Chapter Thirty-One
I stood quietly in front of an unfamiliar door, staring at it as if it were the door to the afterlife. I'd never actually come to this part of the building before, but just as I knew where Sebastian was, I also knew Jax was somewhere beyond this door.
I crossed my arms in front of me uncomfortably and just as quickly lowered them again. Then I stepped forward, taking a deep breath before tapping on the wood nervously. I waited a moment, listening for any sound of movement, but no one answered. I frowned, tapping on the door once again, but receiving no response.
I considered calling out his name, but my throat was tight and unprepared for words. Instead, I reached for the doorknob and twisted, expecting it to be locked. To my surprise, it opened easily. I hesitated and then stepped into the room carefully.
Where Theo was known for having a pristine room, Jax had him beat tenfold. The room was layered with shelves of neatly organized items, from statues to unidentifiable objects, and all of them were lined in some sort of pattern. Below each object was a label which looked to spell nonsense to me in the form of random letters and numbers. Along other parts of the room were file cabinets and more shelves of books. There wasn't a single thing out of place; not even a wrinkle in his bedsheets.
Beyond that, Jax himself was missing from the room and yet he was close. I meant to search for him, but something on his shelf caught my eye. I paused and then stepped towards it slowly, a feeling of familiarity rising within me. The object itself was something like an orb. Its color was a deep, almost black crimson that in itself sang of terrible things. And yet I continued to approach it. Just as I felt a pull to the horror my vampires provided me, I felt a similar horror in this object.
When I was close enough, I lifted my hand curiously, aiming to touch the surface of the object. Just before I could, the door to the bathroom opened loudly, startling me. I jumped away from the orb as if I had been caught like a thief and then I twirled quickly to explain myself. My words fell from my tongue at the sight of Jax.
He stood towering in front of the bathroom, still wet from the shower he obviously had been taking. And still quite nude. My eyes betrayed me, traveling over his body almost longingly before a sharp heat struck me. My face burned with it and I quickly turned around completely, covering my eyes with my hands in embarrassment.
"I'm sorry," I managed to gasp. I wasn't sure why I felt so embarrassed being that I had seen naked men before. Perhaps it was because it was Jax with his dark aura and intense expression. Or perhaps it had been the smoldering look in his eyes as he had caught me unaware.
For a moment, I stood as I was. My heart thudded nervously in my chest and my skin flushed with heat. Jax hadn't spoken a word, but I could sense him like the light of the sun on my skin. He hadn't touched me, but still it was there.
"Is there a reason you're here, Katia?" Jax's voice was deep and unreadable. He was still loyal to Sebastian's orders; distancing himself from me until a choice was made. Of all the vampires, Jax appeared to be the one to respect Sebastian the most.
"Sebastian sent me," I stated quickly, but then hesitated. I didn't want to make it seem as though I came to deliver an order from Sebastian. It was clear that this was my question to ask and Jax's decision to make. I closed my eyes tighter and shook my head against my hands. "I mean, I came on my own... to talk to you."
I gasped when his hands suddenly brushed over mine, lightly tugging them from my hidden face. I kept my eyes closed stubbornly and froze under the delight of his touch. I held my breath as I felt him lean into me, his lips hovering over my cheek for a moment.
"You can look, Katia," Jax told me, his voice low and enticing. I nearly sighed when he pulled away from me, releasing my hands in the process. "I've made myself presentable." With hesitation, I slowly opened my eyes to find him standing in front of me. He spoke the truth. He was fully clothed, without flaws, and had dressed himself in record speed.
I could still see the image of his bare body in my mind's eye and his clothes weren't enough to prevent the blush from tainting my skin further. I looked away shyly, unable to face him completely without the possibility of making a fool of myself.
"What did you need to talk to me about?" Jax continued despite my suddenly shy nature. I tightened my hands into fists anxiously.
"I... I spoke to Sebastian," I admitted quietly, unable to look away from a random spot on the ground. "And I came to a decision. I decided to stay here as an equal; to work with artifacts and to earn my place. But... but... in order to... if I want to stay here as something other than a pet..."
"You want me to give up my turn and any future turns," Jax guessed the purpose of my presence easily. My heart jolted in my chest and I quickly nodded. For a moment, Jax didn't continue. I waited painstakingly, afraid to look at him.
I inhaled sharply as he suddenly grasped my chin, tugging me forcefully to look at him. I blinked wide, blue eyes at him, caught in his dark gaze like a dumbstruck deer in headlights. I suddenly was no longer afraid to look at him under his firm touch, spotting a curiosity in his gaze that only proved to intrigue me as well.
"Do you want me to give you up?" He asked me thoughtfully, no doubt going over all the pros and cons of the decision. I was caught off guard by his question. Before he had asked me it, I was certain of my own decision. I didn't want to just be a pet any longer. But his words seemed damning, as if my decision meant I would be lost to him and consequently the others.
I frowned.
"I'm not going anywhere," I responded firmly. "I just want to be more useful and... independent. I've asked for my own room and to help wherever I can. But I'll still be here."
Jax made a noise in his throat, low and thoughtful.
"But it is my bed you won't sleep in. And it is my touch-," He brushed his finger over my cheek carefully, causing me to briefly close my eyes in response. "-you won't receive. Is this what you wish for?"
