Page 99 of Semper
I didn’t think it would ever work as a song for this kind of occasion, but this version and with him, it was hauntingly perfect. Alexander's arms circled me, one hand pressing against the small of my back as he moved us in time to the music. I peered up at him, lost in this moment but not able to forget what he did.
“You left me,” I accused just loud enough for him to hear me over the music, my voice breaking slightly. The weight of the last two days without him hung heavy between us.
He didn’t tense or react immediately, but I could feel the shift in his energy, the way his grip tightened slightly. His lips found the side of my temple, his voice low and intimate as our song played and he effortlessly guided me in our dance.
“I would never leave you,carissima,” he murmured, his words like a gentle caress against my skin. “I was always coming back to you. You had to know that.”
I swallowed, trying to cling to the frustration I had felt, but his voice, his closeness, made it impossible.
“I had to make sure everything was perfect for today. Forus,” he continued. “You’re mine. I could never stay away for long.”
Slowly, my body softened against his, my grip on his shoulder easing as the music wove its spell around us. The look in his eyes burned into me. I could barely remember what it was that had hurt me so deeply just moments ago.
“See?” he coaxed, his lips brushing over mine softly. “I’m here now. And I’m not going anywhere ever again.” He kissed me then, slow and teasing, making sure to erase any lingering doubt. People cheered from the sidelines, but not even that could infiltrate this moment. When he pulled away, my breath was shallow, and I could only stare up at him.
He pulled back slightly, his eyes raking over me. “You’re beautiful in this dress,” he remarked, his voice dropping lower, more intimate. “I can’t wait to take it off you later.”
Heat rushed to my cheeks, and I knew my face had flushed under the weight of his words. I had barely gotten used to the dress, but he already had plans to remove it. I bit my lip, unsure of how to respond, but his gaze never wavered, and when I finally spoke, my voice was a soft whisper. “Your parents arehere and can see us,” I reminded him, though I wasn’t even sure if it was a protest or an excuse.
He smirked, unbothered. “So are your aunt and uncle,” he countered smoothly, his hand tightening on my waist, pulling me closer.
A reminder of the two of us being cousins—something I had accepted in a manner that made me cling to him even more, and he knew it. He leaned in again, his breath warm against my ear. “And do you really think they would care if I bent you over here and now? They would be elated.”
“Stop it,” I hissed, a mix of embarrassment and desire flooding through me.
He laughed softly, a deep, rich sound that sent a shiver down my spine. "I missed you," he said, then followed it up with something in Latin that emphasized the point, a phrase so fluid and intimate, that it washed over me like a caress.
I swallowed, feeling my resistance melt under his gaze. "I missed you too," I whispered back.
His grin widened, his eyes darkening with satisfaction as he turned me with the music, pulling me even closer to his chest. My heart pounded in time with the beat of the song, and I let myself fall into the moment—until my gaze landed on the centerpiece hanging above the head table. My eyes narrowed as I tried to make sense of it, the ornate design catching the light in a way that made it almost look like...bones?
“What the hell is that?” I asked, still keeping my voice down, unable to hide my shock.
Alexander laughed, a deep, amused sound that vibrated through my chest. “Over there,” he nodded toward another table, one full of gift-wrapped boxes, as if trying to distract me. Beside it was a dog with a red bow around its neck, a Rottweiler that looked eerily similar to the one that had taken down Nicolette. It wasn’t the moment to bring her up, or to focus onthe fact that he’d gotten me a dog because I’d mentioned always wanting one. I was trying to focus on the fact that the centerpiece above the table was—.
"You know that’s not what I meant," I murmured, dragging my eyes back to the gruesome sight.
He chuckled, far too at ease. “Ah, you must mean the masterpiece Phoenix made us.”
I blinked, my stomach twisting as I studied the centerpiece again. Slowly, the horrifying truth settled in.
“Is that the guy from...the cliff?”
Alexander's grin stretched wider, a mix of pride and dark amusement. "Yes," he whispered, his eyes gleaming. "William. Phoenix thought it fitting that we honor him in our own special way."
William’s arms were tied back at grotesque angles, ribbon threaded through them like some twisted decoration. His eyes—what used to be his eyes—were now replaced with bundles of blood-red flowers, the petals slightly drooping as if they wept in mockery. His lower half was gone entirely, covered in an elaborate floral arrangement that somehow made the whole display even more horrifying.
Someone had made that.
The artistry, if you could call it that, was disturbingly precise.
Flowers were woven into flesh; ribbons twisted through his limbs as if his body had been repurposed into some macabre piece of decor.
"Phoenix," I whispered, realization dawning. Of course, it was him. The twisted genius behind this nightmarish masterpiece.
Alexander tilted his head, a dark smile on his lips as he leaned in closer. “Beautiful, isn’t it? He’s the perfect centerpiece for us. A tribute.”
I wanted to look away, but I couldn’t.