Betrayed: The Chronicles of Luxor Everstone Book Two Page 21

  “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

  The darkness pulled back and she blinked back into full consciousness. “Stay away from me.” She pulled open the door, and before she left she noticed the girls crawling to their friend. “Enjoy the rest of your day.”

  Luxor stopped an attendant who passed her. “Some girls were playing with a lighter in the bathroom, and she might need a medic.”

  “Thank you,” she said, shaking her head. “Stupid people will never learn fire burns.”

  And direct electricity apparently.

  When she returned to the table, Xavier shifted in his chair, and she nodded her head and allowed him to tuck her back into the chair. She breathed in his warmth which encircled her, and she held onto the side of the chair and let out a sigh. All thoughts of deal-takers had taken a back passage and she immersed herself in the moment.

  “Are you okay?”

  “A girl had a seizure, I helped.”

  I should really go, what if the girl points me out?

  “You’re such a great person.” He reached for her hand but she retracted, and lay it on her lap. "So, tell me about yourself?" Xavier asked amused taking a sip of his water. “Apart from your first aid efforts.”

  "Like on a date?" she asked, not sure on what answer she wanted.

  "Nope, just two friends getting to know each other." He broke apart a dinner roll and popped it in his mouth.

  "We're friends? That's presumptuous Xavier." She quirked her lips, teasing him.

  He held back a small smile. "Okay, acquaintances with a pending friendship. Kind of like Facebook."

  "Do you have Facebook?" Luxor asked, she wouldn't be ashamed to stalk a little. It would be the easiest way to get to know somebody.

  "No. I don't understand the fascination with posting your life online, it's a recipe for trouble. If you want to talk to someone, call."

  "So why didn't you call the other day instead of texting?"

  He furrowed his eyebrow, and contemplated before answering. "You intimidate the hell out of me."

  Before Luxor could ask what he meant by that, a waitress came out carrying out two massive burgers and placed one in front of them. A waiter followed with a deep bowl of crispy fries.

  She swallowed hard. "What's this?"

  "I ordered for you, I didn't know what you liked so I chose burgers, everybody loves burgers, right?" he said. Luxor pursed her lips and clasped her hands underneath the table. "Is there something wrong?"

  "I'm celiac and lactose intolerant," she admitted. It was surprisingly easy, it had taken a while to tell Evie, and here she was telling him straight off the bat.

  "Oh, I should have asked." Xavier looked between the burgers, and began to remove the top and bottom layer of the bun. "Have you ever heard of deconstructed food?"

  "You tear apart a meal and eat it the way you want?"

  What else could it mean?

  "Exactly, except we are going to do it hobo style." He lay each item and spread them across the plate. The brioche bun on top, with mesclun lettuce, tomato, pickles, bacon and peeled off the Swiss cheese before it had time to melt.

  Luxor looked at his burger, then at hers, then at Xavier dubiously. Were they really going to do this?

  She followed his action, removing each piece until hers resembled his. "Now what?"

  "You can either eat it with a knife and fork or do like me and reconstruct." He cut the Angus beef patty is half, grabbed the lettuce, and lined the condiments onto omitting the pickles.

  "How can you hate pickles?"

  "How can you hate tomatoes and love tomato sauce?" he retorted.

  "Because it's laced with lots and lots of sugar." To prove a point, she lifted the red bottle and squeezed, circling it over the French fries. She grabbed a knife and sliced through the juicy patty, picking up the lettuce, placed one half in the middle, and made her own burger.

  She tilted her head to the side, and bit, the explosion of flavours satisfying her growling stomach. "This is like a burrito."

  "You have a bit of tomato sauce on the side of your mouth." He motioned on his face where it was. Luxor wrinkled her nose, her hands were full from her burger, and the liquid was dripping down. He leaned forward, swiping it off and putting it into his mouth. Her mouth gaped open. "Just helping a friend out," he said unashamedly.

  "Very smooth Xavier," she sing-songed his name, finishing the last bit of her burger.

  "Anytime Lux-or." He matched her tone. His eyes pieced into hers, and a flush of warmth crept into her cheeks.

