The Two Kings (Afterlife Saga)

by Hudson, Stephanie

  “I would appreciate it if you refrain from cursing when I kiss you or you will start to give me a complex.” He teased me.

  “That will be my sister then.”

  “Then you’d better go before I get too carried away and tie you up.”

  “That’s not a bad idea. Maybe you could answer it and tell her that.” He smiled showing all his teeth and the gesture made his face light up in a way that made my knees weak.

  “Are you not going to answer that?”

  “Na, she will just think I’m driving.”

  “Umm… no she won’t” He said filled with confidence.

  “And why not?”

  “Because I have arranged for a car to take you home…don’t look at me like that Keira, it is simply so that I can pick you up later myself.” I finished rolling my eyes and imagined the look on Hilary’s face when Draven turned up in something little and sporty.

  “Ok but on one condition…” He raised one eyebrow and said,

  “Which would be?”

  “That you turn up in the Aston.”

  Out at the front of the building, a car was waiting for me as Draven had said there would be. Ragnar was there waiting for me by a chauffeur driven car which I had no idea of the make. I had to admit I had missed the sight of my big bodyguard and a relief washed over me knowing I had him with me once again. It looked like he was trying to hide a smile as I grinned at him.

  “So you’re back?” I asked as I stepped through the car door he was holding open for me. I also took notice that printed on the leather seats was Maybach. I had never heard of this car make before but the luxury inside told me not only of its exclusivity and wealth but also how fitting it was for royalty.

  “I wasn’t aware I was missing.” He mocked in his heavy accented voice.

  “Last night?” I prompted but I had to wait for his answer as he was near bending his body in two just to fit in the car. I felt the suspension drop and I was tempted to ask how much he weighed. He frowned at me for a moment but didn’t answer. He looked like he was deep in thought, as though looking for the answer himself. I decided to let it go quickly.

  There were too many questions rolling round in my head to focus on just one idea. The rest of the way was travelled in silence, which didn’t help my nerves at finding my dreaded cousin at my destination. I fiddled nervously with the matching grey gloves Sophia had handed to me and then played with a loose strand of hair that Draven had tucked behind my ear before kissing me one last time, while saying his goodbyes.

  I decided to wear my hair off my neck and it was now securely twisted up and held by a heavy metal clip. I had noted tired eyes in the morning and thought of the bluish tint that had been there but when I had looked in the mirror in the dressing room they had gone. I put it down to the hot shower and blushing around Draven. To tell the truth, my skin had been amazing lately and I was starting to think happiness was the key. What else could it be? It wasn’t only my skin either, it was everything…my hair was softer, my nails were shiny and strong, even my eyelashes looked longer.

  Ragnar cleared his throat and it made me look up to the sight of my house coming into view. I sighed and noticed the curtain move. It must have been Libby watching out for me like a hawk. I let my shoulders slump down and suddenly my legs felt like they were filled with liquid lead flowing freely through my veins. My body was reacting to the task at hand, given it didn’t want to see her as much as my brain did.

  Ragnar noticed the change in my body language and frowned. The car stopped and both the front door and car door opened simultaneously. That’s when I saw Libby’s desperate face first, followed closely by Justin’s exhausted spirit. Hilary really did know how to crush the soul into one of misery!

  Then there she was, all five feet and eight inches of fake smiles and cruel comments. She had changed her appearance but that wasn’t anything to be shocked at, she was always dyeing her hair, finding new fashions styles but all were just as slutty as the next and what she wore now was no exception.

  She was tall and very skinny, painfully so if you asked me. She had straight, platinum hair down past her shoulders that she styled into a flick at the sides. She had evil looking green eyes that reminded me of a snarling cat. She had an oval face with small tight lips that always wore too much lipstick. Her short denim skirt barely covered her thighs but I was surprised that she was even wearing tights with it. The hot pink halter neck top matched with the tiniest cardigan that didn’t scream winter chic that was for sure, but the whole outfit reminded me of something a fifty year old cougar would wear.

