Chapter 8
959 Words
8
Part of Sam couldn’t believe she walked out of the Vampire church alive and in one piece. Again. One of these days, she suspected she wouldn’t remain so lucky, but that was a worry for another time.
She dug her phone from her pocket and shot an old friend from the force a quick message. If there was anyone that could help her identify a missing child, it was Rick. She just hoped he’d get back to her soon. While it didn’t look like Catalina wanted to hurt the boy, Sam wanted the situation cleared up as fast as possible.
With that dealt with, she grimaced. She was quickly running out of things to do which meant she had to face the music. She had to apologise sooner rather than later before the conflict took root. If only the other woman was answering her phone.
She arrived at the Drunken Turnip, hoping to find Lilith or someone that could point her in the right direction. Once she crossed the threshold, the noisy street turned into a haven of silence. Apart from a handful of people scattered along the booths and tables, it was empty.
She chose her usual chair at the bar and waved at the bartender. “Hey, Brendan.”
“Samantha, nice to see you. The usual?” the young guy asked as he dried a wine glass.
“Ummm… Sure.” She placed her handbag on the seat next to her and scanned the room. “Is Lilith here?”
The bartender shook his head as he placed a beer in front of her. “I haven’t seen her.”
Samantha sighed. “Do you know where I could find her?”
“No, sorry.” He pushed a bowl of nuts across and glanced over the bar. “No hellhound today?”
“No, Shadow is at home,” she replied while checking her phone for a message. Nothing. “Well… I guess this is as good a place as any to wait for her.”
“Miss Lilith always shows up sooner or later,” Brendan reassured her. “How are you enjoying being a Warden?”
“I’m still getting used to it all,” Sam admitted. “All these new rules and powers… It’s beyond what I ever could’ve imagined.”
He chuckled. “I’ve been part of the Nox my entire life so I have no idea. It must be quite a shock.”
“It is. Sometimes I can’t believe there’s a whole city of Nox clans. A whole world?”
“A whole world.”
“Right. And I’m having trouble adjusting to this clan.”
“Is there something I could help with?”
“No, that’s alright.”
Samantha smiled. From the few talks she’d had with Brendan, she understood why he worked in a bar. He was kind and friendly, the perfect qualities for a bartender.
“Actually… What do you know about Pixies?”
“Pixies?” Brendan dried a wine glass. “Mostly just rumours and tales. I don’t really ever deal with that sort.”
“Are there any Pixies in this clan?”
“No, we’re all Will-O-Wisps and Wardens. But we do have some Pixies currently living in our territory, I believe. Why do you ask?”
“Oh, just curious. I thought non-clan members weren’t allowed on each other's territories. That’s why there are Wardens?”
“True, but it’s different for Pixies. They don’t really have a territory, they just settle wherever they can.”
“How many are there on our land?”
“No idea, to be honest. You’d have to ask someone else.”
“I wonder if Lilith—”
“If Lilith what?” a sharp voice asked from behind her.
Sam whipped around, her eyes widening. “Lilith!”
“Why do I keep walking in on you mentioning me?” the other woman sneered. She shook her dark hair, rolled her eyes, and promptly turned around.
“Wait up!” Samantha shot an apologetic look to the bartender and chased after her friend. She managed to catch up to her at the entrance and grabbed her by the wrist.
Lilith pulled herself free. “What?”
“Can we talk?”
“Depends. Are you going to mock me?”
“No and I’m sorry about that. I shouldn’t have done that.”
“Hmm.”
A new customer arriving at the Drunken Turnip passed between the two women, temporarily disturbing the conversation.
Samantha shot Lilith a pleading look. “Could we talk somewhere private?”
“Fine.”
Without checking whether she was following, Lilith marched past her. Samantha hurried after her, desperate not to waste her chance to apologise properly. She needed the conflict to dissolve completely or it would become the breeding ground for any future problems.
Lilith reached for the door that said ‘staff only’ and while Sam knew she was with the boss, she still worried one of the bartenders would call her out on entering the back of the bar.
Of course, nobody did.
She followed Lilith into the tight hallway, the sound of her heels echoing against the concrete walls. The awkward silence only grew as they approached the office where Sam signed her Warden contract.
Sighing, Lilith patted herself. “Damn it, I don’t think I have my key. Follow me.”
Instead of the dusty office, they entered a different room. Sam’s breath hitched and she froze in the doorway.
“Are you coming?” Lilith asked from within the circular space.
“I…” Sam hesitated, not particularly encouraged by the columns and the marble floor. She vividly remembered waking up on them the first time she met Lilith. That feeling of being trapped, the confusion, the adrenaline.
She hadn’t expected to step into the room where she’d been held hostage, even if she knew right now she was never in any real danger. Still… The experience had been real and while she’d done her best to ignore it, everything from that day came rushing back.
“I… I…” Samantha gasped. Panic rolled over her in insistent waves, drawing the fear and emotions back to the surface. She hugged herself in an attempt to apply reassuring pressure to herself, hoping it would steady her erratic breathing.
“Are you okay?” Lilith asked, her voice less sharp than before. “Sam?”
If she could have answered Lilith, she would have. She drew in sharp, painful breaths that attacked her lungs like a barrage of tiny knives.
“Sam!”
- Writer
