The Pentagram Child: Part 2 (Afterlife Saga Book 5)

by Stephanie Hudson

  “What’s going on out here…oh…” He said seeing the bed full of women and now looking scared.

  “OH my Goggle Box! Look at her ring! HE ASKED HER!” Pip shouted and Sophia shrieked along with Pip and then jumped off the bed into her brother’s arms. He caught her with a ‘humpf’ sound and she kissed him on his cheek and said,

  “Congratulations dear Brother.” His face went soft and he picked his sister higher up to kiss her forehead before setting her down on her feet, then said,

  “It was long overdue” causing another lump in my throat to form. I kept finding myself catching the ring on my hand and trying not to get emotional at the sight. Could this all really be happening, were we really engaged? Oh God that meant I was going to be…

  “Mrs Keira Draven! Oh wow, this means you are going to have to start calling Draven Dominic or you will just end up calling yourself Draven and that will be confusing and that would be weird…would that be weird?” Pip said plucking my thoughts from my mind and giving it a crazier spin.

  “I think it’s time I left you ladies alone.” Draven said…or is it Dominic said? Either way you could tell he wanted to save himself, so he came over to me and kissed me gently on the lips before saying,

  “I will be back shortly but I have arranged for food to be brought up to you.” At this I felt like kissing him again but when I felt my hand being pulled to the side so Pip could see my ring more closely, Draven knew it was definitely time for him to leave.

  “Oh wow, it’s amazeballtastic on you.”

  “Not the exact word I would use but I must agree with her, it fits you beautifully.” Sophia said coming back over to the bed and sitting down. I pulled myself up until my back was against the headboard and said,

  “So you guys both knew what he had planned?”

  “Uh maybe.”

  “Totally” The two answers came together with Pip’s being the only truthful reply because she couldn’t lie for a vintage Carebear. Of course it became even more apparent when Sophia shot her a look.

  “I have to ask but only ‘cause I fear for your life, is that outfit as flammable as it looks?” I asked looking at the gold and shiniest material I had ever seen.

  “Oh do you like it, it’s one of my birthday presents, my C3PO onesie, complete with sound effects.” Then she pressed the button and a robotic voice said, ‘We're doomed!’ and again with ‘I suggest a new strategy, Artoo: let the Wookie win’. Sophia just rolled her eyes and I started giggling and only stopped when she said,

  “I never understand why they don’t put the button to activate these things over your nipples…makes much more sense if you ask me.”

  “Yeah but wouldn’t that mean if you got cold it would just be going off all the time and the last thing you want is your breasts shouting, ‘we’re doomed’, especially when your husband wants some fun alone time with the girls.” This came from Sophia and we all burst out laughing.

  “Yeah but then they really would be fun bags!” Pip shouted and it just kept us going until my belly ached not just from hunger.

  “Ooh, right on cue! I changed the order you will be happy to know.” Pip shouted jumping up and Sophia and I both groaned knowing the Gods only knew what it could be. Pip snatched the tray off the girl after giving her a thankyou pat and then bounced back to us.

  “Dada! Cheeseburgers and Fries!”

  “Oh my God, Pip I could kiss you.” Which was precisely what I did, only as I was holding her to me we all heard,

  ‘Sir, it's very possible this asteroid is not stable.’ And once again we fell about laughing.

  Once I had stuffed myself silly and polished off two cheeseburgers with all the trimmings I did what Sophia suggested and changed into a loose fitting summer dress. One that didn’t have a tight waistband like the shorts did and therefore have the added flesh coloured bike tyre around the top.

  The dress was a navy cross over V neck that was pulled in at the waist but tied at the side with a white ribbon that wrapped around my body a few times. Sophia was also wearing a dress but hers was a long maxi dress that tied around her neck after twisting to cover her smaller breasts. It was a striking rust colour with a scattering of cream flowers at the bottom of the wispy skirt.

  Other than the lovely Pip it looked like we were going to attend a garden tea party as we descended the stairs. Draven hadn’t come back up but he had someone check on us three times to see if we were ready to leave.

  Adam came in and after offering his congratulations, the same as Vincent and Zagan had done before him, he informed us we would be ready to leave within the hour as plans were in place. I asked what plans but he just blushed and had his wife to deal with so he was saved from answering me. And let’s face it a small shiny Star Wars character jumping on you from behind was somewhat distracting for conversation.

  I had asked her when we had been eating cheeseburgers about Adam’s costume where Sophia and I both commented about it being quite tame. She just smirked and then said,

  “Well you only say that because one…” She held up one finger that was painted like a Stormtrooper and carried on,

  “Nobody saw what he was wearing underneath and two…” This time she held up a Wookie and said,

  “You didn’t see his Lightsabre, it was made of rainbow candy and by the end of the night there was nothing left…if you know what I mean… gives a whole new meaning to twister pops.” She said waggling her eyebrows at us, ones that were still dyed green from last night. My reaction to this was completely different to Sophia’s as I just went bug eyed as again Pip didn’t fail to attack me with her skills in mental image scarring. Whereas Sophia just shook her head and lowered her forehead into her hand.

