Part 20 (1/2)
”You're lying! I warn you Keira do NOT lie to me!” He was getting more irate with each word from my lips but I had to defend myself.
”Am I?” I snapped back.
”I am going to give you one last chance!” One eyebrow raised and he folded his arms but with his fists clenching as the seconds ticked by I found myself looking over towards Ragnar for some comfort.
”There is no use looking at him for help, if he would have done his job properly then this would have never happened!”He barked out.
”Don't blame him! He had nothing to do with any of this. And I am tired of trying to tell you that I came down here on my own!” At this his eyes flamed deep purple followed by a change into his Demon form. The last time I had seen him like this was in a very different light but to be on the receiving end of his rage made me want to cower to the floor. However my dignity wouldn't allow me to react to such extremes, instead I just backed away until my body was flush against the cold stone. This however, wasn't the only reason for the cold chill that travelled down my spine.
He looked as though he wanted to explode, but then a figure behind him came into view and his twisted face started to calm. He turned his head as the cloaked figure approached but his body still remained facing me, all tensed, ready to pounce.
”Dom, calm yourself. Why would she need to lie?” Vincent's voice had an instant effect bringing his glowing body back down to his normal olive skin colour and this was when I realised that sometimes even without my gift, that if they wanted to, Angels and Demons could make you see their true forms. This I had never known until now and it answered some of my unasked questions. I watched wide eyed as his human form returned and his anger subsided. I found myself mentally thanking Vincent and when I saw him wink at me, when Draven's gaze fell back on me, I knew that he had heard me.
”Then explain to me brother, how did she gain access through the Temple doors?” He didn't take his eyes off me while he addressed Vincent, but Vincent was the one person that wasn't intimidated by his brother's temper. If anything he had lain witness to it more than anyone else.
”I am sure the answers will soon reveal themselves in time, but until then, why frighten the girl you love into telling you something she clearly doesn't know?” His words. .h.i.t their mark and almost instantly his features softened into the Draven I knew. I stood deadly still like a caged bird as I watched another figure emerge and even though cloaked from head to foot, I knew it to be Sophia. She didn't speak but now that we had a bigger audience Draven let out a sigh before barking his next command.
”Ragnar, take Keira back to my chamber, I will be there shortly.” He turned his back to me and this is when I finally found not only my voice but also my own temper.
”NO! I am going home right now and you can't stop me!” I stepped forward at this and I could almost hear everyone hold their breath as I made my millionth mistake of the night. He stopped dead and swooped his head round slowly adding to the dramatic affect.
”Oh can't I?” He said calmly looking me squarely in the face, but I stood firm.
”N...no! I am not one of your desperate prisoners or one of your...your frightened servants that has to obey! I'm... I'm my own person and I want to leave!” Everyone looked stunned and all I could hear was my heart beating as though it was about to explode out of my chest and into Draven's arms.
He closed his eyes for a second, like he was also living his own personal nightmare and for a minute, I thought he was going to let me have my way but then he motioned for Ragnar to come closer.
”Very well, so be it! Ragnar take Miss Williams to my chamber, even against her will if need be! And by no means let her leave...Do you understand?” This wasn't a question but more like a threat.
I was left dumbfounded! I couldn't find the words that I wanted to scream out at him. This was the first time he had ever referred to me using my last name and the coldness of it hit me like a sledgehammer. How dare he! This time he did walk away from me and only when Ragnar came behind me to edge me forward did I react.
”YOU CAN'T DO THIS!” I started to run after him but Ragnar caught me before I even had a chance. I wanted to hit him, to pound my fists against his chest and make my palm come into contact with his arrogant face!
”Oh and Ragnar... do not dare to fail me again!” This was the last thing he ordered before walking back into the Temple.
”No, my Lord.” Ragnar said through gritted teeth and it was the first sign that he was about as happy as I was, with our situation. Ragnar seemed to take no pleasure in forcing me to go the way he wanted me to. I struggled and wriggled which was pointless against Ragnar's iron grasp. He directed me towards a door I hadn't yet been through and it made me wonder how big this honeycomb of endless ancient rooms and corridors really was?
We walked through into another room that looked more like a ma.s.sive cloakroom and this was the first time I had seen one full of actual cloaks! All of which were hanging down like lifeless bodies with their backs to us. They were all in order of colour and I guessed this was down to rank as I saw ones in red, purple and even white but there was none in black and I knew why. Draven was clearly the Master of this little Temple's cult and therefore only black was meant for him.
As soon as the door closed behind us, Ragnar had obviously had quite enough of me making a fuss, so he whipped me round to face him and when I was expecting to see an angry face, I was shocked when I was met with one of hurt and regret.
