Shado of the Covenant
Chapter 34
The Best of Both Worlds
Shado frowned in annoyance. She had to leave her sister, Ginny, Esmeralda, and Hermione, and well, her beloved friends for a short while, as adventure apparently went calling, as her idiot godfather sprung himself from his nurses and doctors, and kidnapped Remus and her dad for some 'fun' as he called it in Las Vegas, Nevada, Gambling Capital of the USA, or at least, the most popular gambling trap for tourists.
She glared at the three sheepish men in exasperation, as none of them saw fit to have an ounce of sense between them. She handed them each some dollar bills, and a small bag of galleons each, once she sorted out their hotel room issue, and saw fit for their annoyance to set them up with a three bed 'room' to share.
"If you can't cope for five minutes outside of the UK, seriously," she said, glaring as Sirius looked like he was going to make a joke on his name. "Now, Dad," she said, patting him on the shoulder, "go and have some fun with your friends; you deserve it. We'll stay for a few days, but then we have to get back for the Quidditch World Cup, okay?"
He smiled gently in relief, and started as Shado kissed his cheek, "now, stop moping, and have some fun, so, I'll see you guys later, just don't piss off MACUSA or the American Sanctuary as they both have some casinos in Vegas, or just stay in this one as its ran by Casters. I'll see you guys later, as I'm going to see what fun things I can do around here," she said before walking off, and leaving the guys to find their own fun.
Shado had wanted to bring her sister and friends, but until they finally had Dumbledore done for, they still had some silly games to play. She would have to bring them with her next time, and dote on them while they had fun.
The hotel was nice, and Shado's room was cosy, but she figured she would look around and find a cute girl or two to help keep her bed nice and toasty. Though, a few gambling tables and machines caught her eyes, and the goblins did sort her out with an amazing fake ID for when on the muggle side, as the gambling age was only fifteen on the magical side, but twenty-one on the muggle side.
Shado was wearing a rather elegant black dress, with a slit down the left side, and platform shoes, and with a little extra make-up, she could pass-ish for twenty-one, and the ID added to that, and it helped that the ID had psychic properties to help push the lie. She had had a few alcoholic drinks, and after an unlucky chat with a woman who didn't take 'little girls' home, she rode the elevator from that bar, rather annoyed, as to not start any trouble. She figured it was the woman's loss, and that she would head down and try out some of the games. Shado was already planning on sneaking off the next day because she had scored a concert ticket for a show in LA, and she wouldn't miss that, as the singer was extremely cute, and she was hoping to 'meet' her, but for the time being, the casino floor was calling, and maybe she would find some better women or two.
The Queen of the Covenant of Witches was so into her own thoughts that she almost missed the elevator stopping at a floor to let someone in as it was kind of empty, except for Shado right then.
"Come on Miles', this'll be great!" exclaimed an over excited blonde haired babe to a girl with brown hair crinkled at the bottom, and Shado perked up with wild eyes as they were both pretty cute.
"Jeez girl, give it a rest," the other spoke sounding both exasperated and amused as her stunning blue eyes rolled. It was her accent though, it was incredibly sexy. It was a Southern US (hillbilly-ish) accent that rolled out lazily as if trying to turn girls on.
The two girls entered the elevator as the blonde continued. "But I'm so excited... this is Vegas Miley... Las Vegas!" she cried out the last with a wide grin and an incredible smile. "I mean, we can do anything we want for the whole day and night before we have to even think of heading to LA!"
"We're fourteen, okay, nearing fifteen, Lilly," the brown haired girl reprimanded rolling her eyes again. "What can two fourteen year old girls legally do in the Gabling Capital of the world, the WORLD!" she said laughing a little as her friend slumped in defeat.
"I'm only seventeen, and have a fake ID," Shado interrupted quietly, but managed to gain the other two girls attention, startling them as they obviously hadn't realised she was in the lift, and Shado could see both girl suppress shivers as her sexy green eyes scanned their sexy dresses. "If you both hang with me no one will question how old you are... trust me. Plus I really don't have anyone else my age to hang with."
"Okay," the blonde agreed with her smile back, but the brown haired girl didn't look too happy with her friend for that. "I'm Lilly Truscott and this is my best friend Miley Stewart!"