  “You know sometimes Pip you just don’t need to paint such a graphic picture.” I said pulling her to me by her shoulders and giving her a sideways hug.

  “I know right, I should really just start filming it all and then that would be Christmas sorted!” Then she blew me a kiss and took another massive bite of her burger.

  Which was why Sophia had leant into me when walking downstairs and said,

  “If we both get DVDs from her we are kicking her out of the gang and not letting her back in until she’s burned every copy.”

  “Deal.” I agreed and with her skipping down the steps in front of us, which I didn’t know how you accomplished that without falling on your ass, she said,

  “I heard that!” And then saw her husband waiting for her and jumped on him.

  “Hey Hubba Bubba, I totally have a cool idea for gifts this Chrimbo…how do you feel about taking me Camera shopping later...? Hey Toots, where’s the best place to buy a camera around this United Kingdom?” I laughed and then shouted back,

  “A shop called Iceland!” Which she wouldn’t find out until she went there but it was in fact a shop that sold only frozen food.

  “Good call.” Sophia whispered obviously knowing this and the wink I received from Adam also told me we weren’t the only ones.

  It was clear everyone was ready to go as the cars were pulling up ready to pick us up just outside the house.

  “There she is.” Draven said coming up behind me and whisking me off my feet. The feeling of being in Draven’s arms again had me sucking in a deep breath and praying for the next time we could be alone. His low growl in my ear told me he knew what I was thinking.

  “Soon Love, soon.”

  “Right peepshows, this is where I leave you… I know, I know, don’t cry for me Argentina!” Pip said coming over and pulling us all in for a hug one by one but me and Draven got one combined.

  “Oh you guys! Congrats and shit…Toots I will catch you later for the Wedding planning/ Hen Do we will be having…don’t worry, I am planning the Hen Do…wink, wink, chin, chin, elbow, elbow.”

  “Oh God.” I muttered making everyone laugh and Pip ignored me and shouted one last time as she descended the steps,

  “Toodles Pips!” Which I gathered meant goodbye in Pip speak. Sh
e and Adam got into a chauffeur driven car but not after I heard her telling the driver in the van behind to be careful as he’s carrying important cargo, which I assumed was all of her birthday gifts.

  Draven waited for the car to turn around until motioning for what must have been ours to come forward. I had to say after everything we had been through I was more than looking forward to going home. I had missed Afterlife, to what I considered as my second home and the people there my family. I needed to get that back, now that I’d had a taste of it in the past few weeks. But more than that, I needed my time with Draven to make up for what we had lost.

  It almost felt like it had in the beginning, where we couldn’t stand to be apart from each other. Although I don’t think we ever managed to hit that point where that phase wore off, not considering we actually hadn’t been together long before…well, let’s just call it a breakup and be done with it. Thinking back on it all I could barely believe we were now at this point and it was only hours earlier when he had asked me to marry him.

  Well one thing was for certain and that was my life definitely wasn’t boring. And neither now would RJ’s I thought with sadness. She had already left with Vincent not long ago. Everyone thought it best if Vincent was the one to explain things to her about their kind, as she woke this morning under the impression she had been given drugs at some kind of rave. I had explained things to her last night the best I could but I think half of it she hadn’t taken in on account of being hurt about the way Seth left her.

  Hurt can do that to a person and make it difficult to be reasoned with and I knew this better than most. But I had to admit, hearing things from Vincent might not actually have been the best choice considering RJ was partial to a handsome man. And facing facts, concentrating on important information wasn’t her strong suit if it came from a sexy man, no matter how calm and cool his demeanour. But saying this I had never seen her so devastated about a guy before, so maybe she had really fallen for Seth. I mean it wasn’t so hard to imagine, even after one day as my own obsession had started pretty damn quick after meeting Draven for the first time.

  “Are you ready?” Draven asked me pulling me from my thoughts about my friend.

  “Yeah, let’s go home.” I said making him smile at hearing it. He put his hand on the small of my back and walked me down the steps to the car. I was thankful to see it was a different car than I had arrived here the day before and I could barely believe all that had happen in such a small space of time.

  Draven had explained how it wasn’t long after I left that everyone did what they needed, which included moving the unconscious Draven and following us here. Pip had been more than thrilled about having her Birthday party at the old Supernatural party house, shouting something about ‘it’s like bringing back the 80’s’ which no one other than her husband understood. Draven had actually woken up in the plane journey over and according to Vincent it had been lucky he had the letter to calm him before he destroyed the plane.

  By the time they landed Aurora was already back and waiting to spin her lies but didn’t realise that Sigurd had already heard word from Jared that Bill had found me and I was safe. So Bill and I both became break out jail birds and he was now reinstated onto Jared’s council with the proviso that Jared would be taking responsibility for any other misdemeanours that involved the Cowboy. Of course we all kept quiet about the punks in the Range Rover putting that down more to a public service.

  Once in the car I thought about when I had said goodbye to Jared and of course handing over the precious jacket of his that looked as if it had been to the Stone Age and back, it was that old.

  “See ya around kitten, try and stay out of trouble won’t you but I guess if you don’t manage it then I will see you next time…you know my address.” He said winking and catching the jacket in one of those mega bad ass cool ways that just had you wishing you could be just as cool one day.

