Page 35 of Kings of Desire
The thought made me quiver, and so did the lack of rational judgment mirroring in the dark depths of his eyes.
‘So now what? You brought me here to hurt me?’
‘Is that what you think?’ His question didn’t hide concern, but just pure curiosity, thriving on each shiver of my limbs.
‘You tell me what I should think!’
‘Are you afraid of me?’ The knife ascended to the corner of my jawline.
He wanted me so desperately to sayyes.For him to be the monster.
To be completely lost.
‘No. I’m afraid of the blade. But not of you.’ The words came from the heart, unwilling to give him the satisfaction of self-destruction even more than he already had.
‘Then you’re a fool,’ his voice rasp and strikingly ice cold, though the gesture that followed reflected the opposite of that. His knife pierced the apple, being jabbed on the railing, freeing me from its entrapment at the same time.
My eyes blinked slowly in relief, supporting my weight against the balustrade behind me not to fall. This was a test which I just passed. One of strength and proving myself in front of him, but most important, one that was proving that I understood him, splinters and all.
‘It’s colder here than in the rest of the city.’ I clutched my hands to my chest as my blood had stopped from boiling, and the cold atmosphere outside was beginning to freeze even my pulsing veins.
‘It gets like this at night. Because of the altitude. You should go inside. I’ll be there in a little while,’ he turned to look into the void beneath us, leaving me to return to the candlelit room.
I must have waited for an hour, staring at the flames that sparkled inside the fireplace, while trying to figure out how it was that this man could have such an effect on me.
I must be losing my mind.
The sound of his steps clattered inside the room, and a different man from the one I met outside returned. Same body, yet a much more tamed behavior.
‘Are you ok?’ He asked, taking a place on the rug in front of the fireplace, right next to me.
Was he actually showing concern!?
‘I’m sorry for the way that I acted. Sometimes my past seems to get the best of me.’
I wasn’t going to ask, already knowing that there was no point getting into the subject. Not now, at least.
‘I’ve been through worse. I’ll live,’ although I wanted to, I couldn’t hide the bitter aftertaste he left me with, revealing a sad truth. Willingly or not, he hurt me no matter how hard I tried to deny it.
‘I’ll make it up to you... Somehow,’ the promise of the man who had nothing and everything to give.
‘Then you can start by answering one of my questions. What am I supposed to do here?’ Simple and to the point, yet the answer based itself on something so complicated.
‘First of all, I want to ask you a question. Do you know who I am?’
I had a feeling that I missed something, but with all I’ve been doing lately, the news was the last thing that would concern me.
‘I’m sorry, but no. I just moved into town a month ago.’
‘Don’t be. It’s better that you don’t.’
‘I did hear the guard at the gate call you by your last name. Mr. Ayers. But that didn’t ring any bell.’
‘Yes, Ferris Ayers.’ His name like a symphony snuck beneath my skin. Everything about him seemed to be molded to seduce, not necessarily by perfect beauty but by those unknown elements building up to make him undeniable. ‘I’ll probably get to that later, but now to answer your question.’ He paused then let a smile that held no humor within it appear on his face ‘You’re here to keep me company through the night, and yet, I don’t even know your name.’
‘Bea,’ I whispered, gleaming at the darkness in his gaze.
‘I like that... Bea,’ he breathed each one of the letters out like my name had some divine magic to it while my body was reacting to his calling, raising a fluttery sensation within me.
