally pushed myself off the door I had momentarily plastered myself against. So, had this been their big secret? A sex club? If so, well then it wasn’t that bad, surely. Not like there was drug ring, gun cartel living in the building. I had sudden visions of shipments coming in and someone opening one of the many smuggled crates to find them filled with condoms. I even smirked and tried to rein in a giggle making me wonder if hysteria was setting in.

  Okay, time to get a grip Keira and that meant getting your ass to the door and through this sex crazed nightmare without being seen. So, with this in mind, I continued through the crowd, deciding to pull my clip out and let my hair fall down. After all no one had seen me with my hair down and it was long enough that it could help in hiding my face. I split it at the back and pulled each side forward, making sure the shorter bits fell over a good portion of my face. Okay, so it wasn’t a black ski mask like I wished I had hiding in my bag somewhere but it would have to do.

  “Oh sorry,” I said cursing myself when I bumped into a couple dry humping to some rock song that cast its heavy base line across the room like some hypnotic sex anthem they were all addicted to. I looked quickly towards where Draven had been sat, making sure he hadn’t returned and hoping to make it out of there before he did. Thankfully, it was still clear and free from the angry face that was Draven, but his brother seemed to have taken his place beside the throne and quickly covered himself with an array of willing beauties.

  One started biting the tight and hard lines of his abs after she lifted up his T shirt, which obviously wasn’t something he allowed. One of his hands snapped out and circled her wrist in a punishing hold. Then he dragged her up his body, whispered something in her ear, which must have been a demand. Because the next thing she did was bare her neck to him, and he took no time at all before sinking his teeth into her tensed flesh. I almost cried out in pain for her but one look at her face and it told me enough to know this was her kink because she was obviously getting off on the pain.