Daylight

68. Make Me

I could feel each of them staring me down like a prized possession. I may have been inside a crowded room, but boy, did these guys make it feel different. The Knights of Ren stood proud in the corners of the room, and though I couldn't see their faces, I could feel their burning gazes on me. Sitting at the only bar table with a high rotating stool, I watched everyone on that dancefloor like I was now the predator, looking for something to sink my teeth into. Across the way, the opposite side of the room sat Kylo Ren. Sitting in one of the largest round booths that can hold up to ten people, he sat amongst a load of women; all dressed the same. Their intentions were clear. Seduce men like Kylo Ren, their Supreme Leader, because everyone in this room knew something troubled him. Well, maybe someone since his eyes stayed on my body only.

The music had become louder with each passing song as more people began to crowd the main dance floor. The floors became shinier, the air smelled of too much cologne and perfume, the auras were mixed with lust and an appetite for something other than food. For the first time, it didn't make me sick. But then again, I wasn't here for fun tonight. I was looking for someone, a young man. A grounder that stuck around Canto Bight but only under Nik's service. This guy was the key to getting the rest of his brothers to have an open agreement with me, a balanced one. But what made it difficult was when the Knights of Ren and Kylo himself made their presences known, an hour after I returned to San's hotel to change and then leave again.

I avoided his stare. Actually, I avoided all of them. Using a small amount of my new-found power from both sides, I was able to slip into everyone's minds here as a whole and saw into the Knights' heads. Any interaction, from a greeting to a stare, Kylo wanted his men to hover me until it drove me insane to the point of leaving. A scene where Kylo would interfere and take me back to San's hotel. To interrogate me, I assume. Smiling at the simple thought that sounded plausible, I stayed in my seat. A waitress walked over to bring the food and drinks I had ordered and something colored red—a wine perhaps as I questioned about this special order.

"On the house, from the Supreme Leader himself. Looks like he fancies the pretty ones." She sounded annoyed, as if Ren had ignored her thoughts as I saw in her mind what she had tried to seduce him with. As she walked away, the multicolored lights flickered around the room as I peeked down at the lavish drink. Without looking anywhere else, I used the force to send the drink flying towards one of his Knights, Vicrul; I think his name was, as I heard the crashing of the glass.

"Try harder, Kylo," I spoke mainly to myself, but if any man could read my lips, I was sure it was Ren himself as I smirked. Picking up the fruity and colorful drink I had ordered, I took a large gulp of the liquid as the coldness quenched my thirst. Picking up a fried ball of breaded meat, I threw the food into my mouth and began to chew as my eyes ventured around the room, looking for my Grounder. I knew he was here; I could sense him. I just had to find him before my demons did.

Speaking of demons, three of the Knights had moved as my attention was brought back to their haunting presence. Feeling them move around the room, two of them ventured to the second and third floors above my head, standing just beyond where the balconies overlooked the dance floor. Vicrul was on the second floor above where I sat. My thoughts lingered on him. Through the force, I could feel what he could do with it but also sensed unbalance. So, they weren't completely trained in the use of the force? How interesting. Thinking more about Vicrul, I could sense he used his knowledge of the force to project fear onto others, a trait he was known for. Funny, it didn't take much for me to do the same, even without the use of force. Something caused my attention to narrow on one singular person as I felt Kylo Ren leave his special booth. Feeling his dark energy coming towards me, my heart raced with excitement this time, feeling a little relief; it was anxiety.

I didn't look much different from when we were last here. If anything, I pulled half my hair up and left the rest of it down. The closer he got, the more I felt something from him, a primal urge to touch me. Leaning back as I took a drink with my movements, I pulled one arm over the backing of the stool, feeling lucky it had a backrest on it, and casually watched humans have their fun. The sudden pull to the dark side was euphoric, and something I didn't deny this time as Ren was now behind me, slowing his pace. Feeling people block his way through, I mentally smiled at his avoiding moves to be touched by other women.