Raven of Water

Chapter 13: Date Night

Over the next several days, I avoided the demon. Or he avoided me. I wasn't quite sure who was doing the avoiding or what to make of the man or the kiss or the way that, when I slept, I kept imagining him turning into the raven that I'd been dreaming of since I was a child.

These new dreams always started by playing out like normal. The ending was where they changed. As always, the raven would fly down in front of me and stretch his wings, but now there was a flash of blue that transformed the bird into the charming man that was Kirroz's human form. Only in my dreams, gone were the bespoke suits, fitted and form hugging. Instead, he was shirtless and wearing a pair of loose-fitting linen pants that hung so low on his hips that I thought they'd fall off.

I wanted them to fall off...

Then I'd wake up alone and sweating in my bed and desperately confused. My grandfather had mercifully been leaving me to my own devices during these few days, although I didn't know why he wasn't harping on me to begin working with the demon on whatever evil plan the dark lord had concocted.

Jackson, too, had been giving me space, although as the day of our date approached, I struggled with how to tell him about the demon...and the kiss. He'd probably be furious. Jackson got jealous easily, and my worry over his reaction was enough to make me not want to tell him about how I'd made out with Kai.

Kirroz.

Why did I keep calling him Kai in my head?

The most unsettling thing was that kissing the demon had shown me a few very important things. Namely, I didn't think I was in love with Jackson, and I was worried that I wanted more of Kirroz. Wanting more of the demon was a problem because even if I could find the courage to leave my fiancée, I couldn't ever be with a servant to the dark lord. Besides, my grandfather would never allow it.

These thoughts consumed me as I stepped out of the Uber, nervously fiddling with my dress, which was shorter than I would've liked for it to be. It was the one that Jackson had chosen for me.

I didn't like fancy clothes that made me feel as if every inch of my skin was exposed. Or fancy restaurants. But Jackson Kennedy, lawyer to the stars, did like these things. I huffed over the sound of my clacking heels on the sidewalk as I made my way from a side street where I'd gotten dropped off to the entrance of the restaurant called Baria. I didn't want people to see me being dropped off in an Uber, not when all the other patrons had personal drivers and stretch limos and luxury cars. It would've been worse if I had driven my own car. My poor Prius would stand out like a sore thumb amid the sea of Jags and Audis.

As I rounded the corner, I saw Jackson waving to a couple photographers who were camped out trying to snap pictures of celebrities, most of whom were just out attempting to have a nice time with friends and family.

As I neared the ropes blocking off the entrance to the restaurant from a crowd of a few people hanging around outside, a burly man wearing a dour expression stepped into my path. I flinched as I took in the little tag on his suit that indicated he was security for Baria.

"Where are you going, ma'am?"

"I... uhm... I've got a reservation. Well, my fiancée does. Jackson Kennedy."

"Jackson Kennedy is your fiancée?"

"Yes. I mean, we've kept it on the down low from the media. But, yes. We're engaged."

The man laughed in a manner that had my ire, and my magic, surfacing, and I did my best to keep a level head as I grew increasingly offended by the man who obviously thought he was better than me and that Jackson was leagues above both of us.

"I'll believe you're Jackson Kennedy's fiancée when pigs fly."

"Alexandra! What took you so long?"

I cringed when Jackson stormed over to us, glaring at the guy wordlessly until he undid the rope and let me through while muttering an apology.

"I'm sorry, Jackson, I had trouble getting the car and—"

Jackson stopped glaring at the bouncer long enough to grab my elbow, pulling me a little too forcefully as he guided me toward the restaurant door while cameras flashed behind us, disorienting me.

"Jackson..." I started to say as my heel got caught on the carpet of the entrance.

Jackson, oblivious to the fact that I was about to fall, strode over to the host to tell him we were there for our reservation, and without the man's support on my arm, I felt myself teeter for a moment before I began to pitch forward. The plants in the restaurant lobby leaned outward, instinctively trying to help break my fall, although none were near enough to stop my forward momentum.

In my mind, I felt my body hit the ground, and my cheeks flush with embarrassment. The whole scene played out in my head, but when my wits returned to me, there was someone grabbing my arm, keeping me from making an ass of myself in front of everybody.

"Don't fall, darling." I looked up to find Kirroz smiling and winking at me, and the sight made my mouth run dry. He was wearing a suit even nicer than the ones I'd seen him in so far, and I gasped when his hand massaged my forearm before he let my arm slip from his grasp once he realized that I'd found my footing.

This was the first time we'd seen each other since the kiss, and I wanted to throw myself into his arms and hug him. I wanted to make out right there while melting into his hold. That realization had me flushing and taking a step back.

"Alexandra, are you coming?"

"I...yes...I—"

"She isn't yet."' Kai whispered with another wink as Jackson whirled around to see why I wasn't following him and the host to our table.

"Uhm, Jackson, this is Kirroz."

The glare of jealousy on my fiancée's face morphed to a look of recognition as he realized that the Kai standing before me was the demon I'd summoned. The one sent by the dark lord to help me open a portal for the forces of chaos and destruction. The one grandfather had been genuflecting in front of since the demon had arrived in this world.

"Oh, sir. My apologies. I've heard so much about you from Jacaro and Alexandra." As he spoke, Jackson moved past me, holding his hand out for Kai to shake. The demon stared at the offered hand, amused as he then turned to me and quirked a brow.

"Blood letter. I didn't realize you had such interesting taste in partners."

I choked out a laugh as Jackson tramped down his irritation, trying and failing to keep his expression passive and unaffected by the demon's dig at him.

"Sir, I'm sorry I haven't met you until now," he said, lowering his hand as he continued, "but I'm sure you've heard about me from Jacaro. I'm a lawyer, you see. Travel a lot for work. Anyway, are you here with someone? Here for dinner? You're welcome to join Alexandra and myself if you'd like to."

"No," Kai shook his head, gaze growing wistful for a moment as he offered me a wan smile, "I just came to grab a drink at the bar. The two of you should enjoy your date."

"Sir—"

But Kai was gone, turning to stride into the bar area of the restaurant without so much as a backwards glance. Beside me, Jackson sighed before finally speaking. "They won't hold our table forever. I wish he would have agreed to eat with us."

I nodded, turning and following Jackson to the dining room while keeping my eyes trained on Kai's back. Something about the set of his shoulders told me he was sad. Again, I didn't know how I knew things about him like I did, but at this point, I'd learned to trust my intuition when it came to the demon with kind eyes.

It wasn't long before Jackson and I were out of sight of Kai in the bar area at the front of the restaurant, menus in hand while Jackson proceeded to do what he did best: talk.