The Esoteric Design: Civilization Lost Read online

  Eventually, the pain began to dull. Dovian was already at terms that he had destroyed what little hope the woman had. He should've been happy. He knew he wasn't a proper suitor. Still, he couldn't help but feel a little queasy at the thought of her with another man, especially now as he watched I'Lanthe speaking with Euclid outside near the lake. I'Lanthe was smiling, laughing even. Since when was Euclid a charmer? Dovian frowned, dropped onto his bed, and covered his face with his arm. Why did he feel like this? Women were such trouble. He was perfectly fine and happy living his life of solitude before I'Lanthe. Why did she influence his behavior so much?

  "There you are!" Lita's voice, though loud and intrusive, was no surprise to Dovian's ears.

  "What?" he gruffly asked.

  The girl hopped onto the bed beside him and lay diagonally across him, her head on his chest. She stared at the ceiling.

  "Anything interesting going on up there?" she asked.

  Dovian kept his sight fixated on the stone ceiling. "Not really."

  "Is this really how you plan on spending your weekend?"

  "Maybe."

  She sighed. "You're so dull! You didn't use to be this boring."

  "Trust me; I've always been boring."

  Lita sat up and peered down at him, her face covering his sight. "You're ridiculous. Get up. You're coming with us."

  "I'm not going with you to the club. Besides, your father said you were supposed to stay away from those places." He palmed the side of her face, and she moved away.

  She sulked, curling her knees to her chest. She absentmindedly played with the fringe on one of the blankets.

  "They aren't all bad," she mumbled.

  Dovian looked to her. "No, but they are targeting Sorcēarians now. You're not safe going to places full of humans."

  "Well, you already know what I'm going to do."

  Dovian closed his eyes, giving a quiet groan. "You disobey far too often."

  "I'm a grown ass woman; I can do what I want," Lita hissed.

  "You don't act much like one."

  "We all can't be miserable bums like you, Dovian."

  She slid over him and off the bed. Flipping her hair over her shoulder, she eyed her reflection in the mirror. She opened her robes and checked the black sequin dress underneath. She wore sneakers instead of heels.

  Adjusting herself, she muttered, "I'Lanthe will be there."

  Dovian's eyes widened only for a second but then closed. "So?"

  Lita spun and scoffed. "What is your problem?!"

  Dovian growled and sat up. "You haven't mentioned her in months! Why are you bringing her up now?"

  "Because you clearly still have feelings for her!”

  "How do you even know I had feelings for her in the first place? I never told you anything!"

  Lita smirked and shook her head. "Your mind tells me everything."

  "Get out of my head!" Dovian snarled.

  "Dovian, I don't need to read your mind to know that you like her!" Lita scowled.

  He sighed with frustration. "Lita, please. You know very well that it's inappropriate to even think about having a relationship with her."

  "Why? Because you were her teacher, for one class? YEARS ago?"

  "Yes!"

  "No! That's a lie!"

  "It's not a lie!"

  "You're just scared!"

  "Of what?"

  "Of loving someone because you're afraid you'll lose them like you did your mother!"

  Silence filled the room. The two glared at one another.

  Lita tightened her emerald coat and headed toward the door. "Fine. You can stay here and mope. I'm making Karter go with me. Gonna teach him some groovy moves. Besides, I heard Euclid might come too. At least I'Lanthe will have someone else to talk to while I'm busy dancing."

  "...Wait." Dovian held out a hand.

  Lita looked over her shoulder, a small smile quirked her lips.

  "You're not wearing that." She pointed at him.

  Dovian looked down at his robes. "I'll wear what I want."

  "You wear that, and we'll definitely be targeted," she laughed.

  A soft knock sounded at the entry of Dovian's room.

  "Ah, Karter!" Lita cheered.

  Karter waited patiently outside the room. He wore human clothing—jeans, a t-shirt with a pop culture reference, and a multicolored leather jacket over the top. He used gel to style his hair. Karter looked human enough, outside of his outrageous height and copper eyes.