  “Oh and I will let you off with the shades.” He shouted over his shoulder as he walked to all his people on bikes and I saw Wild Bill, my new saviour, tip his hat to me, before kicking his steampunk bike into action.

  “You’re quiet?” Draven said as the car started to pull away and I looked back to see the house that was seconds ago full of splendour was now back to being a mere shell that I first saw it as. Draven’s laughter made me leave the house behind us and turn to him.

  “If Pip was here now she would be calling you a space cadet.” This made me chuckle.

  “I guess I was just having one of those ‘processing all that has happened’ moments. It feels like a dream, all of it.” Draven lifted up my left hand and kissed my ring then said,

  “Considering the outcome I am glad it isn’t.” And I had to agree with him on that.

  “What do you think your family are going to say?” He asked me and I sucked in a sharp breath.

  “Oh no, I hadn’t even thought about that. I mean, for a start they don’t even know we are back together and only really know you now as the guy who broke my heart…sorry about that.” I added when I saw him wince.

  “It is of my own doing Keira. As deep and regretful of a mistake it is, it is still one I own up to freely, no matter however shameful. I know now how wrong I was but the only saving grace I hold is that I did so out of love, not hurt.” I nodded and squeezed his hand before saying,

  “I know… I know.”

  “Wake up love.” I heard Draven’s voice hum in my ear and I moaned at the lovely sound. It was actually his chuckle that followed my moan that brought me round to the land of the living.

  I must have fallen asleep at some point and after the night we’d had together I wasn’t surprised. In fact after what I had been through in that week I was surprised I hadn’t just keeled over into a month long coma. I was cuddled up to Draven with his arm around me and I was just thankful to see there wasn’t a drool mark… ‘cause nothing said cool like drool!

  “Are we at the airport yet?” I said shifting my body so I was sitting up. I clenched my fist a few times to try and get the blood flowing again as it had gone numb.

  “We’re not going to the airport.” He said and I frowned looking round and trying to figure out where we were going.

  “Are we going for a meal first or did you want to stay at a hotel for the night?” I asked as we pulled up to a swanky hotel with a glass front. The car stopped and a doorman approached.

  “Mr Draven Sir.” He said as he opened our door and Draven unfolded from his seat. I felt a little embarrassed considering I had been snoozing not long ago, so I smoothed back my hair only to feel most of it had come undone. I started unravelling it like a woman possessed as I scooted across after Draven. He offered me his hand but saw what I was doing, so grabbed my elbow instead to help steady me.

  “You look lovely.” He said kissing my cheek and then taking over with my hair by running his fingers through it then called me,

  “My Goddess” making me blush. I straightened my dress, glad I was now wearing one at the sight of this place. Draven walked us inside and the concierge asked us to follow him, informing Draven everything was ready as requested. We came to a set of double doors that had a gold plaque informing us it was a business suite of some kind. I turned to Draven just as he opened the doors and asked,

  “Are you going to tell me what we are doing here…Mum?!” I shouted and then took in the rest of the room, looked up at Draven and said,

  “It’s all my family?” To which he laughed and said,

  “Surprise Sweetheart.”

  Chapter 75

  Family Fun

  It turned out that Draven had arranged with all my family to have them picked up and brought to this hotel to celebrate our engagement. Draven had already received my father’s blessing in asking me to marry him and I had to wonder how in the dickens he had managed such a thing. I hadn’t told Draven as I didn’t particularly want to rub it in but after he had left me I wasn’t in a great place, so let’s just say he wasn’t exactly on their
Christmas list anymore.

  “Libby?!” I shouted as she came running towards me and as we embraced I turned us both round so I could look at Draven over her shoulder. He just grinned at me and I watched my parents both welcome him into the family with a hug from my mother and a firm handshake from my father. I then looked over to Frank and found little Ella fast asleep in his arms, so he just gave us all head nods and a beaming grin.

  I found out Draven had had my family flown over in another of his private jets and as soon as we were alone I had to ask if he didn’t actually have his own bloody airline because how many private jets does one person need. He simply answered ‘for occasions like this, clearly.’

  After everyone in my family hugged us and offered their heartfelt congratulations we all sat down to have a celebratory dinner in the private suite Draven had booked. I really didn’t know how he managed all this but when the rest of my family all walked in it was my time to cry again.

  “Sophia, Vincent?!” I asked in utter shock considering I thought they were all on a plane heading back home. This had all been a tall tale told just to throw me off and when I asked after RJ, she too walked in to join the party. Zagan followed introducing himself as Sophia’s husband and I could see my family trying not to stare. In fact it was my grandmother who took a fancy to him and made the poor guy sit down next to her after pinching his bum once or twice.

  He shot Sophia a panicked look of pleading for help but she just waved at him making him growl. One of the nicest parts about this was finally being able to properly introduce Sophia to my sister and Frank. They had met before but it was only under the pretence as just friends but there was no doubt we had been much more than that for a long time now.

  But then my shock doubled and my world became complete when the last two walked through the door.

  “Pip! Adam!” I screamed their names and launched myself at them both feeling overwhelmed with everything that was happening.