I had never seen Jax so forward before. Usually he was full of warnings and cautionary advice, but otherwise he was closed off and careful. The question confused me and made me waver where I stood. I raised my hand to place it on his chest with a deep frown, lifting my other to grip a hand that still held my face in place. I spread his hand against my cheek, his hand large enough to cup from chin to ear easily. And then I closed my eyes, leaning into his touch with great content.
"No," I answered with a whisper before hesitating, "I mean... yes. I mean... I wish for you to give up your turn, but not to give me up."
"Then I have a request of my own," Jax answered, his voice suddenly thick and husky. I opened my eyes curiously, waiting for his request. "I will grant you your freedom if you grant me a kiss." It was a simple request, but it was also a double edged sword. I wanted a kiss, but Jax had made sure I wasn't certain if I wanted freedom after all. I thought about his offer for a moment, but then nodded quietly.
My hands fell uselessly beside me as Jax approached me determinedly. His fingers tilted my face towards his and my eyes fluttered closed as his lips lowered over mine. It was the sweetest of kisses, light and chaste, but still my heart throbbed in my throat in response. It was finished before it had even started and I was left dazed and wanting more.
"Go on, Katia. You have news to deliver," Jax told me quietly, a sudden strain laced behind his words. I blinked up at him for a moment before nodding firmly, if only to get ahold of myself. As I was leaving, I chanced a glance back to see Jax standing still, frozen with an aura of such intensity. I opened my mouth to say something, but found I wasn't sure what to say. And then I left to inform Sebastian of the resulting situation.
~...~
I stood in the middle of a bedroom I had never been within before. It was nearly bare besides the bed, which held white silk sheets and the furniture arranged around the room carefully. There were some bookcases, bare of all items, and tables absent of life. The room lacked color, but it held great potential.
Sebastian held out his hand to me, opening it to reveal a set of keys that jingled quietly as he shifted. I hesitated, reaching out to grasp the metal curiously.
"We'll fix up an office for you at some point, should you need it. As for your bedroom, you will be able to decorate it however you wish. I only had some basics added," He told me simply. I frowned at the statement.
"When did you have anything added? I only told you my decision today," I asked curiously. Sebastian glanced at me without turning his face directly towards me. He moved his gaze along the room for a second before shrugging halfheartedly.
"I was hopeful," He answered simply. He then produced a cellphone from one of his pockets along with a card. I took both with immense curiosity, uncertain of how they worked but certain that I somehow knew. "I've already added all of our numbers in there, along with some others that you may need in the future. You can have things delivered, almost anything. You can have someone take you anywhere. I would prefer if you let me know should you decide to leave, though."
I stared at the cellphone blankly, amazed there were such options with such a small device.
"The card is connected to your own account, something I set up awhile back...," Sebastian informed me with a small smile. I was beginning to think he had plotted this entire situation for a while now. "I've wired sufficient funds, should you need anything, and will continue to do so as you aid with our business. If there is anything else you need, feel free to ask me."
"It's more than enough," I responded quietly, feeling dazed. Sebastian aimed to leave and I quickly looked up. "Wait. What kind of work will I be doing?" He paused, thinking about the question as if he hadn't considered it yet.
"Well... You'll need to have some form of training," Sebastian responded carefully, "It will be a lot to learn, but we have nothing but time on our hands. Miles can continue your lessons on practicing magic. It will be useful. And I suspect Jax won't mind mentoring you about the artifacts. If things work out, you'll be our personal artifact activator."
"Activator?" It sounded so... professional.
"Don't worry, Jax will explain it all to you," Sebastian smiled at me, his tone soothing and familiar. I watched him in a near trance, recalling his firm intensity when he had called me a pet. It was like seeing two different people. Sebastian hesitated, obviously reacting to something he saw cross my face as his smile fell from his. "I want you to know... I'm sorry I hurt you, Katia."
The words broke my trance, sending a blush over my cheeks and making me smile nervously in response. I closed the distance between us and wrapped my arms around a suddenly stiff Sebastian, hugging him warmly.
"I understand why you did," I answered quietly against his chest. I felt him relax in my grip and then he shifted me to have me look up at him carefully. His finger brushed under my chin, sending a warmth over my skin pleasantly.
"You are nearly impossible to resist," Sebastian muttered, rolling his eyes to look away as if that alone was a task. "When you wince at my harsh words, it takes everything for me to stay still, to not take it all back, and to not beg for forgiveness. The power of the Phoenix is far more superior than I've heard." I was staring into his face with calm wonder when his words stirred questions inside me.
"How do you know about me?" I asked curiously, "From the beginning, you recognized the language on my skin and you've saved me several times. You knew about the imprint and you knew... you knew if you fed from me, my power would go to you. You knew about the phoenix call and the rituals..." The others had been witches just as Sebastian had, but none of them were so well-versed about my situation.
"I was an exceptional witch," Sebastian responded, his face suddenly emotionless and his words careful. He released me stiffly, as if it was a struggle, but managed it just the same. I expected him to explain further; to tell me of his history as a witch. Instead, he turned away. "Call me if you need anything."
Before I could stop him, he was gone.
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Music: Infrared (feat. Jordan Corey) by Lucian
I noticed a bunch of my readers have been nominating me for this thing:
https://www.wattpad.com/276950961-the-fiction-awards-2016-nominations-open
Even though I didn't ask! I just wanted to say thank you for the thought. ^^
P.S. that Sebastian seems to know more than he's admitting, hmm? Mysterious.
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