The Two Kings (Afterlife Saga)

by Hudson, Stephanie

  “Did you hear that, DOG! The girl is begging for your life! The very girl you shoved to the ground like nothing but shit beneath your shoe. And here she stands, at the mouth of Hell, begging me to save your pathetic soul when you have done NOTHING to earn such pity! WHAT HAVE YOU TO SAY!” He lost it again and I had to raise my trembling hands to cover my ears that couldn’t take it anymore.

  The man was just gargling and spurting to try and form words but with Draven’s unwavering strength there wasn’t a chance. Just how much could he take? I knew one thing for sure, if he’d been human he would have been dead the second his feet lifted from the ground. It had already looked like Draven had broken his neck in several places. Bone was jutting out at two different angles and every time he tried to speak, it bobbed up and down painfully.

  “SPEAK!” Draven barked out the order as his last thread of patience had snapped...I knew it wouldn’t be long until it would be too late and I would never look at Draven the same way ever again.

  “Draven stop this! He can’t speak for God’s sake!” I yelled at him with floods of tears streaming down my face. At the mention of God everyone gasped and Draven’s eyes flashed round to seek mine once more. They looked like the pits of Hell lived there, like a portal straight to the gates were right past those eyes.

  “I AM GOD’S RULING HERE!” He said first to me and then to the rest of the room that were witnessing this side of their master. I held my head in my hands and let out sobs mixed with words like “Please” and “Let go” making something in my actions enough to get through to my Draven. I heard a thud before me and when I lifted my head, I was now faced with the broken man in a pile at my feet. I couldn’t help but flinch back.

  “BEG!” One command came past his lips that I could not imagine kissing again. Would I ever make it past this point... far past the point of no return? I responded by shaking my head but the words wouldn’t surface through my shaky tears.

  “BEG the ‘Chosen one’ for your life!” Draven’s voice cut through me like I was being split in two. I didn’t think I would ever be pieced back together after this. At the name ‘Chosen one’ everyone took a step back from me like I held some horrible disease. They all sucked in air that wasn’t needed and their eyes all turned Demonic like someone had just flipped a switch...of course that someone was Draven. Most looked terrified of me, one girl even dropped the glass she had been holding. I jumped at the sound of it smashing into tiny pieces on this cold stone floor that I just wanted to swallow me whole. Demonic and Angelic eyes all burned into me, bright and unwavering. I thought about them in the night, in this darkness my mind was swimming in and their eyes were all I could see.

  “No...no, no, no,” I repeated over and over but it was like no one was hearing me, I wondered if I was even saying the words or just screaming them in my head.

  “Pl...please...for..for...forgive mmme.” The man was crawling towards me, hands out stretched as though trying to touch me, to hang on to me like his last shred of hope at survival. I cried for him and stepped back. Then he yelped in pain as Draven placed his foot on his back to stop him moving. I could hear the sickening sound of bones cracking as he applied greater pressure.

  “Don’t touch her!” He warned and instantly the man’s hands retracted to cradle his body.

  “Please STOP THIS!” I shouted at him, wondering if my words could penetrate such a Demonic soul that consumed him.

  “He does not deserve to live after such an insult to his Master. However I will let him breath but be warned, this is through the mercy of MY Chosen One not through my rule and wrath. You owe your life to this human Gastian but you have my word, you will not go unpunished!” I closed my eyes at the sound of his judgement and another overflow of salty tears followed their brothers and sisters.

  The man had now collapsed, a new stream of blood flowing freely from his mouth, that was the only indication he gave that he was still alive...you don’t pump blood when you die, I told myself.

  “Take him away! As I have been his judge, I will be his punishment, it will be by my hands only.” He was addressing the room now and turning around so that every eye was in his view, making many flinch back and I didn’t blame them.

