(3) Painstaker

Thirteen: Cecily

Smiling, he lifted a piece of my blond hair and twirled it around his finger. "I've told you more than once; I didn't curse you. Whatever problem you had sexually were your problems. Not mine." Without another word, he took my hand again and began walking, and I had to focus on not losing my mind over the fact that I did not believe a word he said.

Zeke led me to a wall far beyond the fountain. There was no door, but a rainbow of mist fell down like a waterfall, coming from the top and disappearing when it hit the floor. When Zeke started walking through, the mist acted like water against his skin.

The feeling of the mist hitting me was like a hundred little zaps onto my skin. Not painful, but definitely uncomfortable.

The room inside appeared to be a different world altogether. It looked like an ice sanctuary but, due to the sweat rolling between my shoulder blades, I knew it couldn't have been ice. Glass, maybe?

The walls were foggy glass, formed in odd angles and deformities. The ceiling was a mirror and the ground was blinding white that rippled in the spot wherever someone walked. Standing on several platforms were woman and men dressed in a blue, glittery skin suit that hid everything besides their beady eyes. Whenever they moved, a trail of the same coloured mist followed. They were all moving to the gentle chime of the music in the background of the room.

One of them looked at me, a woman, and her dark brown eyes twinkled in mischief.

Zeke led me toward the other side of the room toward a man sitting on a thrown made of glass. Contrasting to the room, his clothing was charcoal black; a robe that covered his body. His eyes were closed, even as we fronted him. The man's fingers ticked against the armrest of the chair to the beat of the song.

Something felt... off about him.

"Falcon," Zeke greeted in a tone much lighter than the aura the man was emitting. "Just checking in so you won't kill us for trespassing."

Trespassing?

That caused the man's eyes to flicker open. I was met with the coldest eyes I had ever seen; they were bright, like the floors we stood on, but glinted with nefarious intention. At the sight of me, his lips curled up into a frightening grin.

"What do you want, Zeke?" His deep voice was the epitome of fear. It took every ounce of will power not to hide behind Zeke's shoulder like a pathetic little kid.

Zeke, on the other hand, appeared unaffected. "I was hoping to talk with CC. Is she around?"

Falcon's snake-like eyes flickered behind us at one of the dancers. He cocked his head to the side in invitation and, moments later, one of them jumped off of the stand and scurried over to us. "You may as long as you need to. You know your payement," was his gruff reply.

CC, the same girl who I'd locked eyes with on the way by, delicately took both Zeke and my wrists and led us toward a door to our right. My mind was whirling, barely able to keep up while the girl hummed as she brought us to an empty room.

That one was much less spectacular. There was a fireplace, a few couches, and a table set in the middle. The walls were a darker brown and the lights barely strong enough to detail any features. CC sat on the couch opposite to the two of us. When she pulled the mask down from her face, I noticed she was grinning.

"Crystal Westwood, I assume? I've heard lots about you." She leaned in, cupping her hand over half of her mouth to insinuate a secret. "Nothing good."

Just before I could reply, Zeke cut me to it. "Cecily, it's been a while, hasn't it, love?" I wasn't sure what annoyed me more; him calling her love or the fact that it bothered me so much. I gritted my teeth all in order to hold back my tongue. Was this guy hooking up with everyone he ran into? Was every girl in the vicinity one of his conquests?