My Three Wishes

8:Lava pits, caterpillars and blue stars

The second we walked through the door, the panic and anxiety that was whipping up a whirlwind in my stomach kicked up a notch, making me feel like I was on a merry go round. I tried to focus solely on putting one hot heel in front of the other whilst also trying to ignore the heat I felt from Caine's closeness. It was as if he was a walking lava pit, the warmth pulsing off him in waves.

The moment my feet touched the mahogany wooden floor, a large, square-looking man stepped into our path pulling my attention outside of myself. He was around 6ft tall, taller than me but smaller than Caine. He had a gruff face, his eyes no larger than slits, crinkled at the sides that told me he either smiled alot or frowned... I was choosing the latter. He had two thick, wiry eyebrows above them, the rest of his head completely bald as if those giant caterpillars had stolen all the hair from his head.

He held his palm out towards me as if he expected some sort of payment. I glanced over to Caine who seemed to be waiting patiently, unperturbed by this blockade. The longer he stood there with silent expectation, the more confused and panicked I felt, his eyes dropping to the purse I had gripped to the front of me.

Was I meant to pay to come inside?

I started to reach inside my purse, praying I had some change rolling around at the bottom of it when suddenly the square man's hand shot out, wrapping around my wrist.

"Hey!" I cried out, snatching my wrist from his grasp. I scowled at him, taking a step away. He moved towards me but Caine moved to block his path, his back to the handsy security guard.

"He just wants to stamp you."

"Stamp me?" I asked, confusion clear in my tone.

"Yeah, humans get a blue stamp upon entry."

"Oh," I replied, still completely confused but I offered my wrist sheepishly back to the gruff, square man. He plonked a neon blue star on my wrist, if I'm honest, a bit too forcefully. I pulled it back equally as hard, my eyes glaring at him as Caine stepped between us once again, obscuring him from my view.

"Easy tiger," Caine quipped and my stomach dropped out, shame creeping over me when it triggered a memory from this morning. The image was quickly replaced by Liza, rolling around the floor, sides splitting at the coincidental nickname. Neither image helped as I tried my best to hide my discomfort, forcing my feet forward as I took in the walls around me.

The first thing my eyes noticed now that the security guard wasn't an obstacle demanding attention, was how beautiful the interior of this place was. Not just a few choice decor bits here and there but the entire expanse was absolutely breathtaking. The tables and the bar itself were all made from an incredible black onyx, the shine on them making them look a little like sculpted tar. My hand automatically reached out so my fingertips danced across it, the texture so smooth it made my fingers carry the chill with them after I'd dropped my touch.

The barstools were crafted from some sort of deep silver metal, the cushions a blood-red, metal darts along the edges causing the material to pucker, making them look soft and enticing. Similar chairs surrounded the gorgeous tables as they sat speckled all around, like beautiful freckles. They were like mirrors of the stools just with four legs and high backs, looking a little Victorian in their design yet contemporary all at once. Over in the corner, I noticed an almost identical line of chaise lounges, red silk curtains cascading down from the ceiling like rivers of floating blood. It pulled my gaze towards it, curiosity stirring inside of me as I took it all in.

There was a soft hum of conversation that seemed to vibrate the air, charging it with gentle electricity as a light melody became the base note. I couldn't fully make out either, the two seamlessly blending together, lyrics and words interlinked.