  “Let this be a warning to you all and let it travel to unattended ears. If anyone is to touch this girl, to look at her wrong or even breathe too hard in her direction, they will stand before me and be judged. An injunction with my law, your judge will be your executioner! Heed my words, the girl belongs to ME!” He had his arms straight out at his sides at 90 degree angles, as if he was challenging anyone to step forward and test his authority as their King. This was all I could bear. I felt like a ghost of myself looking in on the craziness of my life and shaking my head at how this had happened. How had I grown to accept this? When did I learn how to live half a life?!

  I let out one last cry and while Draven’s back was to me, as he addressed his people...

  I turned and ran.

  I somehow made my legs work, even though they didn’t want to, I made them. I used every ounce of mental strength I had left and poured it all into moving. Moving as far away from Draven as I could get. I managed to push past the people in my way and thanks to Draven’s new law no one dared to try and stop me. I reached the staircase and launched down it with a speed that shocked me. It was like running in a dream, one moment you don’t think you’re even moving but the next you feel as though flying, bending time to your will.

  As soon as I was sure that my feet were at the bottom I ran for the only exit I was sure wouldn’t stop me. Getting through the empty club was like running on an empty playing field. In my crazed state I could even smell wet, dew covered grass.

  I cornered the bar, taking in briefly its cold dark state now that it wasn’t infested with warm bodies...warm human bodies! That was why I was running, it was such a need to be with my own kind it felt like I would self combust if I didn’t breathe Afterlife free air and speak to another human soul. I felt like I was drowning in there and all I needed was to be free and breathe. Like that man being held by Draven’s hand, had also been squeezing the life out of me. The me out of me.

  I almost jumped over the bar just to make it all happen quicker. The door was in view and the exit sign glowed above me and in my state of mind I was reading it as something different...It said ‘Home’. I pushed on the bar that would release me from this supernatural torment. For the first time since stepping foot in Afterlife, I couldn’t help but cry as I said goodbye. For now I knew that I never wanted to set foot in there ever again. But would I? Would I, if the man I loved came back. The first thought that entered my mind about my Draven made my legs want to cave. I was outside by this time and the fresh snow covered the ground like a comforting blanket had been laid to protect the earth from the harsh elements. Of course, sensibly the snow was classed as one of those harsh elements but right now, I just wanted to fall and let it cover me too.

  So that is what I did. One minute I was running, the next I was falling blissfully to my knees that impacted with soft and fuzzy snow. It sprayed upwards around me and I let out an almighty cry as I had reached my limit. I lowered my head and sobbed uncontrollably until I was gasping for air to fill my lungs. The cold sharp pains of the icy air actually helped soothe the pain in my heart. The dull ache of when my heart beat so feverous only an hour ago for my Draven. Was this it...was this the end of all my happiness? The answer came behind me...

  “No, it isn’t!”

  Draven’s voice broke into the night like some thief that could steal the stars.

  Chapter 55

  Cold Hard Fear.

  “Keira, please get up.” His voice was back to the way I remembered it which seemed an age since I had last heard it. It wasn’t a command, it was him pleading. I started to shake my head. I still couldn’t speak yet, as I knew one word and the dam would crack, opening the floodgates for me to drown in my misery. I had my back to him, hunched over in the snow with my head still cradled in
my arms. My hair was still loose and hanging past my waist, the ends getting wet in the snow and curling up like they hated the cold.

  “Why not? Please, it’s cold, you’ll freeze!” He sounded desperate, hurting and in pain. I looked down at my hands and saw how white they were. My skin was almost translucent, reflecting off the white sheet beneath me. I felt like part of it, like it was sucking me in to become captured. God knows at that point I wanted too. At least freezing was better than feeling!

  “I can’t,” I whispered but I knew he would hear me. Then I felt him, like the sun rising behind me. It almost burned.

  “DON’T TOUCH ME!” I screamed. The sound of a bird or some other animal moving through the surrounding forest made me realise how loud my scream had been. His hands left me like I had stabbed him with my invisible sharp edges.

