Breathing Fire

                                                         ~~   Odette's' POV~~         BEEP BEEP BEEP! the shrill sound of the alarm woke me with a start. I glared at my cell phone "ugh 11:15 pm already" I groan to the usual resonating silence in my room. I slowly stretch my limbs across my bed feeling almost every bone in my body cracking simultaneously. "MMMMM... I moan at the feeling finally throwing the quilt from my body. I slowly rise from my bed as I hear the chirp of a text message on my phone. I sit up enjoying the breeze from the window as unlock my phone and read the message Oddie, I know its short notice. But we are really short staffed today. You can keep all the tips if you cover Jodies' shift tonight at Havana. I know you work at  Mystica tonight but you'd be a life saver. Your work bestie Vialka. I chuckle at the message of course Jodie called out tonight its the 3rd time this week. But what do you expect from the girl who f****d the owner expecting prestige and a relationship only to find out its a one night stand. I rise from the bed and rush to shower and get ready, if I am working to clubs tonight I cant afford to be late. I grab the uniform for Mystica. I stare at what feels like an obvious choice for the supernatural club. The all black ensemble, the shorts with suspenders and fitted black top makes me feel like a hipster witch when I wear it. Given my features you would think that what I am but unfortunately for me. I inherited both my parents gifts, physically and well.. I don't like to think about it too much. Since they were murdered I've been well its been equal measures chaos and hell. I shake myself out of my stupor when I look at my phone and realize I've been daydreaming in my bathroom for over 15 minutes. Its 11:45 now and I have to start at 12:15am. I drop my clothes on the covered toilet seat and hop quickly into my hellfire shower. I quickly shower from head to toe and decide against conventional means to dry instead opting to use my well I have always called them skills but I am sure ordinary people call them gifts. ( Sometimes its good to be half dragon) I conjure up the heated energy from the core of my body using my hands to slowly dry my body from head to toe. Dressing quicker than I should, I decide there is still time for my usual minimal make up routine. A quick red lip and smoky eyes, though with my features my mother always said I didn't need the make up. I pause a moment taking in my look I sigh I should appreciate my beauty. I have my fathers' gray eyes but everything else makes me my mothers daughter. From my flame red hair to my bronze sun kissed skin. You'd never even know I am half Korean if you never met my parents. I often get confused for Spanish, which ironically enough is not even close my mother was a Greek.  I stare into the eyes of my reflection a few moments longer wishing my life was different, imagining I was a different girl. But no time for self pity if I want to keep my apartment and pay for school again in the fall. I quickly switch off the light in the bathroom as I zoom through the house grabbing what I need for both shifts and locking the door before I rush to my real pet project my Saab 900 convertible.                                                            ~~~ Surprise~~~                                                             ( Odette's POV)     I pull up in record time, tossing my keys in my bag and as for my parking well its a blessing the Park Enforcement Officers wont be around at this time of night. Not that I could afford a ticket right now. I scurry into through the heavy oak doors. From the outside of the place you would never even know this place is a club. Mystica use to be an old opera house converted to a club around 8 years ago. The outside only being touched to add the name to the building. Everything from the doors to the stain glass windows that glow ethereally with the moon light was here before the club. I always secretly wished I got to see it before it went under. But such is life, ugh I say that far too often for someone my age. Hastily walking from the front hallway enjoying the sounds of my stilettos muffled click against the velvet carpet and the rising falsetto of drunk people laughing and cursing in equal measure. As I take in the buzz of energy around me with every step. I descend the steps to the sanctum of the club/lounge I look at the crowd some seated huddled close sharing drinks and some of the more regular customers at the bar absentmindedly checking there phones ad scanning the crowds for pretty woman to buy drinks for. I push through the crowds heading towards the bar greeting the bartender " Hey Inez" I wave and walk past the bar into the door behind her. I enter the office and waste no time clocking in and re-tying my disobedient locks. I sigh as I give myself a once over, as I drop my things in the safe behind the desk. thankful the owner isn't in town today. I make my way out of the office and into the fray.             Walking past the bar to wait on the seated customers. I feel someone grab my arm and flinch on habit. I turn my head ready to curse whoever dared to touch me while working. When a gravelly Greek accent spoke " Εσείς η σερβιτόρα ( You the waitress)?" I stared stunned for a second not many people around here speak Greek it was a bit of a tourist hotspot so most people had just taken to speaking or Italian as that is where most of the tourist are coming from. Shrugging his hand off my arm I turn responding " Εσείς η σερβιτόρα ( Yes, can I help you?) I caught his face in the dim light of lounge and was shocked at how attractive and strangely familiar he looked. Deep honey brown eyes and cooper colored hair much like my own. Seeing me pause for a moment he said " .