The Triple Goddess

by Stephanie Hudson

  “Did you miss me…?” The voice got closer still and when I tried to move forward, hands with nails like talons dug into the lace, close to ripping it. Lips came at my ear from behind and called me the name that brought a flood of memories back…

  Back to a night I almost died.

  “…Parasite”

  Chapter 23

  Murderer in the Room

  Nails dug into me and this time there was no Draven standing in the side lines ready to rescue me.

  “Layla!” The name came from me like trying to talk after swallowing thick black oil.

  “If you say anything to Lucius about what happened then I will gut you, do you understand me, Vermin? If you utter one word then I know where you sleep and the next time…” She leaned in closer and for a second I thought she was going to bite off my ear.

  “…I will get you in the heart!” She said so fiercely that I could feel the spit like venom hit my neck from her words. I yanked out of her hold and turned to face her with white hot rage burning my veins but when taking in her appearance it was hard not to give way to fear. She was taller than me so it didn’t help that I had to look up at her. She had dressed in the same style as everyone else, looking far too feminine for the murdering bitch she was. Wearing a short leather bolero with a high neck, little puffy sleeves and fastened with two leather straps that went across the collarbone. To this she added a white laced corset with a frilly top that was gathered together with a pictured brooch of a Victorian woman’s silhouette.

  On her lower half was a saloon girl style skirt that was short at the front and gathered at the back where it bunched up and flared out to the floor. The skirt showed the top of her tights and very close to showing something more indecent, however most of her legs were covered with her over the knee boots that must have added five inches to her height. But these were small inconsequential factors compared to the horror painted on her evil face. She grinned at me and it made it worse as the patterned skull painted there made it seem like her lips were splitting.

  I remember seeing the style in a festival in Spain once. It was the Day of the Dead and stalls were selling painted clay skulls in bright colours. Some had flowers and multi-coloured swirls around the eyes, others had brightly painted teeth and different shapes on top of the skull. These had all been pretty but what stood in front of me was not. It was an ugly face of evil painted up in white with black flowers covering the entire of both eyes and a black Ace of Spades symbol painted on her nose. Blood red thorns curved round her high cheek bones and a yellowed claw crawled down her forehead. Her lips were decorated as if they had been sewn shut with metallic paint and the memory of Sammael’s lips came horrifyingly to mind. She looked sickening.

  “Go on, run… I dare you!” She said showing her teeth and giving way to her murderous thoughts. Every fibre in my body was screaming at me to do just that. As if the most basic level of evolution was telling me I was in danger from a predator and I needed to find safer ground. I didn’t want to give her the satisfaction but it was hard battling with my pride and my need for survival.

  In the end the choice was taken from me.

  “My Keira girl, come to me!” Lucius’ voice broke through the hate clogging the air and my attention went back to the handsome man waiting for me, but not before I noticed the slight flinch of Layla. Well, wasn’t that interesting?

  I walked over to Lucius and just as I was about to sit down next to Pip, Lucius made a ‘tsk’ sound and I looked up to see him motion me with two fingers encased in leather. What was it about a man that wore black leather gloves, apart from screaming ‘violent crime’ there was also something sexual about it, dominating and powerful.

  I walked over to him and he moved his legs from resting on the low table. He then pointed in between his legs after giving me space to sit where he wanted me. I think I actually groaned in response, making him laugh.

  “Please don’t do this again,” I whispered looking at him through his glasses that rested on his nose without the aid of arms attached to the frame. He gave me a bad boy grin and motioned for the band to start back up with a regal wave of his hand.

  “Sit down my pet.” He said in a way that brooked no argument. I sighed, giving in and sitting down in between his legs as I had done the night before. And like the night before his arm snaked around my waist and pulled me closer to him in a secure hold but unlike the rest of the nights here, one pair of eyes watched us through a thick veil of hatred.

  “Layla my child, welcome home.” At this I stiffened in Lucius’ hold and I knew he noticed because his hands started making comforting circles at my side, thankfully though he didn’t draw attention to it.

  Layla lowered her head in submission and then raised her eyes to his and said,

  “My Master, it is good to be back.” Every word from her mouth actually felt like someone had taken a cheese grater to my spine.

  “I believe you became acquainted with Layla at Afterlife Keira, is it not good seeing a friendly face?” Lucius asked as though he was playing a game of guess the emotion. This time I tried not to react but it was difficult being so close to him and knowing he could feel every slight move I made.

  “We didn’t really speak.” I said not doing a great job of acting through my disgust.

  “Really? This surprises me as Layla spoke of you both becoming good friends.” Now this shocked me. It felt like I was definitely missing something here.

  “Oh I am sure Keira is just guarding her shock at seeing her good friend here my Lord, we were thick as thieves together in Dominic Draven’s club.” At this Lucius was the one to tense his body.

  “You will NOT disrespect your King again! I have told you before and I tire of repeating your offense. You have no right to call him as such, he is your King and you will remember your place!” I couldn’t help my mouth from dropping open in shock. Lucius wanted Layla to show respect to Draven by calling him King? I couldn’t understand it?

