Page 75 of The Time Of Queens

“I don’t know what you are talking…”

“No, so you wouldn’t be interested in one of these, then?” he asked, pulling a gold coin from his pocket, one that even from the distance between us, I could see held the three heads of Janus. One looking to the past, one to the present and one to the future. I started shaking my head as hands flew to my lips, before dropping them enough to say,

“You know?”

At this he lost all his smiles pretty quickly. Hurt and anger overtook his features, before he admitted bitterly,

“What? That you kept who you truly were from me…? Yes, I know, Keira.”

Okay, so this might not be as bad as I feared. Maybe he didn’t know that I was from the future and just that I was the girl from that night.

“But let’s confirm it, should we?” he said, stepping even closer until my back was suddenly to the tree.

“Wh-what do you mean?” I stammered.

“Kiss me,” he said, and again the shock of the question had my eyes widening.

“I can’t do that.”

His grin said otherwise.

“Why not? After all, you have kissed me once already,” he affirmed, making me shake my head in vain this time.

“I… that night was…”

“Was?” he questioned, raising an arrogant brow.

“A mistake, I should never have kissed you like that and, yes, technically I did steal your cloak and well… as for the coin…” I started rambling, making him finally grin down at me, his anger disappearing the closer he got. This, until he had his hands either side of my head, trapping me in place.

“I think we both know it wasn’t a mistake but more like an impulse.” His self-assured tone was hard to argue against.

“Why would it be?” I asked defiantly, trying to feign indifference.

“Because you are my Chosen One, that is why, and now it is time I prove it,” he said, and just as I opened my mouth to deny it, he tossed his top hat to one side. Then he framed my face with his large hands, at the same tipping my head back. Which meant that before I could stop it, his lips connected with mine and my gasp of shock was one he could taste.

However, that wasn’t all that happened, as the second we connected, a bright white light exploded all around us, throwing Draven back a few steps. Enough that he was now bent over, covering his eyes as if I had burnt him.

A reaction I didn’t need to question, as he had told me about this before. Even admitting to it happening to him when I was driving past him in my sister’s car on the way to the mall. And this was before we had even met. Apparently, it was the signal of a Chosen One. Making me question why this was happening now and not in the room that night?

Either way, I knew it wouldn’t hurt him. But what it did do was offer me a small window of escape, which was why I hiked up my skirt and…

I ran from the past.

28

WHEN THE RAINDROPS FALL

Running.

I knew there was little point in it, yet I did it anyway.

Little point when I heard the Demonic roar behind me… When I heard the cry of a startled horse… When I heard the pounding of my own heart ringing in my ears.

Which was why I wasn’t surprised when the earth shook beneath my feet when the dark, foreboding winged figure landed right in front of me.

Because there was no need to keep up pretences. Not now he knew. Not now he knew who I was to him and, all at once, emotion burst from within him. Every shred of social propriety and gentlemanly constraint cracked. It then evaporated like some illusion he wore, one that now left him bare to the core of who he truly was. And just like that first night on Afterlife’s rooftop, I was seeing the real him.

He landed on one knee like some dark avenging Angel had just dropped down from the Heavens. His near black wings, folded into his back as he rose to standing. As for me, I couldn’t help my heaving breaths as I took in the incredible sight. And it was in that moment that something snapped within me.

---