  A bubbly, pretty blonde waitress come over with the cheque in a leather bound, rectangular folder. "There you go, is there anything else I can get you?" she chirped, jutting out a hip.

  Xavier slipped in a card. "No, thank you." He briefly glanced up, and she all but giggled. He raised an eyebrow, the waitress taking the hint to leave.

  "Wait." Luxor called out. The waitress paused, and spun around, returning to the table. "You're not paying for me." She pulled out her purse.

  He held her hand, and gave it a little squeeze. "Isn't she adorable, she expects to pay on our one-month anniversary?"

  "You are very lucky," she told him with a forced smile, the flirtiness all but gone.

  "I am." Xavier gazed at Luxor adoringly. She froze at the contact as a sudden burst of happiness explode within, and soothed any insecurities. "Are you ready to leave?”

  Luxor nodded, and stepped back, his presence plunging her mind into a heady cloud of mist, a series of bubbling emotions frothing which she wasn’t sure she wanted.

  The smart thing to do was to steer clear, but whenever she was with him, it was as if she was another person, and didn’t have a choice. She knew going down this route would only lead to trouble and complication, and she already had that in buckets full.

  The weekend rolled around quicker than Luxor had anticipated. She spent the last few days in self-isolation on the couch studying and attempting to keep her mind occupied. Images from what she did to the girl at the Winter Wonderland, and her lack of sympathy wouldn’t leave, but most concerning was how even a slight irritation had caused the spark.

  Electricity. Where had that come from?

  Then the time spent with Xavier had snowballed her senses into a tumbleweed, the non-date a haze confusing her mind, and creating strong feelings whenever it came to the matters of her heart.

  “Are you going to leave this house, you’re getting pale from lack of sun,” Pandora lounged back leisurely and sipped from her chocolate milkshake. She flicked through Netflix in quick succession unable to settle on a show.

  “Maybe it’s a good thing. Nothing wrong with being studious.” Ayla said.

  Luxor chortled. “This had nothing to do with wanting to be smart.” She packed up her workbooks and stacked them on the side of the couch. She had fallen behind in her school work and upon Principal Wright’s insistence she read Paradise Lost from cover to cover, she almost fell asleep on numerous times from the sheer dreariness of the text.

  Ayla picked up the book. "I love the sentiment of this poem, despite the wretched subject."

  “I’m about to throw it away, what’s the fascination?”

  "Find out, although you might find it tedious, it spawned over ten books,” Ayla said. “Maybe reading the book will help you understand him better, and therefore defeat him.”

  "Ten! Who the hell would be write so much about Satan?" she said perplexed. “Cane is such an ego-maniac, he probably revels in the tales.”

  "Maybe, but maybe it’s to tell us history is not what it seems," Pandora chimed in.

  Luxor agreed wholly. “Yeah, and Cane is worse than what Milton wrote.”

  "It's fiction, nobody takes fiction seriously, why do you think paranormal books are popular?" Pandora said. "Ideas have to be spawned from somewhere. There is always some element of truth to everything."

  Luxor was all too aware of that now. If that was the case then the world would be a strange world where anything c
ould happen without any logic. “Any of it true?"

  "Who knows what’s real and what’s false. Milton was blind when he wrote Paradise Lost, maybe his imagination was the only thing from keeping him from going crazy,” Ayla said.

  “Well the lack of imagination in this room is driving me crazy,” Pandora said.

  Maybe I need a little pep me up.

  She rubbed her forehead to rubbed away the wretched topic. “What do you suggest?”

  Pandora switched off the television and perked up. “Although the options are slim, we can make our own fun.”

  “Within reason,” Ayla said.

  Pandora ripped out a sheet from an exercise book, and began to scribble down ideas when the back door slammed.

  "Snow!" Evie's voice bellowed from the kitchen. "Where are you?" She hurtled like a wrecking ball, her boots stomping into the lounge room, and juggling two coffee cups.

  "Woah, woah, slow down."

  "Am I your best friend or what?" she cheerily said, and plopped down beside her.

  "Always," she accepted the latte and sipped.

  “After me,” Pandora said.

