CHAPTER 17
“Kaelith. Long time no see.” Abigail mused taking a sip of his whiskey as he glanced at Kaelith from the other corner of the table. His keen dark eyes set on Kaelith.
Kaelith swirled the glass of his whiskey between his fingers, his gaze dark and sharp. “Should’ve kept it that way. I don’t like uninvited guests in my house.”
Abigail snickered.
“Well, I was invited by your brother.” He motioned to Rafael who was helping Amara sit. Kaelith averted his eyes with a tick.
“This is not his house where you can come and go as you please, Francis.” Abigail tensed at the mention of his last name. Almost choked on his whiskey as he glared at Kaelith.
“Abigail.” He stated. Kaelith smirked leaning back and raising his brow.
“I’d rather call you a dick.” Abigail clenched his jaw. Kaelith met his glare. Kaelith, Rafael, Lorcan and Abigail had a history that ran deeper than water.
Kaelith never liked Abigail. But when Abigail’ s father became his business rival, his hatred only intensified.
If Kaelith wanted, he could’ve ruined the man sitting in front of him with just a flick of his finger, but revenge was petty.
He was a mafia boss, underworld Don. He didn’t need to destroy Abigail; the latter was already walking on the path of destruction.
Drugs, women trafficking, child abuse, one day he’d get into a mess himself.
“Kaelith.” Kaelith's attention was snatched by the woman standing beside him. Her keen sharp blue eyes glanced at him with cheeks painted red as she blushed under his gaze.
“Anna.” Kaelith nodded at her before averting his eyes to look at Amara.
“How are you?” Anna mumbled moving closer to him. Kaelith didn’t notice her advancement, his sole focus stolen by a certain woman who was wrapped in someone else’s arms.
“Definitely on cloud nine.” He muttered sarcastically. Anna hummed following his gaze as her chest tightened.
Amara held her giggles. Her mood lightens a little. Rafael glanced at Amara and then at Kaelith before purposely grabbing Amara by the bicep and pulling her to his side, his arm finding her waist. “I’ll apologize for his behavior, my love. I hope he wasn’t rough with you.”
Amara looked startled as she shook her head. “Oh…no, he wasn’t. I think Kaelith is…kind.” Anna choked on her drink while Oliver twisted his mouth.
“Are we talking about the same Kaelith?”
Amara looked confused. Why did they look so taken aback? Kaelith bit the inside of his cheek. Kind only for her.
“I bet she missed me, didn’t she?!”
There came a loud voice as Amara jumped off her seat. Kaelith rolled his eyes. One more clown added to this unwanted circus.
Lorcan entered through the doors with his heavy excited steps and loud voice carrying several bags with gifts. His green eyes wrinkled as a wide grin settled on her lips. Amara immediately found him like a dose of vitamins.
“Calm your horses, Lorcan,” Kaelith mumbled under his breath.
“Horses?!” Lorcan snapped his head at Kaelith and pointed his finger at his friend’s chest. “I fucking— oops! ” He immediately stopped when his eyes landed on Amara, a sweet woman standing there beside Rafael with confused eyes and pouty lips.
Lorcan immediately pushed past Kaelith and grabbed her hands taking her off guard.
Kaelith clenched his jaw.
“Hello, beautiful. Remember me? her boyfriend,” Kaelith growled. “Oops! Someone’ s gloomy.”
“Oh, hello,” Amara mumbled shyly not knowing what to do. This was the first time she was getting this much attention.
Lorcan pushed the bags of gifts in her hands. “Here, for you.” Amara looked dumbfounded. She raised her brow. Lorcan pinched her cheek.
“And me?” Rafael grumbled. Lorcan rolled his eyes.
“Who are you?”
Rafael whined. The alcohol getting hold of him. “Lorcan.” When Rafael’s mood is sullen, Lorcan puts his hand in his pocket.
“Rafael! My boy! How can I forget you? Here, this is for you!” Lorcan said excitedly pulling out a pen from his pocket and handing it to confused Rafael. “You might need to sign something important.” Rafael looked confused, but Abigail clenched his jaw.
Anna noticed the strange behavior of her friend. But said nothing.
The atmosphere became lively. Oliver stood near the bar area with Amara and Anna, while Rafael was busy drinking. Abigail had his eyes constantly on Amara not taking them off a bit.
Lorcan and Kaelith sat on the couch on opposite sides deep in their conversation. Soft music playing in the background.
Despite the continuous cheerful music playing in the background and extremely delicious-looking sweets and starters being served, she couldn't shake the uneasy feeling while looking at the men in front of her. Where Oliver looked unharmed, she couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling glancing at Abigail.
She felt like a song was playing in her ears constantly – words she'd never heard but known forever.
The invisible wire around her throat tightened, blocking the air.
Her eyes couldn't leave him in a very skeptical way.
He felt familiar the moment he entered. Something about him was exceptionally creepy yet she couldn't shake the wolf feeling.
And then she glanced at Kaelith. It was a fatal attraction, no, it was something more than that. Amara shook her head.
The thought brought a sharp pain making her clench her teeth at the sudden sensation. The more she tried to stress her head, the more intolerable it became. Her eyes once again fell over the one face she was little much too familiar with.
