Enlightenment (Children of Ankh series Book 2) Read online

  Grey punched him in the arm, “Don’t be that guy.”

  “What did I do?” Frost laughed back in his usual mischievous manner.

  Zach shook his head disapprovingly. He looked at Grey and said, “He’s not that much of an ass.”

  “Yes, he is that much of an ass. It’s like you don’t know him at all!” Grey chuckled as he shook his head. He scolded, “I’ll be personally disappointed in you. Don’t you dare lay a finger on her while she’s drunk.”

  All of the girls were listening to the conversation now. Lily stood up, wandered over to the boys table and remarked, “Really... Kayn can hear everything you’re saying. Frost is not plotting to deflower her tonight. That would make him Satan and I’d like to hope I have better taste in friends.”

  “I’m just happy she’s finally having a little fun,” Frost replied.

  “That’s good; we wouldn’t want her to regret her first night out in public drinking, would we?” She teased.

  Frost whispered his response, “Oh Lily... Nobody regrets a night spent with me.”

  Kayn turned away as her cheeks heated up. She pressed her palm on her face. It was hard not to react to what she was overhearing.

  Lily smirked and countered, “I was there when you were given that order Frost. It wasn’t a suggestion.”

  “I don’t need to be reminded,” Frost replied.

  Lily caught Grey’s eye as she left the table. His gaze followed her as she strolled away from them towards the bathroom. Kayn ordered another drink just as the boys were called up for their turn to sing. Kayn, Lexy and Mel scrambled over and stole their table so they’d have a decent seat up front for the impending gong show. As their tone deaf rendition of a Mariana’s Trench song began Kayn couldn’t wipe the grin off of her face. Zach was actually pretty decent so was Grey. Maybe they were all so horrible and she was so drunk that they sounded phenomenal? They sang to each girl within flirting distance. Frost of course lost his shirt five seconds into the song as always and their performance turned into a karaoke slash Chippendales show. They all laughed for a solid five minutes, nearly falling out of their chairs. Kayn couldn’t help but notice that Lily never seemed as impressed with the boys’ shenanigans as the rest of them were. They had all lost their shirts by the time the song ended. The boys were always attempting to one up each other. The naughty trio came to sit down at the table. A still shirtless Frost scooted into the booth beside Kayn. She smiled at him and shook her head while actively trying to stop herself from ogling him but she was far too drunk to be coy. He casually slipped his hand over her knee and gently squeezed it. She picked up her drink and took a sip while trying to act like his forward behavior hadn’t thrown her. He didn’t remove his hand. He left it there. Kayn smiled because she knew it was a dare. He wanted to see if she would scurry away like a frightened rabbit. She wasn’t going to offer him the satisfaction of reacting to the placement of his hand. She could feel him smiling at her stubbornness without even looking up. Desperate to think about anything else she picked up one of the coasters from the table and began to read it. As his hand traveled a seductive path from her knee to the center of her thigh, aroused she bit her lip. Kayn took another shot and exhaled. She was going to lose this game of chess if she wasn’t careful.

  Lily broke the tension as she ordered, “Put your shirts on before they kick us all out of here.”

  Grey rolled his eyes, “Why must you always be such a party pooper?”

  Zach was sitting on the other side of her. He snatched the coaster out of Kayn’s hand and gave her a glare of disapproval. He’d noticed the placement of Frost’s hand. Lexy was smiling so hard it was a little creepy. She’d done something. Zach was called up to sing.

  Zach smiled at Lexy and as he stood up, gave her a golf clap and jousted, “Kamikaze karaoke... Touché Lexy.”