  I mustered all my mental strength and got out of the car, which was a mistake but one I had no choice in committing.

  “Kizzy Cat!” She squealed and squawked out the nickname I loathed. I tried to smile but it felt almost so fake that it would fall off. She was running towards me and pushed my sister out of the way making her nearly lose her step. Luckily Frank was close by and helped steady her. It was one of the very few times I had seen hate in Frank’s eyes, so finally one car ride had convinced him round to our way of thinking. Of course, having his pregnant wife nearly knocked to the floor was enough for Frank to scowl at anyone.

  She reached me and gave me an insincere kiss on each cheek like she was continental and I cringed when she combined it with phony kissy noises. She took a step back and took one look at my clothes and then her eyes scanned the car that was behind me.

  “Well, hasn’t somebody found themselves a Sugar Daddy!” She smirked at the insult and I could almost hear her congratulating herself in her head. I just released a lack lustre laugh and looked back at the car. I saw Ragnar getting out and it took me a minute to realise that nobody else could see him. The car started to pull away and we all moved towards the house to give it more room to turn round. As I walked, Hilary eyed me and then turned to face me at the steps.

  “Well you look better than I thought you would and the extra weight is only to be expected…all things considered, well you know after…” She stopped and then made a slitting wrist motion making a “Eekk” noise with it, which I didn’t understand but I was too far gone in my fury I didn’t care. The only noise I wanted to hear from the bitch was the sound of agony and restriction as a result of my hands round her throat!

  She turned and went in the house and left everyone standing in disbelief staring at me like I was a firework about to blow! Ok... ok, I had to get a hold of myself. I had to think logically. If I resorted to murder then that wouldn’t look good for my future and I couldn’t imagine Draven visiting me in prison. Besides what was I thinking? I was forgetting the most important part about my relationship and how it could help me here…

  After all, I was dating a half Demon!

  Chapter 35

  Heartless Hilary

  I finally managed to breathe and calm my actions down to just a growl in my throat. The rest looked at me like they were scared of what I was going to do next. I walked up the steps past Frank and Justin and was about to walk past Libby when she caught my arm and stopped me. She was about to ask if I was ok but I beat her to it.

  “I’m fine,” I said without any emotion in my voice. I hated Hilary with a passion and the idea that she hadn’t changed a bit was not only upsetting but infuriating! I had been living with the spite and bitterness of that girl’s personality for years and one of the bonuses about moving here was that I was finally rid of her. And now here I was, only being here for little over three months and she had already invaded. It was too much to bear.

  I closed my eyes and mounted the remaining steps feeling like all hope was lost. I would have to be one of those people right now, one of those who can ignore nasty folk and their degrading comments, but I wasn’t and I hated to admit that it had taken her all of two minutes to insult me and for that insult to have struck me so deep this early, only added substance to my growing dread.

  I heard Justin asking Libby if our cousin realised that it was winter and she merely replied,
/>
  “Oh yeah, she knows.”

  The house was immaculate and everything smelled of lavender and furniture polish. There, at the club, I had been trying so hard with my appearance and here Libby had been doing the very same thing, only instead of her looks it was the pride of her home that had enforced such an effort to be made. I wondered why we both deemed it necessary to go to such lengths for someone we hated. She was clearly going to find fault whatever we did.

  I took off my jacket and instead of joining my cousin in the lounge, I diverted to the kitchen. I heard the front door shut and knew everyone else had gotten over their shock and was now putting on their fake, happy voices. Libby was the second to escape and she joined me in the kitchen. I had clicked on the kettle but then decided tea just wasn’t going to cut it, so opted for something stronger. I found an opened bottle of wine in the fridge and poured myself a glass…A very, very large glass.

  “You’ve got the right idea… man if I wasn’t pregnant then I would have finished it off by now!” As soon as she said the words I downed it and poured the rest of the bottle into my wine glass that really wasn’t big enough for the job. I had to slurp at the edges so that the wine wouldn’t spill. I didn’t speak for fear of screaming, I just kind of stood there, staring at nothing, waiting for this nightmare to end but every time I heard that screeching voice of hers, I just let out a shudder.

