People already mill around the dance floor, laughing as they are being thrown about and held close. Music I am not familiar with plays in the background, beautiful and hunting.
"Would you like to dance?" Justin asks, taking my hand in his and leading me to the dance floor.
He holds my waist with one hand while holding my hand with the other. He proceeds to step forward, but steps on my toe.
"Sorry, I am not familiar with this type of dancing," I confess attempting to step away from him.
"That's OK, just follow my lead."
I oblige, and for the next half hour I try to follow his steps. He either steps on my toes or I step on his.
He holds my hand and begins to spin me round and round. I crash into his chest. Panting from my laughter, I look up at him. He leans down and kisses me, giving me no warning. His lips are warm and tender. A warm tingling feeling spreads through my belly. After a few moments I kiss him back.
I start to feel a little light headed, every time he looks at me so intensely.
"I am going to take a break." He wraps his hands around my shoulders and guides me off the dance floor.
Chapter 23- Chris
School dances are not really my thing, but Sarah has put me on the spot. I had dated her a few times before I left to go on my assignment, and since I have been back she has been acting like I didn't leave for two years.
The truth is things have changed a lot since I last dated her. Hell, she has changed. She is not the shy natural beauty she used to be. Now before me is a girl who thrives on attention. The little amount of clothes she is wearing is making me embarrassed for her.
Her whole personality has changed, and to be honest I do not like the person she has become. She has become a hateful jealous person, but still here I am dancing with her.
Every now and then she will try pressing her body against mine so I hold her at arm's length at all times, unlacing her fingers from behind my neck.
"Ouch," she hisses. "What the hell, Chris."
I look at her. Anger burns deep in her eyes. I loosen my grip on her waist and look back to where Kayla is dancing with the wolf boy. He spins her around. She smiles and laughs. I want to rip his head off for looking at her, never mind touching her.
"Why do you keep watching her?" Sarah demands, her eyes full of ice.
"I am looking for James," I lie.
"Whatever, Chris." She walks away, finding her friends. I am relived as I walk towards my brother, who has been roped into chaperoning the dance.
"Would you like me to slap her hands?" He teases in his cheerful voice as I stand beside him
"What are you talking about?"
"Sarah. I saw the look you were giving her," he grins.
I laugh, shaking my head. Misty stands to the side of him, clearly miserable. She left pretty quickly for the dance. Ethan never came to pick her up. My guess is she planned it that way. I don't like the guy. I never have. He thinks he is god's gift. He is not good enough for my sister.
"The idiot, did he ditch you already? I will kill him." The look on her face is making me think about finding him and making him make my sister happy for the night. I had spotted him earlier dancing with Tanya, one of Sarah's friends.
"No he did not ditch me. I was forced to leave him and stand with big brother here," she seethes, her arms crossed over her chest.
"He is lucky his hands are still attached to his body." James voice becomes ruff as anger penetrates his words.
"Says the guy who has touched up over half of the girls in this school," Misty argues back.
"He touched you." I do not like the way this is going. Ethan will get what's coming to him.
"Forget it, Chris. No one in this school will ask me out because they are all scared of my sociopath brother and now James has just gone and secured his place for a restraining jacket." She marches off, her head held high.
"What happened?" I ask wanting to know exactly what he did ready for when I cross paths with him.
"I don't interfere much with Misty's romantic life, unlike you."
At this I raise my eyebrows wondering where he is heading.
"But I remember when I was her age and what I was like. The way he was groping her in front of his friends was sickening. I was not going to let that carry on." He sighs, his eyes following Misty, who has now joined Kayla. My fists clench at my sides when I see Justin's arm draped over her shoulder.
"And you did not punch him." I would have hit him first then asked the questions.
"No, Chris, we are Guardians; we don't solve our problems with violence," he chides me.
"Speak for yourself, man," I mutter.
"Besides, you would have punched him no questions asked."
The announcement for the annual blind dance casts around the room. I inwardly groan. Now I will probably have to dance with a dog.
When my number, sixty-two is called out, my heart races at the speed of light. Kayla steps onto the dance floor. I stay still, unmoving. If I dance with her then it will drive my emotions wild, so I need to stay away from her keep her at a distance for both of our sakes.
James pushes me forward. I instantly regret telling him my number upon entering the hall. If I knew he was going to use it against me I would have kept my mouth shut.
"She looks lost, stop being a jerk and take your place, put her out of her misery." He pushes me harder, giving me no choice but to walk towards her or look like an idiot.
When I reach her, I hear her let out a breath. She must have been holding it in.
The music starts. I offer her my hand. The familiar electrical shock runs through my body, a reminder of my childhood, a deadly secret to be kept safe.
Placing my other hand on her hip I feel her body tense. Heat runs through my hand. The familiar raging fire of desire wells in the pit of my stomach. It takes all the will power I possess not to pull her close. Her hand slips from my hand and rests on my shoulder, her flat palm just above my chest.
I place my now free hand on the other side of her hip. We move slowly at first. Her body gradually relaxes our steps in sync. She becomes more confident as we dance.
