Promise the Sky

Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Keenan

 

 

 

"Gods that was difficult," Hugh whines but it is not long before his tone has turned to gloat, the dress rustling as he folds his arms around it. "But she didn't even see! Dragon-kin, I'm good."

He turns to me and I find that he is grinning. I had thought I had frozen, yet to react, but I was wrong. My fists are already tightening at my sides as my blood turns cold, chilling to the point where it burns. I have never wanted to hurt someone as much as I do now.

"Put it back. Put it back exactly how it was before." I spit the words, hardly even able to move my jaw. Everything is tensing, tightening until I am stuck; utterly motionless, utterly powerless.

And I cannot move, so I cannot escape the sight. My girl stands on the stage, only just noticing, only just losing her smile, her gaze slipping innocently to take in what the rest of us can already see, plain as day. All my girl. My girl, my girl, my girl.

Hugh is messing with my girl.

"What?" He asks, bemused.

I am not looking, not at Hugh. My gaze is stuck on my girl, my girl as her eyes go wide, my girl as she looks back to her friends in horror.

"Return the dress. Put it back right now." I snarl the words, spitting out the obvious with more venom than either of us knew I possessed. "You have got the wrong one."

"Dragon-kin, Keenan." Hugh laughs, "Calm down."

"Why have you not done it yet?"

No one on stage is moving, no one on stage is doing anything... except for the children with the gall to laugh. The bride and my helpless little thing just continue to stare at each other, suspended in time, in a world that I hope is less cruel than this one.

"Alright, alright." Hugh placates, "Just give me a second, I'll do it."

He is silent for a moment as he floods us with magic once again. I do not deign to look and I could not, even if I had wanted; I am still struck motionless in my fury. Instead I watch my girl, my gaze settling protectively over her, as intense as any hawk. It is almost as though I have turned completely dim, like I actually believe I could cover her up just by looking at her.

She does have a nice body though; all pale skin and subtle curves.

With the concession, I seem to come to myself, cold blood flushing suddenly hot, but it's all just a different manifestation of the same anger really. I realise all this consideration has taken just a bit too long and she is still just standing there, eyes wide and almost completely bared in nothing but her white, cotton, underwear.

"Hugh..." With heat comes movement and I turn to him with a snarl.

The big man has crumpled, cradling his head in his hands. The dress is nowhere in sight.

"What did you do with it?" The words aren't so much of a question as a command. I have never felt so dangerous in my entire life.

"Shut-up, Keenan." Hugh whines, and I realise I might not be as intimidating as I feel. "I lost it somewhere."

"You lost it."

Definitely not intimidating; I must have been thirteen the last time my voice cracked so badly.