  "You...you're wearing your coat," Karter stammered.

  Lita undid her top layer and quickly pulled it open, revealing her dress underneath. Karter's eyes traveled up and down. He looked frightened, which pleased her.

  "Staying inconspicuous for the time being," she simply explained.

  Karter's gaze fled to Dovian. "Are, are you coming?"

  Dovian's mouth set in a firm line as he debated.

  "Yes! He is!" Lita exclaimed as she tugged her weary cousin out of his bed.

  Dovian didn't say anything, but slowly removed his scarlet coat. He paused before his wardrobe.

  "My closet isn't best equipped for human clothing."

  "Wear your dress slacks and shoes and a t-shirt. You'll be fine." Lita finished pulling off his coat. "Take it all off! You're not wearing that ridiculous undersuit either. You're not going to be doing any high-speed flying anyway."

  "I like my undersuit," Dovian grumbled.

  "Your internal organs will be fine. You don't need compression." She rolled her eyes.

  "I've no...t-shirt."

  Lita reached into Dovian's closet and pushed all his robes to the side. Hidden behind everything was a shirt that still had a tag on it. His face fell. A logo of some music group Dovian had no recollection of branded the front.

  She held it against him. "Bought it for you during one of the Christmases you never came home for. By now this band is retro and cool, so it still applies. Don't worry; it's a good one. I didn't buy you one promoting any of those lame boy bands the teenage girls go nuts over."

  Dovian had no clue what the signification of the name and strange imagery meant, but it didn't look too bad. The design was red on charcoal-gray, so it was good enough for him.

  "What am I getting myself into?" Dovian harshly sighed.

  "A night of fun!" Lita growled behind her teeth.

  "Don't worry, Dovian. I've been to a few before. They aren't too bad," Karter spoke up. “I usually find a dark corner to hide in.”

  Lita gave a half-hearted grin. “Yeah, totally not creepy.”

  Dovian glared at the other two. "I assume there will be spirits and ale of some sort?"

  "Yeah, lots of booze." Lita dug through his wardrobe, retrieving all the necessary items for his outfit. "Here! Hurry up! They're already waiting for us!"

  She hopped impatiently as Dovian lazily changed his clothes. Karter was kind enough to wait out in the hall. Lita remained in her place, huffing and puffing as she checked her makeup and hair in the mirror.

  "When did you turn into such a high-maintenance woman?" Dovian asked.

  Lita glared. Grabbing his arm tightly, she quietly snarled, "Since I became desperate to get laid!"

  Dovian dropped his head, rubbing his brow.

  "Lita..." he moaned.

  "Ready, Karter?" she sang.

  "Ready!" Karter replied.

  "Dovian?!" Lita called back.

  "Yeah...sure." He slouched as he stood beside her.

  Lita quickly messed her cousin’s hair in all directions, grabbed her tuner, and pulled them outside of time. Dovian couldn’t even get a word of protest in before they were soaring through the timeline, pulling back into a dark alley outside a thumping club in an American city. The line outside stretched for a couple of blocks. Dovian frowned.

  “Wouldn’t a smaller club be more suitable for people like us?” Dovian asked.

  Lita scoffed. “The more people, the better. We don’t stick out as bad when there are greater numbers. Besi
des, we’re in LA. Lots of strange types out and about tonight.”

  Dovian caught sight of a group of men dressed in drag. Feathers and glitter decorated their hair. They wore platform shoes and shiny latex clothing. Not far away was a grouping of colorful young college students donning lights throughout their garments and accessories. Thugs, bikers, professionally dressed, models, and average types all occupied the lines. Dovian gave an expression that proved Lita had a point. They almost looked normal compared to half the lot.

  Karter pulled Lita back. “Wait! Tattoos.”

  “Almost forgot.” Lita lifted her chin and closed her eyes.

  Karter ran his fingertips along her eyelids and cheekbone, removing her tattoos. He did the same to himself and then moved to Dovian.

