The Quarter Moon (Afterlife saga)

  “It’s okay, I know how people can judge you and distrust you, but that will all change…one day you won’t have to hide who you are from everyone.”

  “How can you say that?” She shook her head and then added,

  “No, that would never happen.” I nudged her shoulder and said,

  “Have faith, I know these things, one day there will come a guy hidden in a hooded form. You will be scared at first…I know I was.” I said on a laugh, looking out of the window I was sat next to.

  “He’s pretty big but handsome all the same and man, if you have a thing for tattoos, then you will love this guy. But the main thing is, he will help you when the time comes and he will guide you when you ask him to…the only thing to do now is hold on to who you are, no matter what they…” I nodded to all the rest of the ‘normal’ people on the plane,

  “…all think of you. There is only one you, there will only ever be one you and remember, the only thing that matters is being true to just you.” And this was the point where I pulled the bracelet off my wrist for the first time since my birthday and reattached it to the wrist of a girl that I knew in my very bones was one day going to go through her own journey and when that time came…

  I wanted her to be ready.

  “By the way, I’m Keira.” I said after she examined the bracelet as though she had been waiting for it all her life. I smiled as I witnessed the tingles that I knew travelled up her arm, just like mine had.

  “I’m Leora.” She whispered, still not being able to take her eyes from the stones and I sent up a little prayer to the Goddess,

  ‘Please, take care of this one’.

  The flight hadn’t been long but I was thankful it gave me enough time to meet my own ‘chosen one’. We both chatted away until I heard we would be landing soon and I had needed a pee for a while. I got up and went to the part of the plane that was curtained off, noticing the toilets as I had boarded. Someone was in there, so I waited feeling a strange sense that I knew who was behind the doors.

  I looked back down the aisle to see that Leora looked as if she was trying to tell me something but her counsel worker had woken up and was trying to get her to put on her seatbelt.

  “Miss, the plane will be landing shortly, please take your seat.” I looked to the hostess and said,

  “But I just need the…” And that’s when there was a flush and the sound of the door unlocking. We both turned to see the man exit and I could swear you could hear the hostess swoon.

  “I’m sure you can let her, as I am sure you will be quick, won’t you now miss…” The smoothest French accent flowed from the lips of a gorgeous man that looked as if he’d stepped off the screen for an aftershave ad.

  “Uh…” I struggled and the hostess ran a finger down the hanging clipboard and said,

  “Catherine Williams, 27C.”

  “Yeah, what she said.” I replied dumbly, making him chuckle.

  “Well, as I was saying, I am sure Miss Williams can be quick now, can’t you?” I nodded like a dumb blonde and only when he went to slide past me, did I do the same. The brief contact was enough to tell me there was something strangely alluring about this guy.

  When I had the fastest pee on Keira record I opened up the door to find the hostess waiting, tapping her foot impatiently.

  “You don’t have time to get to your seat, so please sit in one of the empties.” I looked around and saw my mystery guy was sat waiting for me with his arm extended at the back of the unoccupied seat next to him. He patted the top and said,

  “I would be honoured, Catherine.” The way he said my name was like a promise for things to come.

  “Eh…yeah, sure, why not?” I said taking the seat.

  “Please, allow me.” He said taking me by surprise when he started to buckle my seatbelt for me. I lifted my hands out of the way and he looked up from bending over me slightly to give me a smirk and a wink.

  “I’m Alex…” He extended his hand after straightening and as soon as I placed my hand in his he continued,

  “Alexander Cain.”

  Just then a shudder laced through my body as though someone was trying to tell me something and that something was simple…

  This guy wasn’t all he seemed.

  To Be Continued…

  THE

  PENTAGRAM

  CHILD

  COMING SOON 2014

  Read on for an excerpt from

  The Pentagram Child

  “It was over ten months ago, Keira…get a grip!” I said to myself in the mirror, after first looking round to check no-one else was in any of the cubicles. I washed my hands again in the lavish sinks that one would never expect to see in a Gothic nightclub, but then again this wasn’t just any Gothic nightclub…

  This was Afterlife.

  It was the first time I had come here since it reopened back in October last year and now we were in June. It felt as if so much had happened since then and yet nothing at all. Well, nothing at all compared to how my life usually went. For starters, there were no kidnappings, no attacks, no battles of any kind, not unless you called trying to change Ella’s nappy a battle…that kid just hated being still for more than a second!

  I could even say that not one single person had tried to drug me yet and I was starting to feel…well, I guess a little bored with normality. Even my boyfriend, who I should probably mention was at least slightly supernatural, was as normal as they came. Sure, he was gorgeous and amazingly talented when it came to design, but he was an architect for God’s sake…I mean how normal could I get after dating Mr D. (I had forbidden myself from saying the D word not long after I arrived home). I mean, he might as well have been a dentist or an accountant!

  But he was a good guy and after the emotional rollercoaster I had been on, then I needed a good ‘normal’ guy. And Alex Cain was more than a good guy, he was a friggin’ saint! But don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I met him on that flight and ‘bam’ we started dating…not even close. It was actually at college that I bumped into him again, as he was giving a lecture for the architectural department and when I say bumped, I mean in true Keira fashion, I fell into him.