"I'm... Ivy Potter," Shado answered with a radiant smile, shaking the blondes hand, and making sure to fizz through the smallest of sparks, which caused her to jump and blush. I so owe Twilight for putting in that stupid spark like electricity, so girls were susceptible to thinking of the book after I shake their hand, and the whole soulmate crap.
"Lilly, she's talking about breaking the law," the brown haired girl suddenly hissed looking worried. "If my dad finds out, we'll be in so much trouble."
"Ahh, come on Miley," Lilly begged, pouting so cutely that Shado was quite sure she would have given in just as the other girl did, as she let out a breath, and gave me a half-smile.
"Umm... nice to meet you," she said in her sexy accent shaking Shado's hand. Though, she did start at my electric touch she just seemed to shrug it off as nothing important. She was a strong girl most certainly, probably having only watched the Twilight movies while her friend had read the books – or at least listened to the audiobooks.
The elevator stopped at that moment on the ground floor, and Shado was only too eager to lead her new friends out and into the casino. This was going to be so great, illegally gambling, and then possibly getting laid by two cute virgin girls who were apparently from Malibu, which was what the blonde said, and Shado would love to visit, as a real American beach sounded like fun.
They stopped at the Black Jack table after getting some drinks and buying some chips. Though, Lilly and Miley bought some chips they were surprised at how many 'Ivy' bought, or more accurately the value of a lot of them. It was no wonder she could afford such a great fake ID, that nobody batted an eye at her friends betting too without ID.
"So... this is like twenty one right?" asked Shado as she was dealt her hand of two cards.
"Yes ma'am," agreed the young man wearing some kind of suit like uniform after he dealt the three girls their cards.
"Umm... okay then I'll..." she looked at her cards. "I'll place in a bet," she said putting down a single purple chip, which caused the dealer to double take.
"That's five thousand dollars Miss.," he said as if she didn't know.
"Too rich for me," Lilly said folding her hand down sadly.
"Me too," agreed Miley copying suit. "Maybe we should have tried the slots," she suggested as she finished off her alcoholic drink. They really shouldn't make these things so tasty, she thought about her cocktail. It just encouraged underage drinking, and she enjoyed the warm feeling in her tummy.
This one round went on for only a few more moments when Shado won a heck load of money laughing her head off as she couldn't believe that she had actually won her first time.
However, after that she started loosing for a few tries, more than she had won when each turn ended she got a little bit better and won some more. Though, she always bet big as if actually flaunting her wealth at the casino.
'Ivy' to Lilly and Miley's surprise actually had more money after she started playing than before when she had told them that the slot machines would be more fun since the three of them could play together without 'Ivy' being able to bet too high for them to keep up.
They got themselves a small bucket of quarters each and chose three machines next to each other in a row that had a very high, multi million dollar jackpot that was even then increasing.
Lilly laughed as her machine paid out some coins after she had only put in a couple of coins, winning her about ten dollars.
"I feel like one of those grannies you see at these machines on TV," she said to her best friend and new friend while they laughed. "Though, with that jackpot sum in the thirty millions I'm not caring."
"How about if one of us hits it we split the winnings three ways?" Shado was quick to offer getting two sets of wide eyes.
"Really?" Miley asked sounding confused.
"Sure," she agreed. "I already have plenty of money. Anyway, isn't that what friends do?" she asked them smirking.
"Okay, I guess," Miley agreed smiling at her new and slightly odd friend. Well hanging with Lilly she didn't think 'Ivy' was really that odd, plus her family gives a whole other meaning to odd.
"Excuse me ladies," they were interrupted by a fine looking waitress with a tray carrying three drinks that were exactly what they had ordered earlier from the bar. "Your drinks shall be on the house from now on," she said surprising them, but they weren't going to complain as they took them.
"Thanks," Shado said smilingly as she took a sip, pulled out a purple chip from her pocket, one of many she still hadn't cashed in and gave it to the waitress. "Keep them coming and maybe you'll get another."
The waitresses eyes bugged out of her head as she looked the chip over and frantically nodded her head in agreement before quickly going off to get them another order of drinks.