  “And me,” Ayla chimed in.

  “Whatever.” Evie waved a hand and took a sip. “Where have you been? My father decided to take a break from God, and his idea of bonding is playing Robin Hood. I was bored out of my brain but he kept saying it was important to get in touch with my family history.” She scrunched up her nose.

  Luxor sat up straighter. “So, you used the weapons you found?”

  “What weapons?” Ayla said, her brows knitted. “Am I missing something?”

  “I wish I could show you, but my father took my keys.” Evie said.

  “Demon hunter,” she mouthed to Ayla and Pandora.

  If Luxor could have snapshotted their exaggerated expressions it would have provided endless hours of laughs.

  “Yeah. On the upside we talked about Adam which was a topic in the ‘no go’ box. He said the accident wasn’t my fault, that a rabid dog jumped in front of the car.” She thrust out her fingers, marred with angry pink welts.

  “Ouch, does it still hurt?” She massaged her own fingers, relieved her recovery process had been quick.

  “Still stings a little. He bought me chocolate and chips to make up for it.”

  “Oh? What happened to your parents hating you eating junk food,” Luxor asked, curious about their change of heart.

  “Do you know why I dress the way I do? And don’t follow the protocol of the image of a Pastor’s daughter?”

  “That’s an understatement,” Ayla sniped.

  She paused. The conversation Evie had once told her coming to mind about the backlash effect and how she was rebelling. “It’s about control.”

  “Exactly. My parents don’t like it, but they have to learn I’m not Adam, and this how I chose to have individuality,” Evie said. “Also, on the upside I can eat junk food at home, within reason, but not hide them.” She smiled widely.

  “Sounds like a productive day,” Luxor said.

  “It was. How was the movie?”

  Her smile disappeared. “Ask Ayla.”

  “Ayla,” Evie said low, and narrowed her eyes.

  Ayla shifted. “Last minute change of plans. I had to bail.”

  Evie jumped to her feet. "I can't believe you left her," she screeched.

  "Like I had a choice, besides she didn't have to go out with him," Ayla retorted, calm and composed.

  Luxor took quick action and pried them apart, spreading her arms wide. Any minute now the argument would spiral out of control. "You two need to cut it out. Evie, it was my choice, there was no conspiracy."

  Evie stepped back, but her rigid stance made it clear she was still ready to give a verbal lashing. "Somehow I don't believe that.”

  “Please let it go," she urged. Their friendship was fracturing and she wasn't sure how much angst between them she could take.

  "I want details." Evie ambushed, her expression serious. Her fingers tapped her thighs like drum sticks, and she was fidgety more than usual, a clear indication Luxor wasn't about to be let off the hook. "What did you get up to in the dark?"

  Luxor halted Evie’s hands. "No movies thank god. He took me ice-skating and we had dinner of burgers and fries."

  "So, date-ish. Did he hold your hand? Was it all romantic?" She fluttered her lashes in an exaggerated manner.

  "You are looking too deep into this. There was hand holding but only because I fell." She winced at the memory of her tender backside.

  "Such a slick move, got to give him props," Evie replied flatly.

  "It was sweet, that's it. We are friends, or pending friendship. I've sworn off guys. Hunter has proven they are all lying jerks."

  Luxor wasn't about to admit the warmth that infused her whenever Xavier was about, or the fact he eradicated any worries or fears. His calm presence was a welcome addition to her erratic moods.

  "Did he pay?"

  "Only because he did it on the sly." It was a thorn on her side that he did that.

  "So, it was a date. I don't trust him. Or Ayla for that matter."

  “Hey, that’s not fair,” Ayla objected.

  "As it stands, I trust him more than Hunter," Luxor lied. Evie was relentless and she needed her to back down.

  Pandora sniffed. “It was negligent. Protection above anything else, isn’t that our motto?”

  “I’ve never heard of that,” Evie said.

  “She was safe, Xavier would let nothing happen to her.”

  “I’m confused. You left her alone with your cousin, somebody she doesn’t know, and assumed she would be safe. I know he’s your cousin and all but most gruesome acts are done by people you know. Luxor could be decapitated, lying in a ditch.”