  “Keira...?” His voice was pleading...begging. That word...that terrible word that now had new meaning for me. It added to a pain that had stayed with me from the very first day that Morgan had taken me. This made me very, very...angry! I got up quicker than I thought possible for my unsteady legs. I spun round to face him and my foot sunk deeper in the snow’s layers.

  “NO! How dare you! How could you, HOW COULD YOU!?” I screamed at him and pushed him so hard I felt pain in my arms. It didn’t matter, would anything hurt this man! He didn’t put up any attempt to stop me, he just stood there and took it with a deep hurt coating his eyes. Thankfully he was back to being Draven or I don’t think even in my rage I would have had the courage to do this to the flaming Demon Draven that had sizzled out for now. It was starting to feel like this was a daily routine. Get up, see friends, argue with Draven and scream at him. Get ready for work, see friends, beat up my cousin, get thrown to the ground by an ignorant Demon and watch as Draven tried to kill him. Then yell at Draven some more. Even by my standards, that was one hell of a day!

  “Fight back! What’s wrong with you! Scream at me, command me, order me to stop oh mighty King! Aren’t you afraid of anything Draven?” I was seething to a point I could only see him through a misted red blur.

  “Are you finished?” He asked calmly which broke me down to a level I didn’t think there was. I pulled my hand back and slapped him on the face so hard it did finally leave its mark. His cheek blazed red which helped me ignore the stinging whip his face left across my palm. His head was still held down to one side and his eyes didn’t look at me. A deep pain scarred them from their beauty and they had never looked more black and cold as they did at this point. His hair had fallen forward and covered his forehead and the side of his face I had slapped. The contrast of his red skin and his jet black hair was startling.

  I was waiting for a reaction but I was left disappointed because he gave me nothing. He straightened his face and looked down at me in waiting for the next round of crazy I had to deliver.

  “Fine, I guess if that does nothing to your frozen heart then let’s see if this will...Good bye Dominic!” I said, with tears streaming down my cheeks. I turned and started to walk the other way not waiting to see if it had affected him the way I wanted it too. I didn’t get far.

  “NO! You will not leave me! You cannot, do you understand?” He was standing in front of me again now and I didn’t even see his body move. It was like he had transported.

  “Watch me!” I snapped back. At this he restrained me. He held the tops of my arms in two solid vices.

  “Stop this!” He shouted. Those were my words! The very words I had begged for that life he cared nothing for. And I had been the one hurt by it!

  “BEG!” I said almost spitting the word at him. At this it seemed to sink in.

  “Come on Draven! What wrong, when it’s on the other foot it isn’t as gratifying is it!”

  “You think ANY of that was gratifying!” He was seriously pissed now and for some reason I felt better for it. Anything was better than having Draven just stand there and take it like he was stone… cold, hard un-breathing stone.

  “Well did you stop once, just once...for one tiny second in that flaming head of yours to think about how it made ME FEEL! DID YOU?” He actually winced as though I’d branded him with a red hot poker.

  “Wait, let me answer that one for you...NO!” I stomped.

  “He hurt you, he threw you to the ground, I saw it and I reacted like anyone in my position would.” He spoke the words like a true King.

  “You really believe that don’t you?” His features set in granite and he folded his arms across his chest before answering.

  “Yes.”

  “Then you really are an idiot! Think back to my face Draven...this face!” I pointed at my face and walked him backwards because I kept pushing forward and he had nowhere else to go.

  “This face, that was covered in tears as it is now. My pleading face that was begging, BEGGING Draven! Begging you to stop, begging you not to let me witness what you were doing, what you wanted to do, what you DID! Do you know when the last I begged Draven? DO YOU? Let me take you back to my hell!”

  “No, please, don’t do this!” He lowered his head like this was the most painful thing he had ever heard but I kept going, there was no stopping me now.

  “One name Draven, MORGAN!” He cried out when I shouted the words and he bent over double and looked like he was trying not to erupt again. I didn’t care...I just didn’t care, so I carried on.

