Ruin Maketh Me

29 - Pervert

     Julius Kade nibbles the edge of my lips with a wicked smile on his alluring face, squeezes my waist and parts from the kiss with a sigh. My mind reels like a tangled net. What? Why? Why now?
     I stumble backwards, "Julius Kade what...?"
     He sweeps his hair back over his shoulder and gives me a half feral smile with canines flashing in the light. Licking his lips as if trying to glean some remnant warmth, he takes a step forward.
     "I want to kiss you again." His voice is sweetly subdued in the faint rustle of leaves and softly flourishing petals.
     I tilt my head and remain where I am. There's definitely something different with him. The natural arrogance is still there, the unhurried nature is still there, but that predatory instinct seems to be gone. That disdain, that suspicion, all gone, rendering a honeyed freshness in their place. Just like that kiss, domineeringly sweet. I was caught of surprise, and I don't like to be taken advantage of, but that kiss did feel good. It was different from Jacques's slow waltz of tongue or the bashful and bold of customers.
     I open my mouth, about to speak, when Julius Kade's head suddenly swings up at the sky. His whole body tenses up like a marionette held on strings and his eyes flow back to mine, dark and narrowed. A pulse of danger compels my feet to step backwards one pace after another. What's happening?
     The wavering surface of the sea of flowers break up like sand in the wind, petals erupt into the swollen sky, and the edges of the surroundings, the trees, the path, the grass, bleed of all colour, leaving a monochrome blankness behind. The fuck? The sky, the top of the pavilion, the branches of trees twist and melt away into nothingness.
     I have to get away.
     I run towards Julius Kade. At least he can do something. My eyes rise and meet his of visceral inkiness. Nothing. He's doing nothing. He stands still and calm in the midst of destruction like death is the thing he fears the least.
     He drags his eyes away from mine and point them towards the heavy grey sky bubbling away into an endless abyss.
     "Ah." He sighs.

     My body jolts, eyes flicker open. White ceiling, plain walls, god, I'm back in my room. I sit up slowly and massage my temples, sweeping my eyes across the small room. What was that? All a dream? It felt all too real to be a dream and yet... Here I am, back in my room, in bed, in my 'pyjamas'.
I stand shakily onto the cold wooden floor and run my fingers through my hair. Even if it was a dream why would it be about Julius Kade? Have I been too pent up lately? It's true I haven't jerked off once in this new world. I shake those murky thoughts out of my mind and pad to the small wardrobe stiffly. At least Set isn't here today.
Wasn't that what happened in the dream? A flash of white catches my eye.
It's a slip of paper on my desk.
A jolt runs straight through my heart. That piece of paper, surely not? I step gradually towards the table. White paper, black inky curls, a folded map. There's no doubt about it, it's that note and map telling me to find the mansion. What the fuck is going on here? Was all that not a dream but a premonition instead? Up until now, everything's going as it happened in the vision.
I stare at the map and it's bundle of black veins. I'll just have to see where this all goes. Putting on my shirt and pants, I grab the map and run out of the building. Turn right, go straight, turn left, all the directions are exactly the same. I jog along the paths against the protest of my screaming muscles and bones.
     A drop of sweat runs down my forehead, and my breaths rush out of me in dire puffs. Holy, I have to stop and rest. My feet slow to a walk and I come to a halting stop at the right turn. Had I been so exhausted in the dream? I rearrange my left arm's sling, it must be because of these injuries.
     Had my arm been injured in the dream?
     No. It had been freely hanging without a sling. It couldn't have been a premonition, but then how did I dream up all this 'finding the mansion' business? It's not like I can do any magic. It can't be cast on me without me noticing either...
     "Are you lost?" A husky voice full of night rings from behind me. 
     I turn, take a look at the man who asks a question without a questioning tone.
Caramel skin, black hole eyes, sharp lips, navy hair the colour of blue ink and an expression of hungry awe. It's that boy I was staring at on stage. His eyes, god.
     Pale face, red hair, black eyes, split lip dribbling blood
     "I'll take you there." He says, blowing out a long billow of hazy cigarette smoke, "Yeah?"
     I set my jaw, take in the cigarette, the listless stance, the upward tilt of his chin, the downwards slant of his eyes, the blood hound look on his face. He's seeped in juices of society's underbelly. I know this type, know them all too well. This guy, he relishes in the underworld.
     "I can find my own way." I turn and walk around the corner without another word.
     "Are you sure?" He says coming around the corner with me.
     I ignore his question and continue onwards. Go straight. Nearly there.
     "Answer me." He demands just as lazily as before, bitter smoke flowing around me.
     For god's sake, get away from me you fucker. If only I had my previous strength, I could've beat the shit out of him. Except that you can't cast magic. Today is going absolutely brilliant as well.
     "I'm absolutely sure." I answer cold as a tundra.
     A low, throaty laugh twists its way up into the air from behind me. Fuck, this is bad.
     "What do I do? I really like you." He says, voice full of dark humour.
     Just a few more metres until the left turn, just a few more, damnit! I increase my pace discreetly. In truth there's nothing to worry about, Kade is strong enough a shield to deal with characters like this, but if he gets me now, he can fuck me up real bad. And I can't be healed with magic.
     A rough hand closes around my shoulder, "Hey."
     I fight the increasing itch, "Let go of me."
     "You know, you smell real nice." He murmurs.
     I jerk my shoulder forwards, but a sharp pain sparks through my muscle. He's digging his fingers into my skin as if they were claws.
     "Let go." I seethe through my teeth, the itch in my heart increasing nicely. I see him smashing into grey pavement, the back of his head crunching against the stone. If only I could throw him.
     "You were looking at me." His whisper scratches my ear.
     Oh yeah. So you're doing this because of that shit?
     I tear forwards against the pain, "Let. Go."
     "No."
     My lips tip upwards, and I clench and unclench my fingers. This better work.
     "What do we have here?" A lazy purr stirs the dust bitten air.