Out of breath, I let myself fall against the wet, cold outer wall and touch my moist, swollen lips. I have to pull myself together first before I am able to enter the house, and that can take a little while, because I just experienced the most exciting and fiercest day of my life. I have been torn between fear and death and hope and desire, and I need some time to recover from that.
32
laurel
“Well?”
I twirl in front of Renee, who looks like she is ready for bed in her cami and shorts. I am completely out of my comfort zone in an ink blue mini dress and high heels, but to be honest, I have been out of my comfort zone since the day I received a dazzling kiss from a demigod.
I heave a sigh. I can’t seem to think about anything except for Sam’s mouth. There isn’t much room for anything else. It feels like I’m on a high all the time. Like he drugged me.
“Now that’s what I call a heavy sigh,” Renee says, while taking the hair band out of my usual braid.
“What are you doing?”
“Turning you from an innocent schoolgirl into a sexy goddess. You missed prom, so this night is your chance to shine. You’ll turn heads, take it from me.”
Renee teases my hair and then pulls it up into a high ponytail. She pulls a few strands loose at the hairline to complete the look. Perplexed, I stare at my reflection. I don’t exactly look like a girl that rides her bike to school. More like somebody who is looking for a victim to sink her teeth into.
“I like it, thanks.” I bite my lip, pensive. “Renee, there is something I’ve been meaning to ask you, but I’m not sure how.”
“Shoot.”
“It’s kind of an awkward question.”
“I can deal with awkward questions.”
“Okay. Did you and Don kiss?”
An amused eyebrow rises. “Does Don look like someone who would settle for holding hands to you? That nicely sculpted body just tells you I have sex and I am damn good at it.”
Whoa… I didn’t know that Renee could be so shameless, so outspoken, about this topic.
“What was it like to kiss him?”
“It was… very Don, I assume. His kiss reflects his character and appearance. Yes, that seems to be the best description of his expert mouth.” Via the mirror she shoots me an angry look. “Why did you have to bring that up?”
“I warned you. Tell me more about that combination of character and appearance?”
“Hot-tempered, thrilling… intoxicating.”
“Nice,” I mumble. Intoxicating… Renee just described my kiss to Sam.
“After Don, I knew that all kisses would be nothing but dreary.” She smiles soberly. “So far I am totally right.”
“Have you guys had… you know?”
“Sex?”
I flush at her boldness.
Renee chuckles. “No, thank heavens, we didn’t. I’m pretty sure he would’ve ruined that for me too.”
“Are you sure there was no misunderstanding between you two? I can’t imagine that Don…” The last thing I want is for Renee to get romantically involved with Don again, but I can’t bear the thought of her thinking badly about him when he only did what he had to do for her safety. “Maybe if you’d talk, I am sure he has a good explanation.”
Renee shakes her head. “He tried that already, but I’m not interested in what he has to say. I have moved on, really. Why do you care?”
I shrug. “They don’t seem that bad.”
“Well, they are. Get over Sam, Laurel. I saw you two talking to each other, his attention for you was crushing. And yes, he patched your tire, and yes, he saved you from Julien. I see what he’s doing, but if you hit it off with him, it can only end in one way and that won’t be any different than the way it started—crushing.” Renee brings her mouth to my ear and softly says, “Don’t let him near your heart, Laurel. He won’t treat it gently.”
I am afraid it’s already too late for that.
Giggly, Ava and Maude get into my car. Maude gapes at me.
“Could that dress be any shorter?” Maude complains.
I pull down the hem of the dress. “No, this was the shortest one available. It’s Renee’s.”
“Off course it is,” she mutters.
“Stop teasing her, Maude,” Ava says. “You look stunning, Laurel. Love the messy unkempt look of your ponytail.”
“Thanks. You two look amazing as well. Where am I going, Maude?”
“You can follow the road along the river. It shouldn’t take more than twenty minutes to get there.”
“This is it,” Maude exclaims enthusiastically a little while later.
I turn into the driveway and in the distance looms a house. Correction, castle—it is humongous.
“Nice,” Ava says. “Who did you seduce? Mr. Darcy?”
“Wait until you are inside,” Maude says triumphantly. “It’s like a freaking maze. It has four floors, thirty-nine rooms, and if you want to go up to the tower, you have to climb eighty-seven steps first.”
“In that case I hope the party is not in the tower,” Ava says dryly.
“Nope, he has his study up there.”
Flabbergasted, we step out of the car. The mansion is a mix of a citadel and Sleeping Beauty’s castle; it’s a tangle of towers and high chimneys, and it probably would take all night to count all the windows.
“Such wealth,” Ava says, breathless. “I’m sure they have good security.”
“In the form of a couple impressive dogs,” Maude giggles.
As if it were choreographed, Ava and I simultaneously stop in our tracks.
“They are muzzled, wimps.”
Relieved, I walk on and after following the stone steps we arrive at a higher plateau.
“Does he have two cute brothers, by any chance?” Ava wants to know.
“No brothers, but I believe he has at least as many cousins as the house has rooms,” Maude winks. “And they’re all invited.”
Ava wrinkles her brow in surprise.
