Chapter Fifty Four - Part 1
Silver Lights District - Ward Residence
Jael Quin released a happy and relieved breath as she added another dollop of cream on top of her lemon scone, "It's so peaceful today." Jael Quin smiled excitedly as she picked the scone up and took a big bite.
"It is," agreed Anthony as he returned her smile. He looked at the four empty seats and chuckled, "And I believe the peace you are so happy about has to do with Lex and Elisa finally checking into a hotel."
Jael Quin nodded and wiped a bit of cream from her mouth, "And don't forget Ruby left early this morning for her parent's house to prepare for the engagement party."
"Yes," agreed Sebastian his eggs poised on a fork, "I thank the gods every second that I've been awake and didn't have to hear her annoying voice." Sebastian raised a glass of orange juice, "Cheers to you and Sir Clarence for informing her and her mother about the Nah'Byian custom about it being bad luck to see your fiancé on the day of the engagement party."
Anthony chuckled as he lifted his coffee cup to stalute Jael Quin and Clarence. "Oh and don't forget that she spackle on at least four to five layers of makeup."
Zahar giggled as she attempted speared a sausage link that rolled around on her plate, "Now, that's not a nice thing to say." Zahar patted her dark brown hair that was styled into a sleek bun and smiled toward Sebastian, "Not everyone is blessed with natural beauty like myself and Xara."
Zero snickered as he looked at Zahar, "I don't know if I would say you were a natural beauty little sis. But you have a decent canvas unlike Ruby."
Zahar threw her sausage across the table at Zero, "You dog faced troll."
Clarence cleared his throat and shook his head, "Don't throw your food Zahar and Zero you know your sister is a vision of loveliness in that purple dress."
"I agree," smirked Sebastian with a wink that caused Zahar's creamy brown cheeks to flush with color.
Zero rolled his eyes dramatically, "I bet you would."
"Xara dear," called Jael Quin to the ever quiet Xara. "I see you are ready as well."
Xara smiled softly and nodded, "I met with a stylist that Kayla suggested this morning at 11:00."
Jael Quin giggled and pointed toward Clarence, "This dear is a true Nah'Byian custom. Breakfast on the day of the engagement party shouldn't be eating before 13:00 and dinner shouldn't be served before the stroke of midnight."
Clarence nodded, "It's a way to wish the couple good luck!"
"And many years of happiness," nodded Zahar as she bit into another sausage link.
Sebastian shrugged as he reached for a strawberry fruit tart, "That sounds weird but whatever."
"I wonder where Kaelen and Kevin are," wondered Clarence out loud as he looked out the kitchen doors.
Jael Quin placed her coffee cup on the table and looked around the kitchen before she turned toward the servant's stair that led from upstairs. "I believe he got back last night."
"He was gone forever," exaggerated Xero as he snatched a strawberry off Sebastian's plate.
"Jael do you want another cup of coffee," asked Clarence as he poured himself one. "It's going to be a very long night."
Jael Quin nodded and handed her cup to Clarence, "The party starts at 20:30, the announcement will be made at 23:30, dinner will be served at 23:45 prompt and the party will end exactly at 03:00 tomorrow."
Sebastian squinted as he started at Jael Quin. "I thought custom stated the dinner shouldn't be served before midnight." Sebastian chuckled and rolled his eyes when Jael Quin gave him an extremely dirty look, "It's a farce of a celebration but I'll still be in attendance as my dear lovely cousin's escort."
"Thank you Sebastian," smiled Xara as she sipped on a small cup of water. "I've never been to an engagement party and -."
"Dear this should be yours and Kaelen's party," snapped Jael Quin with a frosty smile. "But you don't seem to care if he marries you, a shoe or a witch with an attitude."
Xara blinked slowly at Jael Quin as she took a bite of her dry toast. Slowly she laid the toast down and stared blankly at her. "I was told to stop apologizing for things beyond my control; so I will not say I'm sorry about what is going on. But I do wish that everyone would stop trying to dictate to me how I, and Kaelen, should go about finding our own happiness," spoke Xara softly.
Jael Quin eyebrows rose as she stared shocked, "You spoke back." Jael Quin face lit into a smile, "Oh my goodness you took up for yourself."