Her movements slow down. She looks up into my face. It is the first time she has looked directly at me the entire time we have been dancing. The mask conceals her facial expression but does not hide the growing desire in her eyes
The brightness of her eyes makes the fire within me stronger. Her soft rose red lips seem to be calling to me to taste them, to feel their fullness against mine. I find myself licking my lips in anticipation before pulling myself together.
"Chris, why do you have a scar on your hand? How did it happen?" Her voice is soft, barely audible over the music. I step closer to her.
"Scars are a road map to the soul." I tell her, I want to tell her the truth so bad it is painful; the coward in me just gives her a hint. She holds her hand up. The faint white scar that runs the full length of her palm glints in the low lighting. Before I have time to react, she presses her hand against my scared palm. A strong electric current, shoots through me. The current runs through my body and stops at my toes. White light glows from our entwined hands, the secret of my past lit up for everyone to see.
Breathless, I look at her. Her eyes have become glazed. Her body shudders as her fingers dig into the top of my arm.
Suddenly she begins to thrash around in my arms. Her head twists and turns in impossible angles. Small groans and mumbles escape her lips. Pain etches her beautiful face.
I pull her closer to me, holding her head still. She lashes out at me, her nails digging into my flesh while her feet kick at my shins. Restraining her without hurting her is impossible. Her head connects with my face a number of times yet I feel no pain.
What the hell is happening to her?
I pull her flat against me, wrapping my arms around her tightly to stop her body from thrashing. She shakes violently in my arms.
"The girl has finally lost it. Poor Kayla is now fighting with herself." Sarah's taun
ting voice rings beside me.
"Shut your month, Sarah, before I shut it for you," I snap. I pull her away from me, slowing.
"Kayla." Her eyes have gone a milky white, distant; as if she is lost in her own mind over and over again I call her name until the bright blue and green of her eyes slowly come back to life. As the full color comes to her eyes, confusion plainly outlines her features. I pull her closer to me. She pulls out of my arms hard with a strength I am amazed she has.
She staggers back. Hurt flashes through her dazed eyes before she spins around so quick I am surprised she did not lose her balance.
At some point someone most have called for Belinda as she looks on with sorrow in her eyes, and her shoulders sag as Kayla pushes past her and runs out of the door.
"What did you do to her?" Justin shouts from a few feet away. We all gaze at the door she has just gone through, none of us knowing what happened.
It took a couple of minutes before everything sinks in and I race out after her, Justin on my heels.
Two figures stand out by the Guardian fountain, a gift from the elders. Slowing down, Kayla stands with a man, the double of my father in looks. The only difference is his eyes pitch black stare into mine, a smug smile raised on his lips. He is gloating; he has claimed his prize, Kayla.
Justin stops beside me, his breathing heavy as we both stare at my father's likeness.
"Kayla, step away from him," I say desperately. I have a pretty good idea who this man is. Let's just say it is not my father.
"Kayla, let me take you home," Justin prompts.
"Home, you crazy lying deceiving people took me away from my home. Where I was loved, where people did not mess with my mind. I was free. You people have taken everything away from me!" she yells. Guilt rips through me. She knows what I did.
"You, Justin, are just a mutt who I used to help pass the time on. Nothing more, nothing less. You are just a dog, and to be honest I am more of a cat person." She steps forward. Fire burns in her eyes. Justin recoils from her deadly look.
"Run along now, shoo, be a good boy," she waves her hand.
He turns on his heels and walks away, his head down and his shoulders hunched over, like he has been defeated.
Coward
I watch his retreating form. I appear in front of her and hold her face in my hands. I see the sadness etched in her eyes. It eats at my heart. Hurtful words come from her mouth, piercing me like a knife. A tear leaves her eyes and her lips tremble slightly, betraying her words. She did not mean what she said. I will not allow myself to believe that she would be so hurtful. This is not her.
All rational thought leaves me as I go to kiss her. Her kiss brought me back from the darkness. Fire springs around me, jolting me back. She is shielded by the flames, standing behind the wall of fire. She holds the man's hand as if it is her life line.
"Tell your father I said hi," the man sings as the flames swallow them, leaving nothing but thick plumes of smoke behind.
I know one thing for certain as I watch the last of the smoke evaporate; the ritual had succeeded. The gates of hell have been opened. Lucifer is now free to roam the realms causing chaos and destruction to the worlds. The prophecy has just begun.
To be continued ....
More books by E.J Bennett
Secrets of the soul- Secrets book 2
Horror-
Find Me- getBook.at/FINDME
House of Horror- myBook.to/HouseofHorror
Romance-
Flowers and Flavour- myBook.to/Flowersandflavour
About the author
E.J Bennett is a stay at home mom of two young children. She lives in an old mining village in South Yorkshire, England, where she has resided most of her life. She loves the beach and spending time with her little ones. She loves to write in her spare time, which is usually when the kids are in bed, and the house is quiet without any distractions.
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