  You know how it is. It was after a depressing Christmas and New Year where I was about as happy as a two week old turkey sandwich! I tried not to let it be known, putting on a smile for my family’s sake, but there were certain things I couldn’t do, no matter how traditional they were in the William’s household. For one thing, everyone got their gifts from me in gift bags instead of wrapping paper because it was too painful a memory of when Draven and I were in my old room wrapping gifts together.

  Oh and I stupidly crammed in Christmas pud, just because last year we declined it after dinner to go back upstairs…poor Frank had to go out in the snow and get me a packet of Rennies from the only place he could find open.

  So, by the time I went back to college I was in desperate need to focus on anything that had nothing to do with a certain someone. I can’t say it didn’t still hurt, oh Hell no, it hurt every damn day! But as the days went on, as the time passed, it just hurt a little less. That was ok of course, until my friends had finally ground me down into coming to Afterlife to see them…I am not talking about Jack and RJ.

  Because the main difference this time was that ‘he who shall not be named’ had kept to his word. I spoke to Sophia and Pip almost every day, but I always refused any information on him. I’d even met up with them both a few times since, along with seeing Lucius when he was near Portland, which granted was once and that was because I quote ‘Squeak nagged me’.

  I had even seen Vincent on occasion and once we went for a ride on his bike to nowhere in particular, just somewhere and anywhere we could be alone. There was never anything in it, but spending time with someone I loved like a brother and always would, meant the world to me. He had tried to tell me about his brother a few times but after I made it more than a little clear (I was loud), he gave up.

  I had even had a postcard from
Sigurd, which was funny as it had on it a man’s naked behind with a tattoo on one cheek that was stamped ‘Pain in the ass women belong here’. I had tears in my eyes that day and laughed until it hurt. But I had to say the biggest shocker of all was when one day Jared showed up at my door. Frank nearly had a heart attack at seeing a biker on his doorstep asking for me.

  He told me he was just passing through and wanted to know if I fancied getting a drink with him. It took me three days to convince Frank and Libby that I wasn’t going off the deep end and becoming a biker chick or a Hell’s Angel’s old lady! (Which had me again in stitches laughing when Libby had said that’s what they call them).

  I think that was why they seemed so relieved when I finally introduced them to Alex. Libby had to fan herself in the kitchen when she heard his French accent. I just laughed and shook my head knowing my family was nuts, but I loved them.

  Alex was originally born in America, but he was brought up mostly in Bordeaux, in the South of France, to then study in Paris. Both his parents were dead, but that was about as much as I had been able to get from him, as it was clearly a touchy subject, which was fair enough considering I had quite a few of those myself.

  He travelled quite a bit, which was also alright with me as I wasn’t ready to jump into a demanding relationship just yet. But the strangest thing about our relationship, which had been over six months now, was that we had not once had sex. We had done some stuff together but the actual act was not on the cards yet and I found myself conflicted, wondering if I ever would be able to. I was just happy this wasn’t just down to me as he was deeply religious and didn’t believe in sex before marriage.

  I couldn’t believe my luck. I had found the one guy out there who was old-fashioned enough to think this way and I couldn’t have been happier for it. After that night with you know who, I couldn’t seem to be able to get past it enough to even try, but thankfully with Alex I didn’t even have to.

  Which brings us back to now and why I have been in the loo for the last ten minutes having a series of mini panic attacks. Sophia had convinced me to come to Afterlife tonight as she and Vincent were coming back for a few weeks. My first question had been answered even before I asked it.

  “Don’t worry Keira, Dominic won’t be there.” The relief was obvious in the whoosh of air that came from my side of the phone. Sophia just laughed at me and then talked my ear off for an hour and half until I caved in. So now, for the first time in over a year, I was back and weeing my not so big girl knickers!

  “Yo Bit’ch, your yummy French pie told me to come in here and get you…oh and he told me to say ‘Surprise’!” RJ said coming to jump up on the sinks to face me.

  “He’s here?! He said he couldn’t come.” I said letting a new panic set in. I had told him my plans and silently thanked my lucky stars when he said he would still be in Portland, where the main offices for the company he worked for were stationed.

  I had told Vincent and Sophia about Alex and even though they didn’t pass judgement, you could see they weren’t about to do cartwheels over the fact any time soon. But I guess who could really blame them? I had dated their brother and was supposedly destined for him by the very Gods, who had buggered things up for us in the first place!

  “I think that’s where the whole ‘Surprise’ thing came in.” RJ said smirking.

  “Oh God!” I said running the tap again to wash my hands which I had done about six times now. I mean, Afterlife offered nice soap in the ladies, but it wasn’t that nice!

  “Oh come on, it isn’t that bad and besides, you were the one who said Draverlicous wouldn’t be here…right?”

  “I wish you would stop calling him that.” I grumbled, bracing my ‘very’ clean hands on the sink and focusing on the ring of bubbles I had created by the plug hole.

  “Hey Kaz, you know he is fair game now, not that that would ever help any of us commoners or the fact that the guy has done a Houdini as he never comes here anymore, is despite the fact.”

