Jamie arrived around ten PM at night.

"Studying." He groaned and plopped down on the couch, I patted his back.

"How's Impulse?" I inquired, referring to our place of work.

"Oh my god. I forgot." He gasped and staggered to his bedroom, "I have a fucking shift tonight." A few crashes could be heard from behind the door. A moment later he thrust the door open and threw a bundle of clothes at me. "Put those on."

He wore a black dress shirt with matching pants, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. I have to admit, I was impressed, he looked pretty good in it. Jamie pushed me into the bedroom and I quickly slipped into the clothes he had given me. A pair of dark skinny jeans, a belt, and a white, button-down shirt.

--------------------

Jamie sped down the street towards the familiar club that we worked at. I was still wondering why he had brought me along.

"I thought you didn't work on weekdays?" I asked and stared out the window, houses and street lamps a blur.

"I don't, but you weren't here and we didn't have anyone else to fill in your shifts," He answered curtly, I immediately felt awful. I never meant to make his life harder. If anything, Jamie deserved a life of luxury. He was the one who should date a prince or something.

I sighed looked at the clock installed on the radio, it blinked 10:25 PM. We were making pretty good time. He usually worked from 10:30 to around one.

Jamie pulled into the parking lot across from the club and hopped out. He dragged me across the street and made his way in through the back door with his key. Eric, one of our bouncers was leaned against the wall. I walked in and he did a double take.

"Alabaster?" He gasped with wide eyes, it was actually kind of funny to see such a large man so baffled.

"Uh. Yeah, long story," I muttered sheepishly, knowing I'd probably have to repeat this multiple times tonight.

"Dude, we looked everywhere for you," Eric obviously wanted answers but I couldn't just tell him. That was big stuff.

"Not Hell apparently," I shrugged and saw Jamie headed out into the main club area, "uh, gotta go. Bye!" I called and chased after him. That was awkward.

"Listen, I need to get behind the bar, but you should go see the boss." Jamie yelped over the loud music. I nodded as he zoomed off.

--------------------

The music of the club faded to a dull pounding of bass in Mr. Vennoy's office. I had just closed the door when I was wrapped in a giant bear hug.

"Mr. Vennoy, you're- egh- crushing me." I choked out and pat him on the back. Mr. Vennoy was a muscular warlock in his mid-thirties and the manager of the up club. Although, he took part in the unique style of the down club too. I'm pretty certain he and his sub had performed a few times too. I would never have the guts to do that. No matter how confident I acted.

"Alabaster!" He cried and stepped away, his large hands on my shoulders. "Where have you been?"

"I don't want to talk about it," I murmured and avoided his gaze, "right now." He looked puzzled.

"What happened?" He inquired and ushered me into the seat before his desk.

"It was a demon thing," I whispered shyly, "there was nothing I could do." The look on his face proved that he wanted to know more, but he didn't press me. Mr. Vennoy always seemed to know my limits, he was actually very understanding. I knew it had to be his years of experience as a dominant in the down club. He could read people very well that way.

"I'm just glad you're okay. We assumed the worst," He sighed, I leaned back in the cushioned leather seat.

"Oh yeah, the staff? I ran into Eric on my way in," I answered, feeling more uncomfortable.

"Not just them! A lot of your regulars put up flyers too," he mused and threw his hands in the air. "North was especially worried."

North was a regular at the club, he was a faerie, or an elf maybe. It was his ethereal features that set him off. And the way he spoke.

He liked to lounge around down club, but he hadn't contracted any subs as far as I knew. Usually, he would sit by the bar and we would talk. Sometimes he would go and watch scenes. I liked to the hear stories he told, he was far, far older than me and had so much to talk about. Physically he was somewhere in his twenties. Fae aged differently than other immortals. They seemed forever young and wild.

He always had me pour him a straight glass of nixie must which was a bit like hard liquor for faeries. He told me it reminded him of the parties he would attend in the Seelie court.

I never liked nixie mist much.

"I didn't think anyone here knew me that well," I replied sheepishly, Mr. Vennoy looked appalled.

"Half the people I know can name you on sight!" He laughed, the corners of his eyes wrinkling.

"Uh, when do you want me to get back to work, Mr. Vennoy?" I asked hopefully, fiddling with my thumbs.

"Whenever you want, the bar downstairs has periods of time where no one is operating it," He replied calmly, "James tries his best to cover your shifts but he can't be in two places at once."

"I know, he told me already, so I'd be glad to get back to work!" I laughed it off, Mr. Vennoy relaxed a little bit, "it would get my mind off things."

"Okay, but don't push yourself."

--------------------

I stood behind the bar, fluorescent blue lights illuminating the bottles and glasses. It was kind of beautiful in an odd sort of way. When I arrived at the bar no one was around, not even North, surprisingly. He might be at a scene.

I averted my gaze and rubbed at a smudge on one of the clear pint glasses. Soon, people would be coming to get drinks and if what Mr. Vennoy said was true then they would be asking questions. And I'm not ready for that kind of stress yet.

