BITE ME

Chapter 4- Mathena

To say that Mathena was disappointed was an understatement. It was a futile, useless, magical-thing-Latin ritual because it didn't even work. Oh, yes, she ended up standing in the bloody, dark attic room for hours, somehow waiting for someone to show up so she could trade her soul for normalcy, but hours upon hours of waiting were fruitless.

Now, here she was at the dinner party hosted by her mother in their mega-mansion. The massive, well-decorated ballroom was a blaze of colour. In the light of the chandelier and the elite and famous personalities, partygoers strutted about like peacocks and fish in a pond, occasionally glancing toward the enormous, well-lit fountain in the center of the ballroom, where a handful of London fashionistas, models, and stars posed for photographs with the guests for an obscene fee that supposedly went to some charity or another.

The similarity to another evening in the underworld was not lost on Mathena as she once again hovered in a dark corner, watching her mother and brother move arrogantly through the room, entertaining the guests. Just like in the castle underworld world party, she was standing in the far corner, bored as hell and just wishing that this part would end anytime sooner than midnight.

Of course, that other evening had been nearly a day ago. And while she hadn’t physically labored like entertaining the guests, she felt lost in the sea of these people, even with her magnificent scarlet cherish gown and five-heel Jimmy shoes and her over-the-top makeup and hairdo, thanks to her mom, who loved to dress her up like her. Yet she was out of place. Of course, even with her beauty, she couldn't top what the models and stars in the main ballroom did. Her simplicity was ignored by most of the men, which she couldn’t deny, and saved by a buttload of plastic surgery and gym memberships from the women who hovered everywhere. She was not at all jealous of them. She was ordinary in the sense that her body was untouched by those needles. However, she wasn’t that shy, spineless maiden, or stupid; she was the opposite; she was smart, gifted, and a tall, curvaceous brunette with pale skin and large brown eyes who loved to read and preferred to just lay there on her bed, read books, and do her passtime hacking official websites for entertainment. Yes, she was just different, unique, sort of a distinct wallpaper she made herself.

And good riddance to her.

Mathena's life might be all kinds of weird or boring, but Mathena had discovered she could take care of herself. In fact, she did a damn fine job of it. Desperate to be normal, alone and friendless, nonetheless, she loved doing things that were not ordinary. If saving those cancer patients in the hospital was ordinary, then maybe she was one of the mundane.

Sighing, Mathena looked around. She appeared to be looking at something or someone, but nothing in particular. Was she expecting Xeon Morningstar? She didn’t, however, mean she had forgotten that fateful night in the underworld. In fact, it was always on her mind. Those beautiful deep ocean blue eyes, those red scarlet lips, damn if she wasn't wet just thinking about it.

Xeon, where the hell are you?

He had some explaining to do. Explaining on an epic scale.

The only reason why she wasted her precious time at this party rather than in her private attic.

Absently sipping the champagne that had been forced into her hand by one of the handsome waiters, Mathena dreamt of the man who had haunted her dreams. Xeon.

When she had read in the paper that a famous model-actor who she had never heard of before and who looked exactly like Xeon Morningstar would be traveling from Australia to attend this charity event, she had known that there was always the possibility that the man would be a Xeon, the underworld prince. Here she was, waiting for the man, and his mighty self who she knew was obsessed with sticking his good looks with his own name. After all, Mathena did her research in the underworld library when she arrived there. It was by far the most amazing experience of her life. Those ancient texts, manuscripts, and books from Alexandria were all there. Yes, she was so amused that she almost got caught by one of the guards, and maybe she was among the craziest. Who on earth was willing enough to trade their soul for what she called normalcy? As if that weren’t enough, she had to dwell on her curse of an ability daily since God knows when.

Then, the devil himself arrived.

One glance was enough to guarantee it was him. Xeon, the prince! Here he was in his amazing expensive suit. How the hell did Xeon manage to let the models and stars know him was beyond her? No doubt he did his magic mumbo jumbo on them, and agreed that the man was to die for, he looked dashing in any way. She could almost feel herself most down there just by looking at him. Damn! He had that sort of impact!

Mother nature was too fickle to make such an exact perfection of those lean, golden features, the dark deep ocean, smoldering eyes, the to-die-for body…

And that hair. That hair! Jesus! He was extraordinary.