Sebastian raised his glass toward Xara and smirked, "See that wasn't so hard was it."
"What wasn't," asked Kaelen as he strolled into the room. He looked around the table, his eyes stopped on Xara as he adjusted his silver cuff links.
"Xara -." began Jael Quin. She paused, patted her chest with a frown and took a deep breath before she continued. "Xara, told me to mind my own business in so many words."
Kaelen sat down at the large round kitchen table and stared at Xara, "Did she now?" Kaelen picked up a slice of crispy bacon and waved it toward Xara. "Have I let you spend too much time with Ebony," asked Kaelen.
"Wow," laughed Sebastian amused. "He really doesn't see his sister as she really is."
Anthony shook his head. "Kayla is a meek and malleable woman that dotes on her husband and children. She can do no wrong."
Sebastian dropped his tart and gawked at Anthony, "Since when?" Sebastian stared at Kaelen as if he were insane, "Just two days ago she was calling him a manwhore as she hip tossed me for taking the last cookie."
Anthony chuckled, "I told you not to take that last cookie."
Clarence pointed his spoon between Sebastian and Anthony, "You two better stop before he realizes you are talking about his precious baby sister. Our Mia is all things right in the universe," ended Clarence sarcastically.
"Wouldn't he have to stop eye rapįng Xara first," choked out Zahar as she stared from Kaelen to Xara. Zahar's laugh quickly turned into a cough as she looked around the kitchen, "It seems to have become stifling in here all of a sudden."
"I agree," gasped Zero as he patted his chest.
"Did it," asked Anthony as he turned to stare at Kaelen with a speculative glance.
Jael Quin eyelids fluttered as she struggled to stand, "Maybe we should open a window or two."
Sebastian bumped Anthony to get his attention, I believe someone in this kitchen has their power level up a little too high and it's suffocating everyone. Clarence looks like he's about to have a panic attack.
He hasn't seen Xara in a while and he wants to....reacquaint himself with her, sighed Anthony as he watched Kaelen stare intently at Xara.
Sebastian looked around the table and sighed, Do something before they faint or suffocate.
Anthony kicked Kaelen under the table to get his attention, Sebastian and I are going to ease down our power levels because you are sucking the air out of the room with yours.
I didn't notice, frowned Kaelen his eyes devouring Xara. I'll drop mine.
No! Don't, squawked Anthony as he pushed his chair away from the table.
Kaelen eyes flashed gold, and his eyelids lowered, as he stared across the table at Xara as if she were a feast. "You smell delicious," growled Kaelen. He drew designs on the table with his finger leaving a deep gash in the table as his nail elongated.
"Where is Kevin?" Anthony leaned toward Sebastian and asked quietly. "Send him a message or something," he continued as he pointed to Kaelen. "That doesn't bode well for either of us."
Kaelen nails slowly extended more as they began to drum against the wooden table. His hooded gaze followed every move Xara made as she picked at her toast, "I could just eat you up."
Xara looked into Kaelen's eyes and smiled tentatively, her fingers ripping the toast into crumbs, "T-thank you."
He's going to slash her throat and drink every ounce of her blood, shouted Sebastian to Anthony.
"Kaelen," whispered Anthony as he stood up. "I think you should -," before Anthony could finish his feet were knocked from beneath him and he was propelled toward the wall.
"Oh gods," gasped Zahar.
Kaelen slowly walked around the table, the sounds of his heels clicked on the floors as he dragged his index nail along the back of each chair. The loud sound of his nails across the chairs "I missed you dreadfully while I was gone," whispered Kaelen menacingly as he circled the table toward Xara.
"Kaelen," shouted Sebastian as he rose to his feet and made his way to Xara. "Don't -." Sebastian gasped as he was slammed against the wall his feet dangling as unseen hands held him in place.
Xara eyes widened as her cousin slammed against the wall and she jumped in her seat. She quickly regained her composure and nodded sweetly, as if they spoke about the weather, as she nervously tore off pieces of her toast, "I missed you too."
"I really did miss you," growled Kaelen.
Xara lips pressed into a tight smile as she watched Kaelen and his shadow merge together. "I had no idea you could do that," mumbled Xara as her eyes widened.