North could either be the easiest or the hardest. I knew he probably didn't have anyone to listen to him drunkenly tell anecdotes and stories from when he was younger. He might take it well faeries could be very understanding sometimes. But they could also become very agitated very quickly. So you never knew what you would get.

Music pounded softly around the room, it sounded vampiric. Minor key, but also kind of catchy. Vampires were weird like that. Scary, but like, super fun. I'm pretty sure they even invented an instrument for fangs, it was kind of like the love child of a harmonica and panpipes. So that the certain airflow around their fangs created a soothing and ethereal sound. Like a river or midnight.

I found myself wondering if Cassius liked vampire music. Or any at all. He seemed like the kind of demon to enjoy wolfish songs. They were kind of like poems. Sad poems, like thunder. All rumbly, with heavy bass.

Thinking of him made my chest ache with desire, and with heartbreak. How in the world had I ever gotten mixed up with him? It was like one moment he was there and now he wasn't. And nothing was the same.

I just wanted familiar. I needed the club, and Jamie, and North. They were all the same, they hadn't changed. But I had, I was closed off. It was subtle but I knew everyone noticed. It felt like I was missing a part of me now.

No one is going to replace Cassius.

Whispered a small voice in the back of my head, and it was true. But I never listened to little voices. That's crazy.

I think.

The thought nagged me, though. What if I could never feel like that with someone again? Never let them in or joke with them. And feeding.

God, how am I going to bring myself to feed? The mere thought of someone else's hands on me was repulsive and terrifying all the same.

Then don't feed.

I bit my lip, I needed to feed, to take sexual energy, without it, I would die.

Would that be so bad?

Would it though? No more worrying, no more sadness. Cassius could be happy with his mate. No one needs me, no one will miss me.

Blood wet my tongue and I sputtered in surprise. My lip was busted.

"Fuck," I whispered quietly, but with a passion, and brought a cloth to my lip.

"What happened?" A voice called, thick with a Slavic accent, I whipped my head to the side in surprise, "you're bleeding." It was a man, a vampire to be exact. I could see the glistening white fangs from beneath his lips.

The dark black hair on his head was neatly swept across his scalp in an attractive way and his skin was visibly smooth and creamy white. Defined cheekbones adorned his face quite nicely along with deep midnight blue eyes so dark you could barely see the pupil. He was attractive, like all vampires. But Cassius had really given me a kink for blonds.

Jamie might like him.

"Oh. I busted my lip." I brushed it off easily and slid towards him, "uh, what can I get you?"

"I don't really drink." He replied and I stood frozen for a moment.

"Then why are you at the bar?" It almost came out sarcastically, but I caught my tongue. The vampire found it funny and gave a low chuckle.

"For the conversation, of course, you must be Alabaster." He drawled, I was surprised because he was most definitely a stranger to down club. I had never even seen him before. "Everyone's been talking about you."

Fuck.

"Well, I'm fine, as you can see." I retorted and gave a little twirl.

"Physically," he mused, I once more stood still, he very observant.

"I'm not sure what you mean by that," I replied, my heart was beating rapidly.

"Someone hurt you, it's not hard to tell," the vampire noted, "but I'm not sure if you were like this before or after you disappeared." I ground my teeth, this man was so perceptive it was almost annoying. After a moment of silence, I gave up.

"Yes, I-" My eyes found the floor, "wasn't- wasn't like this before."

"So what happened?" This was weird, customers didn't usually ask me questions like that. I was the one listening, not telling.

"Nothing I can talk about with you," I mumbled.

"You'll never see me again, what's the harm?" I clenched my fists nervously, he was right though. Chances were low I'd ever run into him again, and it's not like he could use this information against me. I fucked the prince, so what? Vampires had declared their own kings and their own government, they were largely independent of other demons.

"I got involved with someone I probably shouldn't have." I sighed and leaned against the bar, the vampire placed his chin beneath his palm and looked at me meticulously.

"How did that turn out?"

"Not well, I think he was already romantically involved," I winced at my own words, the face of Ekko flashed through my head. "So I left."

"You think, or you know?" The vampire asked I pondered the question for a moment.

"I'm like, 75 percent certain. There was a lot of evidence."

"So you don't know," he laughed and ran a graceful hand through his hair. "Did you love him?" His expression was a serious one now. I was silent for a moment.

"Yes," I whispered sadly, "I think I did."

"I know what that feels like," he replied and it sounded so heartfelt that I wondered who he was thinking about. "Here, take this," he spoke suddenly and dug around in the pocket of his jacket and pulled out a business card. "I've got a warlock friend who may or may not assist you."
"Uh, thanks," I mumbled and looked at the small card that was now in my hands. But I didn't know what I'd need to be assisted with. Who knows, warlocks were mysterious creatures.

"And if she asks, tell her Nikolai sent you."