  “Ewwww,” Luxor said, and screwed up her face at the image.

  “She can look after herself,” Ayla said.

  “I give up,” Evie grumbled.

  The last time Luxor was in danger in the alleyway she had lowered her guard all because she didn’t want to hurt humans who clearly had no regard for her life. As much as Ayla believed she was capable of protecting herself, she could always be better, and in control if she allowed herself to be.

  Luxor sent off a quick message to Valencia and tucked her phone away, gathering her books in a pile, and dumped them to the side. “Evie can you drive me to the Renaissance Centre, I have an appointment?”

  The second time around Luxor had no trouble entering The Renaissance Centre. Luck had been on her side, and a Nephilim had been leaving just as she arrived. She pushed through the doors, adamant not to be side-tracked by the scenery or the interior.

  The halls filled up in every nook and cranny, and the intensity of some of the Nephilims curses poked her at every direction, and caused an unpleasant mix. She bowed her head and moved ahead in the opposite direction until she reached an eerily quiet area unlike the hustle and bustle she’d previously seen. Luxor was intent on finding Valencia so she didn't realise she had veered off track. The walls were no longer warm and inviting and the vibrancy had disappeared, instead blankness surrounded her.

  Screams echoed even through the doors, helpless cries and she froze on the spot. Her hands travelled along the walls for support coming across a sign, and into a restricted area, and retreated backwards. She couldn't be near here.

  What if I was found here?

  Just like last time when Theo had led her and Hunter outside, the magnitude of The Renaissance larger than she ever imagined. Round and round she went, endless corridors with a colossal number of doors in a never-ending maze where she was blocked off at every opportunity. Tortured screams tore away through the walls and she wanted to free them and take away the pain she had suffered but that would mean her taking their place. Besides it wouldn't be wise, they could be dangerous and deranged.

  Luxor persevered despite her conclusion she had become lost. At the end of yet another hallway she finally ended into an open space. Males stop
ped and gawked as she circled around, stunned as if they'd never seen a female before. It unnerved her and made her wonder if she was in the minority in the class of sexes.

  A tap on her shoulder from behind made her jump. She spun around, her fist in a tight ball and came into contact with a broad chest.

  "Damn what's with the poking and hitting. Anger issues much?"

  "You shouldn't sneak up on people that's just asking for it."

  "Okay guys you can piss off now and stop staring." Ace linked her arm and pulled her to the side into a cosy alcove. "What are you doing here, or am I the reason?

  Luxor scoffed. She couldn't deal with another arrogant guy, especially after Hunter. She was highly strung and wanted to quickly get in and out.

  "I have to see Valencia." The last thing she wanted to do was draw any more attention to herself.

  "Oooh, first name basis, you truly are a high ranking one," he said. "You do realise you are in the guys’ dormitories?" She briefly glanced around. The navy-blue walls and the simplicity of it should have been a giveaway, females would have a sense of personality; paintings, interior design anything that was homey.

  "Come on Buttercup, I'll show you the proper way, let me get something from my room first." He pointed to the mahogany stairs.

  "I'll stay right here and wait." She sent off another text to Valencia to tell of her location, and snuggled into the alcove and picked up a magazine.

  "Believe me, you're not my type...At all. Just thought you'd be safer with me than those over sexed guys. The closest they get to pussy is porn."

  Luxor screwed up her face, the image trickling into her mind. Ace shrugged his shoulders and left her, while he was gone, she flicked through a car magazine, a buxom bikini clad girl seductively straddling it.

  Ten minutes later Ace bounced down the steps, and plucked the magazine from her hands. "Ellie, are you ready to go?"

  Luxor gripped onto the cushion underneath and held her side. Beads of sweat trickled down her temples, she caressed the area and tried to minimise the pain. It travelled down her limbs and felt as if they were held with rusty skewers.

  "Tell him Angel, are you?"

  The filthy exaggerated way Castor elongated her nickname made the physical pain all the more wretched. He peeled himself off the wall and blew circles of smoke in her face followed by a smug expression. It was clear he was aware of his ability to affect her and he enjoyed the taunt.