  “I was kinda hoping you would turn up with Dominic, then that would have shut that poisonous little mouth of hers! I can’t believe she had the nerve to say that to you…I have a good mind to tell mum!” I held up my hand and shook my head. It was like school all over again.

  “What’s the point Libs, she’ll never believe it and even if she does, there’s no use in upsetting her. Besides, her sister’s little princess can do no wrong…remember?” Libby understood it all too well as we had both had our fair share of the little hell cat, as Draven had put it. Just then Frank came in and looked both scared and annoyed, I soon understood why. He feared his wife’s unhappiness and hated the reasons behind it.

  “Umm…I don’t know how to say this but….”

  “Just say it Frank!” Libby snapped and then felt sorry for it, so smiled at her husband as way of an apology.

  “Hilary isn’t happy with her room and wants one with a view.”

  “WHAT! Why that ungrateful little bitc…” Frank made a face like “Shut up or she’ll hear you” and Libby never finished her sentence but I wasn’t at a loss to know what the last part would have been.

  “We don’t have any rooms with a view available, the other spare room is full of stuff for the baby and…” Frank looked uncomfortable again and he shifted his weight making the floor boards creak under the strain. For such a big guy he sure did look cute as a button when he did that!

  “What is it Frank?” Libby asked not keeping the strain out of her voice.

  “Well she’s got her eye on another room.” His eyes looked up and we all followed like we could see through the ceiling.

  “She wants Keira’s room,” he said sheepishly.

  “What!... No way, out of the question!” My sister defended my honour well, but I just wanted to give up and pray that I would last the duration.

  “Its fine Libs, she can have it.” I mean of course she wanted my room, she wanted everything I owned, so why not my room.

  “No she can’t!” Libby was putting her foot down and Frank was torn between us two. He looked at me and then back at his wife and then back at me. He looked like somebody watching Wimbledon.

  “Lib’s, really it fine, I won’t be spending the nights here anyway.” At this Libby whipped her head round and scowled,

  “Oh no, you’re not bailing out on me, if I have to endure the cow, then so do you!”

  “Libs chill! I just mean I won’t be sleeping here, you can’t deny me that, I do have a boyfriend and just because she’s here it doesn’t mean I’m going to give up every pleasure in my life!” Libby’s face softened at the remark.

  “I know, I’m sorry, it’s just that I don’t want to be alone with her.”

  “And you won’t, look I still have to go to college and you’ll be working in the day so that rules out the days…right?” She nodded and didn’t look so deflated with the idea.

  “And in the evenings I will take her to the club and she can amuse herself with the poor souls there. So by the end of it, hopefully we will hardly see her.” I don’t know who I was trying to kid, my sister or myself but at least my little speech had worked on someone, because Frank’s face lit up and Libby even smiled.

  “Excuse me, is someone going to tell me where I can unpack my stuff?” A voice came from above and there was nothing holy about it!

  “Go tell her that I need to move some of my stuff first.” I said to Frank and he walked out looking a bit happier than when he had first walked in.

  “What a …”

  “Yeah, I know, but if it makes life easier then it’s worth it” I said in a deflated tone. Just then Justin hurried into the kitchen looking like Steve McQueen out of the ‘The Great Escape’. He closed the door behind him and leant back on it while letting out a relieved sigh. For the first time since being home I wanted to laugh.

  “Wow, that cousin of yours doesn’t believe in playing hard to get. I feel violated! Never leave me alone with her again, I beg of you!” Me and Libs cracked up with laughter and soon Justin was smiling again. Seeing him like this had me wondering what he actually remembered about last night. Draven had told me that he would have no recollection about the night’s events but I needed to be sure. I would have to speak to him before he left.

