The Triple Goddess

by Stephanie Hudson

  When the sun had started to set I got up, found something to eat and had a shower, this time not caring about the door or being on display in the glass cube. I leant my forehead on the glass, closed my eyes and let the water take away my tears. I kept seeing Draven’s face, the heartbreak etched into his perfect features that I just wanted to kiss away. I remembered the blind panic in his voice, one that was normally so in control, so powered by dominance that it never wavered. Not until I had been taken.

  After all my tears had been spent I got out of the water before my skin started to fall right off my bones from being so wrinkly. I decided it was time to just man up and take this shit with a clear head. I would do nobody any favours if I became a blubbering idiot at every turn and if I was this ‘Chosen One’ that everyone kept sprouting on about, then I need to start acting like the Gods had really chosen me for a good reason and without giving them chance to start regretting it. The last thing I wanted was to be replaced by some chick that wielded a sword like some Austrian shot putter with a gold medal and a man eating philosophy!

  With this in mind I walked straight into my wardrobe and picked out something that would at least give me a sense of power. I pulled down a dress that made me swallow hard but before I could chicken out I loosened the ties and put it over my head. After pulling it all tight, pulling on a pair of spider web tights and some knee high boots, that thankfully were only a little bit too big for me, I grabbed the bag of makeup that Pip had left me from last time and walked into the bathroom.

  Once I was all finished I hardly recognised the angry person staring back at me. Forget the old whimpering Keira who looked like some lost princess, no, tonight I was going to walk into that hall with some balls, Goth style!

  I grabbed the only pair of gloves I had thanks to Lucius and was glad they were black so they would match anything I wore, which included this dangerous dress. The top half was corseted taffeta, thick and secure against my skin and it pulled tight at the front with thick laced ribbon crossed over through black metal hoops. The material was an iridescent deep red that looked purple in the places that hit the light, and went down to mid-thigh. The back however went lower but the under skirt was made from layers and layers of black satin that gave the bottom half body. It flared out but all of the front section had been pulled up to the top of my thighs and tied there with the same lace ribbon on the corset. It felt a bit like a curtained window for my legs to be seen underneath and thanks to my tights and boots I didn’t feel quite so naked and on display. Although there was nothing I could do about the amount of skin being shown thanks to an ample cleavage.

  I decided just to leave my hair down and left the waves to dry naturally thanks to the lack of a hairdryer. I threw my head forward letting my hair hang down in front of me and gave it a ruffle at the roots. I then threw my head back and my hair whipped over hitting the lower part of my waist. With it still slightly damp it was a dark golden colour and the top part of my dress reflected off each strand, turning it a strawberry blonde tone. My makeup, I had gone for thick black around the eyes that gave me a pissed off look that matched my mood. My pale skin was the perfect background for my bold lips that I had painted a dark red that almost made them look like they were bleeding. I nodded to myself, took a deep breath and walked to the door where the night awaited me.

  Pip had told me that she would make sure that tonight I was left alone, that I didn’t need to come down to the great hall. What she really meant was that I could hide away like the frightened little human everyone took me for! Well I wasn’t about to let that happen. No, I needed to show my enemies that I wasn’t someone to be underestimated and hiding away in my room crying over a situation I had no control over wasn’t the way to achieve that. It was time to wake up to this world and use the motto ‘that if you can’t beat them then join them’ and find out their weaknesses while you’re at it!

  I gave myself this little speech until I reached the main staircase and when the full room of turned Vamp Demons and Angel bad ass beings came into view I gulped down my fear. I took a deep breath.

