A Legacy of the Damned: Daughter of Astaroth

Chapter 5 - Who Lets the Dog in and the Baby Out?

The Nephilims stood when Dimitra first approached them. Now, Dimitra is draping herself all over Sacha Gauthier like a serpent while the Nephilim woman, whose name I learned is Marina, is hugging his other arm like a vine. It's like watching two small children fighting over a swing at a playground.

The expression on Sacha Gauthier's gorgeous face never changed. It stays cold and impersonal like the attention of the two beautiful women isn't affecting him at all. He looks so bored, it's bordering on insolence.

Not many people could ignore Dimitra's seduction. I bet his indifference is driving her crazy. I know my sister, she's taking it as an insult and sees it as a challenge.

"Don't even bother with the Nephilims, especially Sacha Gauthier," says Deedee in my ear. She must have noticed me watching him. "He's dangerous and he's not interested in half-demons, Danica. Dimitra is a fool."

"I'm not interested in him," I lie.

"Where are you going?" Deedee asks, grabbing my arm as I try to step out of my hiding place behind the spray of flowers.

I jerk my arm out of her tight grip. "Astaroth has already seen me. I don't see the point in hiding anymore." I take Juniper's hand and drag her away. "Come, Juni, I'm bored. Let's dance."

Deedee's plump red lips thinned and her nostrils flare but she doesn't do anything to stop me. Her cornflower-blue eyes follow Juniper and me to the dancefloor.

The singer is crooning a slow jazz song, so we don't have a choice but to slow dance like several other couples in the room. Not that it's a problem, I've slow danced with Juniper so many times in the past.

We're the dynamic duo, Juniper and I. We're very good at attracting every male attention wherever we go. Juniper, to feed her lust. Me, to feed my vanity.

Juniper places her hands on my shoulders and I hold on to her waist as we move. Hips swaying, our steps synchronized, our movement practiced and sensual.

I try to lose myself in the music as I usually do when I'm dancing but I can't seem to keep him out of my mind. Keeping my eyes off him is a struggle enough. All my senses are tuned in on him.

I know the exact moment he sets his eyes on me. I feel the scorching heat between my shoulder blades. I feel his gaze like a trail of fire moving slowly from the top of my head to the slope of my naked back, the length of my long legs, down to the tip of my nude colored high heel shoes. Never have I ever felt such a strong feeling just from someone's inspection of me before. It feels much more intense than Juniper's physical touch on me right now.

Then I feel his gaze on the side of my face and it stays there as if he's willing me to turn and face him. I can feel it so acutely, it makes my heart race. It makes me lose my mind and miss my steps that I almost stomped on Juniper's foot. My movement becomes clumsy.

The longer I keep my face averted from him, the stronger I feel his command to turn and look at him. It's as though we're having a silent war without even talking. Without even looking at each other. He's demanding me to surrender and the longer I resist, the worse it gets.

My knees feel weak and my breathing feels heavy and Juniper is staring at me strangely. It gets to the point where resisting his command becomes an impossibility so, finally, I guide Juniper to make a slow turn.

Our eyes meet and locked over Juniper's shoulder. Something past between us. A recognition. A connection. It's like a zap of lightning.

His eyes are hooded and intense. unwavering. Something flickers in them. An emotion that I don't have a name for.