Dancing With Death

Chapter 4 - "Jokes on you"

It felt like I was in trouble.

Sat on a cold, hard wooden bench for the past half an hour.

Outside his office.

Him.

My future employer.

The big boss man.

Having been home schooled, I could only imagine it felt like being in trouble at school and having to sit outside the principal's office.

They'd make you wait.

Sweat.

Till you were a nervous shaking mess by the time they would call you.

Just long enough that you'd bear your soul to them when you finally got called in.

Breath.

I had to remember that I wasn't a naughty kid and that I had nothing to feel guilty or afraid about.

There was no reason to feel that way.

And yet a measure of trepidation was there.

Creeping up over my shoulder and settling like a heavy stone in my stomach.

Dread.

I felt like I wasn't going to like what he had to say.

A gentle clearing of a throat was made.

An elegantly framed woman stood before me, her blonde wispy curls piled on her head in a bun. There wasn't a thing out of place on her, like she was made from plastic. From her iron pressed blouse all the way down to her 3 inch black stiletto heels, she was the epitome of perfection.

"Mr. Jacobs will see you now" her voice washed over me like music.

Breath.

I stood- wiped my slightly clammy hands on my cargo pants- and with my head held high and my shoulders back, I sauntered into the room.

Let him try and intimidate me.

~

"Ah, Miss. Hamada - call me Lance." He stuck out his big beefy palm for me to shake.

I returned the greeting, his grip almost crushing my small hand.

His beefy hand was attached to an also beefy body. Poured into a suit that looked two sizes too small - I really didn't know what to make of this man. His hair was greying but still thick and luscious looking, he reminded me of just a very wealthy business man.

Pompous.

A shmuck.

I hoped not, I thought with a start. I was going to be working for this guy; I'd rather we got along than not.

He seated himself into the wooden desk chair behind his rich mahogany desk.

The office itself exuded wealth. Decadence. Lavish. Taste.

All these words just added to the fact that this man had money of his mind.

He smiled at me, genuinely.

Surprised - I smiled back.

"You probably have a lot of questions Miss. Hamada"

"Call me Esme, please. And yes I do! So many, I can't even sleep at night sometimes and to be honest I just don't know where to begin" I finished in a rush, my breath leaving me and then all at once gulping in a big mouthful of air.

Seriously, breathe.

He smirked "I completely understand, we've all been through that initial shock phase"

"Let me begin with a bit of our history....the Jacobs family have been around for centuries and with them, a knowledge has been passed down through the generations. Back in the 1700's, the first Jacobs man came to the realisation that the world was not as simple as it seemed. Upon returning home from work one night, he walked into the bedroom - intent on showering before greeting his wife and two lovely children. What met his eyes, we can only imagine the pain he felt when he saw another man ravishing his own wife. A blind rage overtook him and he dived for the man, with the intention of pulling him off his lovely beautiful wife. That's however, when he saw the blood. The man had not been ravishing his wife in a sexual sense...quite the contrary. Do you understand where I'm going with this Esme?"

I gulped, "He was draining her"

"Yes" he began again "he was drinking her dry. Mr. Jacobs, not understanding completely, stood in shock as this monster turned to look at him - his own wife's blood covering his mouth and face and a look of bliss on the vampires face. Mr. Jacobs did the only thing he could - it broke his heart but he knew he had to save what was left of his family. Tearing through the house, he found his two boys shaking and shivering in the bottom of the cloakroom. He fled with them into the night, swearing revenge on all of the nights creatures - and that is how we came about. Throughout the Jacobs family, the skills to fight and kill were passed down to each eldest male or female child when they turned 18- leaving the rest of the family protected by them. Back in the 1700's, the first Jacobs teamed up with two cofounding families. You can call us - the order of the dragon. We are the hunters."

I sat there for a moment, still caught up in the story. Poor Mr. Jacobs, losing his wife - it would break any normal man but he had rose up and now fought to make the world right. I couldn't deny I was working for a good cause, maybe not how I expected my life to turn out but it's fair to say, there would never be a dull moment.

"Miss. Hamada, as much as I'd like to give you the time to let things settle in - there is still a lot for you to know"

He passed me a frame, my hands shuck as I reached out to grasp the smooth wooden edge of it.

"Tell me what you see" he murmured.

Not sure what he was asking, I looked down and what met my eyes baffled and confused me to the point that I couldn't even think straight.

"Me?" I whispered "It looks like me? I don't..."

"That picture is over 40 years old. Myself, Vixen and Carla were the originals of this generations hunters - Esme - Carla was your mother."

*********

God I am so sorry for the cliffy!!!

Alas, there's never a dull moment, this chapter was definitely one for revelations.

Let me know if you like the back ground story for the order of the dragon?

Vote & comment if you like my story!

Cheers guys x