Afterlife (Afterlife Saga)

  I took the clip out of my hair, letting it fall down in a mass of waves. It was still slightly damp and smelt of forest fruits thanks to Libby's expensive shampoo. I rubbed my head where it ached from being slept on. I looked down remembering I was still only wearing blood stained trousers and my now ripped vest. Thankfully I still had my gloves on but I still looked a bit too exposed.

  I looked down at the bandaged area expecting to find blood but there wasn't any and neither was there on my bandaged hand. Come to think of it, what had Draven actually done to it? I only remembered him placing his hand across it but there had been no cleaning of the wound, no anaesthetic and certainly no stitches. So how had he sealed the wound? And then I remembered something...What Draven had looked like when I had removed my blindfold. Draven had told me that I would see things, but I had never expected anything like that. It was strange to have seen Draven as anything but his usual perfection, so I had to keep telling myself it had to have been the drugs.

  It was still and silent in the room with only the flicker of the candlelight. Someone had removed my shoes before putting me in bed and only my socks remained. My heart started to beat faster at the thought that it might have been Draven to once again carry me to a bed. My feet were soundless as I moved over the stone floor making my way to the glass doors. There was no handle and when my hand went out to push them, as soon as my fingertips touched the glass they disappeared into the stone wall just like the ones in the VIP. I hesitated and they slowly crept their way back concealing the entrance once again. Now I knew what to expect, I touched the glass again and walked through on to another huge balcony.

  The balcony was also very similar to the one outside the VIP, only on a grander scale. It held the same marble pillars but the difference was it didn't hold a marble wall in between, instead it held wrought iron railings that were covered in a black and gold design. This was of a gold thorn vine that was intertwined through the railings, as though they had been attacked. These held huge black roses and deadly black claws like thorns.

  There were also two large trees up both sides of the doors in massive Japanese pots. My eyes followed around the railing and I noticed a staircase to one side. It looked as though it went up to the roof as it spiralled round a stone turret. This place was definitely more like a castle or a monastery than a house. I walked a few steps closer to the edge and the full moon lit up the surrounding view of the forest. But as I stepped even closer I noticed that we were higher up than I had first thought and the closer I got the more I realised that we were on a cliff face. The valley opened up like a crater below, as though the land had been struck by God himself. As soon as I realised the immense drop below I stepped back, as I wasn't the best when it came to heights.

  I heard a noise behind me and automatically hid behind the one of the trees. The noise came from the room and I was about to step out but I stopped when I heard a voice I didn't recognised. I could barely see as I peeked around through the foliage, but I could hear a man's voice and it wasn't Draven's.

  “Where's the girl?” The man's voice said.

  “She was here a moment ago, I can still feel her, she couldn't have gone far.” Sophia's voice said but it was different to how she normally sounded. Her voice was strained as though angry or upset. I couldn't help but peek my head around to take a look but as soon as I did, I wished more than anything that I hadn't. What I saw was terrifying!

  Sophia's face had changed into a monstrous sight. Her skin was cracked as though made from hard desert sand under the hot blazing sun. It was grey and lifeless as though she was a living corpse. Her eyes were all milky white, like they had been burnt and she was now blind, but there was a black substance oozing from cracks in her eyelids. Her mouth looked like a pair of knives had slit it on either side, making it wider and more of the black liquid was holding it together. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. My body was shaking and I held my hands over my mouth locking the scream tightly inside my body. My eyes filled with tears as the fear overtook my mind.

  I pulled my head back out of sight, hiding from this horror. How could something so beautiful have turned into something that nightmares were made from? I tried to stay quiet as I could still hear them in the room.

  “My brother must be informed....GO!” She said and I heard the two separate doors close. I waited for any more sounds but the room was now empty. I peeked around again to confirm this and my breath calmed slightly when it was clear. I was still clutching onto the tree like it was a lifeline. This could not be happening. It just couldn't! Not Sophia, I just couldn't grasp onto reality. Maybe it was still the drugs in my system, as Draven had said it would have strange side effects. But I knew deep down the truth, I had after all seen this type of thing most of my life and what I had seen in Sophia was purely demonic!

  I was just trying to compose myself when another fear threw me. I was missing in their eyes and they were trying to find me. The last thing Sophia had commanded in true Draven style…“My brother must be informed,” Which meant something more terrifying than the sight I had just seen.

  Draven would soon find me and what if the last thing I had seen in him hadn't been down to the drugs?

  Still behind the tree my mind raced to how I would escape. This must be a massive misunderstanding. Surely I wasn't a prisoner? This whole thing had just been a huge mistake. Once again a dreamlike experience with Draven had turned drastically into my own personal terror. I was about to go back in the room when something very dangerous caught my eye. The Bird was back and flying past, gliding in the moon lit air as though it owned the night. And it too had changed just like Sophia had.

