I ran down the street towards my flat, looking over my shoulder as I turned the key in my front there. At the far end of the street, he nonchalantly leaned against a lamppost. Stupid, stuck up posh boy. As I closed the door behind me I caught one last glimpse of his blonde hair before stomping up stairs. Lucas had followed me from the garden all the way back to my flat, initially he had offered to drive me but must have been completely insane if he thought I would accept his offer. I had tried to out run him and loose him throughout the journey back, but he was quicker than he looked.
I shut the door to my flat behind me, making a lap around the place to make sure Matthew hadn't come home early for some strange reason. When I was convinced I was alone, I pulled my phone out of my bag and furiously swiped my way to Taylor's number.
"Ring..." I kicked off my shoes.
"Ring..." I grabbed my bag and walked to my room.
"Hello?" he finally answered.
"Did you know he was going to be there?" I felt the anger rise up within me.
"Yes, I told him," Taylor's voice was cautious.
"Not only did you tell him where I would be, you also told him I can use magic?" I was full on shouting now.
"I don't enjoy going to him for help. But we can trust him, his interests align with yours," he started explaining.
I felt the anger boil even further up into my chest until finally I exploded, "I have gone along with this for long enough. I trusted you to make the decision. I don't know why but I guess I thought you knew what was best."
I could hear him take a breath about to explain himself but I continued, "I'm done. I don't trust Lucas and I don't care why you do. I am done with trying to understand your stupid world. I know how to take care of myself, so just leave me alone."
I was just about to hang up when Taylor shouted back at me, "You are tethered to him. You can't hide from it and I can't keep fighting of Aaron's warriors on my own."
As I looked down at the phone screen as the call disconnected. I stared at the phone for a minute before throwing it on the bed in frustration. My head was spinning with thoughts as I grabbed my laptop and stomped out to the living room, practically throwing myself down on the couch and turning it on. I had meant what I said, I was done with putting my life on hold for this stupid magical world. My inbox popped up on the screen and I started to angrily type away, responding to work emails and furiously trying to organise my working week.
~*~
I pulled my leather jacket tighter around my body, even though it was spring the wind was still pretty chilly in the early mornings.
"So how does that sounds?" Shaun took another sip of his coffee before moving the cigarette back to his lips.
"It sounds good," I agreed. Part of my plan to get back to work had been reaching out to Shaun, he always knew people who needed a photographer and had been steadily providing me with jobs since I graduated.
"So I'll email you the details of the studio. It's a female singer who wants to do some press shots," he continued, puffing out smoke as he spoke.
"Cool. How's everything with the venues?" I asked
"You know, same old same old. Live music, drinks, people," he shrugged his shoulders.
We fell into silence for a moment and as I looked up from my coffee cup I could see him craning his neck, past me and further along the line of tables outside the coffee shop.
"What?" I asked.
"This might seem strange, but the blonde guy over there keeps staring at me," Shaun explained.
As soon as I heard the word blonde my heart sunk to my stomach, I didn't have to turn around to know who it was.
"Maybe he thinks you're good looking?" I offered, trying to keep my voice light hearted.
"Maybe so," he dragged in another lung full from his cigarette before crushing the stub of the cigarette into the ashtray.
"I have to head off now," he said in a cloud of smoke.
I got up from the table and he gave me a quick hug before walking off. My hands where riffling through my bag trying to find my purse when a well manicure hand glided into my view and placed a twenty pound note on the table next to the bill.
I didn't bother to acknowledge him and simply started to walk away from the coffee shop.
A couple of steps later he was side by side with me, out of the corner of my eyes I caught a glimpse of his blonde hair and relaxed facial features.
"Aren't you even going to say hello?"
"Hello and good bye," I replied, turning the street corner and heading towards the underground. I bit my lip, about to spin around and ask me how he found me when a glowing blue compass resting on an open palm rushed through my mind. Of course he had used magic to track me. That little shit.
He grabbed my wrist, gentler than the other day and spun me around to face him, "You can't just keep running away."
