Chapter 2 The Gilded Blood

I walked out of my apartment with uneasy steps. As usual I checked thrice that I had turned of all the electric things then I double checked that the door was locked before I stepped out on the streets. It was a cold night; the frost was crisp in the air. I took a deep cold breath before I started walking. I had butterflies in my stomach…wait, that sounds too romantic, it more felt like the dinner I'd hardly been able to eat wouldn't stay long in my nervous stomach.

I followed the street till it took a sharp left turn and continued down the next street. Ever since childhood, ever since living with them I knew it wasn't safe to walk outside by yourself, in the dark. Sure, most people knew this, but they hadn't seen what I had seen. They didn't understand the vast importance of that rule. I did. Yet here I was, marching down the dark streets all by myself. I shuttered when I heard that thought "all by myself". I quickened my pace.

When I'd called the number Marshall gave me they had promised to give me a go as a waiter there. I wasn't told much about the place, except where to find it. And the dress code; it sure wasn't a family place I was going to. I didn't like it, but money was money. For some reason people normally weren't too keen on hiring me. I had tried coffee shops, book shops, boutiques, cd-shops, everything. But the longest I got to stay was a week, two weeks at Marshall's place, which had been really nice of him. I sighed; it was something about me which seemed to attract trouble. A bit ironic since I wasn't that kind of person, really. All I ever wanted was to get a decent job, save some money and move again. I wasn't sure what my ultimate goal was; which place I wanted to reach. Getting out of this town for sure, but then…what then? I guess there's no point in worrying, yet.

Man, it's cold. I pulled my coat tighter around me wishing I'd brought my scarf and a hat. Marshall had said it was about 15 minutes walk from his place, which meant little over half an hours walk from where I lived. It shouldn't be long then. I took longer strides. After a while I thought I could distinguish voices. After walking some more I came around a corner of buildings and then I saw it. The building itself didn't look much to the world, but the long queue outside it and the big muscly guards watching the doors gave away the importance and popularity of the place. The red neon sign, which read "The Gilded Blood", hung a bit too low over the entrance, giving the appearance it might fall down any minute. I stopped in my tracks and stared at the scene in front of me. I gulped. I knew I could be tough, living by yourself barely surviving at times had me tougher than most my age, but still. Working at a nightclub; was it really that wise? I took a deep breath in, and let it out. "Relax," I told myself. I'm gonna be fine. Just fine. Go in there and kick some ass now. I forced my feet to keep moving, letting my hips sway slightly more than normally, holding my head high as I walked up to one of the guards.

Before I even neared the place a man whistled to me, catching me off guard. I turned around to see a man get out of the shadows. Tall drop-dead gorgeous he looked at me and smiled.

"Why hello, miss." He whistled again making me blush –which only brought a soft laugh from his lips. His blue eyes twinkled at me. I had always been a sucker for eyes, his were like looking at paradise. They whispered of freedom, trust, and many other, darker, things.

"Are you going in?" He nodded towards the club where the queue seemed to be at a still.

"Yes…seems like it might take awhile though" I wrinkled my nose.

"You're new" he stated then, no question in his voice.

I questioningly raised an eyebrow at him.

"This is a small queue to what it's normally like." He explained, after a little pause he added "it's a bit too early."

This almost made me panic; had I the wrong time? I checked my watch. No, I was to be here 10.30pm, so I was right on time. When I met his intense gaze again his smile told me he knew how much of a rookie I was at this. The man started to irritate me. I was about to say something sarcastic when I realised maybe I shouldn't even be talking to him. He seemed like a dangerous man; long dark hair curling down on his back. His toned body in a tight long black leather coat. He didn't exactly scream out peace and love…

"Like what you see?" His voice was husky. I snapped out of my trance, annoyed by his cockiness I turned around and continued walking towards the queue. I heard his soft laugh as I walked away from him. "Jerk" I mumbled to myself after which he seemed to crack up laughing. Strange, he was several feet away he couldn't possibly have heard…I shook my head and concentrated on my task in front of me.

"Hang on young lady, at the back of the queue please." One of the guards looked suspiciously at me and pointed me towards the long queue to my left.

