Afterlife (Afterlife Saga)

by Stephanie Hudson

  He had his back to me and was looking out into the black night. I took a step closer trying to remain quiet but the glass doors closed behind me, making a noise that gave away my presence. He turned to face me and I couldn't find my voice. Had he always looked this tall or was it just because now I was even more nervous and it made him look even more imposing?

  He took a few steps towards me and I couldn't help my actions as I took one step back. One of his eyebrows raised and he tilted his head slightly as if confused by my wariness.

  “Sophia tells me you’re feeling better,” he said as yet again he took another step closer, this time I didn't move. I couldn’t say anything but I managed to nod my head to indicate a yes. He looked as though he was trying very hard not to smile at my behaviour, which just made me blush. What was wrong with me? I would have to say something soon or I would just end up even more embarrassed. He carried on closing the distance between us and with every step he took my cheeks went a deeper shade.

  “You’re looking well, indeed a lot more colour than last time.” His face looked controlled but there was a slight smirk edging its way to his lips. He was so close now that if I were to see his face I would have to look up, as it was I didn’t have the nerve.

  His hand reached under my chin pushing my face upwards to meet his eyes. They were as black as the night behind him but they had a softer touch. He then looked away from my eyes and moved his fingers to my cheek. I must have stopped breathing because my chest felt tight as though I was running out of air.

  “Wh...What...are you...”

  “Ssshh be still,” he whispered gently as one of his fingers touched my lips briefly before going back to inspect my injury.

  He was looking for my bruise and he pushed the hair hiding it out of his way. My hair fell in between his fingers and I couldn't help but close my eyes. The trace of his warm fingers left a tingling mark on my skin and I had the strongest urge to put my hand to his. He continued to brush the hair away from my face so he could follow the red line with his thumb. He moved it over the cut from one end to the other and I bit my lip to hold in a moan. I could feel his eyes staring down at me but I wouldn't meet his gaze.

  Abruptly he dropped his hand and stepped back saying, “I am satisfied.” I didn't understand what he meant by this but when did I ever understand anything in the world of Draven. I knew that I would have to speak or I would never forgive myself, so I inhaled as much air as I could without looking obviously nervous and said,

  “I...I would like to thank you for what you did the other night and I'm sorry that I have been the cause of so much trouble.” There, it was out now and there was nothing I could do about it but wait for his reaction.

  “Trouble? I don't know about trouble but it was definitely eventful wouldn't you say?” I was pretty sure he was teasing me and I smiled back still chewing my bottom lip.

  He turned towards the door and my heart dropped when I realised that this was the end of our little meeting. However my heart started hammering again in my chest as he stopped next to me.

  “You're more than welcome Keira,” he said, saying my name with such passion I thought I would need holding up again. I instinctively bit down that hard on my lip that my teeth nearly went through the skin. He hadn't left and I wondered if he was waiting for me to say something. I only had to wait seconds to get my answer. He lent down to my ear as if he had forgotten something and looking at my face had just reminded him, so he whispered,

  “Oh yes and Keira... you're biting your lip again.” And with that he left me standing there alone trying to control my thoughts about not passing out. I felt a sudden chill as soon as he left and didn't know whether it was down to the cold night air or the fact that Draven wasn't there anymore. Every time I got close to him the warmth I would feel was like being covered in an electric blanket from head to toe, resulting in the opposite when he left, like it was being torn away from me leaving me feeling not only cold but also empty inside.

  When I finally composed myself I went back inside to get my bag and jacket ready to leave. I noticed the nasty blonde glaring at me from Draven's table. She only dropped her evil eyes when Draven noticed it too.

  Once I was at home I felt exhausted and my body ached. Not from working but after four days of doing nothing my body had become used to relaxing. No, working at the club was one of the easiest jobs I had ever had, all things considered. I thought about work and why it always seemed to go so fast? I realised it must be down to the fact that I spent most of my time thinking about Draven and what I would do if he spoke to me. Which is why I guess I didn't have any more mental power left to think about what time it was. Being there was like a drug and the longer I was there the more I wanted to stay. The most I ever had was a four hour shift but that was better than nothing as I had learnt recently.

  I was about to get into bed when the phone rang and Jack was on the other end.

  “Sorry to call so late but RJ's come down with something and isn't going in tomorrow.” Jack said sounding a bit too pleased about it.

  “Oh no, is she all right?”

  “Yeah she'll live, she's only got flu or something but it hasn't shut her up yet so it's not that serious! But I was wondering, do you want me to pick you tomorrow?”

  “Umm, yeah… I mean that would be great but only if you don't mind?” He laughed and said,

  “Why would I mind? So I will pick you up at the same time.”

  “Cool, thanks Jack. I will see you tomorrow then.” He said good night and hung up the phone sounding a bit too happy about RJ's condition. I also said goodnight to Libby and Frank and went back to my room to catch an early night.