As black as sin, it fell in a smooth river on his shoulders. Tonight he had pulled back the top layer with a golden clasp, leaving the bottom to brush the expensive fabric of his tux.

If there was a woman in the room who wasn’t imagining running her fingers through that glossy mane, then Mathena would eat her diamond-beaded bag. Xeon Morning-f*****g-star had only to step into a room for the estrogen to charge into hyperdrive. He had that impact because she felt it too.

A fact that was earning him more than a few I-wish-looks-could-kill scowls from the pretty boys by the fountain and in the ballroom.

Mathena muttered a curse under her breath. She was allowing herself to be distracted.

She needed to do something to get his attention.

Okay, the man looked like some bloody heaven's angel, and those lips... running through her neck, down to her bosom, to her navel, and to her…"f**k!" I better stop thinking! She thought to herself. And those dark blue eyes held a sultry heat that could melt steel at a hundred paces. But she had already paid the price for being blinded by the luscious dark beauty. The man was supposed to take her soul but didn't have the opportunity.

It won’t happen again. She has to do her trade tonight, no matter what. Xeon must take her soul and take her curse, no matter what the consequences.

Busily convincing herself that the tingles in the pit of her stomach were nothing more than expensive champagne bubbles, Mathena stiffened as the unmistakable scent of mint and the ocean breeze filled the air.

Before she ever turned, she knew who it would be. The only question was: how did he manage to get through to those women?"

Well, well. If it wasn’t Mathena Wyatt, a mortal soul who messed up my father’s library and disappeared on time before the old man could torture her?" Xeon drawled, his sweet smile tipped with something Mathena could comprehend.

She rolled her eyes and sipped her champagne.

"Ignoring me, huh?" Xeon smiled and winked at the beautiful woman passing by as he added, "...so Mathena,... What made you summon me?"

What? So it worked? She thought to herself but ignored the man.

"Still ignoring me? Hmmp, OK, so here I am, trying to talk to the person who trespassed my realm. Those sacred places and events you trespass on are nothing more than an opportunity for someone like you to preen for something darker than your nightmare, right? I knew that that innocent-than-thou attitude was nothing more than a sham."

That got her attention.

Was he f*****g kidding her?

Mathena didn’t gag, but it was a close thing. Maybe he was flirting with her or hell-bent on annoying her, but this was exactly what she needed, right?

"Why are you here, your highness?" She asked and gazed at those beautiful blue ocean eyes.

"Sweetheart, you summoned me early in the f*****g morning, so here I am, at your service."

"Oh, the mighty prince, at my service?"

"Don't get used to it, mortal. I am here because you bloody bound me to you. Do I have a choice? No! So now, tell me what made you summon a demon?"

"Bound?"

"Oh yes, you did when you kissed me on the castle balcony."

"I did not!" She almost yelled.

"You did, that's why I'm here. No questions about it."

Damn! So it wasn't just a dream Mathena thought to herself.

"Fine,"

"So why did you summon me?" Xeon asked with a sip of his wine.

Same issue!" She answered matter of factly.

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, sire!... So now… take it."

"Take what?" Xeon grumbled under his breath, knowing what exactly the woman was giving.

"My bloody soul and my bloody curse."

"Hmp," Xeon raised a brow. "Ohhh well."

A silent pause followed while the rest of the people around them seemed to ignore whatever private conversation they had, Mathena thought, maybe it was a good thing or Xeon made everyone ignore them.

Mathena sighed, "Xeon, aren't you supposed to be an expert on this thing?" She took a step closer, clearly disappointed by the indifferent manner of Xeon. It was like this was a different Xeon, not so confident but with the same arrogance. "And aren't you supposed to give those evil laughs?"

"Oh, mortal! This is not a Hollywood movie, dear, the portrayal of my kind was stupid, dreadful, so bleak, and was beyond me. To tell you the truth, we don't wear dark robes anymore and with those bloody shadows, dark entities looming everywhere? It was just for a bloody show… but this is reality." He gestures to himself, "...luxury and wealth, but about your soul… I think we have a little problem with it."

"Why?"

"Well, because I'm powerless to take your curse!"

"What?! Are you bloody kidding me?"