"I wish I was your waitress," Lilly jokingly said just as Shado had pulled her machines lever, it spun, stopped, and the sirens blazed to life startling the three girl. "Holy crap," she chimed out instead of continuing on her tangent. "You just won over thirty million dollars! You must be the luckiest girl on Earth."
Shado couldn't quite believe it herself before turning a grin back to her two surprised new friends. "Actually, we all win around ten million each, remember."
"You were actually being serious!" Lilly exclaimed in shock as a smiling guy in a suit was quick to greet them.
"Congratulations My Lady Umbra," he said in praise. "How would you like your winnings to be deposited?"
"Split evenly between these three cards," she said fanning out three bank cards. The two American girls eyes widened in shock as they recognised their bank cards and wondered how in the last few moments she had swiped them.
"Of course Lady Umbra, we would also like to offer you and your friends," he began, taking the cards and looking at the three different names. "A penthouse apartment here in the casino free of charge of course, and for as long as you stay, drink, food, clothes, all on the house."
"Thank you," Shado said with a grin. "I finally got what I wanted, and I never thought I was lucky before now."
"Yes ma'am," he said. "I'll return your cards in a short moment, please excuse me," he said before quickly hurrying off just as their waitress returned with some more drinks.
"Lady Umbra?" Lilly asked, confused.
Shado shrugged. "A... Taken Name... Shado Umbra," she answered sheepishly, "but my given name is Ivy Potter, so just Ivy is fine, I am on vacation after all."
"Okay," the two girls answered confusedly before shrugging.
"Anyway, how'd you swipe our cards?" Miley asked after the waitress had left, probably to get them some more drinks, and she was starting to really feel the affect now.
"Magic," she replied laughingly. Sure, she had tried alcohol before out of curiosity, but she had never took too much, and she was starting to feel a little light headed. "See, I have magical powers!" she laughed some more.
"Pickpocketing powers more like," Lilly piped in laughingly as she felt the buzz from her drinks.
Shado rolled her eyes. "I can prove it if you like," she replied smugly. "My Dad, moron godfather, and their buddy chose to come to this hotel because it has a hidden magical section to the casino," she said smugly just as the guy in suit returned with their cards and keys to their apartment with a promise that their belongings would be in their new room before they got their before scurrying off somewhere else, as the poor bugger probably had to deal with a lot of rich people issues, and he stared in awe at the two purple chips, Shado had given him as a tip, as he had never expected the Queen of the Covenant to be so generous, as magical's dealt with magical's, even within the nomaj part of the casino, and he had to deal with her two nomaj friends also, which he didn't mind, especially as he realised how nicely tipped he got.
"Okay then, prove your magical stuff," Lilly said smugly as she downed the last drop of her cocktail just as the waitress returned with another, hopping dizzily from her stool she grabbed another.
"Okay then," Shado answered as she drained her drink and collected the next just as Miley, laughing did the same. Shado grinned and gave the waitress a purple chip and led both girls through the casino.
"There is no...!" started Miley, but Shado drained her drink dry and just dumped the empty glass on a passing waiters tray and grabbed both of their hands as they reached the far corner where an old unused poker table sat collecting dust and for some weird reason they hadn't actually noticed it until they were real close.
"Wait! I've got to go and do something," Miley suddenly said trying to pull out of Shado's grip without success.
"Me too," Lilly agreed pulling in vane, not realising that she was trying to brake the grip of someone with some pretty amazing control over magic.
"What?" Shado asked in amusement and both girls looked to her in surprise as they couldn't figure it out themselves, as they paused their struggling. "You feel like you should be doing something else, and without me holding you, you would have turned around, walked off, and forgotten all about this," she said laughingly as both girls looked to her, confused.
However, they gasped and flinched as they were forced to walk right into the old poker table. However, gasped further as they never hit it and looked behind them to see the table gone, and a golden arch in its stead where they could see everyone through it, but knew none of them could see them.