  “Yes my Lord, forgive me but I would have thought that after taking your place as our…”

  “Enough! You WILL know your place Lahash! Now kneel for your forgiveness!” He ordered and I could say for once I was happy Lucius was being a bossy bastard.

  She got to her knees and crawled closer to us both but as I flinched back Lucius felt my reaction and stopped her with one foot at her shoulder.

  “Please Master, forgive me, I am your servant and have but missed you deeply.” I looked up to Lucius and saw him frowning. I don’t know why but my hand went to his hand at my side and started making my own soothing circles on his hand. He looked down at me and gave me a slight smile for the kind gesture. I blushed and looked away but my eyes found the lethal look from Layla staring at our not so secret exchange. I then looked directly to my left as I heard a growl coming from Pip. It looked as if I wasn’t the only was getting the ‘I want to rip your head off’ vibe from Layla. Of course by the time Lucius looked back her way she was smiling at me sweetly.

  “You’re forgiven, take back your seat Layla.” She lowered her head and did as she was told and I heard Pip snigger.

  I felt a hand cup the back of my neck and Lucius’ lips found my ear.

  “What would you like to drink pet?” I noticed anytime Lucius touched me Layla’s eyes would bore into us both and I wondered where her hatred grew from? I put down her attack on me to be from jealously at being with Draven, so what was she seeing now? Was I reminding her of when I was with Draven, when I was sat here like this? I used to remember her working at the Afterlife before she tried to kill me. I would catch her staring at Draven like some lost puppy looking for her Master to come back and claim her. I never asked but some part of me knew she had been with Draven on a sexual level. She made it so obvious whenever serving him at the top table, doing everything but throw herself at his feet naked begging for him to take her. I don’t think she ever realised anyone was even watching her, so when she attacked me I knew the reasons.

  I felt the han
d at my neck tighten slightly to bring me back from my thoughts.

  “Wine, please.” I said and was soon passed a black glass goblet with little Clockwork pieces that made up the base and stem. I was glad it wasn’t red wine when I tasted it as I had always found it too heavy a drink. Lucius laughed when he saw me gulping back.

  “Needed that did you?” He said with his usual teasing.

  “It might have something to do with the company,” I said dryly.

  “And I understand you’re not speaking about the Vampire at your back are you?” He whispered so only I could hear. It wasn’t hard to figure that out the way every time she spoke I would cringe. I just shrugged my shoulders not wanting to play with my life any more than I already was. I could see her eyes always on us and here in the arms of Lucius I felt absurdly safe but when I was back in my room, alone in the night knowing Layla lay in waiting to finish the job, then I felt far from safe.

  “Come, I know of a way to make you relax, come and dance with me.” He said taking my drink after removing his glasses to put in his top pocket and then standing behind me. He pulled me up with him and I twisted in his arms to face him.

  “You don’t know me very well if you think dancing will help me relax.” I whispered in desperate tones. Swaying to music in the middle of a busy club was one thing but actually dancing real steps with a partner was quite another.

  One side of his perfect lips curled up and he took my hand in his.

  “I can imagine you to be a graceful swan on the floor if only you had the right leader.” I frowned at the double meaning and had no choice than to let him ‘lead’ me to the dance floor.

  “Danse Macabre!” Lucius shouted and the crowd lowered to the floor in a gracious bow to their Master. My already flushed cheeks burned scarlet at being the focus of so many people and now I was expected to dance in front of them! Oh No…this was bad, very, very bad!

  I looked to the stage and saw the main singer holding his elaborate pipe smoking as he stepped up to the mic that was crawling in tiny motorised insects and he casually flicked one from the top which smashed onto the floor in a scatter of tiny cogs, nuts and bolts. He was wearing a pair of black and dark red striped leather trousers with a long tailed waistcoat in cherry red to match. His under shirt was beige and one arm was completely mechanical. It made him look like half robot and every time he moved it steam would whistle from a tube connected to a few pipes.

  The other band members consisted of a pretty blonde playing a huge metal piano, a man dressed all in military gear, with exaggerated shiny guns hanging from his hip playing the base. There was also a man that reminded me of Captain Jack Sparrow with long black hair, beard to match and an exposed tattooed sleeve on lead guitar. The other man was holding a cog encrusted violin at the ready, whose face was completely covered in a gold metal mask that looked to help him breathe in clean air only the goggles for his eyes glowed a burning orange. The last member of the band was a stunning girl with plum coloured locks of barrel curls that were secured up under a plume of feathers and she was dressed as a saloon working girl with a leather pirate twist. She walked to the lead singer and took his pipe from him before handing him his red accordion with metal ends that matched his robotic arm.

  As the violin started Lucius grabbed one hand and placed another low to my back.

  “Place your other hand to my arm, Keira girl.” I did as I was told and Lucius smirked down at me when he saw me gulp at the feel of solid bicep beneath my hand.

  “Just let me lead you and I promise not to do so astray.” He winked at me and then the music started from the plucking Violin intro and then after the dark sound being orchestrated it started and unfortunately with that, so did the dance. He nodded his head low to me and began to move me in step with the music.

