Chapter 6 Jasmine #3
I glance at the time, 10:58 PM. What happens at 11?
We both look at one another, we don’t know, but neither of us wants to find out.
“Tell him I’m fine.”
Kacey hastily types out my words, sends, then lets out a long sigh.
A few seconds later, she has another message, and she instantly turns it to me.
Ezekial: I don’t believe you. Why did you take so long to reply?
Kacey’s mouth opens and closes as she looks between me and the phone, trying to form words—
Zeek’s name appears on her screen, flashing.
She flinches, launching her phone into the air. We watch it fall, thudding onto the carpet, spinning as it vibrates.
“What do we do?!” she screeches, staring at the thing like it’s diseased. “I’m an awful liar, I’m sweating—I can’t breathe!”
“Answer it.”
She turns to me, frantic. “And say what?!”
“That I’m fine.”
“He doesn’t believe me!”
The buzzing stops. Silence reigns. Kacey’s quick breaths fill the room.
Then the buzzing begins again.
“He’s going to kill me,” she mutters hopelessly.
I roll my eyes and reach out. I see his name, feel the ache, pause for a second, then answer.
“Why aren’t you replying? Is something wrong? Julien’s restraining Sai because he’s adamant something—”
“It’s me.”
Kacey stops breathing, I’m pretty sure Ezekial does too.
The thought of making such a powerful being, a Lord, lose his words, is incredibly pleasing.
Do I wait for him to respond? Or do I punish him further?
“Kacey is here, she’s fine. We were just having a little… chat,” I summarise, giving her a quick smirk. Her eyes are so wide as she slams a hand over her chest. “She’s told me about the secret phone call, the texts. I’d like them to stop.”
Kacey scrunches her eyes shut, her concern bubbling as I wait for him to say something. Anything. Just speak, for Goddesses’ sake.
“Why is Sai being restrained?” There. A question. Something he has to answer.
“I—Because…”
Is… is Ezekial stuttering? This powerful lord who rules the district? My heart races a little.
“I wasn’t expecting to hear from you.”
“I can tell,” I quip back, giving nothing more.
I want him to fill the silence.
“Sai thought something was wrong. We knew you were in pain and when Kacey didn’t respond, he thought the worst.”
He did it, he answered, and the urge to call him a good boy is dangerously high up on my list of next words.
“Ah. He thought the worst. And what exactly is ‘the worst’?” I ask, but then give him no time to respond. “Because I was under the impression that being lied to and manipulated by all of you was pretty much the worst.”
Kacey’s eyes snap open, and she’s staring straight at me, looking like she’s about to go into cardiac arrest. Then she suddenly scrambles up from her knees, rushing towards me with an outstretched hand, silently demanding her phone.
But I’m already stood, swiftly avoiding her, heading into the kitchen with my cold cup of tea.
I’m enjoying this too much, listening to this powerful lord stumble over his words, to give it up so soon.
“Sometimes, when beings of the dark are in pain, you enter the realm unconsciously and it can be… very difficult to escape—without help,” Ezekial finally answers, each of his words carefully selected.
“So Sai was coming to help me?”
I can picture Ezekial wetting his lower lip as he contemplates what to say, knowing I’m playing with him but accepting that I can.
“Yes,” he finally says.
Before I can begin my tirade about how ironic and ridiculous that answer is, it seems Ezekial predicts it.
“I know we don’t deserve your forgiveness, Jasmine.” I hate how my body reacts when he says my name, a wave of warmth rushing over me. I lean against the kitchen counter. “But we’d like to try. No more lies, no more omission, we won’t hide anything from you.”
I scoff. “Even Kane?”
“Especially my brother.”
I pause, then pour my cold tea into the sink, turn on the tap, refill the kettle, turn it back on.
All the while, Kacey stares at me and Ezekial waits.
“Well, I guess I’ll see tomorrow,” I eventually reply. “I’ll give you back to Kacey—”
“Wait, please.” I could ignore him, hang up. But I can’t ignore the small part of me that wants to hear him, that relishes in the way he says ‘please’, so… desperately. “Are you still in pain?”
Do I tell him the truth?
I weigh up my options as the kettle comes to a boil. Kacey launches into action, grabbing both our mugs but keeping her gaze fixed on me.
I sigh. “You expect me to tell you the truth?”
“I don’t care, say anything—lie to me, insult me, tell me you hate me, just… talk to me a little longer. Please.”
I should have walked away.
I have to lower the phone because a new emotion seeps into my bones and my heart pounds.
“I feel fine, Ezekial.” I cringe, why the fuck did I say his name? I don’t want to make him feel better, I don’t want to please him, but I say it anyway.
“How fine? Sai-winding-up-Kane fine, or Kane-losing-his-shit fine?”
Why does he have to be funny?
I move the phone away, biting down my laugh. He’s not hearing that, no fucking way. I don’t dare look at Kacey because I bet she’s appearing all types of smug.
“I like how you didn’t throw yourself or Julien into the mix.”
“If you were Julien’s type of fine, you wouldn’t really be fine but would pretend you were. And me, well, I think we all know I’m only ever one bad comment away from being put into the Pit ‘fine’.”
This shouldn’t be funny. Saying these things shouldn’t make my chest feel lighter than it had in… a while. But it does.
“What if I’m Ezekial ‘fine’? Would you put me in the Pit?”
I hear his sharp intake of breath, and I smirk cruelly. Kacey sips her newly brewed tea, intensely staring.
“Never. Even if you asked.”
“What if I begged?” Why did I say that? Why the fuck did I—
“I’d persuade you to beg for something else.” The rasp of his voice makes it incredibly clear I’ve turned this into something I shouldn’t have. Something I should regret and not be enjoying whatsoever.
After a pause that’s too long, I decide I’ve given him enough of my time.
That’s it.
It has nothing to do with imagining how persuasive Ezekial could be with his large broad shoulders, and those biceps that bulge, and those mismatched moonlight eyes—always darker when he’s close to losing control...
“Goodnight, Ezekial.”
He says something, but I’m already passing the phone to Kacey.
I could stay, let myself hear the soft rumbling of his voice even if I can’t catch the words, but I’ve given in to my desires enough. I’ve sated some of it… for now.