"I have an appointment with Ms Zarah" I raised my chin and stared him defyingly into the face. He seemed a bit surprised that I didn't step back from him towering over me, though not surprised enough to let me in.

Angry voices were raised behind me; apparently people weren't going to let me waltz in just like that.

"I haven't heard any 'bout rookie coming" he stepped closer to me.

Shit, what was I to do? The only alternative popped into my head, but I really didn't want to… In a swift motion he lifted me up about to dump me away from the queue. I took my chance and focused all my Energy into staring into his eyes. I could almost feel how my eyes turned into their intense green shade. I caught his stare and forced him to hold it. After awhile his hold on me grew softer until he turned us back to the rest and put me down in front of all the waiting people. He motioned me inside, his eyes still dazed by my force. People started getting into hysterics over letting me inside. Luckily that wasn't my problem, so I sneaked in leaving the trouble to the guards. After all they were paid to sort out this kind of…trouble.

There was only a dim light inside so it took a while for my eyes to adjust. The loud music, all the people –dancing, laughing, flirting, it seemed like a regular bar at first glance. Then something hit me. It was far from a normal after-a-long-hard-week-of-work-bar. Seductiveness hung thick in the air along with the smell of something familiar...but I failed to place it. It was a huge place, with a big bar and a big dance floor. I kept looking and noticed there was a floor below where there was a stage. On the stage there were three women dancing. They were incredibly beautiful, with long flowing hair in different colours and slender bodies which moved gracefully and smoothly to the music. Their dancing combined with the music had a hypnotising effect on me, making it almost impossible to tear away my eyes. And their clothes…well, they hardly wore any. I had no idea how to explain it, except there was a lot of skin showing.

Then I felt strong slender arms on my hips, slowly gliding upwards. With that tender movement my body responded as if I was locked in an iron cage. I flinched and spun around.

"Hello darling, care for a dance?" A man with spiked short blond hair stared at me like he wanted to…eat me. My heart froze for a second when I realised what thought had just passed my mind; nonononono. I could feel the force of his dark Energy trying to enclose me. A thought in me wanted me to allow it, almost made me lean into him. He must have seen the display of horror in my face because he looked confused and almost a bit apologetic. Then I noticed his eyes. Sparkling too bright and with too much power to be normal eyes. He was one of them, he had to be. I didn't recognise him, however I knew they were all over the country, the world probably. My mind went blank, I didn't even have the energy to get away from him. I almost leaned in to him, wanting it to be over. Those eyes...they pulled at me, telling me to do things I'd never done.

As suddenly as he had appeared he disappeared from my sight. A woman had come up to us and brusquely pushed him away.

"Jonah what have you done to the poor girl." The slightly older woman snarled at him and gently took me by the arm leading me away.

"I…I…didn't…" The poor man stood still like a question mark.

I hardly noticed what went on around me. The woman took me up a floor (there was yet another floor?) and down a dark corridor. She reached a door at the end, unlocked it and gently pushed me in before closing the door behind us.

She pulled out a chair and eased me into it. We were in a large office. The owner must be rich I thought as I looked around at the stylish and expensive furnishing. She poured me a drink of…whiskey? I sipped at it, welcomed the burning sensation in my throat which managed to put me out of my daze. I stared at her for a long time, taking in her sharp nose and warm brown eyes. When I had studied her long enough I asked her in as steady a voice as I could muster;

"Who are you?"

"Oh dear, forgive my manners. I'm Zarah" she smiled at me.

I sat up straight.

"You're Zarah? I came here to see you, about a job. My name is…"

"Celine." She filled in.

I looked at her, confusion in my eyes.

"No, I'm…"

"Hush, don't say it. Don't ever, ever, mention you're real name in here. From now on your name is Celine." Her face had looked utterly severe as she urged me to promise her never to say my real name around here. She hastened to continue with "Any questions?"

I was about to ask why it was so important, but then I realised what kind of a place I was in, what kind of people, creatures, resided in here, and I understood it was a smart move. Not that they couldn't force it out of me if they really wanted to, but I left that thought out.

"Yes, what kind of job am I to do here?"

"They didn't tell you? You're to serve at the bar, help clean up afterwards and, well, maybe other chores…" she fiddled with some paper avoiding my gaze.

Ri-ight.