  “You can do this!” I whispered out loud to myself and walked down the stairs remembering about the sharp spikes that came up through the railing. I tried to look as confident as I could and although every molecule in my body told me to turn around and run far away, I held my head high and looked at everyone who gave me a glare with utter indifference. I gathered, thanks to the parting of people as I walked through the crowd, that Lucius’ threat still held its weight, as not one person got in my way when I walked towards the dais. The music pounded a heavy beat that I could feel from the floor travel up my legs and with every step my hair came more forward and ended up becoming split in two parts, one either side of my breasts. One lesbian couple dressed in rubber hissed at me and the shortest one snarled out the word,

  “Electus” as I walked past. My eyes stayed in front but my hand whipped up and I gave her the one finger salute. That’s when my eyes met with the dark Vamp King himself and I held in a smirk at the shock I saw in him, seeing me here.

  One point to human and Vamp King zero!

  I continued and with every step his eyes drank me in but his posture didn’t change from its relaxed state. He was sat with legs slightly spread apart with one elbow holding all his weight on his knee. His hand held by his chin and one finger covered his lips, lips that held a secret smile. I tried not to let this look get to me but I think even he could detect the increase of my heart rate. It was just something about the guy that had you gulping at just the sight of him and that’s taking away from the fact of how powerful he was. I think if he had just been walking down the street he would not only be turning heads but it would be the whole stopping traffic, a stream of girls trailing behind him kind of thing. He was painfully handsome, which just annoyed me even more, that someone so evil could be so sexually attractive. I wish I could say that I was not affected but I would have been lying.

  By the time I made the few steps onto the dais my heart was pounding and all my bravery was a mere shell of what it had been. One bloody look and the man had you undone! He actually made you feel as though you were standing there naked the way his eyes drank you in and undressed you of every layer.

  “Keira.” He said my name as though it was the beginnings of a spell. He stood and I froze on automatic pilot. He cocked his head slightly at my behaviour and a devilish smile curled his lips. He was wearing worn grey denim that had rips in the knees and a black fitted top that had long sleeves pushed up to reveal muscled forearms. The top had a big roll neck that zipped at the side which was pulled down to show a white t-shirt underneath. It was the most casual I had seen him looking and I was surprised considering almost every night at Afterlife Draven would wear a suit. I gathered Lucius didn’t play by the same rules. Hell, he probably killed a guy with that rule book before chucking it out of the window, guy and all!

  “Come here!” He demanded losing his smile momentarily. I found my feet moving me forward before I even gave it the thought process. A soon as I got within distance his hand snaked out and grabbed me by the waist pulling me roughly to his chest. I let out a startled umff.

  “Well Pip, considering that she wasn’t well enough to come down, I think from looking at the beauty in my arms you were quite mistaken.” I tried to turn to look at Pip but Lucius growled,

  “Eyes on me!” I stiffened in his unbreakable hold and wondered what the hell I was thinking in the first place by coming down here. If I was trying to regain some power by not showing fear to my enemies, one look at Lucius and all those hopes unravelled like sand down a sink hole.

  I felt fingertips trail down my cheek and when they reached my chin he gripped it and forced me to look up at him.

  “Mistaken indeed, you look good enough to eat but wait…there’s something missing.” His lips formed a knowing grin and when he saw me gulp down a swallow I heard him chuckle. He still had hold of my chin and started setting my head to one side to lean down to my
ear. He didn’t say anything for the moment and I felt his breath linger at my neck.

  “Yes, good enough to eat, bite and to suck. Mmm, I could quiet easily lick you wet and then back dry again.” He hummed in my ear and then took a long leisurely lick to my neck causing me to shiver. I felt the heat invade my cheeks at the crude image he portrayed and only when I felt his knuckles on my cheek did I realise my eyes had closed.

  “Ah, there it is, that’s what was missing on that porcelain skin of yours.” He laughed when my blush must have deepened at his words. Then suddenly he spun me round to face the crowd and pulled me down by the waist to sit with him. And when I say sit with him I don’t mean at his knees like last time. No, this time I found myself sat in between his legs, with my back held firmly against his chest. His arm locked tightly around my waist while the other hand brushed all my hair to one side so the skin on my neck was exposed. Normally I wouldn’t have batted an eyelid at my neck being so exposed but when you clearly had a horny Vampire at your back that had just been talking to you like you were an appetiser, then that changed matters.