  “Just another precaution. Our tattoos will undoubtedly give us away.” Karter quickly ran his hand over Dovian’s face, to which the man didn’t fuss about much to Lita’s relief.

  As they exited the alley, Lita tugged Dovian. She swiftly removed her jacket, whispering a spell that allowed her to fold the item into a small piece of cloth roughly the size of a handkerchief. She then tucked the item into a small purse. She removed a card from the inside pocket of her bag and stuck out her tongue.

  “VIP, baby.”

  She led the men to the front of the line where they were let in with no problem whatsoever.

  “Evening, Ms. Lita,” one of the bouncers said as he motioned them through.

  “Thank you, Charles,” Lita said with a seductive tone, her hand lightly tapping his shoulder as she fed him a large grin.

  The tall, muscular man gave a hint of a smile before turning back around to prevent any others from slipping through.

  “Your father would faint if he saw what you just did,” Dovian whispered.

  “Mom has told me plenty of stories. He’s not as innocent as you think. And neither is your daddy.” Lita led the boys through the dark corridor where the thumping of music grew to a deafening volume.

  “Please indulge me!” Dovian shouted.

  “Later! For now, we dance!” Lita pumped her fists in the air, giving a hoot.

  Dovian winced as the DJ started up a new song, the entire clubhouse screaming with cheers. Laser lights beamed in every direction within the black lighted room. Everybody’s outfits glowed, the dancing crowd becoming a sea of neon beacons. Lita wasted no time as she snatched Karter’s wrist to guide him to the dance floor; the couple immediately disappeared into the crowd. Dovian sighed and leaned back against a wall. It was almost nauseating at first, but he quickly adjusted to the sights and sounds.

  “It doesn’t matter where you are; you always stick out like a sore thumb.”

  Dovian looked to the side and caught his breath. “You always seem to find me easy enough, so it must be true.”

  I’Lanthe stood by his side in human clothing—a black leather jacket, white tank top, and leather pants with wedged sneakers. Her hair was done up in a ponytail. She wore dark makeup; her jewelry consisted of gold hoops and a thick leather wristband. Even dressed as a human, she looked breathtaking.

  The woman folded her arms and leaned back against the wall. Dovian kept his sight on the crowd, searching for any other familiar faces. I’Lanthe watched him, further making him uncomfortable.

  “Where’s Euclid?” Dovian asked.

  I’Lanthe’s expression twisted. “Euclid? Was he supposed to be here?”

  Dovian’s lips tightened. Simultaneously, they both uttered the same name.

  “Lita….”

  They looked to one another and shared a small laugh.

  “Listen, Dovian,” she began. “I want to apologize for my behavior.”

  “For your behavior?” Dovian was genuinely surprised. “My dear, I should be apologizing to you.”

  She shook her head, heaving a tired sigh. “I smothered you. I should have let you be. I was…infatuated with you, and I put you in a precarious position. It was selfish of me.”

  Dovian held up a hand. “And I allowed it to happen. I feel like I mislead you, and I feel like a fool for hurting you the way I did at the feast. Do know that…I enjoy your company and your words.”

  She gave a soft smile. “I’ve been avoiding you.”

  “I’ve noticed.”

  “And it’s been hard, I must admit.”

  Dovian faced her. He had nothing to drink yet but felt a bit drunk. For some reason, the woman’s presence put him both at ease and made him anxious. It didn’t make sense. Simply put, she was exciting, and she gave him more confidence.

  “I won’t lie to you, I’Lanthe, but it’s been hard for me, too.”

  She smiled. “Then…what exactly are we doing other than hurting ourselves?”

  “Acting like fools apparently.”

  “Then…shall we stop lying?” she asked, eyeing him up and down. “Not to each other, but to ourselves.”

  Dovian held his breath. “Your brother–”

  “Martelle is a jerk. He had no right to say something like that to you. I’m not entirely stupid. I know what he was implying.”