The two girls eyes almost popped out of their heads as they finally looked around to see a large number of people at what appeared to look like normal gambling machines, or tables, along with obviously different things, and the roulette dial was simply huge, about he size of a Ferris-wheel floating in the air without a bottom with a huge silver ball spinning around it, defying gravity, and with red and blue rather than black, and a green and yellow for the two zero squares. The numbers with colours flashed in the centre of the ring before landing on one, and some squat man cheered out as that same number and colour popped above his head much smaller to show he won some money, as a large betting table was on the floor with all the wheels numbers with colours, and odds, and piles of gold, silver, and bronze coins on spaces. above everyone's heads while people stood on the betting table placing down sums of gold, silver, and bronze. The money faded away except for some that floated up and flew to the winner. Then some glowing numbers with G with a twin horizontal slashes must have been the money from bank cards or credit cards, one of which said 10.2.5G, and a young man groaned in disappointment as he watched the numbers trail down to zero and fade away with plenty of others.
There were things that smoked and puffed that they couldn't figure out, to standard Black Jack tables, only from what they could see the cards weren't of the same tangent as the other side of the arch, and Miley was pretty sure one man seemed to be having a heated argument with a Jack of Diamonds.
The casino floor was paved with beautiful tiles, and the walls were of a perfectly polished wood with high ceilings and huge crystal chandeliers that sparkled and twinkled, floating, suspended by thin air, with gold and silver trimmings.
Taking more note of the people now they saw men and women wearing different kinds of robes, some suit like, some probably to be a height of fashion. Some women though, preferred the standard and fashionable dresses just like them and Shado which meant they wouldn't feel too out of place.
However, they had to hold in gasps as they saw some wrinkly little midget monsters wearing business type suits running some of the games with name tags, and some similar creatures with grey skin, long ears and bald heads in security uniforms. That being odd they saw many different kinds of what could only be pixies, and or fairies flying around with either sparkles of light fluttering from their wings or with trays of drinks floating with them through the air to their intended targets.
"Pretty cool, huh?" Shado asked startling them and knocking them out of their trances. They looked to each other and drained their drinks dry.
However, they were further startled at the tinkling little giggle as a sweet little fairy floated down to them with a tray and three drinks. The same the three had been drinking floating in front of them, to the two new girls awe.
"I think we'll need them," Miley spoke out in a small voice as she took her drink, and Lilly copied taking hers while Shado just chuckled taking hers as her two new friends placed their empties on the fairies floating tray. "Umm.. thank you," she said thanking the 'girl'. The fairy just tinkled her giggle, nodded her appreciation, as Shado gave her a purple chip to her delight, and flew off with her tray and the empty glasses.
"Ivvvvvy! My beautiful baby girl!"
The three girls winced as a man in his mid to late thirties stumbled over, obviously having drunk too much, his black hair falling in his eyes. He was being helped stand... well okay, they were helping each other stand. The other man had blue eyes and shaggy black hair, and was giggling while a third with greying brown hair was with them rolling his eyes as he was drinking a beer, but looked like he was enjoying his friends crazy antics anyway.
Shado sighed rolling her eyes. "Trust you... Sirius, getting my dad drunk, but these are my new friends, Lilly and Miley. Lilly, Miley, these two are Remus Lupin, my somewhat uncle, and Sirius Black, my Godfather, and finally, my dad, James."
"Here, have you kids tried some... f-f-fire whisky before...? You should. Its killer stuff," Sirius slurred laughingly.
"Umm... no," Lilly braved answering shyly.
"Don't give my daughter, no-no-no, whatever that is," James slurred out while suppressing his giggling.
Sirius just laughed. "Well, that's okay," he continued to slur. "Shado is killer powerful. I mean seriously. She has... has awesome magic. She's like a queen, Queen of the Covenant of Witches," he giggled and Lilly and Miley looked at Shado with wide eyes. "She even became close friends with 'THE' Vampire Slayer, pretty cool, huh?"
"Yes, vampires are real," Shado answered them, though they didn't stop gawking, she realised that wasn't the unasked question. "Oh, right... yeah... although muggle... erm, nomaj... I mean non-magical peoples legends come close... well, the myths are just a little off on the details, and there are a couple different types of vampires, and werewolves too, like Uncle Remus here is a werewolf."
Lilly gasped as she looked him up and down while Miley moved closer to Shado. "So, can you... you know transform whenever you want?" Lilly asked eagerly. "Do vampires really sparkle in the sunlight."