  “I see you found my gift,” Lucius stated, lifting up one of my arms with his free hand. I noticed the dark leather cuff tied around his thick wrist when he picked up my arm to study it. I tried to pull it away not liking the feeling of anyone touching me there.

  “Ssshh Sugar, I’m not hurting you,” He whispered in my ear at my obvious discomfort and I don’t know why, but his words calmed me. He waited for me to relax and only moved again once he felt the tension leave my back muscles.

  “Good girl.” He said softly and even though I couldn’t see him I felt him smile on my neck. Why was he being so nice! It was so confusing, I felt like a ping pong ball being battered to good, back to evil, then back to good again. I was starting to feel dizzy and the only anchor I had was Lucius’ arm around me, keeping me secure from sinking in a sea of demonic chaos.

  I felt one of Lucius’ fingers curl under the top of my gloves and felt him slide one in to look for the closest scar. My breathing picked up and instincts kicked in as I tried to pull away from him. I didn’t get far as it felt like being on one of those rollercoaster rides with the seat restraints that wouldn’t let you go until the ride was over. I just wished that this ride was over. Hell, I wished I’d never come to this nightmare theme park!

  “Come now, Keira am I hurting you?” He said in my ear but I was still trying to pry my arm from his hold.

  “Answer me!” He said sternly.

  “N...no but…”

  “Then be still and show me how brave you are.” His words weren’t mocking but the opposite, they were comforting. In the end I took a deep breath and let him continue without resistance. I mean it’s not like he hadn’t seen them before so what was the point. He wasn’t pulling my gloves down to expose them to the room but just feeling for them under the glove. He went back to the ones nearer my inner elbow and ran his fingertip over it as gently as a moth’s wing.

  “Did you like my gift, Keira?” His question took me off guard enough to disarm me. I felt his arm jog me into responding.

  “Yes,” came out in a shaky voice that housed not one ounce of the confidence I was feeling earlier.

  “I wanted to encase painful memories in the softest material.” He said finding the next scar down and running a smooth, cold finger over it.

  “Why?” I couldn’t help but ask.

  “Contrary to what you believe I do actually like you, little human.” His confession astounded me but not enough to prevent the snorted retort.

  “What, as a snack?!” I commented sarcastically.

  “Is that an invitation?” He asked and even though it was laced with humour I still shuddered in his arms.

  “No, I didn’t think so. Don’t worry Keira, I am well fed.” He said before he clicked his finger behind me. I turned to see a waitress come over to us with a drink ready for him. It looked like a bottle of lager and the label read ‘Krombacher dark’. The cap was still on and he hugged me closer so that he could hold the bottle with the hand he had around my waist. With his free hand I watched in horror as his thumb nail started to grow into a stone talon. I tried to move but the only response to my pointless struggles was him chuckling once, before he used the rock hard talon to flick off the cap. After that he took a long swig of his beer and tapped his talon on the side of the dark bottle. I could only breathe when it started to go back to normal and he put the bottle in front of me for me to take.

  “Drink!” He ordered but when I shook my head to refuse this wasn’t good enough for him.

  “Keira, drink now!” I rolled my eyes that he couldn’t see and took the bottle from him. I took a long swig only realising now that my throat had been dry and the lager was thirst quenching. The flavour was unlike any lager I had tried before, with its subtle chocolate hints that mixed with caramel and the end tang of bitterness. It was different from my usual Corona but still not unpleasant.

  He nudged me to take another drink before taking it back off me. I didn’t understand his behaviour and why he wanted to share his drink but after passing it to me at regular intervals I realised that he meant to continue.

  As the night went on I seemed to relax against Lucius without realising it until his arm no longer needed to hold me to him in a secure hold. No, I was now leaning against his back by free will and it scared me as to why?

