Jewelry

Curls of ribbon and lace hung from the ceiling, spinning and uncurling in the soft breeze that entertained the room like a lone ballet dancer. Leftovers from the early party Yuki, Shinra, Kyoga, and Samon had thrown for me earlier since they all had to leave for a ceremonial greeting later today. Leaving me alone, the stillness of the house was uncanny as I paced the floor silently; tonight at midnight would strike my eighteenth birthday. The demons had gone all out for me with decorating the home we shared with tinsel and banners that said “Happy Birthday Sofia,” I should be happy d****t. Yet, here I was anxiously running a crop circle into the tatami mats waiting for that idiot of a fox to come back home. It was irritating; we got into a fight a few days ago regarding his behavior towards my human friends, he didn’t need to threaten their lives for f**k’s sake.

All my friends wanted to do was take me to a specialty jeweler shop to get a handcrafted charm of my choice with them, since it was going to be my eighteenth birthday, they wanted to christen the event with something extraordinary. But no…. Miyabi decided that I didn't need to go out with my friends. Wait, let me rephrase that; I DIDN'T NEED FRIENDS because I only need him by my side for all eternity. He even had the audacity to tell me I’m not allowed to go with anyone anywhere unless he is with me, and that I didn’t need jewelry from anyone, the only gift I should appreciate was his presence. I mean really? I knew how cocky he could get, but that literally peeved me off, we practically had a screaming war of the century. It’s hard enough trying to cover it up that he isn’t human but downright growling and threatening to send my friends to hell was damn overboard, a weighty groan escaped my pursed lips as I dropped to my feet and sat on the floorboards. “Where are you, stupid?”

            Drawing my knees into my chest I wrapped my arms around them and pressed my forehead against my kneecaps, my heart tightened as I thought of him. I hadn’t meant to tell him to just evaporate and leave me; it was far beyond what I really wanted… I just wanted him to be more unperturbed and trust me for damn sake! Lifting my head up I looked out to see the moon smoothly ascending to the heavens, its graceful gait entranced me as I sat there waiting for the clock to strike midnight. The loud tapping of the minute clock against the wall resonated with every tick of the hand, closing my eyes I listened to the dead quiet of the room until the clock finally chimed midnight. “Happy birthday to me…”

            I sniffled as I laid my head back into my knees, I was alone and the one person I wanted so badly to be here with me to celebrate with me was gone. “I’m sorry Miyabi,” a tear slid down the side of my cheek, “please just come home.” Fingers digging into the back of my calves, I sat there in the turmoil of my thoughts, regretting the fact that I missed him and that we fought over something so easily fixable.

             “I knew you would miss me,” I jerked my head up instantly to meet an all too familiar egotistical glower, Miyabi's irises swirled with an all knowing ‘you-can’t-live-without-me-at-all-can-you?’ presence within them. Dropping to his knees he leaned forward and grabbed the underside of my chin and licked at the salty droplets of tears that had streamed down my face. Damn him. “What a cute expression,” Miyabi snickered as he pressed me down to the ground, his body hovering over mine as he traced a teasing finger along the line of my jaw and down to my collar bone. My heart began to gradually increase at the close proximity of his warmth, shaking my head violently to knock some sense into myself I struck him hard on his chest, “WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN A*****E!?” The solid bones of my knuckle smashed into the broad toned muscles of his upper body, I knew it was fruitless to even try and smack the s**t out of him for being such an ignorant b*****d but he had me worried sick. “WHY DID YOU JUST LEAVE!? WHY DIDN’T YOU CALL!? HOW DARE YOU!” With raised fists I went to punch him this time, but before I could make contact with his face, Miyabi spellbound my wrists in an iron cast hold, “I’m sorry Sofia.”

            I froze upon hearing his words, did he actually say 'I'm sorry?' Before I could respond, a pleasurable flick of heat enamored me. Sucking in a sharp breath I watched as his tongue languidly stroked the inside of my hand, Miyabi’s fingers loosening as he pressed a tender kiss into the flesh of my wrist. I observed as he moved to the other hand, his mouth lovingly graced my skin with the gentlest touch I’ve ever experienced from him. It was unreal. “I was angry, we both were.” He released both my hands from his embrace, steadily leaning over me he pressed both of his hands to either side of me and lowered his lips to mine, his mouth leisurely burning a sweet and intoxicating kiss that sent an instantaneous shock of warmth flooding to my insides.