  I was back at the club for some reason but I didn't know why, did I forget something? I sifted through my thoughts for the explanation but came up empty. I had already walked up the steps to the VIP and was standing outside the door not knowing what to do next. It was as if I had been in a dream getting here and now someone had just clicked their fingers and woken me up. I stood leaning up against the wooden door and placed my forehead against the warm wooden panel. My head felt as though I couldn't stop it from spinning. The muffled noises behind the wood were getting louder and in turn making my spinning head reel faster. I needed to get out but I didn't want to go back downstairs, as it would be no better there. As soon as the thought had entered my head the door opposite unlocked and opened slightly. I couldn't help but yelp at the sound as if waiting for something to burst through it at any moment. After staring at the opening for a while I finally got the guts to go inside. I pushed it open cautiously, still half expecting something to jump out from behind it but there was nothing there. I walked through knowing I was making the wrong decision but I could help myself, it was like I was being called... or summoned.

  The night air hit me as instead of walking into another room I had entered a long open balcony. It was part of the house and it had a roof connecting it to the main building. I could make out a door at the other end but I didn't want to go that far yet. I went over to the stone balustrade that rose up in arches connecting to the roof, allowing you to lean over the top of the stone wall and see the open air. There was a massive portion of the house cut out like a giant courtyard. I looked around to find the same balcony on all four sides, which seemed to go on for miles. This wasn't a house it was a castle! I looked down to see in the middle and found a huge domed roof, that reminded me of a mosque, sat at the bottom. It glimmered in the moonlight making it look like polished copper. There was a sculpture at the very top of the dome but I could only make out a pair of wings so imagined it to be a bird.

  I was amazed at what my eyes were seeing and couldn't get over this actually being here. It felt wrong, as though I should be somewhere in Europe but then looking at the domed section more like the Middle East. None of it made sense. I felt a sudden chill up my body as though I wasn't welcome here and this was something I shouldn't have seen. I turned to walk back through the door I had just come through but it
had no handle. My hands went up and down the wood searching for something but there was nothing. I pushed with all my body weight but nothing happened. I was stuck! I was trying not to panic but I could tell it was coming and soon. I now had no choice but to walk down the rest of the open hall and try the other door. I couldn't help but think about the trouble I was going to get into because of this. What had I been thinking!

  Unfortunately the moon was going behind a cloud and I was about to be plunged into darkness. My breathing started to get heavier and I couldn't stop my hands from shaking. I walked forward only a few steps when as if by magic the lamps on the wall lit up in a ball of fire, then calmed down to light flames at the top. I clamped my hands over my own mouth as a scream erupted from my lips.

  The lamps were made of wrought iron cages, which came down into long points at the bottom that looked deadly sharp. The iron twisted up in strips curling round iron bars, which held burnt glass in between the gaps. The flames licked the air as if the oxygen was making it angry.

  I continued forward and when I reached the next lamp it did the same thing as though working off a sensor. There were five in total and they all lit one after the other, illuminating my way down the hall until I reached the door. This door thankfully had a handle and when my hand touched the cold metal the door opened automatically. I turned around before entering and saw all the lamps die one by one making a popping, cracking sound followed by the sound of glass smashing to the floor. It was like they were exploding, so before the last one was extinguished I quickly stepped through the door.

  Once inside I tried to calm my breathing the way the doctor had shown me to control panic attacks. I slid down the door and put my head in between my knees and concentrated on counting my breaths. I hadn't even seen where I was or what room I was in, but from the warm air I gathered I wasn't outside any more. I finally looked up and once again I was in the dark. I was really frightened now and just wanted to get back to a safe place, one where I wasn't so exposed. I stood up on shaky knees and heard a door open but knew it wasn't the one behind me. I freaked out and tried to get back out onto the balcony, as at this point I would take weird exploding lamps over this any day!

  However my hands searched in vain as it was like the last door... no handle...And no means of escape.

  “Who's...who's there?” I said trying to control my shaky voice but with the rest of my body trembling I didn't have much hope.

  “You shouldn't be here!” A deep but shocked voice said and I jumped at the words.

  “I...I got lost!” I stammered hoping the voice belonged to someone who would help me.

  “Oh no, you’re not lost...you've been found.” The voice was getting closer and made my skin give way to Goosebumps. I was trying to move but something had me frozen to the spot.

  Then the voice ordered “Hala Olmak” (Means “Be still” In Turkish) I couldn't even move my arms, hands, anything on my body apart from my head. I tried to block out whatever it was manipulating my mind and concentrated by pushing out the control that was over me. I tried to think of a way to free myself so started by drawing in my mind an image of me moving. First my fingers wiggled and then one of my arms was set free, it didn't take long before my body was my own again and I quickly shifted to the side.

  “How did you do that?” The voice asked with what seemed like controlled anger. I didn't answer, not wanting to give away my location as I was still edging sideways.

  “Here let me give you some light, we wouldn't want you bumping into anything and hurt yourself, I know you have a habit of falling down.” His voice was smooth but finished with a rough edge. A candle lit somewhere close to me and I could only see the space around me. An orange glow spread out fading into the darkness and my eyes squinted to adapt to the small circle of light. I moved a little bit more thinking if only I could find another door I could then make a run for it. My foot knocked on something but I steadied myself on the wall behind me.

