The Meeting

Nicholas first kissed me softly, his lips so gentle on mean as though I might break under his hidden passion. Unable to move, held in place by his arm around my waist, I kissed him back. Then his mouth grew fiercer, he moved his hand that cupped my face and knotted his fingers in my hair; his arm pulled me impossibly closer to him. I gave a small gasp and Nicholas continued to kiss me as if it was our very last night on Earth.

I could feel his hand leaving my hair and making it’s way towards my knee. Nicholas’ hand pulled my leg up to hitch it at his hips, leaving me balancing on one knee on the floor of the forest. I then realized, at this point, that I had an arm around his neck, clutching his shoulder with my hand, and my other hand on his chest inside his shirt that he wore with the top two buttons undone, my fingers were spread widely across the panes of his muscle. I could feel as well as hear his heartbeat, I drummed hard, fast and loud, harder, faster and louder than I had ever heard somebody’s heart go before.

Nicholas gently lowered me until I was lying on the ground, he had one arm braced next to my head to keep himself hovering over me and the other still tight around my waist. I had always been close to Nicholas.

But never before had we been this close.

I moved my face to the side, I needed to breathe, my breath came ragged and sharp. Nicholas however had no such need yet and moved his lips to my jaw. I could hear something a heart beat, not the rapid beat of Nicholas’, but a calming more rhythmic sound. I inhaled deeply, just faintly, under the scents of the forest and the pleasant smell of charred wood and cinnamon that radiated from Nicholas, I could smell the crisp scent of frost and the freshness of grass. Somebody was watching us.

“Dreadfully sorry, to interrupt, you are clearly in the middle of something, or else were about to be, but could you direct me to where Lord Harrison’s coven are settled?” a deep and alluring voice asked. His straight, midnight hair was laid across his handsome face casually, he had a streak of blue in his frindge. He had pale blue (the same blue as the streak in his hair) and black eyes that reminded me of the lake where I and my friends would swim leisurely on warm nights. An amused smile was spread across his beautiful face, he hadn’t yet even glanced at me keeping his eyes solely on Nicholas, who looked back with obvious anger in his glare. “You two are from his coven I presume?” he asked, when Nicholas didn’t reply. Nicholas looked like he was about to explode with fury, his fists clenched tightly all the muscles in his body were tensed.

“Yes we are, Lord Harrison is my father,” I said standing up, Nicholas followed my lead. I wondered why this stranger was looking for our coven, this had certainly been out of the ordinary. “My name is Scarlett, this is Nicholas. Please forgive his bad manners and general rudeness.” Noticing my hint Nicholas held out his hand to the stranger, who ignored it. He was staring at me, well I say at me but it was more like he was staring into me to be perfectly honest, with those pale blue and black eyes. He bowed his head to me in respect.

“I beg your pardon, my lady,” He smiled a little. His eyes became brighter when he smiled I noticed. “My name is Derrick, I wish to speak with your father.” He said, a mixture of admiration, respect and a hint of mischievousness in his voice.

“As you wish,” I answered. I turn my back to him and ran through the forest toward the coven. Nicholas followed with Derrick along side him. Nicholas would normally run ahead, it was suspicious that he would be stay back. He had possibly wanted to keep a close eye on this stranger.

A wispy cloud drifted over the moon as we whipped through the forest. It was the only cloud in the sky that night, I could see every star in the sky as they twinkled their light against the very deep blue sky. Beautiful.

We had nearly reached the coven, I could see the flare of the bonfire and the glint of the moon and stars and the flames reflecting off of the motionless lake. Near by I could hear the thrashing of the waterfall as the water battered against rocks and boulders. I could hear Saffron’s laughter as her and Heather shared a joke. I skidded to a stop right next to my two best girl friends. “Has my father returned yet?” I asked. Saffron’s blonde hair glowed by the light of the bonfire, her bright, golden yellow eyes grew happier when she saw me. Heather’s wise, purple eyes widened with delight and her medium brown curls bounced as she jumped up and hugged me. After I’d escaped from Heather’s embrace, I was caught up by Saffron’s.

“I missed you so much,” Saffron said, releasing me.

“Next time, we all go hunting together,” said Heather, nodding her head.

“Agreed,” all three of us said together.

“Has my father returned yet?” I asked again.