"No and no," Shado quickly answered as Remus while embarrassed seemed to notice something. "And those wolves from the books weren't actual werewolves, as werewolves are mentioned apart from them in the final book," she said as she always found that kind of annoying, as she read those terrible books hoping for awesome vampire stories with werewolves and whatnot, but she was horribly disappointed, but after the third one, she felt too invested to give up, even though she wanted too.
"Shado, they're muggles. If someone finds out you just found a couple of muggles and brought them in you'll get into trouble."
However, Shado smirked as she lifted up her left hand and clenched it into a fist. The muggle girls and two grown wizards flinched as her fist sparked with lime electricity, and her bright green eyes blazed with golden light.
"Yeah, like they'll not be in even more trouble for starting a fight with Shado," Sirius said laughingly.
Though, Shado turned from them and gave her two new friends a reassuring grin. "Don't listen to them. I'll look after you both, and I know the three of us are going to have a great time."
"Umm... sure..." Lilly said uncertainly as her soft blue eyes scanned the casino before pausing on something down the far end. "What's that over there?" she asked interestedly getting Shado and Miley's attention to the same spot. "I-it looks like some kind of... race?" she said as a quarter mile long track of some kind was set up.
"What's with all the fire?" Miley asked in wonder as she followed Lilly as Lilly headed off and Shado brought up the rear, and a fine view she got too, wishing the guys a 'later'. Shado did notice that both of her new girls were a little flat on top, but with fine arses like theirs, she was not going to complain, and wondered whether she could potentially teach them some form of magic, or get Willow to teleport back and forth to teach them, as teaching others had done wonders for Willow learning so much self-control, and she had a knack for it, and enjoyed it; it was cute watching her explain something she loved so much.
However, they soon got to some kind of race track as they finished their drinks and replaced their empties when another 'their' fairy waitress floated down with replacements, and Lilly had mentioned that she could get used to such quick service, and Shado decided to try out some fire whisky anyway. So she asked the fairy to bring them a bottle with three glasses when they had finished their cocktails. The fairy nodded and quickly hurried off as they finally looked down to the track, as they climbed up some steps to look down into the track properly, as some kind of magic allowed people from afar to see through the safety walls.
The track kind of looked like a motor car drag racing track. It was large and wide, with concrete barriers running the hundred metre length, and with ten lanes. To one side, the start there were starting cages and looking in all three girls frowned as they saw flashes of fire seemingly exiting the creatures butts.
They looked like crosses between giant lobsters, giant crabs, and some kind of lizard, maybe a magical salamander perhaps. They were red, but some faded to yellow around their underbellies, and the girls couldn't make out a head on any. They had either suckers or stings yet all of them seemingly farted fire. They also wore around their middles seemingly fireproof sashes with their names and numbers in different colours.
"What the hell are they supposed to be!" Shado asked, but didn't expect a reply as Miley and Lilly shrugged in unison.
"Blast-Ended-Skrewts," a gruff voice said from behind. They turned to see a goblin... well that's what Shado muttered he is. He was wearing a suit and seemed to be collecting bets. "Fancy a bet on one of these beauties!" he asked, grinning and showing off his pointy teeth.
"Twenty thousand dollars on number nine to win," Shado answered shrugging her shoulders as she handed him four purple chips, and he handed her her betting slip.
He turned to the other two girls. "Five minutes until the race starts..." he said, his grin still in place.
"Err... five thousand dollars on... umm... number two," Lilly couldn't help but make a bet, and saying too low a figure might get her on the wrong side of this guy, and he was creepy.
"Err, five thousand dollars on number five," Miley added, showing off their cards, and the goblin took then, shook them, and they ignited in golden sparkles, and returned them as they watched 'holographic' numbers, five thousand from each in red light, pull away from the cards, and when he returned them they still had their banks logo, but were then silver, unlike Shado's gold card, and had 'Supported by Gringotts' in gold outlined black in the bottom right instead of VISA to their surprise, and the cards were made of metal.
