Friends with the King of the Underworld | Book 1

Chapter Nine

After taking a shower and changing, I hopped in my car and drove over to Leah's.

Since Leah had been so popular in high school, everyone knew where she lived even though not everyone went there for her parties. Her home was in one of the secure neighborhoods with guarded gates and security. The house was deep inside the winding roads lined with large homes. It seemed to be on its own in a small cul de sac with large columns in the entrance.

I turned into the winding driveway, I found myself patting down the wrinkles of the sundress I was in subconsciously trying to make myself presentable before getting out of the beat-up car.

I took my sunglasses off and placed them on top of my head holding back the wet curls from my face. Looking at the large architecture, I took a deep holding my messenger bag close and made my way up the walkway.

There were ornate fountains and ponds decorated with beautiful flowers. I noticed everything seemed to be influenced by Greek or Roman architecture. The house was white with Roman columns and statues all over the front garden.

Everything seemed to be over the top - from the pebbles, to the fish and the small statues in the ponds with the fish.

I shook my head and knocked on the door. The gold lion head on the door holding the large ring in its mouth, seemed menacing – as if it wanted to intimidate me.

After a few moments, the door opened slightly. I recognized the girl peering behind it, her blue eyes the only thing visible behind the slightly ajar door.

"Hey, Leah," I said above a slight whisper. "It's me, Emmy."

She gave a slight smile and opened the door a little wider. She looked tired like she hadn't slept the entire night. She had large bags under her eyes, her hair was disheveled and stacked into a messy bun on top of her head. She was wearing a plain T shirt and shorts with sandals on her feet.

"Come in, please."

I nodded and followed her inside her huge home. The entrance had a large chandelier over top that tinkled in the breeze coming from the front door. It made the light shining in from the large window over the door seem to dance across the tall white walls.

There were beautiful paintings and pictures hanging on the walls. One of the walls held portraits of Leah through the years. They progressed from her being a small child through elementary school with her books in her hands. The typical portraits they would do at school every year with the same boring background, the same staged blocks then books in the background.

She still had the same smile through the years and it was then that I noticed that Leah had at some point through high school dyed her hair blonde and kept it that way up until the previous night. She had the same typical graduation photograph in her cap and gown with the diploma in her hands followed by pictures of her and her parents.

Her parents were incredibly doting, I realized. It looked like she had at some point in her childhood she'd try ballet, jazz, violin, flute ...

I wondered if she stuck with any of those activities.

"Thanks for coming."

I gave her a kind smile. "I just want to help if I can."

She ran a frustrated hand through her hair. "Yeah," she chuckled. "That's nice of you." She cleared her throat. "Come on in," she waved me down a hallway she walked towards.

I followed her as she walked into a large living room area attached to the kitchen of my mother's dreams. It had more appliances than I'd ever seen, granite countertops, a stainless steel stove, a hood – everything my mother ever wanted.

She opened two double doors I thought were cabinets but turned out to be a large industrial sized refrigerator. "Would you like anything to drink? Eat?"

I clutched my messenger bag as I looked around the large room. My parents' first floor could fit into the space. "No thanks, I'm all right."

She took out a bottle of Perrier water and opened it.

I watched her as she drank it. She seemed to be all right, she didn't break into pieces like I'd seen the night before. "How are you feeling?"

She set the bottle down on the kitchen island she was standing in front of. "Better than when you last saw me," she laughed.

"You look better," I answered earnestly. "Your hair is black now."

She nodded, taking the ends in her fingers and looking at it over her shoulder. "Yeah, when Damien helped me release my magic, it kind of did it on its own. It's weird. I still don't get it."

"You look great, though," I offered.

She smiled. "Yeah, Damien likes it. I think I'll keep it." There was a conviction in her voice.

"So that means that you're still dating?" I asked.

She bit her lip. "Actually, that's why I called you. I was wondering we could talk about him."

I didn't like how the conversation was going, I turned to leave. "Maybe this is something you should talk to him about-"

She shook her head and rushed over to me from the other side of the counter. "No, please. You're the only one that can help me. I have questions that only his best friend can answer."

I looked at her incredulously.

"Please. If there's something you can't tell me, then don't. I don't want to come between your friendship either."

Could it be that easy? Could helping Damien find a queen be as simple as answering a few of Leah's questions?

Hesitantly, I nodded.