Θα ήθελα 2 ξινά ουίσκι και να ξέρω πότε θα κάνεις ένα διάλειμμα. Θέλω να σε γνωρίσω. (I would like 2 whiskey sours and to know when you get a break. I want to get to know you.) I simply nodded my head as he spoke writing down his order. Quickly walking to Inez and handing her the order before whispering " I am not serving that guy he gives me weird vibes." She giggled in response as I hurried away to wait on the other customers. I give on last glance at the man drinking at the bar and still can shake this familiar feeling about him. I continue to walk through the diner taking orders and hoping time would go a little faster. Mystica on a Thursday night is usually slower than this. Tonight it was like the world was ending and this was the only safe place to ride out the end.                   At last 3 am couldn't come fast enough as I rush from the back room straight to my car haphazardly parked out front. As I exit the building in a whirlwind to make it to Havana on time. I feel a hard tug on my elbow as I turn to curse the force holding me back. I see the man from the bar, he stared expectantly as if his intrusion to my getaway made sense. I hurriedly told him " Κύριε καθυστερώ για την επόμενη βάρδια μου, πρέπει πραγματικά να φύγω"  ( Sir I am running late for my next shift I really need to go) His eyes felt like they were seeing through me into my soul. I felt an unusual I suppose tingling sensation as he held his gaze on my face. I shivered as I realized he was a fey as well. One that was trying to break into my mind. I gathered up what little mental energy I had left and pull my defenses tight. I then yelled at the strange man. " Δεν ξέρω το όνομά σου ούτε με νοιάζει. Φεύγω και μην προσπαθήσεις να με ακολουθήσεις."  (I don't know your name nor do I care to know it. I am leaving and do not try and follow me). As I back away towards my car he shouts from behind " Ξέρω ότι πρέπει να με αναγνωρίσεις λίγο. Δεν ανέφερε η μητέρα σου την οικογένεια που άφησε πίσω του; " ( I know you must recognize me a little. Didn't your mother mention the family she left behind?" ) I slam the car door shut and speed away with his message still hanging in the air. I make my way to Havana contemplating just what he meant.                                          ~~~~~~~~~~  Private Affairs~~~~~~~~     I pull into the back parking lot of Havana knowing exactly what to expect. Havana is something of a hot spot for the underbelly of this town and that is putting it lightly. Some of the customers really aren't so bad I mean I went to school with some of them. Massimo Hestia in particular, as well as the 3 other people I truly trust Delilah Li and my favorite twins Salome Bishop and her brother Enoch. Just knowing that they would probably be in there tonight made the extra shift easier to deal with. I smiled to myself as I exited the car and walked swiftly in through the back employee entrance. I always loved the secrecy of this place. But I guess it comes with the client base. I walk into the locker room and change into the uniform of the place. Checking myself out in the mirror as Vialka walks in with a Cheshire cat  grin on her face. " The big boss wants to see you." she says as she bats her overly done eyelashes at me. I shake my head chuckling " I know you think something is going on between me and him, but contrary to your own reputation I am actually a good girl and he probably just wants to talk about the shift. Especially since I am covering for the ever absent Jodie."  "He in the back office?" Viakla chuckled quietly " Yea he's in the office, and just for the record I didn't sleep my way to the top. Just making sure I get job security." I just laugh as I walk to the office. I hate when I have to speak to Dorian but he does have impeccable taste in design at least. His office is a sleek modern design with every piece of furniture charcoal back with soft gold accents on all the rugs and walls of the office. It was really a modern art dream with the desk shaped from opaque black glass with a personal bar built into the wall. Truly he was stunning and I guess when you come from the kind of family he comes from you get the best in life. I sigh internally as I open the door to the luxury office every girl here wishes he would take them to. I mean I really couldn't blame them most women dream of men with dirty money and power. But unlike those girls money has never been more than a means to an end for me. I know what kind of man he is and I would rather be caught dead then fall for a petty thug in a designer suit. I close the door slowly behind me trying to be a quiet as possible. I noticed he was on a call when I walked in, I stand at his desk waiting for him to finish. I could take a seat but as I mentioned I do not like being around him and I am hoping to keep this short and sweet. I continue to stand there fighting the awkwardness of being in his presence right now. I observe Dorian finishing his call watching him run his hand through his wavy chestnut colored hair. I have been standing here for 10 minutes while he wraps up his business. When I decide I really need to get to work, so I clear my throat. I chuckle as his golden colored eyes rise to meet the sound he just heard. He smiles at me like a wolf about to feast. Ick I hate that look, its the same look Dorian has been giving me since he find out I will be 18 soon. As if I would ever be with that creep. I brush off the look " I was told you wanted to see me sir?'  