  “But he is right. As your teacher, I….” Dovian noticed the frustrated expression on her face.

  “Dovian, please. You were my teacher for half of a semester fifty years ago. That’s no different than you saying you can’t have feelings for a person because at one time you knew them as a child.” She turned back toward the crowd, watching the flickering lights. “We all grow and change, Dovian. Look at these humans. Hardly any of them were born when you taught me.”

  Dovian gaped at the crowd.

  “Would that, figuratively speaking, stop you from dancing with any of them?” She pointed to a woman who eyed them from a table across the room. “She’s tall, beautiful, blonde, blue-eyed. Just listening to her mind for one moment tells me that she’s completely infatuated with you. And…she’s not dumb.”

  “She is very beautiful, but I wouldn’t bother,” Dovian simply stated.

  “Why?”

  “She’s not the one who occupies my mind.”

  I’Lanthe lifted her chin, giving her proper posture. She was about to get bold. “Say that I’m a human woman. I’m in her place.”

  Dovian’s grin went off kilter.

  “My thoughts are same as hers,” she added.

  His face fell. Was she speaking literally or figuratively? At the moment, the beautiful blonde thought all kinds of scandalous things about Dovian.

  “Humans are easy. You can read their thoughts. You know what to expect and whether you should bother trying. Sorcēarian women are different.” His attention switched between I’Lanthe and the human woman.

  “My dear, I don’t know how else to paint a clearer picture for you.” She suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck.

  “How…can you? A…buffoon such as me?” he quietly asked.

  “A good, kind, moral man with a greater sense of good? A man who hasn’t given up hope on everyone and everything? How could I not?” She pinched his cheek. “And cute, too.”

  Dovian let out an airy laugh.

  “So, would you dance with her?” She gestured toward the human woman.

  “I would.”

  I’Lanthe’s smile brightened. “Then, let’s dance!”

  She grabbed his hand and tugged him out onto the dance floor. Dovian held her back.

  “But we both know that woman over there isn’t thinking about dancing with me,” he whispered into I’Lanthe’s ear.

  “And what is she thinking about?” she asked.

  Dovian twirled I’Lanthe so that she pressed her back against his chest. She held her breath, the pulsating beat of the music thumping with her heartbeat. For a moment, she was glad Dovian couldn’t read her thoughts, but she quickly changed her mind. It would be so much easier if he could.

  Dovian grabbed I’Lanthe’s hip, holding her against him, and wrapped another arm around her. Much to I’Lanthe’s surprise, he pulled his face close to her neck, his lips barely tou
ching her skin. Inhaling, he took in the scent of her perfume, trailing up her neck to her ear. She eagerly titled her head to the side, instinctively moving her hips back.

  “So much more than dancing,” he mumbled in a husky tone.

  “I didn’t know you could be so bold,” she hummed.

  “There are a lot of things you don’t know about me.”

  His hands tightened, and he fought with every sense of his being to control himself. All willpower left him, however, as I’Lanthe turned in his arms and ran her hands through his hair.

  With her lips lightly grazing his, she whispered, “So, teach me, sir.”

  Dovian pulled away slightly, catching her glowing gaze. In a matter of seconds, he debated on his position and professional relationship with her and quickly dismissed everything as he pressed his lips against hers.

  The feel of her body against his was exhilarating. His hands explored her form–down her sides, her hips, and then her arms. Her hands left his hair, trailed over his neck and collarbone and then moved to his back where she met something solid and unnatural. The kiss halted, and she leaned back, giving him a questioning look as her fingers trailed over the cold hard metal apparatus beneath his shirt. Awareness struck, and Dovian pulled away and lowered his head.

  “It is true,” she whispered.

  Dovian cleared his throat, his eyes once again searching the crowd. “Um…yes. Sir Gaius fitted me with a back apparatus.” He lowered his hands from her body. “After my mother’s death.”

  Just like that, he withdrew into himself, much to I’Lanthe’s dismay.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t think…” she halted.