            Like a moth drawn to the seductive inferno of deadly luminosity, my hands trailed up the firm grooves and ridges of his body. Mapping out the extensive and smooth feel of his skin against the palms of my curious hands, his tongue wrapped around mine as we both drank from each other's lips. A passionate heat passing through us as his mouth came down stronger and fiercer, dominating and claiming my very being with the scorching euphoria of his yearning. With an achingly excruciating release, Miyabi ended our kiss with his teeth faintly nipping and sucking my bottom lip, a playful jest that he always did when he knew that I had given in to one of his whims. “I apologized to your friends,” the fox caressed the side of my face as he sat up on his hunches, “I spoke to them regarding the jewelry issue, we had some arguments but we came to a conclusion that we all would pitch in and help make your birthday gift really memorable.” Miyabi’s eyes glinted with something affectionate and yet roguish as he spoke. ”I was with them for a few days making this for you with them,” raising his hands so that it was in front of his chest, he made circular revolution with his fingers. A malleable breeze cooed between us as a minute spark ignited amid his rotating gestures, I watched in awe as a smooth wooden box began to slithered out from an imperceptible doorway and quietly levitated towards me. My throat going dry as I looked to him then to the package that floated between undetectable hands, gulping air, I hesitated briefly before gingerly positioning my hands onto the sides of the container and drew it onto my lap.

            My fingers traced the leveled surface of the box with curiosity as I hooked one finger under the cover and opened the box, what I saw left me flabbergasted. “Miyabi….” Reaching deep within the small wooden crate I touched the most foreign looking gems I could have ever have expected to receive, a wide array of eloquent and ghostly white bracelets beaded with auburn and cerulean jewels twisted with gold slept among cherry satin cloth. “It’s … I don’t even know what to say..” My voice wavered slightly as I began to put illustrious charms on, hypnotized by the exotic majesty of the present I couldn't help but become enthralled.

            “There is also one last piece,” he whispered into my ear as he conjured something between his fingers, a flash of indigo glimmered in his hand as a stunning wine-red head piece emerged. Slivers of scarlet rubies, deep ocean sea sapphires, and twilight onyx christened the head band with regal elegance, to look upon its imperial presence took my breath away. My gaze flicked to Miyabi as he parted my hair to the side and tucked the seductively alluring piece into the waves of my chocolate locks. “I knew this would suit you.”

            Getting up I went at once to a mirror and glanced upon my reflection in both awe and delight, the jewels shimmered and sparkled against the twinkle of moonlight. My heart racing as I turned to look at the fox, “thank you Miyabi,” I was practically breathless as I raced over to the nearby table and grabbed my phone. “I need to thank everyone else! I can’t believe how stunning these all turned out, I 'm truly grateful.”

            As I went to punch in my friends numbers I noticed Miyabi tilt his head to the side with a bizarre smirk on his features, “your friends already know you’re thankful.” The fox sat placidly as I gave him a droll stare, “I know they probably know I’m happy, but I’d rather thank them all and invite them over later today to celebrate with us properly here.” A annoyed sigh escaped from Miyabi as I glanced at him from the mirror, typing the numbers into my cell I dialed my first friend and reached only her voicemail. I hadn’t found it strange at first, but after all five friends cell phones had sent me directly to voicemail an odd sensation began to consume me. Every year we had stayed up for each other's birthdays until midnight, it couldn't be that all of them had just decided to go to bed and not greet me a happy birthday this year because of Miyabi, is it?

            “Sofia,” I jumped as Miyabi was unexpectedly behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist, “if you want to thank your friends properly, look into the mirror here and tell them that.” I frowned at his use of words, “if you listen closely you can hear them talking to you. In whispers.” The crease between my brows furrowed even more as I turned to look at my reflection, my friends... in the mirror? Cocking my head slightly to the right, I peered into my own reflected face, studying the curve of my face to the glowing brilliance of my jewelry. The intricate pieces glittering with a purely passive golden glow that seemed to emulate something strangely haunting, "help us....."

            "What...." the jagged razors of alarm began to carve into me, like a ghost the voices began to ascend from beyond the looking glass. "He killed us .... Sofie...." In horror the regal jewels that adorn my body began to bleed, seeping tears of cruor down the sides of my wrists to the long strands of my hair. "He killed us Sofia, HE KILLED US." Pain radiated through me as I dropped to my knees in front of the glass fixture before me, flashes of smiling faces turned to twisted horror as visions of a bloody massacre played out upon the mirror. Blood splattered upon walls, organs ripped out from flesh, bones carved into material. I could hear them, taste their fear, and worst of all I could see their deaths as the cursed charms that laid upon my skin began to seethe into my flesh. “NOOO NOOO PLEASE!!! SOFIA!!! HELP US!!!” Bile began to build in the back of my throat as the last of the images smeared and embellished themselves into my memories. My own reflection cracking in two as the souls of the dead shattered the glass into billions of shards, carrying the agonizing screeches of my friends within them, “Now then…” Miyabi chuckled, “we'll never have to fight over your friends again." I screamed.