When Stars Collide || On Hold

3.

TWENTY MINUTES INTO the second course of the meal was when the polite chatter of the dining room came to a rather abrupt halt. The double doors that lead out to the hallway swung open in a rude manner, a six foot something young man waltzing through without even a hint of bashfulness.

His bright silver eyes circled the room, eyebrows raising when he came across a few faces he recognized until they finally rested on her. The silver in his eyes seemed to brighten when he looked over her features, from her olive green eyes to her fiery curls. She kept her eyes low when he didn't look away, but she couldn't help attempting to sneak a few looks at him.

His hair was as dark as a raven's feather and kept in a bun atop his head. His silver eyes contrasted against the hair in such a manner that it nearly startled her, she couldn't seem to look away. There was evidence that he was older than her-sixteen-year-old-self from the dark, neatly trimmed stubble on his jawline to the simple way he composed himself. His strides were long, swift and sure as he made his way to the place card that marked his seat catty corner to her own.

The guard that stood behind her, Vincent, hurried around the table to take the suit coat that the young man was shrugging off. Under the black blazer was a black button down with a black skinny tie, in fact, his whole outfit was black. She had determined that he was from the Underworld given she had never seen him before, but his attire left no room to question her deduction.

He brought his silver eyes to hers again, his eyebrow arching as a smirk spread out on his sun-kissed face, he was amused. Her Ability had only just begun developing, but she could feel his amusement rolling through the air, causing her to tear her eyes away from his seemingly flawless face.

"Ah, Thaddeus, I'm glad you could make it," Jokim said finally, breaking the silence.

"Of course, m'Lord. Father regrets to have me inform you, but he will not be joining us this evening. He sends his regards, of course." His voice was deep, strong, alluring–she couldn't help it when her eyes glanced up at him. He was already looking at her, she wasn't sure if he had ever looked away, in truth.

"Well," her father said, a warm smile spread across his face, "it is certainly nice to at least have your company."

"I am pleased that I could make it," he said, finally removing his eyes from her to look at Jokim, returning the warm smile.

The polite chatter returned for the remainder of the last three courses. One of the angel Marises–whom the Humans would refer to as a Duke–kept up a light banter with the young prince, asking him questions like "Where did you spend the summer season?" and "Did you enjoy your time on Earth?" Thaddeus answered them with great detail, seeming genuinely interested in the conversation. He was nothing like how she'd imagined Lucifer's son would be.

He was polite, well spoken, well mannered. He looked into the eyes of the person he spoke to, laughed at jokes that actually weren't that funny. He knew which fork was for salad and which was for getting the meat out of the crab legs. He took appropriate sized sips from his flute, during which he took every opportunity to meet her eyes.

Something in the way he looked at her made her heart thud unrhythmically in her chest; she was nearly certain he could hear it.

During the polite conversation she had gathered that he was twenty, his favorite part of Earth was a state called California–specifically the beaches–and he had just finished his studies of the various religions that were practiced on Earth. He took a special interest in the Greek's mythology, finding it the most fascinating of all the religions. "The thought that there are many Gods and Goddesses that rule over every aspect of their lives–love, agriculture, war even–it's truly an ingenious idea. I mean, how does one man do it all?" Thaddeus had explained, his eyes alight with enthusiasm.