“You two really need to learn some boundaries.” I advised or threatened…whichever way to a Demon and an Imp it came across….my gut instincts told me they ignored both.
Thankfully, I had been left to shave and wash myself alone, after getting them both to leave or I threatened to sit there and prune all day, I got up feeling refreshed. I think I had almost fallen asleep at one point but I put it down to the jasmine scent in the water and the soft luscious bubbles that were surrounding my body. I was just thankful that my period was a short one as I had come off yesterday so I was hoping, given Draven’s earlier comment, that tonight was finally ‘the night’. When I got out of the bath I found my suspicions to be confirmed.
“That isn’t the set from Ann Summers!” I said staring down at Sophia’s bed where a stunning underwear set lay in waiting for my body to fill it.
“Do you like it?” Pip asked all excited while Sophia just grinned. I think they could tell from my face that I liked it alright.
“I still got you the one from Ann Summers, but for tonight my dear, I had my orders.” My head snapped up to Sophia.
“What do you mean?”
“Dom just said one word and your choice was anything but.” I rolled my eyes and said,
“Say the word Pip.” I said turning to the excitable bouncing bubble of colour that couldn’t keep still.
“Virginal!” They both laughed when I fell onto the bed dramatically and groaned.
At the end of a very long day of being primped and pampered I was now scrubbed, buffed, moisturised, smoothed, shined and brushed ready for the dress I hadn’t been allowed to see and had make up applied that I wasn’t allowed to touch. Everything had been a flurry of excitement for my two friends and I hated to admit it, but it had been nice to be so fussed over. Talk about personality re-wire or what!
They even helped me first get into my underwear and then a very heavy dress. I felt like Cinderella with two very unlikely fairy Godmothers buzzing around me, moving me this way and that after the tugging started at my back.
The underwear that had been picked by Sophia was a stunning corset with a sweetheart neck line in ivory satin. It had metal hook and eye clasps up the front and a ribbon tied at the back that was, at this moment, being tugging into an hour glass shape. The front was very low and barely covered my breasts but at least it kept them pulled in tight thanks to the strong boning, causing quite an eyeful of cleavage. I was surprised with Sophia, as it was quite a plain material but the skirt part it had attached was a gorgeously graceful, see-through soft organza in the same colour. It moved like liquid the full length of me and it made you want to do the whole girly spinning around thing, but with my designer captors behind me I had to remain still.
“Is that it?” I said when Sophia had all but broke my ribs but she just clapped her hands and said,
“Now it’s time for the fun part.” Before I had chance to ask her what she meant with a cautious voice, she had Pip coming at us with arms full of thick ivory ribbons.
“Now it’s time to wrap a gift fit for a King.” Sophia said and before I could voice my objection, her and Pip had both started to wrap my corseted top half in metres of lush ribbon. They worked like I was a human Totem pole and soon I looked like exactly what they were trying to achieve…an ivory gift.
“Now the final seal.” Sophia said coming to my front and tying the two long ends into a bow under my breasts. Then with closed eyes, she ran her hands over my sides and the looser parts that didn’t lie flush with the corset, pulled in suddenly and sealed themselves to the rest of the material. Even the bow at the front glued down so it didn’t add to any extra bulk under the dress I was to be wearing. It now looked like the corset had been made like this and soon the realisation hit me, that without Draven’s help, there was no way I could get out of the thing.
“Is this wise?” I said after Sophia had finished but she just gave me a sly smile as if to say ‘Oh yes’ then I was swiftly put in my dress demanding I close my eyes the whole time.
“Ok, now open!” Pip shouted clapping like an excited seal.
I opened my eyes to the biggest dress I have ever worn and I would have felt my heart pounding if there had have been room but thanks to my corset, it kept it from leaping from my chest.
“Oh God!” I said making the girls giggle.
“I don’t think I can do this.” I said but when the girls saw the panic on my face they quickly came to my aid in the form of champagne and turning me from the mirror and even more champagne.
Don’t get me wrong, the dress was spectacular and exquisite and I felt like a bloody princess in it but knowing Draven would be seeing me in it, along with everyone else I knew, had my cheeks matching the colour of the dress. It was the exact colour of the dress I had seen at the shopping mall on Christmas Eve but oh so very different.
The dress was unlike anything I had ever seen before and looking at Sophia’s beaming face, I just knew it was one of a kind and wasn’t bought from any store. The top part was incredible and consisted of a scattering of black velvet flowers raised on top of skin coloured organza so it just looked like someone had painted them straight onto my skin. They started thicker, with bigger roses near my waist and up over my breasts then they fanned out into smaller ones over my shoulders and down my arms. The neck was cut into a deep V shape that showcased the necklace Draven had given me and the red diamond matched the scarlet coloured skirt.
I spun round and saw the mirror image of the top on the back and my shoulder blades each had a sprinkling of flowers that also grew thicker at the back. Amongst the flowers were also vines and thorns making it look as though my naked torso had been taken over by some demonic velvet plant. The dress continued down into a thick black sash high around the waist in the same material as the skirt, which was a thick shimmering taffeta. It was floor length but one side of the scarlet taffeta was brunched up and secured at my hip height, showing the floaty material underneath that was pure silk.
