Nightless [Vol 1]

My heartbeat quickens as I rush toward my car, my boots sharply clacking on the pavement as I move through the dim parking lot. The only light coming from the neon sign stretching across the building behind me. As I get closer I quickly scan the area around me, dropping my keys in my frantic searching. As I bend to pick them up my heart stops as I'm faced with pink heels in front of me. "How strange" a crystal-like voice chirps from in front of me. With a Squeak I stand up quickly, it's her. I had rushed out so quickly, but not quick enough apparently. "What are you doing here?" the woman before me asks "I'm just heading home." I say trying to sound uninterested desperately trying to seem bored. "the money's just no good tonight." I say with a shrug. It's a total lie, I've made an absolute killing tonight. She lightly hmmm's me while continuing to get a closer look. Up close it really does blow my mind that people don't notice. Her skin is so smooth, her eyelashes are impossibly thick, eyes like the deepest ocean, if it weren't for the fact that I knew what she was and could see past her glimmer, I think she'd have been the most beautiful woman I'd have ever seen. she steps closer and I smell flowers and vanilla. "You shouldn't be here." she states. looking intently at my birthmark. "how have you ended up so far from home?" Now I really am confused. " I Uh, work here?" I say glancing back at Temptations, the strip club I work at. Tonight has taken the worst possible turn. As I glance back at her, I now see she is confused. Her beautiful eyebrows mashed together as she looks at me, then back at the club. She reaches forward and lightly grazes my birthmark with her long cold fingers. A sharp tingle exploding where she touched me. "Do not touch me!" I say quickly stepping back. She retracts her hand forcefully in an inhuman speed. and her head leans to the side in an almost child-like wonder. "Do you not know who I am?" she says indignantly. Slowly moving in a circle around me. My breath hitches, there's no way... there's no way she knows I know... "Your Ashlyn. You started tonight?" I say in a puzzled tone. providing the name she gave the other girls. She leans in and whispers in my ear. " Child, I am as old as time itself, you may be able to fool the rest of them into believing you don't see them. But you can't fool me." she moves to stand In front of me. "Your time is almost up, if I've found you, they can't be far behind. The court is calling child, and you are marked." she turns her head halfway listening to the trees at the edge of the parking lot. "your days here are numbered child." she looks back at me, glimmer fully gone. Her blue eyes now shine like an animal, her hair gone from platinum to white, skin like silver. She holds my gaze and my breath as she smirks. Damn, with my lack of gasp at her "disappearing" when her glimmer dropped she's got me dead to rights. She knows I can see her. She's good. And with that she moves with an inhuman stillness to the treeline and disappears. Quickly I get in my car, as I'm backing out I notice a few sprites and brownies scurrying at the edge of the tree line she disappeared into. Of all the Nightless, the Fae were the f*****g worst. One Hour Later~ I took the long way home, then looped the block half a dozen times to make absolutely sure nothing had followed me. Coming into my apartment distracted, I didn't realize until I had forgone my trench coat that I hadn't changed out of my stripper attire. "Oh s**t. Rough night Em?" I gasped and jumped, dropping my keys again as I turned to see Aaron standing in the hallway shirtless, his thick muscle gently flexing as he giggles at me silently "f*****g hell Aaron!" I squeak having been scared half to death. "My God give a girl a warning before you sneak up behind her!" I say bending to grab my keys. "you know, you really shouldn't bring your work home Em, kids live here." Aaron snickers. Only then do I remember I'm standing in talk spiked heeled thigh high boots, fishnets, a mini skirt that quite literally does not cover my ass or thong for that matter, a bedazzled black braw and body chains. My cheeks flush as I grab my trench coat and slide it back on. "Shut. up." I mumbled grabbing a silk bag out of my backpack. "Here. Rent and baby sitting money." I say thrusting the silk bag towards him. "You're not due for another week." Aaron says running his hand through his black hair. His green eyes softly look at me " and I told you, you don't owe me baby sitting money. Ava is asleep when you leave, and you're home before she wakes up anyway." he says with a shrug, turning to go back down the hall. "Mommy?" Ava mumbles as she opens her door "Mommy, I had a bad dream." she pouts rubbing her eyes as she toddles down the hallway. Her naturally curly hair now fluffed into a tangled mess. "Mommy! are you playing dress up?!" she says excitedly as she notices my trench coat. "yes, but it's time for bed now." I sigh picking my 3 year old up. "awe, no fair, Aaron got to see Mommy's costume!" she pouts laying her fluffy little head on my shoulder sleepily. My cheeks flush as I look at Aaron who's smirking from his bedroom door. "Mommy likes to show me her costumes." Aaron says cockily as he breaks into a full on grin. "if only I could live as rent free in the apartment as I do in your mind." I say with a cold sweetness as I walk past his room and on into mine. " Can we play dressup tomorrow mommy?" Ava asks after a soft yawn. " Of course baby." I say as I bring her to my queen sized bed. She quickly shifts to the middle of the bed curling up in a little ball as I go to the bathroom to shower and change. By the time I'm out she's fast asleep again. I crawl into bed beside my baby, mind plagued by the night's events. I repeat my rules to myself as I try to fall asleep. 1.) don't look 2.) don't react 3.) don't speak 4.) don't ever let them know.