“He has now,” Heather said, upon seeing my father enter the clearing where our coven settled. He was now throwing more wood into the bonfire, his swept back dark brown hair and luminous orange and black eyes, without a wrinkle on his face; he didn’t look a day over twenty although he was seventy-one.

“I’ll only be two moments,” I informed my friends. I skipped around to the other side of the bonfire to my father, who was crouching next to it watching the flames intently, and tapped him on the shoulder. He looked up from the dancing flames with him orange eyes. As soon as he saw it was me, he got up from his crouched position and hugged me, when he pulled away eventually and gave me his fatherly smile.

“Father, I have someone who wishes to speak with you,” I told him, I’d loved my father and could never have thought of a time when hadn’t.

“Who might that be, Scarlett?” He asked, intrigued.

“He says his name is Derrick, myself and Nicholas sort of bumped into him in the woods and he requested to see you,” I told him and started walking to where Nicholas was standing with Derrick on the edge of the clearing.

“Derrick, you say?” Father said, he had sounded worried, not for himself so much but like he was worried or scared for someone else.

“Yes, Father,” I answered. He ruffled my hair, making me feel five years old again. We were now standing with Nicholas and Derrick. Nicholas’ arms crossed over his chest, glaring at Derrick. Derrick stood casually with his arms hanging at his sides.

“My Lord,” Nicholas bowed his head in respect to my father but never once tore his eyes from Derrick.

“Nicholas, why don’t you and Scarlett go enjoy the bonfire?” my father said. It wasn’t a question it was a command. I could see Nicholas was reluctant to do what my father said but my father was coven leader, and coven leader’s word was law.

“Of course,” Nicholas replied, he finally had stopped scowling at Derrick and turned to smile at me. He walked by me toward the bonfire, I turned to follow him.

I went back over to Saffron and Heather, who were now also with Rosalyn and Belle, and Nicholas joined Oscar, Robert and Alfred. “Okay, so what happened in the woods with you and Nicholas?” Belle asked, with eyes the colour of bluebells hungry for details and her wavy, light brown hair looked as if it may become static since she was practically vibrating from anticipation.

“Yes, please tell us.” Saffron added. No body mentioned Derrick that night because they knew I either knew nothing or was sworn to secrecy for anything I did know.

“Don’t miss anything out,” Rosalyn said, shaking her head, her soft pink and black eyes intent on my red and black ones, her dark blonde hair sat in a short bob that perfectly framed her petite face. Heather just smiled at me expectantly.

“He kissed me,” I admitted. There was a round of gasps from all four of them.

“Details. Now. N. O. W. Now,” Saffron said, her dandelion eyes wide.

“I would rather not hear details about my friends kissing experience with my brother!” Belle said.

“You knew he was going to didn’t you not?! He told you! And you never thought to fill us in?!” Heather accused.

“Yes but he made me promise not to tell,” Belle said shyly.

“Belle, if you do not want details, I advise that you cover your ears now, because I want to hear the inside and outside of this, okay?” Rosalyn advised. Belle took her advise and clamped her hands over her ears.

“Alright, so we were just walking back and this little bat crashes so I pick it up, put the poor thing on my lap and stroke it until it get’s it’s confidence to get back into the air again. When the bat flew away Nicholas got on his knees in front of me and said he wanted to do something, then he took me by the waist and just started kissing me,” I told them, I had thought it would be a good idea to leave the bit about Derrick interrupting out. But that was that long or short of what happened.

“What was it like?” Heather asked.

“He’s not a bad kisser, to be perfectly honest,” I told her, my cheeks reddening. They all laughed.

“It really was a pleasure meeting you, my lady,” said Derrick behind me. I turned to see him smiling brilliantly at me.

“Scarlett, call me Scarlett. I prefer it, ‘my lady’ makes me feel different,” I told him honestly.

“You are different, in a most amazing way. I’ve only just met you minutes ago and even I know that. I knew it when I first looked into your eyes.” his smile widened and I got butterflies in my stomach. I could feel my blush returning in my cheeks. “Perhaps I might have the pleasure of us crossing paths again, hopefully soon.”

“Perhaps,” I answered. I stared after him as he approached the edge of the clearing and Derrick disappeared into the forest.

Author's Note

Hope you like it! x :)