To this was added simple high heeled shoes in the same colour that couldn’t be seen underneath the long layers of the dress. I didn’t even need gloves as the flowers on the sleeves were placed in such a way that they covered every one of my scars. Sophia had told me the top part of the dress was something called devore velvet and the underskirt was made from the finest silk, then Pip went on to talk about silk worms and if that would be like eating material. Sophia and I both shook our heads and laughed.
My makeup had be done in a very natural way being another Draven request, promptly telling his sister that I didn’t need it. But I still found myself with a sweep of mascara, a natural shade over my eyes but the most startling change was deep red lipstick that made them look permanently wet and glossy. My hair had been curled into a whimsical fairytale style that was all held up with one strong clip. It had a big black silk rose on the side to match the design of the dress and my new big curls over flowed down my back into a V shape that matched the back of the dress.
“And the princess is ready for the ball.” Sophia said and Pip added her,
“Oh hell yeah she is, you go and rock that room, Tootie doll! The King is going to bust a vein when he sees ya!” This made me down the full glass of champagne I had just been poured.
After I was done and was ready, I was finally allowed to sit down and wait for the other two, who both took about five minutes each thanks to a very handy supernatural click of the fingers. Sophia had this gift and although Pip didn’t, she still didn’t take long due to her, ‘I just throw clothes up in the air, and what I catch, I wear’ approach.
Sophia came out of her dressing room wearing a beautiful strapless fitted, white ruffled dress that was long and was an A-line shape with the bodice cut straight across her chest. She then had a thick black satin sash, with a big tied bow hanging down under her bust. Her ringlet curls had been straightened into a sleek twist and held high to her head with a diamond encrusted clip running the full height of her head and tucked into her hair
. She had on a choker, teardrop earrings and thick bracelet to match.
Pip sauntered out next all dressed in black and it looked like someone had made a kinky ball gown out of PVC and feathers! The top was a PVC long sleeved top that looked like she had been dipped in black ink, high up to the neck and under her little breasts was a tight half corset that went lower at the back and curved down over her bum. Then the skirt part flared out in a fish tail design that was all made up of thousands of big black plume feathers that swished when she walked. The back had a long train and the front came up high to the top of her thighs to show off her over the knee boots with spiked white heels.
It was the first time I had seen Pip all in one colour and even her hair had been hidden under a full sized velvet top hat just showing one big green curl at the side. Even her lips were black with bright white liner and white painted eyelashes making it looked like she had been out in the snow that was still coming down around these parts.
“Ok ladies, time to make our entrance.” Sophia announced and then held up her glass for us to do the same. We each stood like a material layered triangle and raised our glasses.
“To best friends!” I said.
“To the best night with best friends!” Sophia said.
“To our best friend losing her virginity!” Pip said and I groaned. We chinked glasses and thanks to Pip’s toast, I downed my fifth glass in one gulp.
When making our way down to the party I had thought that it was going to be in the club part of Afterlife but I soon found out I was wrong when we started towards the Temple. It turned out that the party was thrown here every year and if any of their kind wanted to get married then this was the only date it was done on, to be blessed by the God Janus to ensure a happy future. However, Sophia informed me there was no wedding tonight. They both looked disappointed by this fact. I just gathered it was because they both were suckers for crying at weddings, so I didn’t enquire further.
We came into the Temple from another angle but the door we reached still needed Sophia to open it with her blood. She didn’t even flinch when something in the hole she placed her hand in cut her palm deep but by the time we were through the door, the slice was closing up. She flexed her fingers as she walked us through the maze of rooms and statues of God, Goddesses and pretty much every mythological creature you could wave a stick at.
Finally, at the end of the long pillared walkway that was all carved sandstone, the great doors at the end opened up by two dressed guards on either side. The light flooded all three of us as the gap got bigger and bigger and when my eyes blinked back the brightness, I gasped at the sight. The largest part of the Temple had been transformed into a black and white wonderland of elegance and splendour. The pillars that spanned the domed ballroom were covered in full length entwined black and white silks making it look like sails on a ship.
The room was aglow with lit church candles in black lacquer holders up to your knees and four branched candelabras in the same style sat in little alcoves or on the white clothed tables set around the edges. Giant wine glasses were filled with black beads that looked like sweets and others had clouded white liquid that was being served in long stemmed glasses.
The whole place looked magical and everyone was dressed in glorious ball gowns and tuxedo suits…but wait… I turned round to Sophia after taking in the whole room and stared at her with an open mouth.
“Sophia…why is everything and everyone in black and white?” I asked just as every eye in the room turned our way, creating a wave of movement that was hard to miss. Only they weren’t all looking at Sophia or the naughty looking Imp stood on my other side who was dressed with one thing clearly on the brain…oh no, not even sexy clad Pip could draw the attention from the only person in the room standing out in a sea of black and white. The only girl at the party…
Wearing blood red!
Chapter 55
‘At Last’
“Sophia?!” I said in a stern whisper.
