Lucian's Mark

Chapter Thirteen

I heard a deep growl and immediately located the sound, slowly lifting my eyes from beneath my eyelashes to the ominous figure standing to the right of Alexandria. My heart skipped a beat as my vision made its way up to the striking face I had tried to commit to memory. The stubble along his defined jaw, his straight nose, titanium grey eyes, perfectly shaped lips...I felt my cheeks warm again. He was leaning against a door frame which met the dark blue walls of the grand hall, a strand of his thick dark wavy hair having escaped to lie unruly against his forehead. Before I could stop it, an image of me running my hand through his hair flashed through my mind.

Oh God. What was wrong with me? The blood rushed to my cheeks with a force, triggering a round of low growls from the many deadly creatures before me.

'What are you doing Lilly?' I thought to myself suddenly. I was going to die by my own doing.

Though his expression was devoid of emotion, Lucian's lip immediately lifted up in one corner, baring his sharp gleaming teeth. A deep growl began to emit from within his chest.

I put a hand to my neck instinctively, where a thick layer of makeup concealed the very thing that had gotten me into this predicament in the first place, and bit my lip in fear as my heart continued to race widely. As if on cue his eyes immediately met the spot where my hand met my neck, but before I could react he looked away, skipping any direct acknowledgment of my presence.

I felt light headed, this was too much. I didn't know what to do. At any second this group of mythical creatures, ten times my strength, could converge on me and suck me dry. That thought alone seemed to cool my cheeks, the blood draining almost instantly.

I looked away surprised to find that at some point in the exchange Marcus and Anastasia had somehow managed to position themselves extremely close to me, flanking either side of where I stood in an almost defensive stance.

"Lucian, this will start a war." 

The voice came from a female in center. She had long, pin-straight black hair framing her serious face, and intricate black tribal markings running up the length of her tan arms before meeting across her neckline.

"We have agreed that there are greater issues to be considered," another answered, "We all know war has been imminent Neema."

She whipped her head towards the one who spoke, causing her long black strands to streak across the air around her, "Surely this will be the catalyst Caesar," she then returned to Lucian, her voice hard, "Shall the gates of hell be opened for the sparing of a human?"

I watched as Lucian slowly moved his body from against the door frame. The gleam in his grey eyes turned to ice, betraying the otherwise expressionless calm of his face.

The air of the room suddenly changed. Where there had been varying sounds being made by the inhabitants before, it was now completely silent. Tension filled every inch of the grand hall as the lights which lined the walls seem to flicker. I bit my lip harder.

His voice was so deep it felt as if it were a vibration, the tone deadly but still calm, "Will you challenge me?"

Neema's green kohl-lined eyes widened, "Never Lucian."

He then said something I couldn't understand.

She bowed her head, causing her straight mane to fall down in front of her, and retreated back as an answer.

He then addressed the rest of the hall, "You have now seen with your own eyes." He spoke with the kind of authority that couldn't be questioned, his tone deep, dripping with contempt.

I felt varying cold eyes return to where I stood.

I cringed.

He then addressed them in that foreign way again, undoubtedly their language. One by one they began to exit the hall.

"Follow me Lilly Stone," I nodded, allowing Anastasia to whisk me across the room and through the door frame, praying to God I would wake up from the bad dream I had undoubtedly found myself in.