They rolled their eyes and helped me, teleporting here and there, all of us calling for Rufus. Predictably, it was Sebastian who found him.
“I’ve got him!” He yelled from a distance. I expected him to teleport back to me, but he didn’t appear. The others did.
I looked around at them. “Has Sebastian stolen my dog?!” I asked incredulously. They shrugged, all of us peering around for Sebastian. Eventually he came into sight, walking and carrying Rufus in his arms. Rufus was grinning a doggy grin and gazing at Sebastian adoringly.
Chris laughed, “I don’t think he’s entirely your dog any more, Katie!”
“What are you doing?” I asked Sebastian with a laugh.
Sebastian looked embarrassed, and put Rufus down. I clipped his lead back on, and looked at Sebastian, waiting for an answer. “I didn’t think he’d like to teleport.” He mumbled, looking even more embarrassed.
“Fuck, you’re adorable!” I laughed and gave him a hug.
“You hear that, Seth?” Sebastian said over my shoulder with a smirk, as he caught me in his arms. “I’m adorable!”
I wriggled free and shoved him good naturedly. “My dog is not the way into my pants!” I scolded with a grin.
“What is then?!” Seth and Sebastian shouted together, grinning. Chris looked uncomfortable.
I laughed at them.
“Oh, before I forget. Mum wants to know if you guys want to come for dinner for my birthday again.”
“Again?!” Sebastian cried. “Didn’t we just do that?”
I rolled my eyes at him. “Happens every year, dickhead.” He poked his tongue out at me.
“We’ll all be there. Katie. Let us know the details.” Sera smiled.
I smiled back, and turned to head for home. I turned back and gave them a curtsey. “Goodbye, my Lords!” I said with a smirk.
“My Queen!” They said mockingly in unison, bowing.
“Oh yeah, get used to that!” I told them.
They laughed and disappeared, and I walked home with Rufus, feeling safer than I had in a very long time.
Twelve.
I was heading out from school, on my way home, when someone grabbed my arm and called my name. I silently cursed myself for forgetting Seth’s first lesson, yanked my arm out of their grasp, and spun to face them, ready to fight. It was Lachlan, a guy from a few of my classes. He raised his hands in surrender and said with a grin, “Woah! I come in peace! Jonno really did a number on you, didn’t he?”
I stared at him emotionlessly, and an image of Sebastian and Lucifer holding me while I cried popped into my head. Lachlan grinned at me for a bit, and as I kept staring at him his grin faltered.
“Ah, sorry. I probably shouldn’t have said that.”
I raised an eyebrow at him. “What do you want?” I asked tersely.
He shifted his feet nervously. “Um, well, you know, school finishes up in a couple of weeks. Some of us are having a, um, break up party I guess. It’d be cool if you could come.”
“The weekend school finishes?”
“Yeah.” He gave me a grin that I think was supposed to be dazzling.
“I’m busy.” I turned to keep walking, and he grabbed me again. I looked from his hand to his eyes with an incredulous look on my face. He took his hand away and laughed, a little nervously.
“Aw, come on. Don’t be like that. Come.” He wheedled.
“Like what?” I demanded as I put my hands on my hips.
“You know.” He gestured to my aggressive posture. “So… psycho.”
I tilted my head, and looked him in the eye. “Your buddy tried to rape me at the last party I went to. Tell me, how should I be?”
Peripherally, I was aware of a motorbike pulling up. Lachlan laughed nervously. “Oh come on, it wasn’t like that. You both had a few too many, one thing led to another…” He trailed off.
I was enraged. I wanted to tear him apart. I said nothing, fighting myself for control, fists clenched so they didn’t pull a knife.
“Hey, Katie. Sorry I’m late.” The smell of hot cinnamon doughnuts and rain after a hot day filled my nostrils, and I was calmed. I turned to Lucifer, and was struck for the first time in a while by how beautiful he was. Which gave me an idea, that I thought would both shut Lachlan down, and make Lucifer laugh.
“Oh, hi, babe!” I chirped. I threw myself into his surprised arms, pressed myself against him, rose up on my tiptoes, and kissed him.
It didn’t go as planned.
He wound his fingers into my hair with one hand, and pulled me close against him with the other. My hands found his shoulders and I relaxed into him as the rest of the world disappeared. His heat spread throughout my body, and when he stopped kissing me, I was absolutely breathless. He smiled mysteriously at me, and asked, “Who is your friend?”
I was confused. What was he talking about? Lucifer pointed at Lachlan, who was watching us with his mouth open. I blushed furiously and stepped away from Lucifer, and coughed.
“Oh. Luke, this is Lachlan. He’s… he’s one of Jonathon’s friends.”
Lucifer’s expression hardened, and he stepped closer to Lachlan, towering over him menacingly. “Give that piece of shit a message for me.” He commanded. “Tell him, if any of you little fuckers touch my girl again- ever- I will hunt you down and gut you like an animal.” His voice was completely cold, but I saw silver flash in his eyes and knew he was angry.
“Yeah, sure, whatever man.” Lachlan’s voice squeaked a little. “I didn’t know she had a boyfriend. Ah, see you around, Katie.” And he walked away, just a little too fast.
Lucifer gave me a half smile and took my hand, leading me to a nearby motorbike. “Where did you get that?” I found my voice.
He handed me a helmet, and said, “I thought a grand entrance might be in order.” And swung a leg over the bike, waiting for me to awkwardly climb on behind him.
He stopped outside my house, when I climbed off and handed the helmet back, he said to me with a knowing smile, “I have to return this. See you in a couple of weeks? Paulo’s again, right?”
“Ah, yeah, six pm again. See you then, Lucifer.”
I went inside, and, grateful my mother was at work, laid down on the living room floor and shrieked into a cushion. Almost without thinking, I prayed to Seth. Then immediately regretted it. Too late, he was there. “You ok, Katie?!” He asked concernedly, rushing to my side.
I sat up, peeked over the cushion, and squeaked, “I’m fine. You can go. Thanks, though.”
He frowned at me. “You don’t look fine. What’s up?”
I groaned, got to my feet, and sank down on to the couch, burying my burning face in my hands.
“You cannot tell anyone else this.” I mumbled.
“Yeah, ok, what is it?” He was still worried about me.
“Swear to me!” I insisted.
He rolled his eyes. “I swear I will keep your secrets, Katie.”
“I, I um… I kinda…” A thought occurred to me. “Hang on, can Lucifer read your mind?!”
“Oh for fucks sake. We’ve explained this. No, we can’t read each- others’ thoughts, not even him.” Seth was exasperated.