  For a second Kayn had no idea which song it was and then it clicked. Oh, that’s so evil. They all began laughing hysterically as soon as the chorus started. It was, “The Woman in Me” by Shania Twain. If Lexy had expected Zach to crack under pressure or storm off of the stage mortified, she’d underestimated him. His sense of humor was wacky enough to prove her wrong. Zach didn’t flinch and without missing a beat, he belted the entire song out. He even began serenading the men sitting at the tables in front of him. Everyone was laughing so hard it turned to tears. Frost removed his hand from her knee to put on his shirt. Moments like these were amazing. The usual rules did not apply for any of them. They didn't care if they made a fool of themselves. Why would they care? Every person that they met would only in the end be a tiny blip on the screen of their existence. Kayn got up to sing next. She knew she wasn’t half bad. One by one they took turns singing. When karaoke ended, the music began. She wished she had a touch of Chloe’s confidence. The alcohol had definitely loosened her inhibitions. She wanted to be wild and carefree even if it was only for a moment until her brain cells staged a revolt. She shimmied closer to him on the bench and whispered his name, “Frost.”

  He whispered back, “What?” He was listening to Melody tell a story.

  Zach rather abruptly grabbed her hand, yanked her to her feet and towed her towards the dance floor. He laughed, “You’ll thank me later.”

  She met his eyes and sighed, “You don’t need to protect me. I’m a big girl.”

  Zach pulled her closer and whispered in her ear, “I’m your friend and you’re drunk. Things always seem like a way better idea when you’re drinking. This is all new for you. Do you have any idea how badly I want to hit on Lexy? Does that sound like a good idea?”

  Kayn chuckled, “Not even a little bit.”

  Zach whispered back, “From what I’ve heard crazy girls are always incredible. Drunk me would totally be willing to risk the aftermath.”

  Someone bumped into them and then they were shoved by someone else. Eventually they were standing in the middle of the dance floor not dancing at all, just talking. Kayn laughed, “The whole two-stepping thing is a tad lost on me. I’m horrible at this. We should go and sit down before I hurt someone.”

  They started to sway a little bit so they wouldn’t stand out as Zach whispered, “I can’t two-step either.” He spun her around the floor and they parted ways. They began doing the lawn mower and the sprinkler to the country music that was blaring. They powered through the list of hilarious dance moves that people who couldn’t dance did to be awesome. It caught on and everyone started doing it. Zach grabbed her hand and twirled her around again. She didn’t even have a chance to catch her breath. She was stolen mid-goofy-twirl by Frost.

  Zach started to laugh. He pointed at her and teased, “Behave Brighton.” Without missing a beat, Zach had a new partner.

  Everyone in the place was crammed on the small claustrophobic dance floor. Kayn had been out of breath before Frost pulled her into his arms. Now catching her breath felt impossible. With nearly perfect timing, the song changed to a slow one. In one swift skilled movement, Frost pressed the length of his body against hers. She remembered what it felt like to be in his arms and even though she was aware they were Chloe’s memories in this slightly inebriated state it felt like what she was feeling was undeniable. She relaxed with her head on his shoulder. Her hand was pressed against his chest as they danced. She could feel the rhythm of his heart pounding against her palm. He could make her forget all about everything that ailed her, if she allowed him to do what he did best. She breathed in the scent of his skin and was swept away by it. Everything about him made her want to let her guard down and just allow herself to be free. That's what Frost signified to her in one word...Freedom.

  “See, it’s not that hard... Is it?” He whispered in her ear. She cracked a grin, for that time his innuendo had been an accident. He had missed the hilarity in what he had said but she hadn’t. Kayn accidently stomped on his foot hard enough for him to sputter, “Shit, Brighton. That actually hurt.”

  She hadn't stepped on it lightly. “I’m sorry. I might be drunk,�
�� Kayn apologized.

  “You don’t say?” The dangerously sexy immortal teased as he tucked one of her wild curls behind her ear. For a second she thought he was going to kiss her and her lips parted in anticipation. She wanted him too. Instead, he dipped her and chuckled, “You weren’t lying about the dancing thing, were you? I thought you were fibbing. In my experience when a girl tells me she can’t dance, it's usually because she just doesn't want to.” He paused and for a moment they stood still while he whispered against her hair, “I’ll put dancing on the list of things I can teach you.”