  The birds feathers had turned to solid black rock and the ends of them looked like daggers. Its body was producing a flaming red energy that was moving like lava throughout its veins. I ducked as it flew over my head missing me by inches and I couldn't stop the scream that erupted. I watched as it swooped down landing on a smaller lower balcony and it made its usual ear-shattering screech into the night. I couldn't take my eyes off the bird as if it was drawing me in, which meant I saw what it wanted me to see. The cry was intended to alert its Master who had now come into clear view.

  Draven came out onto the balcony and approached the bird as though it was a pet of his. I hid yet again and I watched as Draven extended his hand out to the bird and stroked its hard body. But the bird no longer held my gaze, as it wasn't the only one that had changed.

  Draven looked as though possessed by something crawling around his body under the skin, making him glow a powerful deep purple colour. It was as if his veins were pumping it around every organ and therefore taking over. But even this wasn't the most striking difference. No the real change was what followed behind, following with his every move as though very much a part of him. He had wings...

  I looked on, slowly getting closer as I tried to see more of what I couldn't explain. I could taste the same acid in my mouth as I always did when witnessing the impossible things that I saw and this was like no other. The tears rolled down my cheeks, as I didn't want to believe my eyes...my cruel, cruel eyes. Why was this happening to me? What had I done to deserve repeatedly getting my dreams shattered in the most horrific ways? This wasn't a truth! This was me...it had to be all me...I had to be the one making this happen...it had to be my craziness showing me all this...

  Then Draven and his pet were no longer alone, as someone I couldn't see clearly appeared but was mostly hidden by the door. I then knew in turn that my time of hiding was soon to be up as they must have told him about my disappearance. The person left as Draven's hand went up in what looked like fury. The bird was about to give me up as Draven's eyes followed the direction the bird's head had moved to. They were now looking directly at me and my first impulse kicked in, as my mind shouted one command...

  Run!

  I turned and my legs found the staircase that led to the roof. I hadn't realised that the heavens had opened and it was now pouring down with rain making the stone f
loor slippery and I struggled to keep upright. My body was wet through and my cold skin was fighting the urge to shiver. I didn't know what was happening behind me but my shaking body wasn't about to stop to look. The steps seemed to go on forever as they went round the wet stone wall that wasn't adding much support. My hands slipped from it again and again but I kept going. My hair hung wet and limp around my waist clinging on to my skin like it was also afraid. I finally made it to the top as it opened out in front of me. The large flat roof was surrounded by an impenetrable stone wall that looked as though it had trapped me in.

  The moon was providing the only light but the clouds that had filled the skies had dampened its power and my eyes tried to focus on any means of escape. They eventually, after what seemed like an eternity, found a door. My stocking feet slapped their way across the wet floor and I ran until the pain in my chest grew tighter. Then I heard it, the sound of giant wings moving in the air.

  I flung my body round to face the man that they were being controlled by. Draven was in the air flying down with such speed that my eyes barely registered the sight. He landed hard, knelt on one knee, with his hands flat to the ground beneath him. The floor shook under me at the power and his head and hands came up to meet my face. I saw the roof had cracked under the pressure of his landing and rippled out like veins. My head moved looking towards the door, then back to him, trying to judge the space between us. I thought that I could make it but he must have thought differently, as he moved his head from side to side telling me NO!

  I looked one more time into those blazing eyes that seeped through the curtain of wet black hair covering part of his face. I swallowed hard, mentally counted to three and turned to run for it but when I did my body found his instead, blocking my way.

  His face was so close, his purple eyes burned into me and the light coming from his skin reflected the water off my own. His dripping hair was as black as the stormy night above and it was now all pushed back behind his ears making his face look even more serious. He looked at me as though he wanted to rattle me to death and my reaction of terror showed.

  I didn't wait for him to move. Instead I ducked under and around surprising myself on my quick reactions. I gave every ounce of energy I had left, directing it to my legs making them run towards the door faster than I had ever moved before. The door came closer and I knew I was going to make it. I had to make it because this was it...I had nothing left in me!

  I grabbed the door handle and prayed that it would open and when it did I let out a premature breath of relief. Draven's hand then came out from behind me slamming the wood back against its frame, making it shake under his extreme strength.

  “No you don't!” He said in controlled anger. I stared at the wood, unable to turn my eyes to him, but his voice again filled the night with another order.

  “Turn around and look at me!”

  I turned with my head down both hiding my tears and terrified face. This wasn't good enough for him as he said again.

  “Keira, look at me.” His voice was softer but it was still clear that this was not a request.

  My head arched up to his face and my back pushed itself against the door as my fear was too much and I needed space between us. I wasn't safe and this was my instinct following through.

  “What... are...you?” I stammered, wishing I could replace my fear with anger. His hand came out towards me and I screamed,

  “DON'T TOUCH ME!” And I ran to one side trying to get past him.

  There was a loud whoosh in the air as one of his wings came rushing forward from his body so fast, blocking my path with a wall of black feathers. I turned to escape the other side and he did the same thing cocooning me in this small space with my back against the door. My heart felt as though it would burst through my rib cage and I panted to try and regain some control.