  “Seriously though, that girl is messed up! And she has major beef with you…what’s that about?” He nodded to me but shock didn’t take shape on my face.

  “It’s a long...oh so long story.” This statement made it clear that I didn’t want to talk about it and nothing more was said.

  “So…Justin, what did you think about Afterlife?” Libby asked trying to change the subject, unfortunately for me, it wasn’t any better than the one we had been on.

  “Yeah it was cool, but man I must have been wasted ‘cause I don’t remember getting home last night. I hope I wasn’t too much to handle?” Justin asked me and when Libby moved towards the sink Justin winked at me. Oh God, does this mean he remembered or was he just flirting with me? For once I hoped it was the second.

  The wine had gone to my head and with the lack of food in my belly it didn’t have anything to soak it up. So that, combined with clearing out my stuff, didn’t put me in the best of moods. Libby had wanted to help but I said that if she wanted to help at all then she would do her best by keeping my cousin at bay!

  I was close to snapping and I almost wished for my old hopeless self to find her way back, because acting numb would have been a breeze. I don’t know what it was about Draven but he brought out the fighter in me. He had found the part of me that had been locked away since the “Incident”. Wow it seemed like an age ago since I had referred to it like that. But the truth remained…He had brought me back to life.

  It didn’t take long to stuff my clothes into a duffle bag that Frank had left out for me, nor did it bother me by sleeping in another room in the house but what did bother me more than anything else, was the idea that she would be sleeping in a bed that me and Draven had shared. I was trying not to think about it but every time I looked towards the bed and window seat I could see me and Draven there, making love and I didn’t want Hilary infecting my memories.

  I had emptied my wardrobe and drawers but the first thing I grabbed was my drawings. The last thing I wanted was Hilary finding my sketches of Demons and Angels! She already thought I was a freak without knowing this side of me.

  I had moved into one of the rooms on the other side of the house where Libby had kept some of her gym equipment. Frank had carried the exercise bike and rowing machine down to the basement so all that remained was a large, inflated blue ball and a set of b
rightly coloured weights that were stacked in one corner.

  I dropped my bags and sat on the bed with a sigh. It almost felt like the first day I had arrived here, that minus all the excitement. Libby tapped on my door and pulled me out of my sombre mood by offering to make me a cup of tea and a sandwich. My stomach rumbled at the thought of food.

  “Oh, and Justin’s heading off if you wanna say goodbye.”

  I needed to talk to him before he left but the task left me with sweaty palms. What was he going to say? I stood up and pulled my sweater dress down loving how soft it felt on my skin. As I walked onto the landing I heard Hilary in my room unpacking while on the phone to one of her few friends.

  “Seriously, you wouldn’t recognise her, she’s gone so fat!” She then giggled like someone on Nitrous oxide and I rolled my eyes, cursing under my breath as I knew she was referring to me. Maybe I had put on weight? No! I’m not starting that again, last time I saw her it was my nose that she had me paranoid about. I just hoped she was using her own phone and own money to slag me off! Of course when I reached the downstairs and saw the handset wasn’t in its cradle, I knew this call was on the expense of Libby and Frank.

  “You know she’s on the phone to a friend up there and I know the girl works fast but I can’t imagine it’s anyone in the US!” Libby looked furious and stormed off upstairs calling her name, which left me and Justin in the kitchen alone.

  “So you’ve decided to escape?” I said light heartedly and he smiled.

  “You’re free to come with me.” He said with a seductive eye and I laughed nervously. I doubted that if he knew my secrets he would commit to such an offer.

  “Me? Nah, I’ve always wanted to try out living in purgatory.” I joked, but given the circumstances it didn’t seem that funny and although Justin laughed, I couldn’t bring myself to follow him. Instead I turned my attention to finishing the sandwich that Libby had started and proceeded to add mayo to one side when I stopped and thought about my cousin’s comments. Damn her! I scraped the mayo off the knife into the jar and screwed the top back on. I could feel Justin’s eyes on me and when I turned back round sandwich in hand he was smiling.