  They slowly began to move together. Heat rose within her as he suggestively caressed the base of her spine. She was tempted to push him further by saying, “What else is on the list of things that you want to teach me Frost?” She met his always mischievous eyes with her own knowing he’d heard her thoughts even though she hadn’t said the words aloud. He was never thinking G rated thoughts. His day to day thoughts would never even fall under the realm of Parental Guidance. He towed her along rather suddenly as the song sped up. She was laughing wildly as he began to try to teach her how to two step like there would be some kind of dancing miracle. This of course, proved to be a terrible idea but they were both laughing hysterically by the time the song was finished.

  He prodded, “Let’s be serious for a second. Just watch my feet and try to copy what I’m doing. I know you can do it. I’m sure you’ll catch on quickly to almost everything.”

  She smiled; he always managed to say something that was open to naughty interpretation. She wanted him to kiss her. The next song was a slow one. She gathered up the guts to tell him what she wanted and just as the words were about to slip from between her lips, Grey swooped in and stole her away. Before the song was over the lights turned on, bringing with them the harsh glare of two a.m. It was closing time. The moment was lost. They all gathered at the front door of the pub and began their long moonlit walk back to the campsite. Kayn was silently walking beside Frost. Grey and Zach started to sing obnoxiously.

  Mel complained, “My feet are killing me.” She took off her heels and massaged her feet.

  Grey bent over and said, “Hop on beautiful.” He offered her a piggy back ride.

  Lily knit her brow and pouted, “My feet are killing me too.”

  Zach smiled, bent over in front of her and comically volunteered, “I will be your mighty steed.”

  Kayn watch Lily as she grinned and hopped on his back.

  “Do you want a ride too?” Frost whispered in his usual naughty manner.

  Kayn stammered, “No. I’m okay. I wore my running shoes.” I wore my running shoes… Why did she always have to be such a dork? She felt like kicking herself for not having an innuendo to say back.

  He glanced down at her feet noticing for the first time that she was in fact wearing her running shoes. “You are kind of amazing Brighton,” Frost whispered while still looking at her beaten up running shoes.

  She grinned and teased, “I do try.”

  The seemingly normal group of wasted teens made it back to their campsite in one piece. She remembered taking off her running shoes and tossing them beside the picnic table. Grey whipped off his shirt and hollered something about the pool. They all followed suit. She could recall the refreshing sensation of the water. She recalled Frost swimming after her singing, “Da, Da... Da, Da.” It was a drunken version of the jaws theme song. He caught her from behind and trapped her against the side of the pool. She recalled the feeling of his thumb hooking the back of her bra strap as he pulled her against him. She felt his breath on the nape of her neck and the overwhelming feeling of wanting something to happen. She extended her fingers on the wet cement and parted her lips as he kissed her neck. She wanted to turn around to face him but he stopped her. He laid his palm flat on her bare stomach and ran one of his fingers just underneath the underwire of her bra in the front. She gasped and arched her back against him.

  “You’re killing me Brighton, Frost groaned. “I’m not allowed.”

  “Somehow, I don’t see you as the guy that always does what he’s told,” She sparred. She felt him curl a finger around one of her damp strands of hair as he moved it out of the way. He stroked his thumb across the crescent shaped birth mark behind her ear. Then he rubbed her ear lobe seductively between his thumb and fore finger.

  He leaned in and she felt the warmth of his breath against her ear as he whispered, “You can’t afford to have me as a distraction. We’ll be friends, I can wait.”