"Don't worry," Shado said, "though you don't see Gringotts logo like you do with MasterCard and VISA, and whatever else, you can used a Gringotts debit or credit card anywhere, just like you could before, but now you'll be able to use them in the magical world too, and they'll be locked to you, and anyone you authorise, and they're pretty handy as you don't need the app to see your balance or transfer money, and chip and pin, any four numbers you want, and contactless up to two hundred pounds... I have no idea-."
"Two hundred and fifty in dollars," the goblin said helpfully to their surprise before handing over the nomaj girls their betting slips, and grinned even wider before giving a short bow of his head. "Thank you for doing business with Gringotts, and enjoy the race ladies!" he said laughing as he stalked another 'customer'.
"That guys kind of creepy," Lilly said shaking her head clear as she saw Shado looking at her funny. "But this new card is awesome," she added looking it over as it showed how ridiculously wealthy she had become in blue light above her card, "but why are you looking at me funny?" she asked, baffled.
"Nothing," Shado shrugged. "Its just you chose the Blast-Ended-Umm-Thingy with the highest odds, which means he's going to be rubbish. Why'd you waste five grand like that?"
"Huh?" Lilly answered looking baffled.
"There's a board telling us the odds there Lils," Miley said pointing it out for their friend, and sure enough, with glowing chalk colours above everyone was the odds board and hers was last.
"Ah, crap. I didn't see that," the blonde complained unhappily.
Shado laughed while rolling her eyes. "No worries babe," she said smilingly. "If by some miracle your... Blast thingy does win you'll have won sixty-five thousand dollars."
"That doesn't make me feel any better you know," Lilly winged with a cute pout that only made her friends laugh more, and tease her for being too adorable.
Fifteen minutes later Lilly was laughing her head off. "I can't believe it. I freaking won!" she cried out triumphantly as she watched the green numbers automatically ping on her new card while looking gleeful while her friends just watched her in amusement while telling her that her 'sore-winning' was rather adorable to, but this time, she laughed with them.
"That is some seriously fluky stuff Lils," Miley slurred laughing and rolling her eyes with a slight stumble having to be caught from falling by Shado as they had recently received their fire whisky bottle and it was already quarter empty and it was not a small bottle.
"S... so you... I mean w-what should w-we do now?" Lilly asked as she held on to her two friends to stay still. Miley laughed at her best friend as she downed her glass while looking thoughtful, as their was so much she could do.
"I've always wanted to see one of those Vegas Elvis' that ya... you know... from TV," said Miley giggling in amusement as she caught Shado from stumbling over as she adjusted her footing. The three of them giggled madly at the thought.
"O... Okay... but... oh, hey, Mr. Goblin," Shado called out and agreed, getting another 'goblins' attention.
"I'm a Pukwudgie, ma'am," he said in restrained annoyance, as the young lady was drunk, and he knew she could crush him like a grape if she chose with just a smile and a thought. "But, how may I assist you?"
"We... we want to see Elvis... where can we...?"
He just shrugged, his eyes rolling. "Just down their on the other side on the casino is a magical world chapel. I think they have one of those lame impersonators if you're interested."
"Sweet Nibblets!" Miley called out suddenly, her sexy accent coming on stronger as the Pukwudgie left them be. "To the chapel," she chimed out happily.
"Damn your accents hot," Lilly suddenly blurted out before she could stop herself.
Miley laughed at her embarrassed friend. "Why thank you Miss. Lilly," she said putting her accent on thickly.
"It seriously is really hot, though," Shado backed up Lilly's statement without any doubt.
Miley blushed but laughed as she pored three more glasses (barely without spilling), of fire whisky. "W-well, shall we go see Elvis then?" she asked, her cheeks stained red at the sincerer complements to her accent. "And, Ivy… err… Shado… your English accent is amazingly sexy too," she said with a grin.
"Extremely sexy!" Lilly agreed with a sheepish grin, while Shado smirked as she knew she – well, they were going to have a lot of fun that night.
"Come on," Miley giggled as she lead the way.
"Yeah...!" Lilly and Shado called out, the three of them clinking glasses before downing them and heading towards the chapel as Shado tried to pour more glasses but couldn't quite see straight so they just threw their glasses away and started drinking from the bottle, and didn't realise people were moving out of the way, as Shado's power practically demanded they scram.
to be continued...