We cross another plateau and finally we’re standing in front of a door. Maude lowers a bronzed dog face door knocker and the next moment we find ourselves staring at a somber-looking man in a dark suit.
“Welcome to the Archeron Mansion.”
We step into a dark oak hallway. The wood shines brightly, and antique furniture is everywhere around us. From somewhere in the house we hear muted voices and the vague sound of music.
The man takes our coats. “The master of the house would like to welcome you in the basement.” He gestures to a wooden staircase. “I wish you a pleasant night.” With a light reverence he disappears with our coats.
“Was that a butler?” Ava whispers as we walk down the stairs.
We stop in front of a black velvet curtain. Ava partly slides the curtain open. “After you, mistress.”
With a nervous look Maude enters the basement, and we follow. Around a dance floor people are talking to each other and I am glad we are not the first ones to arrive.
“Hey, you guys made it… Great!” someone with a low voice calls. The heavy timbre vaguely rings a bell. “Come on in.”
I look up and see the backside of a guy with thick, black hair. My gut tells me something’s off.
“Introduce me to your friends, Maude,” the guy says in an authoritative manner. With cheeks red as fire, Maude introduces us to her new love interest. He turns around and my smile freezes on my lips. The blood retracts from my face.
“Hello, Laurel. Good to see you again.”
I swallow convulsively. I got tangled up in the basement—the subterranean den—of the descendent of darkness. We’re visiting death himself. “H-hello, Adrian.”
Maude looks at us, astonished. “You two know each other?”
Adrian fixates his creepy pitch-black eyes on me,
while answering Maude’s question. “I had the pleasure of having dinner at her father’s restaurant. Laurel was working.” Finally, he takes his eyes away, and he politely introduces himself to Ava.
“And you must be Ava. Welcome, I’m Adrian.”
“Thank you for the invitation, you have a beautiful house,” Ava says cheerfully.
I start to feel nauseated.
After a casual conversation, Ava and I work our way through the hip crowd, and we end up at a table with snacks and drinks. Ava pours us something to drink.
“Did you see those eyes?” Ava asks while I torment my brain with the question how we can get out of here as soon as possible. “He’s got something special, don’t you agree?”
“Ehm, yeah, definitely.”
“Hey, is it just me, or are all those guys over there staring at you?”
I turn my head and I gasp. Some of Sam’s closest friends are staring at me. Filemon is coming our way.
“Hi, Laurel. What an honor to meet you here.”
It is dark, but nevertheless I see a blush appear on his cheeks. An honor? Really? “Hello, Filemon.” He seems to be sincere about his joy in seeing me and while I listen to his childish voice, I desperately wonder which other members of the family will be present tonight.
As many cousins as the house has rooms…
And they’re all invited…
Sam. My stomach drops. If Sam finds me here, it’s likely that all hell will break loose. On the inside I’m horrified by the perfect metaphor.
Filemon kisses the back of my hand and wishes me a pleasant evening. When he returns to his friends they laugh and hit him on the back.
“Oh my God,” Ava lightly pants. “Bastian is standing over there.” She briefly touches my arm. “I’m going to say hi—wish me luck.”
Ava is gone before I even have the chance to talk her out of it. The problems just keep on stacking up, and there’s not a single thing I can think of to do. In my misery, I squeeze my eyes shut, hoping the problems will solve themselves. I open them again when there’s a hubbub. My heartbeat shoots straight through the roof when I notice Andreas holding up the velvet curtain. Philene enters the basement like a real diva. She is wearing a skintight yellow dress. Latex. The fabric is so thin that it looks like it’s her own skin. Curls are streaming down her shoulders, and she beams with pride. Everyone has stopped talking and dancing just to look at her.
Without warning, I spot him moving through the crowd. He hasn’t found me yet, but he knows that I am somewhere in the room. I can tell from his tensed muscles. Even in the dark, noisy room he doesn’t need more than a sound, a scent… Like a wolf on the prowl, his senses are heightened and I am quite easy prey for him. Desperate, I look for a way out, but I am cornered by both the bad and the good—the darkness and the light. I can run, I can hide wherever, but I wouldn’t stand the slightest chance, and a sense of fear and panic grips me.
Sam’s eyes look for Olivia’s. As if she can feel his gaze on her back, she turns to face him and they very subtly exchange looks. And then I notice what they’re doing. Like warriors they are establishing their positions, because they can feel something is wrong. Just like I felt it when I walked in. Sam manages to locate me and as if he were moving in slow motion, he turns around and faces me. The music stops. The bustle falls silent. What remains is a cold, chilly look. His pupils run over me, and I realize now more than ever that I defied a direct order from a warrior whose arrows never miss, and by doing so, I didn’t just endanger my own life, but also those of my friends. At this moment I fear his wrath more than all the other unrivalled forces in the room.
I shrug when I hear a velvety sweet voice in my ear.
“You look like a deer trying to determine her escape route.”
“Olivia, y-you startled me.” I manage to put a smile on my face. She doesn’t return it.
“What are you doing here, Laurel?” she asks me icily.
“I… I was invited,” I say weakly.
“You accepted an invitation from Adrian?” she asks with an expression of disbelief on her face.