“Ooops!” She said sweetly taking a glass from a waiter and then smirked over the rim at me.
“OOOPS?!” I said a fraction louder.
“At least you will stand out, Toots.” Pip said and I wanted to rattle her and scream in her face but that would have just made my skin match the dress I was wearing.
“I think that’s her problem, Squeak.” Sophia said trying not to laugh. I turned to face her and was about to demand why she set me up like this but she nodded behind me and simply said,
“I am afraid giving me the death ray look won’t detract from the fact that I was under orders.”
“By who?” I said, not caring if people could hear me anymore.
“By me.” A voice said from behind me, that would forever turn my insides to liquid.
“Draven?” I whispered before I turned around and faced a staggering sight...
Dominic Draven was wearing a tuxedo.
“Holy shit!” I blurted out, like the rest of my female family members did at seeing the sexiest damn sight I ever had in my life. He was heart stopping, earth quaking beneath my unsteady legs, drop dead right now with my last breath still stuck, gorgeous! I mean a picture of this man should be in the dictionary next to the world Heavenly.
I started at his high polished dress shoes, following black encased legs up to a matching black tailored suit jacket that hugged his V-shaped frame. His lapels of black satin framed the white shirt and matched his perfectly tied bow tie and I could just see the folded cuffs of his shirt from his long strong arms to the wrist and the glint of his onyx cufflinks. His hair had been styled back from his face and curled just over his suit collar and his face was smooth and freshly shaved.
We were both in some sort of lust induced daze that everyone in the room was witnessing but I didn’t care…for once, I really just didn’t care. His eyes were doing exactly the same thing as mine and when we both made the luscious journey and drank our fill of each other, our eyes finally met. The silence in the room was deafening to our private show but Draven looked completely unaffected by our audience.
“My Goddess mozzafiato!” (Means ‘My stunning Goddess’ In Italian) He said loud enough for every single ear to hear and then held out his hand for me to take. As soon as my hand touched his he gripped on tight, striking like a cobra and pulled me into him, where he dipped me over his arm and kissed me until all logical words fled my brain. Once he had finished with me I was placed upright, tucked close to his side and walked through the parted sea of black and white. Now I knew my skin was the same colour as my dress!
He walked us up to a raised platform with a few steps and behind a long table to the two largest seats in the room. Oh god, it was like we were at court and we were the royals of this picture, which for Draven was just fine and dandy, but me...I was just a little Liverpudlian girl way, way out of my league!
The whole room bowed down on one knee as we approached our seats and Draven let me sit first, like he always did. The rest of his council were spread out along the table and Sophia was next to me as in the VIP. Draven then sat and the rest followed suit. Their King called out a command and everyone in the room returned to their activities from before we entered the room. My face was burning the whole time.
“Your beauty knows no limits Keira, you are stunning and I was right, that colour suits you very well indeed…good enough to eat in fact.” He said turning his whole body to face me and looked at me with open desire that shone a deep and dangerous purple. He then turned to a server and motioned him forward with the flick of two fingers. The action had me curling my toes in my shoes.
“Bring us some strawberries, I am in the mood for something red, delicious and sweet.” The server nodded and walked away, leaving me gaping at Draven.
“I can’t believe you did that!” I said in astonishment.
“Ah, so my beauty speaks, good I was worried for a moment there.” He pulled me close by placing a firm grip at the back of my neck.
“I could have added soft,” he s
aid running a fingertip down my cheek and down my neck,
“Or blushing,” he said running it lower over the rise of my flower encased breasts,
“Or ripe,” he said openly following the curvature of my heaving chest until he travelled further still to my stomach,
“Juicy and oh, my favourite,” he said finally getting to my core which was protected by yards of red,
“Wet. Tell me my Vixen…are you wet for me?” As soon as he said it I sat up straight and grabbed Sophia’s glass to gulp down what she was drinking making Draven laugh heartily next to me, but he refused to move his hand from the top of my thigh, even when he turned to speak to his brother.
“You don’t play fair.” I complained to myself but of course he heard my private thoughts. He looked over his shoulder at me and responded coolly,
“I never said I did, but looking as exquisite as you do, did you really expect anything less?” I scowled at him making him laugh and give my leg an affectionate squeeze before resuming his conversation with his brother.
I looked around the room and saw the largest space in the middle had groups of people all chatting and some I recognised from being earlier regulars from the days I worked in the VIP area. But there was a lot of faces I had never seen before and I couldn’t help wonder if these were all of the people Draven delegated to help run the different areas of the world to help in maintaining ‘Balance and Order’ as Draven puts it.
I then looked down the table and when I saw Lucius sat at the very end I inhaled sharply. I just couldn’t help it. The man even knew how to look roguish in a black suit at a formal gathering. He was talking with Adam who was stood at his side with a happy looking Pip on his arm. I had to smile at the sight of Adam dressed in a white suit, black shirt and tie, with a big feather being teased around his head from a naughty Pip who wouldn’t ever leave him alone. Even when he kept snapping his fangs at her she would just giggle and then attack him again, only then doubling her efforts.