"Marshall mentioned the, pull you have on some, people." She winked at me. "If that's true, then you're perfect for this job I tell ya."

Marshall had spoken about me? This made me shift uneasily in my chair. He was a smart man, maybe he had seen things he shouldn't have...

"So" she stood up, interrupting my thoughts "Let's go downstairs and find someone to teach you the ropes around here." Then she looked at my clothes, my jeans and shirt and shook her head.

"Sorry hun, that won't do here." We walked out to the corridor; she swiftly locked the door before turning towards another door, unlocked. We went in. It was like a giant closet inside. I stopped and gawked at all the clothes in front of me. I had never seen so many clothes in one place before, let alone in a store. They all hung in perfect arrangement, dresses to one side, and shirts to another. Zarah saw my amazed expression and giggled. She winked at me and said "The best part of this job" before flinging the clothes back and forth trying to find something. She pulled out several shirts, pants, skirts. None of them were the kind of clothes I'd normally wear, but something told me nothing in this closet was what I'd normally wear. Someone else entered the room through the door behind us, grabbed the clothes from my arms and stared at me. A man, or a woman? No, a man, but he looked very feminine I realised as he gazed up and down my body, trying to figure out what would fit me. Then he handed me a pair of black leather pants, with a strappy red shirt. Too many straps for me to figure it out by myself, but he patiently helped me into it. Then he pulled out my hair from my pony tail and ruffled it up a bit.

"That's better" he nodded at me.

"Thanks George, what would I do without you". Zarah kissed him in the air on the cheek, like the the French do. He shrugged his shoulders, and pulled out a clean man's shirt.

"Jonah managed to get his shirt ripped again."

"He's too hot for some of the women who come here" Zarah winked at me.

George nodded gravely and then left.

I pulled on the pants, jeez they were tight!

Zarah pulled out a pair of killer boots and handed me.

"These should fit you perfectly, I have an eye for this kind of thing" she winked again.

I took them from her grasp and gasped when I noticed the high heel.

"You gotta be kidding me, I'll never be able to walk in these."

"Don't worry, you'll get used to it. Now we must hurry dear. You haven't met him yet."

I didn't like the sound of that, but followed her back down to the bar. She introduced me to workers as we passed them. All were gorgeous men and women, making me wonder what the hell I was doing here, until I got a glimpse of myself in a mirror. I wouldn't have recognised myself. These clothes really brought out...everything, showing curves I had no idea I had. I couldn't help but blush. Zarah noticed and smiled at me.

"A rookie?" The man behind the bar called us over.

"Be nice, Bastian" Zarah said after having introduced us.

"I'm always nice" he flashed us a wide grin. Zarah left me there with my first "tutor". He motioned me forward and started pointing to all kinds of bottles and told me what to do. I fumbled a lot in the beginning, breaking several bottles. Patience didn't seem to be Bastian's virtue. Before long I noticed Bastian's patience was wearing thin. Out of the mist the blond-spike man showed up and ordered a drink I'd never heard of. Bastian sighed and started directing me again.

Jonah smiled tentatively to me, cheering me on.

"Sorry 'bout before", he yelled over the music.

"Not your fault, really." I smiled at him and noticed some men turned around to look at us.

"Maybe I could get that dance later" he winked at me. I couldn't help but laugh.

"Trust me, I'm not the dancing kind."

Several faces around us looked at me with a confused look.

"Really? Well, don't worry about it, you'll learn." He winked and left with the drink I handed him. A slight jolt of electricity passed between our fingers, and then he was gone.

I turned around only to see Bastian with a strange look on his face.

"You don't dance?"

"Well…" I wasn't sure what to say to that. I had always been hopeless with rhythm and especially moving to it. Though it seemed like it was expected of me here. Yippie.

My attention was brought back by Bastian's angry stare. Damn, I needed to get a grip. I had lost several jobs because of my aloofness.

A husky voice called out a drink, I looked towards the sound and I froze as I stared into those amazingly blue eyes.

"Well hello darling. So you work here?"He smiled appreciatively at me. I managed to nod in reply.

"Lovely." He purred at me. I swallowed hard and tried not to stare, failing miserably. His gaze locked with mine and he whispered seductively:

"If I may be so bold; I sure do like what I see."