Free The Pentagram Child: Part 1 (Afterlife Saga Book 5) by Stephanie Hudson Page A

that spouted from the centre. The fountain was in the shape of a giant teardrop and topped with a beautiful dainty glass fairy that looked like she was being chased mid-flight.
    “I have to get back to Portland and get these new designs ready for a meeting that has been rescheduled for tomorrow.” Alex said ignoring Draven’s snide comment and turned to the rest of my friends to add,
    “I’m an architect in the city.” Draven rolled his eyes and said sarcastically,
    “Sounds thrilling,” before downing a full glass of green liquid just poured by Loz. I, like everyone else, ignored Draven and turned to give my full attention to Alex.
    “I will come with you.”
    “No it’s fine. You stay and be with your friends, I know how much you were looking forward to it.” I blushed again as of course he was right, apart from seeing Draven I had been dying to see Vincent and Sophia again and also I thought I would get another chance to see my old bodyguard Ragnar but as of yet he hadn’t appeared.
    “But…”
    “It’s fine Catherine, really… but you got a ride here, correct?” I nodded as Frank had dropped me off so I could have a drink.
    “Then how will you get home? Is he picking you up?” I hadn’t arranged anything as I just gathered Sophia would try and convince me to stay or if not at least arrange for her driver to take me home.
    “Your concern isn’t needed. Keira, will of course be taken home and get there safely in my care.” Draven’s cutting voice was once again invading my senses and making me want to both cringe in frustration and curse my heart for taking notice for the first time in over ten months.
    “But that’s where you’re wrong, as she is my concern now and not yours any longer.” Alex said bravely and you could almost hear the entire room suck in a sharp breath of disbelief.
    “Say that to me again.” Draven threatened transforming the air in the room to thicken making it harder to breathe.
    “Brother.” Vincent was once again the voice of reason, placing his hand on Draven’s shoulder and trying to get him to remain calm and stop him from what he looked like he wanted to do and that was rip my Alex to bloody shreds and bathe in the pieces!
    “Enough, Draven! He’s right, I’m not your concern anymore…”
    “You will always be my…”
    “ And to answer your question Alex, I can call Frank or get a lift with Jack.” I said interrupting him before he finished that sentence, for both his sake and mine as I knew the argument would just escalate. I also ignored Draven’s growl of frustration.
    “Very well, I will see you in a few days at the airport.”
    “Airport…Keira are you going somewhere?” Sophia asked making me wince. She had told me they were coming back for a few weeks and we were going to spend some quality time together.
    “Erm…well Alex kind of surprised me and…”
    “Yes I did, as I thought she could do with a break and get away for a while.” Sophia nodded her head but I could tell she wasn’t happy with the way Alex put it or it could be that she wasn’t happy with the plans he had made for me.
    “Where?!” Draven asked shrugging off his brother’s hand from his shoulder. Obviously he had calmed enough from his last outburst to ask but I was now fearful that the answer to this question would just bring on a new rage.
    “Uh…well see we thought…”
    “Italy.” Alex butted in and I frowned at how thoughtless it was regardless of Draven’s behaviour.
    “Italy…really Keira?” He said looking even more hurt and I once again wanted to cry from the guilt I felt. It was like being torn in two. One side of my broken heart wanted to scream ‘YOU BASTARD, YOU LEFT ME!’ and the other wanted to quietly beg for forgiveness that I was now sat here with another man.
    “I…”
    “I planned our trip, as it was on a flight back from there last year when we first met. However, from what I heard, the trip didn’t exactly go to plan and left a