His eyes looked concern and I hesitated for a moment.
"Why not?"
"Because you might die if you don't accept help from someone," his voice was soft and completely caught me off guard.
"So what do you propose?" I asked.
"How about I stay close by today to make sure you don't go running into any trouble?" he suggested.
"Fine," I admitted. A thought had sparked in my mind and the corners of my lips turned up towards a smile.
Lucas, encouraged by this asked, "So what are we doing today?"
"Today we're going to hang out with the Blue Lagoon," I replied, the smile now widening across my face in earnest.
"Oh, is that a spa?" his voice was incredibly upper class crisp almost as crisp as the cut of his suit, dark blue today.
"No, it's an indie band. I'm meeting them in Brixton."
I saw him frown at my reply, so I continued, "I promised I was going to do a photo shoot with them today."
"South of the river. You must be joking," he exclaimed.
"Don't be so upper class stuck up. You'll have fun," I teased, part of me slightly horrified as his preconceived notions about the parts of town he considered less sophisticated.
"I highly doubt that..." he said and rolled his eyes.
I lifted my hand and a black cab stopped right next to us. He raised his eyebrows into a question to which I replied, "Do you prefer to take the train?"
"No, no. This is fine," he agreed.
The cab dropped us off by Brixton underground station, I jumped out and felt an instant smile play across my face. This part of London was always so vibrant, I turned to look at the reggae band playing by the entrance to the station.
"So where are we going?" Lucas craned his neck around looking down the busy high street.
"It's just up here," I pointed up the high street.
We walked for a while in silence, my eyes were dancing across from the shop windows, to the people and back to Lucas. He was observing where we were going, but he certainly seemed out of place. We passed by the David Bowie mural and I saw a look of appreciation on Lucas face.
"Do you like it?" I nodded towards it.
"I guess it's nice," he agreed without any enthusiasm to his voice.
Why couldn't he just say that he liked something?
We turned another street corner and I spotted the pub, lengthening my step.
"So this is where you are going to work today?" he nodded towards the worn down exterior of the pub.
"Is that a problem?" annoyance brimmed up within me, it might not be his perfect, pristine life in Mayfair but this was my life.
"No problem," he replied coolly.
"Hey Cara," Mike the lead singer in the band greeted me. He quickly threw away his cigarette and gave me a hug.
"Hi," I stepped back from his embrace.
As he opened the door to let me and Lucas in, I noticed him raising an eye brow.
"This is Lucas. He's considering becoming a photographer so he is here to observe today," I explained.
I could hear Lucas trying to conceal the snorting noise he had automatically made.
"Cool. Let us just get set up," Mike agree and walked over to the three other boys sitting on the stage.
I dropped my bag on the slightly sticky floor and I could see Lucas frown.
"So you're going to take pictures of them in an empty pub?" Lucas raised an eyebrow.
"Yes. Shaun runs this place and he said we could use it. The wall behind the stage is pretty cool and will make a good background."
Lucas studied the four boys setting up, the mosaic blue wall behind the stage before his eyes fell back on me.
I pulled the camera strap over my neck and cocked my head towards the left, "Why don't you grab a chair and sit down."
He walked over to one of the chairs, which rested up side down on the table, grabbing it as if he was touching something that may come alive and attack him.
I rolled my eyes, "Just sit down."
The boys had been playing for maybe half an hour and I thought the shoot had been going well. During a couple of points we'd experience some feedback over the PA system, the shrill noise had made Lucas jump each time. I felt myself smirking on the inside about how uncomfortable I was making him. He really must have lived a sheltered life.
Mike jumped down from the stage and flung an arm around my shoulder, "Want a beer?"
"Sure, I think we've got all we need."
He jumped behind the bar and pulled out six bottles, snapping off the caps quickly. I pulled the necks of four of them between my fingers, handing two to the boys before walking over to Lucas and handing one to him.
"Thank you, I guess," he replied.
I took a deep sip from the bottle.
"Oh, no glass then," he raised an eye brow.