  “I begged him, every DAMN DAY! I begged him to let me go or let me die, just anything so that I could have control back over my life. So that I didn’t belong to him anymore. I had to nearly die to get free and when I made it out of there with my life, I vowed never to beg ever, ever, ever again! Tonight I broke that promise because of you. I was terrified Draven and it wasn’t because of what had happened, it was because of you. I was terrified of you!” This was the straw that broke him. Draven finally got it! And he looked like he wanted to die because of it. He fell to the ground just as I had and covered his face with his hand like he was trying to prevent it from caving in. I stood back and watched in horror at what I had done. Had I gone too far? I know I had wanted to hurt him, but this? I answered my own question.

  I had gone too far.

  “You can’t...I won’t...I won’t let you be frightened of me.”

  “No,” I said in a whisper as I backed away from him further.

  “I...I...can’t, NO, I won’t! I won’t live without you. Please Keira, I didn’t mean to frighten you, I had to do that, I had to show them that you couldn’t be touched. They had to fear it, they had to fear me, the very idea of it. I’m trying to keep you safe and keep you in my world at the same time but it is difficult. There are so many dangers, so many things to fear...but...but me? To think it was me all along that I had to protect you from, the way I am.” I cringed back as I had gotten a taste of justice and hated its bitter acidic after burn. I shook my head and he shouted back.

  “YES! Yes it is and don’t try and deny me your true feelings. I frighten you, who am I to strike fear into the very heart that I am trying desperately to claim? Where is my hope? What is there for me to do, what can be done when you see me this way?.... Hell’s Beast in love with Heaven’s beauty.” He ducked his head again and the pain was rippling from him like it was erupting from his core. Mine felt as though I was the one murdering him. It had cracked under pressure and I knew only one man that could heal me. My God this was tearing me apart! How could I ever have thought so badly of him, been so scared of him. That man that had shown himself, was this man that was in front of me on his knees declaring his love. If I had nothing then this moment, only this moment in my life to last me until eternity, his words, his voice telling me that he loved me would be enough and I needed to hold on to that, I had to.

  “I have to go,” I wanted to say, knowing that I had to put space from this night, I needed this time to get past this. I had to see things without Draven around, to face the facts and clear my head from the visions of the King, the Judge and the Executioner! I cried out again as anothe
r flash of tonight’s nightmare stole my concentration. Draven’s hand choking the life from another being. I mean, I had seen Draven fighting but that was always different, that was in self-defence or from protecting me from death or kidnapping. Those men had truly wanted to hurt me so didn’t that make it ok? See these are the things I needed to clear, to find clarity and make my decisions based on them, not on guilt at seeing Draven’s pain or the intense love he had for me. I had to be smart. I had to leave. So I said the words aloud, the ones I knew would hurt the most.

  “I have to go,” I said letting fresh droplets of myself fall from my eyes and disappear into the snow. He raised himself up in one liquid motion and in two strides he was in front of me, so close that if I was to see his face, I would have to strain my neck back so far that I would be looking straight up to the winter moon.

  “No!” Was all he said and I tried to hold on to my resolve as I stared at his chest expanding as he took a breath.

  “I have to,” I repeated but his breath hitched and held for the longest time.

  “Don’t go!” He poured everything he had into those two little words and more tears gathered and overflowed. His voice was so silky smooth it felt like being placed in a deep, cool lagoon on a blazing hot day. I closed my eyes before the next stage came. I knew it was on its way because I knew what my answer was going to be. And as if he knew also he raised his finger to my lips to stop me from speaking. He hesitated just a second before touching me but when I didn’t take a step back he placed one warm finger on my frozen mouth. I closed my eyes and let another overflow spill down to his hand.

  “Please Keira... don’t leave me.” He whispered and it felt as though my heart had stopped beating, it too, waiting for my answer. I looked away, moving from under his fingers, feeling like I had taken his place as the judge.

  “Draven it’s too late, I have to leave now or I will just end up saying more things I will regret later on and I’m so tired of feeling a guilt that is enough for me to drown in.”