  “Yeah well, you’re all welcome to him!” I commented bitterly, something I obviously didn’t mean but it was just easier acting this way. No one seemed to ask questions when I played the bitchy sour Ex.

  “So, you coming or what, ‘cause I got to say, you hide out any longer in here and Cassie bitch features is gonna get her claws in your man, and this year’s fashion choice is seedy strip club.” I laughed at the thought of Alex dealing with that. Hell, one conversation with my boyfriend and this summer’s fashion would soon be Sunday school or slutty nun…but if I was to bet on just one I would go with the first for sure!

  “Fine, let’s get this over with.” RJ slapped me on the shoulder and said,

  “Now that’s the spirit…wow when did my optimistic friend get so much fun?” RJ asked sarcastically, making me check my fingernails only by keeping the middle finger extended her way. She just laughed and grabbed my hand to pull me from my hiding place.

  “Come on blondie, time for the VIP treatment once again.” At this I groaned making her laugh, when really all I wanted to do was run screaming from the doors, in a comical, girly dramatic fashion like you see in the movies. After all, I remembered all too well what happened the first time I got suckered up into Afterlife’s VIP. I had not come out of it the same person that was for sure, which just begged the question, what would happen to me this time?

  “There you are, Catherine.” Oh yeah, and ever since he got introduced to me via a snooty hostess as Catherine, that’s what he continued to call me. Or sometimes even Cathy for short. It didn’t bother me, if anything it felt nice being called something different that didn’t just end up reminding me of a certain someone whenever we were kissing or just spending time together.

  I think the biggest appeal to Alex was that nothing he ever did reminded me of him. There was not one ounce that could even tie the two men together and other than first meeting him on my way back home last year, there was nothing that tied him to my memories. Of course, it helped he was hot, handsome and as smart as they came.

  He wasn’t especially tall but with me being only 5’ 3”, he was going to be taller at 5’ 10”. He had a slim build, which was refreshing, given the bulk I was used to being around and when he hugged me it didn’t feel like he could ever forget himself and crush me to death!

  He was fit, but had more of a swimmer’s body. All lean muscles that tapered down into a slim waist, hidden behind his usual perfect clothes. Alex was a man that prided himself on looking smart and professional at all times, whether it was his styled back dark hair that sometimes looked slick with the aid of products or his smooth moisturized face that smelt of one clean male.

  He had a set of piercing grey blue eyes, but a lighter shade to mine. His features were pointed, with a sharp nose and chin to match which gave him an air of authority, but one very different to the owners of Afterlife. And when he smiled it creased his cheeks which gave him a dangerous edge that I was yet to find.

  Which is what he did now, as I went into his open arms for a hug.

  “Hey, I thought you said you couldn’t make it.” I tried to sound light-hearted but it was hard when my heart was pounding at the thought of introducing my new boyfriend to my ‘other’ family.

  “The meeting finished earlier than I thought it would…it’s not a problem is it? I thought you would want me here for support.”

  “Of course it is…I mean isn’t…umm…let me start again…” I mumbled making RJ roll her eyes at me behind him, when he laughed. I don’t know why but I always got the impression from RJ and Jack that they didn’t like him as much as they had…erm, you know who.

  Although they never said so in as many words, but I guessed it was because there were just so many differences between them. I mean, take now for example…we were in a Goth club and Alex was wearing a suit without the tie. Okay, he had probably just come straight from the office but still, he stuck out like a sore thumb…which made me wonder what he saw in me sometimes.

  L
ike now, I was wearing a pair of grey skinny jeans that I could only wear under something that covered my bum or they would be classed as indecent, given the extra pounds my chocolate habit had managed to put on. I matched this with a tight long sleeved dress in cherry red that was just like an overly long t-shirt with a bit of flare round the bottom, which kicked out like a skirt. My sister had bought it for me because it had a black lace back in the shape of a massive skull that showed off most of my skin underneath. We both agreed it would be perfect for Afterlife should I ever have the guts to go there again…which brought me to my outfit choice.

  “You look different honey, what is it?” He asked, holding me back at arm’s length to take me in.

  “I dunno, maybe ‘cause I left my hair down.” I prompted as this was something I still rarely did, but even more so after that night.

  “That’s it, so this is a special occasion then?” He asked giving me that look. Alex didn’t think it healthy that I was still in such tight contact with my Ex’s family, but other than a few snide comments, ones I ignored, it hadn’t caused too many problems…until now.

  “They’re my friends Alex, I want to look nice for them.” I said keeping my voice low. I saw that little tensing of his jaw that told me he wanted to say more, but then just like that he was back to smiling and kissing me on the forehead,

  “Of course you do and you look lovely.” I smiled back up at him before taking his hand.

  “Well, we might as well get going.” I said knowing that I couldn’t prolong it any longer. So, with my hand in his, we snaked our way through the crowd until coming to the left side of the double staircase. The guard at the end nodded to me, no doubt remembering me and moved aside to let us up. If I thought my heart was pounding in the bathroom, then now it was jack-hammering itself against my chest cavity, trying to break free. Maybe it was scared about what going up these steps again would do to the remainder of it, as the last time didn’t go so well.