  With his arms securing the way my body moved it was hard to do anything but move in the direction he wanted me. Even my feet seem to glide effortlessly across the floor in perfect sync with his steps. His grip was strong and assuring as we spun around and when he let go of my back I found myself spinning out to the crowd with my hand still in his and before I could utter a protest I was being reeled back into his arms. It felt both terrifying and exhilarating at the same time. It made me feel like I could actually dance and even though I knew deep down it was all thanks to Lucius, I still couldn’t help feeling the thrill from it.

  We came to a slower part and suddenly Lucius’ hand travelled lower to an indecent area and pulled me forcefully into his body. My breath hitched as his head lowered to mine and I now realised we had stopped moving and were no longer the only ones on the dance floor. We were surrounded with couples all doing the same steps like birds in formation, all knowing each other’s moves and spins.

  There was only us two that had stopped in the centre of a wall of flesh and Lucius’ eyes looked at me with such a fever, the colour in them turned from steel grey to hot amber burning like the sun. I knew if I continued to look I would get burned but I couldn’t help being captured in such a gaze. I had to look. I had to see the man inside like no other had done. And he let me. He opened up and I gazed into a man’s soul that had been scorned by faith.

  “You should not look at me like that, Keira.” His face changed and his eyes became eclipsed by the moon, but the fire could be seen around the edges. His soul wasn’t left in the dark yet.

  “Like what?”

  “Like you would look upon a man.” He said when his hand came up to touch my face. The leather was soft against my lips and I couldn’t stop my reaction to his touch. My tongue crept out and wet my lips causing Lucius to groan.

  “Do that again and it will be the end of my control!” He said tightening his hold on me as if anchoring me to his body would stop me from disappearing. I lowered my eyes to his chest for a moment to take control of my stuttering heart.

  “Do you like this music?” He asked as he started moving us both to an easy sway.

  “It is different,” I answered honestly, considering it was the first time I had heard a rock version of a classical piece.

  “It is called ‘Dansa de la Mort’ in Catalan or as it is more well known as ‘Danse Macabre’ in French meaning ‘Dance of Death’. Of course there have been many variations of this piece but I believe this to be my preferred choice. Steampunk is quite unique and this band is one of Pip’s favourites.” I could be wrong but it sounded a bit like Lucius was trying to make conversation and in doing so getting his lust under control, I decided it best to help him.

  “Dance of Death, that sounds happy.” I said sarcastically making him laugh and at once the tension left his tall frame.

  “But this is you we’re talking about so I doubt I would have seen you doing the rumba.” Again he laughed and backed away a little to allow more space between us.

  “I can do the rumba if you like but I must be honest, I fear for my feet.” I raised my eyes to him in silent reprimand and he laughed again. It was so easy being with Lucius like this, it almost felt like spending time with a friend but then his hand would take a possessive hold of me and plunge me back into remembering my place in this picture. Also the shiver that wracked my skin whenever our skin connected was a sobering reminder of what my body thought about his touch and there wasn’t anything friendly about it.

  “So this Dance of Death, is that what it means?” I asked trying to get my tempting dance partner back where he belonged, in the far corners of my mind.

  “With you as a partner then it’s quite possible.” He joked and I pulled back from him and tried to storm off but he just pulled me back to him laughing.

  “I jest sweetheart, you’re doing fine.” He said in my ear after brushing some loose hair from the side of my neck and back to the side the bun was tied by the ribbon.

  “It means, to put us at death we will be at the same level. The ‘Danse Macabre’ considers death summoning representatives from all walks of life, to dance their way to the grave, to embrace death no matter their title being eithe
r Pope, Emperor, King, Child, or Labourer,” he said taking my hand in his again to continue a much slower version of the dance we had just done.

  “Tell me, you reprimanded Layla earlier because you said she didn’t show Draven respect…I don’t…”

  “Understand? No I don’t suppose you would. I may not follow my King but I will never forget that he still is just that…My King.” I shook my head still not understanding.

  “But you took me, you went against him and I don’t understand why you would still feel that way?” I couldn’t help my questions but I felt like I needed to know and then get to the root of the biggest question of all…what had happened between these two that had caused a single lifetime of events?

  “Consider this then Keira, I have spent most of my life walking beside Dominic Draven as my King and I don’t suppose I will ever be able to see him as anything under that title but do not mistake my respect, it is merely for a man I used to consider as friend.”

  “And now?” I asked and for a second his jaw hardened and his frown created a fierce scowl.

  “Now he is the man standing in my way to a goal that is my right. You see, my little porcelain doll, your lover and dark King stole something that belonged to me and now…I want it back!” He snapped out at me and I knew he was getting riled up by my questions but I couldn’t stop now, not when I was so close.

  “And you don’t care what you use to get it?” I couldn’t keep the bitterness out of my reply and his hand tightened on my hand to the point of pain before he eased.

  “No I do not. He stole from me and I stole from him. You are a tool Keira, a pawn in this game Dominic and I play, nothing more.” His words cut me like icicle shards and I yanked out of his hold. I almost stumbled but caught my footing enough to straighten up and face him. My face must have said it all because for one shred of a second I thought I saw guilt, but then it was hidden under a mask of indifference.