  Kayn remembered little after that…

  In her dreams that night she was adrift in a wildly churning sea of emotions. First, she’d been dreaming of Kevin. He had been in someone else’s arms. Guilt perhaps, that she had been seconds away from the same. In her final moments of slumber, it had been Frost’s embrace she had been tangled up in. She was swept away by the incredible warm feeling of being wrapped in his muscular arms. Kayn opened her eyes but didn’t move a muscle. She was sleeping next to Frost. It was more intimate than that. She was being spooned by him. His breath rhythmically moved against her hair. The heat that radiated from his bare skin to hers caused the pit of her stomach to tighten. Her eyes widened as her head pounded a path to memories of the night before. She breathed a sigh of relief when she realized that she was still fully clothed. Kayn quietly slinked away from him. She swung her legs over the edge of the bunk bed and slipped off. It took a moment or two for the motorhome to stop feeling like it was shifting underfoot. Saying that she felt gross this morning would have been a definite understatement. She grabbed a towel and her shower bag before wandering outside into the crisp morning air. She needed space between her and the situation she’d woken up in. She would go and use the public showers. After a peaceful stagger through the forest, she arrived at the public restrooms. Kayn turned the cold dew-covered metal handle and wiped her wet hand on her shirt. She turned on the light, it flickered and only half of the light bulbs went on. They had yet to stop in a campground where the caretaker knew how to change a light bulb. She turned on the shower and adjusted the temperature to a shade less than freezing. There was no hot water…Of course there wasn’t. This was probably a healthy thing. She needed an icy shower after those steamy dreams she had been having. She knew the racy visions that caused of this mornings heated response had actually happened. They just hadn’t happened to her. Kayn bolted through the freezing water and shrieked. She laughed as she soaped herself down in preparation for the next icy dive through the frozen liquid stream. She rinsed herself off, stepped out of the shower and grabbed an elastic band from her bag for her towel-dried damp hair. She would need to remember to stick some product in it when she got back to the RV. Naturally curly hair like hers was something you learned to tame at an extremely young age. She looked in the mirror. Man, did she ever look rough this morning. She gathered her toiletries and made her way back to the motorhome. They were all awake drinking coffee at the picnic table. She walked up to the group and stood beside Frost. This was going to be awkward. “I really have no idea what happened last night,” She whispered. It was probably best to just rip the Band-Aid off of her alcohol induced amnesia.

  Frost whispered in her ear, “You had a fantastic time. I was a perfect gentleman. I would never lay a finger on you unless you were of sound mind and even then, you would have to ask me to.”

  Every nerve ending in her body instantly became alert. He always knew exactly what to say. He was standing just a little too close, enjoying the effect that his words had on her. Frost brushed against her from behind. Kayn shivered as an electric current of energy travelled through her entire body. He was her partner in this naughty tango.

  He whispered in her ear, “I want you Frost. That’s all you have to say.”

  Kayn struggled to keep a straight face as her pigment enflamed to brilliant rouge. He’d ignited something inside of her…Something she wasn’t going to be able to ignore. Kayn ran through her list of excuses. It came down to the undeniable fact that she was
a grown woman and she was feeling the need to go against her grain. Was this her inner Chloe winning the battle for control over her heart or was this a normal teenage thing? How would she know? There was nothing about her situation that could be misconstrued as normal. She could try and tell herself that she was growing tired of fighting her sister’s feelings. That’s all this fixation on him was. That was a lie. She had feelings of her own for him. She had been trying so hard to deny something that now felt inevitable.

  “We’ll be driving to the next location tonight. You can all have the day to relax and have fun tomorrow,” Lily announced. She made eye contact with Kayn and winked.

  There were whispers of the dark job that was coming as they pulled away from the small town and drove past the little pub they’d had such a fantastic time in the night before. There was unspoken anxiety brewing within the RV. The phrase ‘dark job’ was not even spoken unless it would be crossing a line for everyone in some way. It was unusual for Markus to send them on this kind of job. There were certain things they weren’t supposed to do until they were Enlightened. The story of the job drifted out in conversation during the drive. It was a demonic possession. A man was destined to do the unthinkable. He would murder his wife and his two children and they were not allowed to intervene. Everybody knew the drill. They knew that there must be a reason. The act was going to cause some kind of chain reaction that must be allowed to unfold.