Chapter Two
Blake was in her rooms when Rashel knocked at her door. Blake called out and Rashel stepped into the room. The other girl watched as Blake threw all her clothes and books into two suitcases, as she would have to move out of the mansion and into an apartment straight away.
"What can I do for you Rashel?" Blake asked, not turning away from her task.
"I think you've done enough," Rashel said softly. Blake turned around to stare at the older girl. Rashel shrugged. "You're going on a pretty dangerous mission, Blake. And I just wanted to say thank you, and good luck."
These words were a great surprise to Blake, who had never really spoken to Rashel since she had come to live in the mansion. But the words were obviously meant and Blake was grateful for the recognition.
"Uh, thanks," she stammered slightly. "You'd be doing this if you weren't so well known."
Rashel shook her head, almost sadly. "Maybe not. Once you've found your soulmate, Blake, there's no solo work anymore. They always have the ultimate weapon against you- your soulmate. I tried and Goddess knows Quinn did, but we couldn't handle it. I kept wandering what he was doing, if he had the right back up, hoping he didn't need backup. Now we have to fight together." She shrugged her shoulders gracefully. "It's fun, Quinn's a great fighter and the only one I can really trust but-" she paused, meeting Blake's blue green eyes. "Just enjoy solo work while you can. You'll miss it."
"Miss it?" Blake repeated. "I'm never going to leave it."
Rashel's smile was a knowing one. "Just wait, Blake. He's waiting for you."
"He's waiting for me?" Blake repeated. She frowned, "Who?"
Rashel's grin was even more infuriating. "Your soulmate," was The Cat's reply. She left with a wink, softly closing the door behind her. Blake paused to think about what had just been said before dismissing it as Rashel's twisted sense of humour. She was tired and she needed to feed.
She had an hour to move into the new apartment that had been set up for her and an hour to get in touch with the Night World. She would have to make a convincing change as a dangerous, vermin-hating vampire. She had a sudden thought that she should ask Ash for some tutoring. Closing her suitcase, she grinned to herself.
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Blake entered the Black Dahlia. The club was the hippest Night World hangout at the moment and she was hoping to find someone useful within its walls.
Dressed in a black leather skirt, black knee high boots and a pale blue halter neck top, she had caught the eye of quite a few males occupying the room. Her blue green eyes scanned the crowd unhurriedly before she sat down at one of the stools at the bar. She flicked her waist length, raven hair behind her shoulder and ordered a drink in a cool tone.
When it finally came, the bartender smiled charmingly. "On the house," he said, his eyebrows wiggling suggestively.
Blake stared at him before laying her money on the bar in front of him. "I'd rather pay."
The bartender frowned and looked down at the bills. He shrugged, his eyes turning cold. "Whatever you say."
As he went off to serve another customer, Blake began sipping her drink and taking in her surroundings. The bar was busy, nearly all the stools were taken, and the dance floor was filled with dancers that wriggled their bodies in time to the trance like music that boomed from nearly every corner. She looked further down and saw that at the end of the giant room, lights were dimmed and couches were set up along the walls. She could make out figures sitting close together and necking.
She was so busy searching the crowds for a face that matched one of her Night World files, that she almost failed to notice the guy that came to stand beside her. She turned finally to find herself staring into a pair of startling midnight blue eyes. Eyes so blue they looked almost black.
The owner of these eyes returned her gaze. "You're new," he stated in a low, even voice.
"Are you the welcome committee?" Blake asked sweetly, stirring her drink with a straw while trying to fight the sudden nervousness that had appeared in her stomach when her eyes had set sight on him.
His eyes swept up and down her body, then gleamed in appreciation. "On behalf of everyone here," he said softly. "I'd like to personally welcome you."
Blake swallowed at the obvious meaning behind his words. He studied her with unconcealed fascination and she was immediately unnerved by his interest. He looked slightly older than her, about nineteen. Not that that meant anything in the vampire world. He could have been nineteen hundred years old.
"Yeah, well, thanks," she stammered, mentally cursing her ability to say anything remotely intelligent. What was happening to her? Where did her cool façade go? This guy, with his gorgeous eyes, gorgeous black, wavy hair and undeniably god like body had completely thrown her off balance.
And she didn't like it.
With a mental promise to take the situation back at hand, she allowed her own eyes to travel up and down his body in return. The boy leaned back against the bar patiently, a small smile of confidence twisting his lips.
"Finished?" he asked, amused.
"Quite," she returned with a small smile.
"Good. Now, do I get a name with that smile?"
Blake considered this. "Blake."
"Well, Blake, I'm Curtis."
"A pleasure to meet you," Blake replied, her eyes laughing at the exchange.
Curtis caught her expression and grinned. He gestured to the barman who appeared by his side to place a drink in front of him. Blake caught the familiarity between the two.
"You're a regular customer?" she asked.
Curtis smiled lazily at her. "No, I'm just regular."
Blake frowned at the cryptic answer but refrained from inquiring further. Before she could say anything at all, a bouncing blond raced up to him and threw her arms around his neck.
Blake felt a foreign emotion well inside her stomach.
"Curtis!" the girl squealed. "You promised you'd dance with me!"
Curtis eyed the girl's plunging neckline thoughtfully. "Did I?"
"Yes, you did!" the girl pouted and took Curtis' hand to drag him onto the dance floor. He allowed himself to be pulled away but managed to turn to Blake with a shrug while he mouthed a sorry. His action had no effect on Blake, who had already seen his eyes turn back to the swaying behind of the girl who led him.
She rolled her eyes in disgust and finished her drink.
She allowed herself to accept three invitations to dance and luckily managed to pull away before she was cornered onto one of the couches. She had to admit that she was kind of enjoying herself. The music was great. The people were, well, Night Worlders, but she had to admit they knew how to have fun.
After her partner had left her at the bar, and he had taken some convincing, Blake was nearly ready to go. Her feet were starting to ache slightly and the thought of her bed was a welcomed one. She stood to leave when suddenly she felt a presence behind her.
"Hey gorgeous," a voice whispered softly in her ear.
Blake felt a strange feeling course through her veins and she nearly shivered, only just managing to stop herself. She didn't turn, she just stood stock-still.
"I hope you're not thinking of leaving me," the voice continued, the breath tickling her neck.
Blake moved forward slightly and turned around. She forced a light smile on her face and made her voice casual and breezy. She shrugged. "I think I've had enough action for tonight."
"Don't say that," Curtis mock scolded her. "You can never get enough action," he grinned.
He was still grinning at her when someone pushed past and nearly knocked her over. His arm quickly reached around her waist to steady her and suddenly they were both plunging into a soft blue light and the earth fell from beneath them.