Dorian's grin widens " I love hearing you call me that, but yes I did want to see you. I am thinking of firing Jodie and hiring you in her place. I need reliable workers and I cant think of anyone more reliable and responsible than you." I gasped " Well I already have one job I am not sure I could handle a full time position in two places." He nodds " So negotiation time I see, what are they paying you over at Mystica anyway ? $12 plus tips?" I nod my head yes in response. he pauses for a moment before clasping his hand together. " Okay $20 an hour plus tips, and I know your going back to school in the fall college girl. So I'll sweeten the pot even more..."  Dorian pulls out two roll of hundreds in a rubber band from a drawer in his desk. "This should cover the cost of your textbooks for the rest of the semester. Its  10,000 here. And it's yours if you take the offer." Dorian leans back in his chair eyeing me up and down. Waiting for my next move. It is my turn to pause now, as I have said money isn't everything but for a seventeen year old living on her own like me it sure does help. I study his face before making another move. His golden eyes watching me like a hawk. I walk forward to grab the money off the desk " I have a shift to get to, but I will take the offer. But I need off tomorrow as it is a friends birthday and they expect me at the party.  " Massimo's birthday is tomorrow ? my how time flies, he will be 19 tomorrow no? Dorian inquired "That will be fine, Jodie would not have been scheduled tomorrow anyway. But you will have to be here for Saturday, that is one of our busier nights and I have heard you are quite the waitress amongst other things. I have heard you fill the house at Jolene's. It was my turn to laugh as I walked out. " I sing three  nights a week at Jolene's. And that is because she pays me the most. I'll fill any house for $1000 a night plus tips.  Are you willing to match that for me to quit Mystica?" He smiled as he spoke " Lets see how tonight goes and maybe I'll hire you as a key holder when I get away from here for a while. My eyes widen in shock as I walk out speechless heading into what was as comfortable a shift as I hope it will be. Waiting on my friends and the rest of the unsavory neighborhood is usually the distraction I need from my irregular ass life. It was just what the doctor ordered waiting tables acting as if nothing that was discussed with my boss happened. Walking through Havana would probably make better women blush at the behavior of the patrons. But contrary to my shelter upbringing I was always aware of the backbone of this neighborhood. My father was one of those men once. According to my mom he gave it all up for us to have a peaceful life. To be honest it worked, till of course it didn't. You would think that would be enough to keep me away from places like this. But I had a grander plan in mind. I work in places like this to find my information on my parents killers. An unsolved murder in broad daylight, I may be young but I have never been a fool. Someone knows something and I have been trying for 5 years. I learned a bit but not nearly enough. Lost in my thoughts as I take the nameless unremarkable foot soldiers orders. I hear a familiar voice call " Hey Oddie, I knew you'd be here tonight. Don't work too hard you need to save some energy for my party this weekend!" I laugh as I follow the voice to the booth across from me. My eyes lock with my permanent bff Massimo. He puts on his killer grin the one that makes all the girls swoon for him.  blush, he is handsome but I have never seen him as anything but my brother. I saunter over pretending to faint in his lap in response to his smile. " Oh Massimo, how could I ever forget about you." I say in my most high pitched falsetto voice laughing in his arms. Massimo plants a kiss on my forehead. "Listen little sis if you keep acting this way you will ruin the chance of me getting laid tonight. But seriously how are you feeling little worker bee?" Standing up from his lap I give him a half smile. " I am as good as a sleep deprived waitress can get." " Just gotta get through the shift and I will be okay. " But if you see Delilah, make sure she gets home in one piece. Last time I had to cover for her with her dad and there is only so many times I can blackmail the man before he just locks her away for good." Massimo nods with fake solemnity on his face " Yes sir." I just shake my head " I really have to get back to work. These bastards would never serve themselves."                                              ~~~~~~ Insomnia~~~~~ Finally wrapping up the grueling shift as the sun rose at six am I remembered I wont be getting any sleep again. Though really I should go straight home and recoup for the same old shifts again. Today was well remembrance day. At least for me anyway its been just abut five years since they past and it just never gets any easier for me. Still dressed in my work clothes I head to my car. I plan to drive straight to the cemetery. Nothing soothes my conscious like speaking with my parents. As I pull my keys from my purse I see a note left on my windshield. I look around startled a bit, I never usually get a ticket being parked out in the employee parking lot even though technically I was not an employee today. I shrug a bit annoyed but I grab it ready to fight a ticket I really could not afford to pay anyway. I unfold the note when I realize its really just a note. Written in a curious dialect 우리는 오랫동안 당신을 찾고 있습니다. 우리가 누구인지 언제 알게 될지 걱정하지 마십시오. 너무 오래되었습니다.켄지 . ( We have been searching for you a long time. Don't worry you will know when we meet who we are. It has been too long. Kenji ) I shove the note in my pocket and hurry into my car. I have never met a Kenji in my life, why is everyone being so f*****g weird lately. I turn the engine on as I slowly pull away from the club turning the radio all the way. I need something to drown out the craziness of both my mind and the day.