"Oliver..." Anna grabbed Oliver by his arm and shook him with a cute look on her face. "Come on let's dance." Oliver gave her an awkward smile. She was drunk.
"You’re drunk, Anna." She blinked her eyes at him.
"Olly..." she pouted her lips and Oliver let out a sigh. "Please..." she fluttered her eyelashes. Oliver looked at Abigail.
"I'll be back." He led Anna to the dance floor. When they left for the dance, Abigail slid next to Amara.
"Do you want a drink?" He asked looking down at her. Amara uncomfortably shifted and shook her head.
"Relax, I’m not gonna drug it.” He offered a smile but Amara saw behind that smile.
Abigail eyed her and then walked to the other side of the room to get the drinks. Amara sighed in relief. Thank God, he was away. She just couldn’t tolerate him anymore.
"Care for a dance?" Rafael blocked her vision, his hand in front of her face.
Her eyes slowly moved from his eyes to his mouth and turned into a small smirk. Something that startled her.
"Umm...I-I-" she felt her breath hitching as she gulped and nervously looked around. What was she supposed to say?
"I'm sorry I'm not very good at...dancing." His hands carefully grabbed her arms as he steadied her. Just the moment he touched her; she felt an unknown chill running down her spine.
Snapping her head up, she felt him sliding his hand down to her hands as he gently grabbed them.
"You can follow my lead." Amara licked her dry lips.
"I..." she sighed. "I guess so..." he turned her to him and carefully placed his hand on her waist like it always belonged there.
The bold action made Amara more nervous.
Why was she feeling so conscious all of a sudden?
The music played with slow beats and he swayed her with him from right to left.
When her body gets accustomed to the moves, she finds it easy to move along.
However, the chilling sensation couldn't fade.
Rafael slowly steps forward, closing the distance. "You’re doing good." He whispered into her hair.
Because it's time to return to where she belongs, baby.
She shook her head. What was this memory? The sudden pain in her head made her lose her balance and she stepped on his toe.
"Oh, I'm sorry" she apologized quickly. He looked down at her with swirling emotions that she
couldn't read. He looked drunk. Like a blank canvas. His eyes lingered on her face staying there for several moments as he tried to bathe in her essence. He wanted to learn and know if she tasted as sweet as he remembered.
"I apologize too." He said after some time.
"For what?" she just looked around feeling uneasy. His eyes moved down to the cleavage of her chest, and his eyes hooded. Leaning lightly to her right, he whispered in her ear.
"Do you believe in destiny, Amara?" she stilled and looked at him with wide eyes.
"W-what-" Instead, he just chuckled and turned her in a way that his one arm was completely wrapped around her waist and the other hand raised and he touched her cheek with his knuckles gently almost as if his touch would break her.
The claustrophobic sensation worsened her state and she tried to laugh him away.
"Do you think the universe fights for souls to be together?" He asked too innocently and that scared her more.
"A-Rafael?" Rafael chuckled but this time, it was devoid of humor. He glanced down at her lips and eyes, enclosing the distance. She could feel his fresh minty breath on her face. His cold and taunting eyes caged her.
"You don't remember me, my love? I’m your husband." He said making her swallow with both perplexity and trepidation.
"E-excuse me, I-I-"
"I believe in destiny, Amara," he smiled tightening his hold on her waist. "Cause what's yours, will always find you."
Kaelith observed the couple dancing in the middle of the large hall, his right hand holding a glass containing some exotic wine.
"You think it was right to let them meet again? Are you not afraid he will take her away from you once she gets her memories back?" Lorcan asked the latter, tilting his head.
What came as an answer was only silence for a few seconds but then Kaelith suddenly smiled slightly. It would have been a sweet smile, except it wasn't because of the lack of emotion in his cold, dark eyes.
"He can try. But it won't happen any time soon. Not when she won't agree to go with him." He answered confidently, looking at the sight in front of him. The way Rafael danced with her. The golden light shone brightly on them.
Kaelith clenched his hand around his wine glass while keeping his face stoic.
"Fate is cruel, my friend." He said and watched the couple dancing passionately in the middle of all the getting lost.
"Well, let's see what happens next. The war has already begun." He continued grimly while sipping the bitter wine as soon as he watched the man holding her leaning down and pressing his lips against hers. It was so sudden that his eyes widened for a second.
Lorcan heard the shattering of glass before he looked over his shoulder at fuming and mad Kaelith. The glass of wine completely shattered covering his white shirt with specks of red wine and Lorcan sensed darkness oozing through him.
Jealousy coursed through Kaelith like wildfire, his knuckles white from the grip on his glass.
The world around him faded, and all he could see was that intimate kiss.
It was as if time had frozen, and in that split second, his emotions spiraled into a wild storm.
He yearned to be the one to share such a moment with her, and the envy he felt threatened to consume him whole.
Kaelith decided. If Rafael wanted to play dirty, he’d play dirtier. If there were no sides in war, then there’ d be no sides in love too. He would be selfish, for her. And just to make her his, Kaelith vowed, soon she’d be in his arms, singing his tunes, loving his demons.