  I took in the room and as usual it held no end of weird and creepy things to watch. The red glow from lights directed onto the material that hung down the walls gave the room an eerie background for all its guests, who looked to be doing a lot more than just drinking. One woman was in the middle of a group of men in leathers, and was being painted with different coloured paint, laughing heartily as they used the different colours to designate which pieces of her body they had claimed. One of which had already started to lick it off her blue breasts. I looked away quickly and shuddered when one other couple roared out their climax. Lucius started laughing behind me.

  “Innocence smells so fucking sweet, you make me want to drool.” He growled in my ear and his hands spanned my ribcage pulling me further back. I was shocked at the feel of his arousal straining to be freed at my back.

  “Don’t!” I whispered looking down to where his hands remained. He growled again but amazingly he let me go and didn’t make a comment.

  “I’d like to take Toots outside tomorrow.” Pip announced from her usual place on Adam’s lap. Tonight’s attire consisted of a red and black tartan tutu with matching converse shoes that were laced with red ribbon instead of shoes laces. The side of the rubber had black writing that said ‘I will be your 80’s bitch’ on one side and the words ‘And play with your Pac-Man’ on the other. I couldn’t help but smile looking at Pip and even full of tattoos and piercings she still looked cute as a kindergartener with her red hoodie that had Elmo from Sesame street with the words ‘Tickle me’ under Elmo’s happy smile. She even had her hair in high green pigtails that Adam kept wrapping around his hand to try and control her from bouncing all over the place.

  “I can see no problem with that.” Lucius surprised me by saying and then handed me some more of his beer, which he wouldn’t take back until he thought that I had enough. At that moment a beauty walked past who had a gorgeous shade of red curls that were piled high on her head. She smiled at Lucius and licked her lips seductively but I was shocked when he snarled at her before snapping his teeth in an aggressive manner. It was such a strange reaction to a girl that was obviously trying to get him to bed but he acted like it was an insult and the girl scampered off in a hurry looking terrified. I was left confused at his behaviour and even more so when his arm went across my front and his hand went to hold the column of my neck to find the rhythm of my beating heart. His fingers remained still at my pulse point while his thumb stroked up and down the length of my neck in a controlled manner.

  “What are you…?”

  “Hush now, the feel of your pulse calms me.”
Was his only response to his strange reaction towards the girl’s ‘come on’.

  “Where will you take her?” His question came after about twenty minutes of silence from Pip’s idea to take me anywhere.

  “My Lord?” Pip asked, coming up for air from locking lips with Adam.

  “Take her to the silent garden, not the forest Pip, understand?” Pip lowered her head in a show of respect for her Master’s wishes and I couldn’t say I would have argued given the authority he put behind the command. I looked to Pip for reassurance that this was a good idea but she just winked at me before going back to Adam’s waiting lips.

  “Dress warm tomorrow, the winters here can be harsh and the cold cutting for human skin.” He said in my ear, still touching my neck and bare shoulders.

  “I think I will find that difficult considering my wardrobe choices.” I said under my breath which he heard.

  “Explain!” Given his order, I wished I’d kept my big mouth shut.

  “I…I just mean…umm, I’m sure I will find something.” I quickly added not wanting to get Pip into trouble.

  “I will make sure you have something suitable.” He said looking down at me over my shoulder.

  “I wouldn’t like you looking like this without my presence. It is too much of a temptation for my kind.”

  “You mean I look like a dressed roast turkey ready for Christmas dinner!” I said crossing my arms over my chest.

  “I’m not food you know!” I added with a huff.

  “There are other things I would take from you other than sustenance my little Keira girl, but tasting would definitely be on the menu.” I closed my eyes and tried to get us kissing out of my head. Of course I failed.

  “I need to go to the bathroom!” I blurted out making him laugh at how it was obvious he affected me. He let me go by holding out his arms to his sides and I got up too quickly nearly falling back into him. Man could I appear any weaker! He gave me a bad boy smirk that made me want to slap his face. He took a long swig of his beer never taking his eyes from me. I moved away and he nodded to Liessa but I quickly added,