Kaelen paused three seats away from her and sighed as he dug his nails into the back of the chair. "I should have come visited you like Lucas does Mia or Jacob does Ebony."
"Ah," nodded Xara uncertainty rang in her voice as she tried to understand what he and his shadow meant. She finished tearing her toast to crumbs and used the napkin in her lap to wipe her fingers off. "Kaelen," smiled Xara as she shakily picked up her water, "come sit next to me you are worrying your family." Xara smiled and patted an empty chair next to her.
"Kevin," called Sebastian in relief, his eyes lit up, as he struggled harder against the force that held him against the wall. "You promised -."
Kevin made a gesture that told Sebastian to be quiet as he tripped into the kitchen. "Kaelen's back a little early," clapped Kevin as he tried to play his stumble off and went over to Anthony. Kevin shook Anthony's shoulder and nodded satisfied when he blinked, he waved a hand toward Sebastian and watched as he fell from the wall.
Kevin turned to look at Kaelen's surprised family and smiled enthusiastically, "Since he and Xara seems so happy to see each other maybe we should go out to grab something to eat before we go shopping a celebration gift."
"B-but, his eyes," wailed Jael Quin.
"To Tartarus and Jericho with his eyes look at his nails," cried Zahar as she pointed to Kaelen's hand.
Clarence threw his napkin onto his plate and rose, "We should go to the Golden Palace Cafe."
"Wonderful," enthused Kevin.
Jael Quin turned to see Kaelen move in a blur to stand behind Xara's chair and picked her up. She pushed Zahar and Zero out the kitchen before they saw anymore.
"I should purchase a new kitchen table," thought Kevin as he lead everyone out the front door and down the marble stairs.
Clarence nodded energetically, "And we definitely need new chairs."
***
Kaelen turned Xara around to face him unconcerned, and unaware, that his family had left. "I could just eat you up," whispered Kaelen. He pushed her up against the table his eyes flashed gold flames until the turned ice blue.
"I haven't really eating myself," whispered Xara as she reached out and touched Kaelen's crisp white shirt. Xara licked her lips and started down at his crotch, "Are you going to feed me."
Kaelen ran his fingers over the bodice of the pink dress causing it to split spilling her breast out. He grabbed and squeezed one playing with her nipple, "What do you want to eat."
Xara's lips tilted into a saucy smile and her fingers deftly removed his belt before she unbuttoned his pants, "You."
Several hours later...
Kaelen groggily opened his eyes, he ran his fingers through his hair before he raised his hand to call for his device. He stared confused at the 21:45 as it flashed on the screen along with a message from several people asking where he was.
"Fuck," he whispered as he read Lucas sarcastic message followed by Jacob's. He looked over at Xara and touched one of the many bite marks he'd left on her hip her. Her once neat hair was now a sweaty mess, her dress shredded and in ruins and her naked body marred with bite marks.
"Xara," whispered Kaelen as she shook her gently, "Do you have another dress to wear?"
Xara slowly rolled over, pieces of her pink silk and lace dress hung from her body, and slowly opened her eyes, "I can find something I'm sure."
"Not only did I destroy our clothes for the engagement party, I've made us late." Kaelen hand gently stroked over Xara's bare breast and watched as her nipple swoll. He pulled his hand away, his brow knitted in concentration, "I need to think. I am over two hours late, Sebastian said he'd wait for you with Acadia and Joshua so it wouldn't appear as if you're late." Kaelen sighed as he continued to think out loud, "I know for a fact if we show up together Ruby will cause a scene."
Xara slowly stretched and yawned, "Ask Kayla if I can borrow a dress and I'm sure Ebony and she can redo my hair and makeup."
"I can step us into the council's bathrooms so they can get you ready and I know Lucas has an extra suit or two," thought Kaelen out loud as his hands played with her swollen nipple.
Xara moved to sit up, "And with that your problem is solved."
Kaelen watched as Xara rose and stretched beside the bed and could feel his member stirring in an attempt to rise for another round, "Hurry and go take a shower while I send Lucas and Kayla a message."
Xara nodded and walked over to the door to the bathroom without a word.
***to be continued***