Page 4 of The Rowan
Standing in the shadows, I watch Arden’s interview with Maya. She exhibits grace and a maturity I rarely see in young witches. Usually, they’re arrogant with power and eager to test the strength of their magic. I watch the light play on her hair and listen to her voice as she answers Maya’s questions. On the surface, she looks and feels exactly how she appears—a beautiful witch, mid-twenties, moderate power level. And yet, my gut clenches as the winds of change blow through me.
Air displaces on my left, and a cool voice sneers, “We’re giving jobs to witches now?”
“The Princess of the Light Fae called in a favor,” I reply, turning to the vampire beside me. “I’m to provide her with a job, magical training, and some research.”
Daire turns towards the girl. Cocking his head to the right, he studies her. “The princess, huh? She’s hardly important. Moderate power. Human. An easy favor. What’s the benefit to you?” With a shrug, he turns back to me for my answer.
“A life debt absolved,” I murmur. I let a tiny frown show to convey my concern.
Shock covers his expression. “What the fuck? That’s an insignificant request for a debt of that magnitude.”
I turn to face the witch and admit, “I accepted the favor. The burden of this life debt has been weighing on me for almost three hundred years. I can’t help but feel I’m being played, though. There are too many inconsistencies popping up.”
Facing me, he crosses his arms. “Like what?”
“Despite being mid-level, she immediately saw through my illusion,” I say, thinking back to our introduction. “When I probed, she resisted all my attempts to break through her barriers. And the rune tattoo on her throat makes me feel as if I’m missing an important detail.”
“Interesting. I didn’t see the rune earlier,” he muses.
“Earlier? When did you see her?” I question.
“When she delivered the card, I was walking to the bar for a drink,” he says. “Then I got a whiff of her, and I stopped.”
“And?” I ask impatiently.
He licks his lips. “She smelled divine. Like a bouquet of my favorite flavors wrapped up in one delicious package.” Pausing, he contemplates his next words. “Funny thing, though, I could have sworn she felt me in the room. As she was leaving, she looked directly into the shadows where I was standing.”
Vampires are near impossible to detect, except by the most powerful. My shoulders tense as the inconsistencies continue to add up. Normally, I thrive in tackling the unknown, uncovering secrets and delving deep until I solve the puzzle. A slight tremor of unease runs through me. If I wasn’t so confident in the integrity of the Princess of the Light Fae, I wouldn’t have accepted the favor so easily. Now, I’m wondering if my faith is misplaced.
“She’s under my protection, and therefore, the cadre’s. Please refrain from drinking her blood, no matter how good she smells.” I pause for a second to let my words sink in. “I’ll inform Fallon and the rest of the team. For now, we’ll monitor her while we meet the terms of the requested favor. Personally, I’m going to make sure she causes as little disruption to our life as possible.”
Amused, he reads the uneasiness on my face. “Easy enough. Solange would be impossible if I drank from a witch.” He shudders with mock horror. “You better warn Astor personally. She’s a tempting morsel, and he rarely denies himself.” With those final words and one last glance at Arden, he vanishes.
She is a tempting morsel indeed, reminding me of the beautiful Amazon warriors of the past. I make a note to talk to Astor immediately, turning my head back to Arden just in time to watch her shake Maya’s hand.
Maya’s voice rings out as she states, “Welcome to The Abbey. Please be here early tomorrow, and we’ll get you set up in the system. Uniform comprises a black tank top or T-shirt, which we’ll provide, and any black pants or skirt of your choosing.”
4
ARDEN
When I return the next evening, the club is buzzing with activity as employees rush to set up prior to opening. Maya is standing at the end of the bar, talking to the bartender. It’s another shifter, with golden eyes similar to hers. He sneers in my direction, and Maya turns around to face me. Her eyes sweep over my attire and gleam with satisfaction at the neat appearance of The Abbey tank top, slim black ankle pants, and black tennis shoes.
“Hello, Arden. Let’s get started, shall we? I’ll introduce you to a few of the staff, give you a brief tour of the club, and then hand you off to Merindah, who will train you for the next week. Okay?” Without waiting for my reply, Maya takes off.
I fall in quickly beside her as she heads toward the back of the club.
“We’ll start with the kitchen. This is where you will spend a large majority of your time getting food and non-alcoholic drinks like soda, blood, and other beverages.”
“Blood?” I raise an eyebrow at this unexpected beverage.
“Yes, we have vampires and other creatures who prefer blood over more mundane beverages or alcohol. Is it a problem for you?” She smirks as if she thinks it might be.
“No, I simply forgot I’m in mixed company now,” I assure her.
She pauses, looks at me in confusion, then shrugs it off and continues, “That is the chef, Syn.” She points to a huge man in the corner. The first thing I notice is his long, beautiful hair, in shades of gold and red, pulled back into a ponytail. He turns at Maya’s words and flashes his golden eyes towards me. Dipping his chin in acknowledgement, he goes back to his conversation with the staff.
“I’ll warn you now. He’s a lion shifter and temperamental about his food. If you let a dish get cold or drop one, he’s liable to roar. Be respectful of the prepared food and his staff, and you’ll get along fine. If not,” she shrugs, “then you face the consequences. Also, he’s my husband, so you’d better have a legitimate grievance if you complain to me.” With that bomb, she heads over to the drink station.