”Please stop making this more difficult than it has to be. I take no pleasure in forcing you to do something you clearly do not want to do, but considering your regard for others I will ask you to obey...just for once, make this easier for me.” This had been the longest sentence I had heard him speak and it wasn't without its effect. I felt sorry for him. He didn't want to be my bodyguard any more than I wanted him to but we were stuck with each other and through this mutual suffering, it seemed to bring us closer or at least on the same page. So I just nodded my response and turned to walk by his side instead of in front with him gently pus.h.i.+ng me.
”Thank you.” He said quietly and this made my guilt start to show its nagging head.
”Why does he blame you?”
”I was ordered to watch over you and I failed.” He spoke in a regrettable tone and my guilt tugged even more at my heart strings.
”So you were ordered to watch over me even when I am here?” I asked as we walked down past row after row of hanging fabric.
”If you mean at the club, then yes, but down here then no....never, you were never supposed to see this place.” I stopped and when he turned he was faced with a very confused Keira.
”What do you mean?”
”No one of your kind has ever set foot down here before and it is utterly forbidden. Only the higher powers allow access to whom they choose and humans are not worthy...sorry!” He added the sorry when he saw me frown at his lack of compa.s.sion for 'my kind' as he called us.
”So that is why Draven thinks somebody let me in?”
”That is the only explanation and that is why I want you to tell me who? It is the only way to reverse my actions.” Ok, so he made a good case but it didn't change the fact that I still had nothing to tell him. If only I could make him believe me.
”Ok, I am going to tell you what happened and then maybe someone will finally believe me and then I have a chance at convincing Draven.” Ragnar remained quiet as we walked through room after room until we finally came to not only the end of our journey but also the end of my story. At first he didn't say a word, he just looked deep in thought until his bushy eyebrows raised as if he had an idea.
”If that is the case you can prove it.”
”But h...?” Before I could finish he grabbed my hands and examined them. This is when it clicked and I realised what he was looking for...the strange mark that was still left in my skin thanks to the vine covered door...for what I now knew to be the Temple doors. As soon as he found it he dropped my hand as though I was going to infect him, then he staggered back and started muttering something in a different language. He was shaking his head like he was seeing a ghost.
”What!...what is it?” I was getting even more frustrated with his strange behaviour.
”It must all be true...you are the cho...no, never mind... it is not my place but this does change things.”
”Oh goodie, more cryptic clues, that's all I need!” I remarked sarcastically before walking back into Draven's chamber. It wasn't long ago when he was calling it our room but as it seemed, it sure didn't take long before Draven started s.h.i.+fting his weight around!
I walked back in the room and my heart sunk at the sight. It was only a short while ago that I was wis.h.i.+ng to see this room again more than anything else in the world but now it was cold and dead without the warm Draven I loved, to be here to welcome me. Instead I had the temper filled Demon boyfriend to wait for and knowing I was soon to be in the firing line was not a thought that kept me all warm and fuzzy inside!
Ragnar made the lights illuminate the room and I half expected some horror to be there waiting for me. The past few hours had been some of the most traumatic I had ever experienced and I was feeling mentally and physically exhausted. All I wanted to do was curl up into a ball on the bed and wake from this nightmare to find Draven's arms round me, rea.s.suring me it was all a dream. Well, that wasn't necessarily true, I also wanted to grab my stuff and make a break for it but the chances of that happening were like Draven walking through the door full of apologies and a big bunch of flowers....never gonna happen!
Instead of the bed I walked over to one of the lush, velvet, armchairs and sat down like a deflating fairground balloon. Ragnar eyed me cautiously, fearing I would snap if he said or did the wrong thing.
Some things had been bugging me about Ragnar and I knew that I would never get another chance to find out about my Viking protector. So I raised my chin and decided tonight was as good as any to add even more to my night of discovery.
”Is the reason your English is better because of me?” This is something I had noticed lately. The more time I had spent round him the easier his accent and wording seemed to get.
”Yes. My master thought it better to improve my English while I would be spending more time around you. He thought it would be less challenging for you if you could understand me better. So I learned.” He didn't seem as bothered with this request as I was. I couldn't believe the lengths that Draven thought it necessary to go to and for what? Making it easier for me to be protected? For me to be comfortable with it all? I was starting to understand why I was a thorn in Ragnar's side.
”Tell me something, you didn't want to be my bodyguard...right?”
”No I did not.”
”Because you didn't like me...right?” His eyes met mine and for a moment it was like he was looking at someone else before answering me.
”I don't like humans!” Wow... blunt... much!
”Why, you were human once?” I replied without trying to get my back up but it was hard.
”I was, but once I was reborn my view on mankind changed!” He looked uncomfortable with where this conversation was going but if I was to bond with this Demon then I would first have to understand him.
”And what was it that changed that view?” This time it was he that was frowning but still, he continued.
”Because I saw how far man will go in search of power. In my culture we believed that the end of the earth as we knew it, would find its peace in an ultimate battle between G.o.ds and the forces of evil. Where, in which the old G.o.ds would perish and a new peace would come. This we called Gotterdammerung which means the 'twilight of the G.o.ds'.”