"Come on. You can't possibly be this sheltered. Just drink your beer and enjoy yourself for once."
His eyes sparkled with anger, "I have a little bit more on my mind than just enjoying myself."
"Not right now," I cut back. A smile appearing on my lips as a thought struck me.
"Oh Mike," I called out, whilst keeping my eyes focused on Lucas. He stared back at me, his eyes trying to figure out what I was trying to cook up.
"Yeah?" Mike appeared by my side.
"Lucas here have been admiring your guitar playing all afternoon. He really would like to learn a few cords."
I saw the horror creep up in Lucas face as Mike grabbed his arm.
"Cool man, come here I'll show you."
"This really isn't necessary," Lucas replied.
I pushed him towards Mike, "Oh yes I think it is."
Lucas was awkwardly holding on to the electric guitar, strumming along a simple D chord whilst his eyes simultaneously threw daggers at me. Mike was close behind him, clearly too close for Lucas comfort, guiding his fingers across the neck the guitar.
"Why don't you join in?" I suggested the rest of the band.
They smiled back at me, before jumping up on stage and grabbing hold of their instruments.
"Why don't you play 'On Your Way'?" Mike suggested before turning back to Lucas, "You just keep strumming this cord and try not to mess up."
Lucas rolled his eyes but continued to strum at the guitar.
They kicked off the song and I could feel the familiar drum of the volume from the speakers pulsate through my body. Lucas was stiffly strumming along as Mike started singing and the boys kicked off the song in earnest.
"You look great," I shouted over the music and did a thumps up to Lucas.
I grabbed a hold of my camera, Lucas eyes told me that I would regret it later but the opportunity was to good to pass up. I started to snap away, laughing on the inside. As I continued to shoot Lucas' facial expression went from angry, to concentrated and finally I managed to catch a photo of him smiling. As Mike finished off the last note, I could have sworn that Lucas seemed to be enjoying himself. The music died down and my sole applause echoed loudly through the empty pub.
"You didn't do to bad," Mike gave Lucas a back slap that nearly caught him off guard.
We had finished moving back the speakers and Mike was just locking up the pub, as I caught a glimpse of Lucas trying to brush the dust out of his dark blue suit, "Ruined," he muttered underneath his breath.
"See you later," I waved goodbye to the boys.
"Come on posh boy." Lucas raised an eyebrow but did not snap back.
We walked down towards the high street in silence.
I hesitated for a moment, there was something I wanted to find out about him.
"That wasn't so bad was it?" I started.
"At first it was," he grimaced.
"You seemed quite out of place," I admitted gently. I didn't want him to get defensive, I just found it strange that he was so out of touch with life outside of his little posh bubble.
He sighed for a moment, looking up at the sky, the golden sunshine played on his skin and made his hair seem golden. He turned back to me, his blue eyes fixed intently on me, "The royal court is a very different place. Very different from where you live."
"But it's still London?" I asked, I couldn't let this subject go.
"Yes and no," he replied.
He expertly hailed a cab and turned to open the door. I could sense that it was the end of the question and answer portion of this day.
We spent the whole taxi ride in silence. I turned to look at him for a moment, but he continued to stare out of the window. I wanted to ask him more questions, but I felt like if I did he would only snap at me. As the taxi pulled up on my street he turned to me, "You know I never wanted this to happen."
I knew what he was talking about, he hadn't tethered us together on purpose. But it didn't matter now, it was done.
"I know," I replied before sliding out of the car.
I walked up to my door and was just about to get my keys out, when that scary and familiar shift in the wind happened. I didn't have to turn around to know that a warlock was standing behind me and logically I knew it couldn't be Lucas. I took a deep breath as I whipped around, ready to defend myself.
Author's Note: So I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I must admit I enjoyed writing it. It's nice to see a different side of Lucas. What do you think of him? Also what do you think of what Taylor did? Did he do the right thing?
If you are enjoying this story - please take a moment to share it with a friend who you think would enjoy it. It would mean so much to me! :) THANK YOU FOR BEING SO AWESOME AND FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT! <3