  “Calm down and please...do NOT try that again!” He said frustrated at my defiance. My face was wet, not only from the rain but mainly from the tears that were now flowing freely.

  “What do you want with me?” I asked bravely

  “What I wanted is for you to have stayed asleep until the effects had worn off,” he said remaining calm. This however had the opposite effect on me.

  “EFFECTS! This isn't from any drugs, this ...what I am seeing... is real!” I shouted as my hands motioned towards his body, which was fully exposed as he wore nothing but trousers. His defined chest and stomach showed the muscles of a body builder, only made more by nature. Whatever Draven was he was clearly different and his body screamed out those differences in abundance. The veins housed the energy that flowed showing purple under his skin, I realised that I had been wrong, he wasn't possessed...this was him. It had been all along!

  “Now what are you?” I demanded still holding on to my bravery as though it was the only thing keeping me alive.

  “It's complicated and you are not ready.”

  “COMPLICATED, it that a joke? You’re telling me it's complicated and here you stand with bloody wings on your back and purple blood running through your veins! And all I get from you is “It's complicated”!!” I was shaking I was so angry and his purple eyes fed from my anger. His wings still held me captive, cutting off all the light from the moon making Draven the only light source in this dark situation.

  “What do you want from me?” He shouted back scaring me but it didn't show as I shouted in return.

  “The TRUTH would be nice!”

  “As I said, you’re not ready.” He said shaking his head making the light move quicker under his skin fuelled by his emotion.

  “Well, you have to give me something because I'm NOT going to put this down to me being crazy...not this time Draven!” I spat out the words like venom.

  “I'm afraid you have left me no choice in this Keira.” He said my name and for the first time it made the reality seem all that more real. It was me that was here, it wasn't the dream part of me. This was real. No this was most definitely real!

  “Why... what are you going to do to me?” I said as my voice clearly spelled the words panic.

  “I would never hurt you, I have told you this, but you have to understand...this you have seen, it is not a good thing.... for either of us and I have to resolve it before it gets any more out of hand and if I don't, trust me.... YOU will get hurt!” His warning was as clear as the water that continued to fall from the sky.

  He leaned in closer to me, placing each hand either side of my head on the door behind me. His face came so close I could feel the warmth from the energy that coursed through him. My body couldn't help but still yearn for him the way it had always done. I wanted him and no matter how scared I was, I needed him and it hurt badly. His lips came to the level of mine as his body was leant in, consuming the space between us. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply as though trying to take in my scent. He let out a groan and his eyes looked into mine with such intensity I couldn't breathe.

  “Keira, you just don't understand what it is you do to me! Pr Rios y le diabolic comp mi testing, Ella sere ma!”(Means “By God and the Devil as my witness, she will be mine!” In Spanish) He said with passion and my mind tried to translate the words but it wouldn't work, it would only allow my senses to react to how he made me feel.

  He looked me up and down as though he wanted to devour me with his touch and my body trembled at the thought of his hands finding my wet skin. So instead of trying to run I did something very stupid. My hands moved up slowly, first to his wide strong shoulders then they moved down his large biceps feeling the raw power move under my hand. I bit my lip ready for him to pull away from my touch but instead his eyes closed and he looked as though he had to concentrate very hard not to react.

  Then my hand dropped at the noise behind us, waking me from this trance I was locked in. It sounded like the bird had found us and his face turned towards the sound, as if seeing it through his own wings.

  “Then it is time.” He said as if answering an unsaid question. I didn't like the sound o
f that so I moved as if to get free but his arms grabbed me quick and circled them around my torso pulling me into him. He took my breath away again and his wings wrapped around us both fully so all I could see was Draven's face. He looked down into my eyes and said,

  “Goodbye my little Keira.” And then before I could protest his lips found mine, kissing me so softly as his mouth opened letting the air that had passed through him now enter me. It whirled around my mind, making me feel dizzy. I tried so hard to focus on bringing myself back but I was falling into an abyss of darkness and it sucked me in until I couldn't feel my body any more.

  It felt as though I had died...

  Again.

  Chapter 28 – Goodbye Draven

  The next time I woke I was in fact back in my own bed feeling more than just confused. I jumped out of bed and ran to the mirror on wobbly legs to examine myself. My clothes were all still intact, there was no ripped vest, no bloody trousers and even weirder I had no bandages. I looked for a scar or mark, anything to indicate what had happened last night but there was nothing. I lifted my hand turning it over and over but it too, was just as clear as it had been the day before.

  I shook my head in disbelief. This was not happening! There was no way that what had happened last night was a dream. Not this time! However there were still things that backed my theory, ok they were small but still they mattered. My black shirt and tie were still missing. My hair was still damp and loose from running around in the rain. And most importantly I could still smell Draven imprinted on my skin. No, this was not dream!