“I didn’t know that… Maude invited us. She dragged us along.”
“Keep your voice down, Laurel.”
Nervously, I start whispering. The cold sweat drips down my back. “Olivia, please, you have to believe me. I had no idea it was Adrian she was talking about.”
“What the hell is he doing?” Olivia mutters.
“Is Maude in any danger?”
“No, but you are. He doesn’t care about Maude, he just misled her to get close to you.”
“I’m leaving—I was just waiting for Ava.”
I glance at the dance floor, where Ava is now having the time of her life with Bastian. My friends hanging out with all those demigods, it dizzies me. Feverishly, I look for a way to drag all of us out of this cesspool before it is too late.
“I’m going to get my friends,” I tell Olivia and start walking away. A shriek escapes my mouth when someone shoves me into a corner. It’s Sam, and he has a murderous look on his face.
“What exactly don’t you understand about staying the fuck away from Adrian?”
I don’t dare to move or to say anything. Sam clearly uses another technique than his cousin, and I feel the sweat dripping down my spine. “I had no cl…”
“Lower your voice!” Sam is standing so close to me that I can feel his body heat on my skin. “Did you notice all the pomp and circumstance? He is trying to impress you.”
“Me?”
“This party has been orchestrated for no other reason than to get you here on his territory. Maude is just a pawn in his sick game—we all are. He wanted you to see me tonight, with Philene.” The muscle in his jaw bulges.
“You make me nervous,” I whisper.
“And you make me nervous. Dammit, Laurel, what are you doing to me? You’ll never listen.”
“We were on our way out anyway.” I sneak past him, but all of a sudden I’m standing with my back against the wall.
“You can’t just leave this place—Adrian wouldn’t let you. Give me some time, I’ll figure out a way to get you out of here safely.”
Sam is looking terribly hot in faded jeans and tough leather boots. His hair touches the collar of his white dress shirt. His chest is heaving beneath his shirt, and I can’t look away from his Adam’s apple that bobs up and down as he swallows. He makes it difficult for me to concentrate on the situation.
“Me? I have two friends walking around here,” I say, irate.
“Right now you are my biggest concern,” he softly says.
Sam is squeezing my wrist harder than he probably means to, and his scorching eyes are burning right through my clothes. His hand is slowly sliding upwards, his fingertips burning my skin. My breath is coming more rapidly. Tensely, we scan each other’s faces, and the basement feels like a magnetic field. I long for Sam’s mouth.
“You unsettle me,” he whispers, our mouths inches from each other. He gains control and with a sigh he runs his hand through his hair. He takes a step back.
“What do you want me to do, Sam?” I say hoarsely. “I’ll listen.”
“I want you to walk back to Olivia and I want you to calm down. When Adrian approaches you—and he will—I want you to not get startled by him, okay?”
“Okay,” I whisper.
“Good. Laurel?”
“Yes, Sam?”
He deeply inhales. “God, I want to touch you.”
From the side I watch Sam and Philene dancing together. Philene has wrapped her perfectly manicured hands around his neck, and their heads are awfully close to each other. I can’t bear the sight of it. No matter how much I try to convince myself he doesn’t care for her, it still looks too real.
“Care to dance?”
I slightly shy away. “Adrian, ehm, yeah
, sure.”
His arm slides around my waist as he guides me toward the dance floor. Naturally we end up next to Sam and Philene. Adrian pulls me against him, and I almost have to gasp for air. Adrian is all muscle. I press my fingers into his upper arms to push him away and get some space.
Adrian chuckles softly. “Are you having fun?”
“I am.”
I bite my lower lip to stop it from trembling. I refuse to look at Sam and Philene, but I can feel their glances. When I do turn my head their way, I catch Sam’s eye. He looks just how I feel—miserable. Anguished, I look away again—afraid that everyone will see that I’m in love with him.
“You live near a beautiful part of the river,” I say to Adrian to keep myself from getting distracted by Sam.
“It’s the most beautiful spot on the island. What do you think about the house?”
I laugh. “You call this a house?” It makes me sick to stroke his ego, but to talk down such a place is just not believable. “I think it’s a lovely place, but I guess you’ve heard that one before.”
Adrian grins while looking sideways. I follow his glance and then I feel like I am being punched in the stomach. Sam and Philene are in a passionate embrace…
“Would you like me to give you the grand tour?”
“I… uh…” I can’t stop looking at their fused mouths. “S-sorry, what did you say?”
Sam stalks of the dance floor, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
“Would you like to see more than just the basement? The view from the tower is fabulous.”
It takes me a few seconds to get a hold of myself and to understand what Adrian is proposing. The thought of meeting his dogs makes my scar throb.
“Am I upsetting you?”
“I, uh, Maude told me you have dogs.”
“Yeah, they’re outside. You don’t have to see them if you don’t want to.”
“Another time, maybe. I’m sorry, I…” I free myself from his arms and flee to the other side of the room, where I run into Andreas. My heart is beating out of my chest. From the God’s son of the underworld, I ran straight into the God’s son of war. I softly yelp when Andreas’ fingers close around my upper arm. I try to push his hand away.
House of Guardians Page 33