  “Careful Keira!” The voice knew my name? It was definitely a man's voice, as it was far too deep to be a woman's, yet I still didn't recognise its roughness. It moved around the room making it hard to pinpoint a location but I couldn't just wait here for him to get to me even though he obviously knew where I was as the light was bouncing off my skin making me glow. Another flame lit up my way but I could only make out the wall and floor. I kept side stepping feeling my way along when the voice spoke again.

  “I wouldn't keep moving that way if I were you.” It sounded like a threat but it didn't stop me, I could feel I was getting close to something as the air had changed.

  “What do you want?” I said gaining some more courage.

  “Isn't it obvious...why the very reason you came here… back to me.” I took four large steps away from the voice but in the dark I couldn't see as the candlelight didn't reach as far as I had travelled. I hit something waist height, nearly falling over and was going to tumble over it when a hand reached out and grabbed me, stopping me from falling. Strong hands pulled me back and in one swift movement had me twisted around and pressed me solidly up against the wall.

  He gently held the back of my head with one hand so I wouldn't bang it against the stone my body was now leaning on. His body leaned close and his hand slid down from my head to my neck making its way to the front. He held his thumb on my throat without applying too much pressure. It seemed to be calming my breathing as I was panicking on the inside but on the outside my body remained calm. We were still in the dark and I couldn’t see the face in front of me but I felt as though I was outside again. I wondered if the thing I had nearly fallen over was another balcony? If that was the case, whoever was stood opposite me now had just saved my life. I relaxed my muscles and the voice responded.

  “That's it, easy now.” His other hand held my shoulder back as I tried to wrestle free from his hold. His hand gripped my shoulder like a vice but he never once hurt me.

  “I asked you, what it is you want?” I said trying to sound more angry than scared.

  “Don't be frightened Keira, I would never hurt you.” I don't know why but I trusted his words. Maybe it was down to the calming effect the movement his thumb was still making on my throat. His hand relaxed on my shoulder and moved down to my waist but again when I tried to move away his hand flashed to my side holding me still against the wall.

  “Be still!” He said with clear frustration in his voice.

  “You want to know what it is I want but first you will answer one of my questions.” His face bent down to mine and felt so close I could smell his sweet intoxicating breath invade my senses.

  “What...what do you want to know?” I said shaking my head as I couldn't think of anything I could offer him.

  “Why did you come here?” He asked softly. I hesitated and tried to look away but his hand slid up my top to get to my sides sending sparks of heat up my body. My chest rose heavily with the feeling and I let out a whispered moan, which made him show his teeth. I couldn't help but stare at a perfect white set but it was the larger canines that had me gulping. Did he have fangs? When I didn’t answer he tried harder to provoke one from me and with his other hand he released my neck and stroked my cheek saying

  “Come now little one, tell me.” I tried to think of a different answer than the truth but in the end I just admitted the reason.

  “I came here to find Dominic Draven.” I said and I was sure I could hear him smile at my answer.

  “Is that right, well lucky for you... you found him.” I tried one last attempt to move from under him but he was too quick and grabbed my wrist pulling me back to him.

  “Oh no you don’t.” His voice held a hint of the truth but I didn’t want to believe it!

  “You're lying. Draven wouldn't keep me here like this.” I shouted as I tried to see into his eyes but the black night behind only enhanced the dark shape in front of me.

  “Oh really... you know me that well do you? Well have you ever thought there is a reason I am keeping you he
re like this?” His voice sounded different, anger mixed with hurt.

  “NO WHY?” I shouted still trying in vain to get free. When he had finally had enough of trying to prevent me from escaping he pushed his body flush with mine, shocking me into remaining still. His body felt warm and his solid muscles tensed back against my small frame. His head bent down to my face and said in earnest,

  “I'm trying to keep you safe, as I said before you shouldn't be here... not alone anyway.”

  “Then let me go and I will leave,” I said in a whisper.

  “I'm afraid it's too late for that, I will have to deal with this in a different way.” This didn't sound good so I tried one last plea.

  “I'm sorry that I came but please don't.” His hands left my body and grabbed my wrists like lightening as I said this.

  “Don't do what... hurt you?” He didn’t sound happy.

  “Get rid of me,” I said as a tear started to form in the corner of one eye. He laughed lightly and replied,

  “Why would I ever want to get rid of you, what would make you say that to me?”

  “Because I'm ...I'm broken.” I said as the tears got too heavy and fell down my cheeks. He had released my wrists and now used his thumbs to wipe the tears from my skin.

  “Well if that is the case, then I guess I will just have to fix you.... but before you go, I owe you an answer to your question.” he said stepping away from me and my heart fell back into its normal pace.

  “You asked me what I wanted.” He said repeating my earlier question but I could barely hear him as the moon had come from behind the cloud, now revealing the awful truth...it was and had been all along... Dominic Draven.

  He was removing something from the long jacket he wore and the metal flashed in the moonlight. I froze as he bought the implement closer to my face. I was about to run but as though reading my thoughts he grabbed me once more around the waist picking me up with one arm tightly curled around my torso. He lifted me up to the level of his face until our lips were at the same height. He leaned forward until they nearly touched and his mouth moved over mine as he whispered the answer,