Believe in Me

8

When I arrived at the bar later than usual, Julia gave me a look. 

"She's going to start getting suspicious, Felix." She swirled the glass of whiskey in her hand, the ice clinking against the glass. She held a second one out to me, and I accepted it.

I scoffed, sipping on my whiskey. "She doesn't know a damn thing, Jules. Relax."

She rolled her eyes, rising from the bar stool and walking around to the other side of the bar. "You think the girl isn't gonna lose her mind, trying to figure out why she forgets some things that happen around you?"

I narrowed my eyes at her. "She thinks it's the alcohol. You know she'll never guess it has anything to do with me." I took another swig of the whiskey.

Jules shook her head at me. She always had a softer spot for humans, despite their hatred towards us. All our lives, we had to live in fear at the risk of being caught. Thankfully, due to some of our abilities, we are able to walk amongst them without getting caught. 

"When she starts getting suspicious, I expect you to tell her the truth." She rinsed and washed her glass while she continued to lecture me. "Humans are fragile. If you keep taking away the things you do to her, she's going to feel like she's going crazy."

I shrugged. She was right, but that wasn't a concern for me. She was just a new plaything. A really attractive plaything. 

"I won't hurt her." Jules looked at me like she didn't believe me, and I grinned at her. "Yet," I added. Her scowl deepened and she took my drink from me, then poured it into the sink. "Hey, I wasn't done with that!"

"Oh, whoopsie," she said unapologetically.

I glared at her and threw my hands up in defense. "I mean it. I won't actually hurt her." She seems to have been hurt plenty of times. For some reason, I really didn't want to keep seeing her upset. 

Julia looked at me, searching me for honesty. She seemed to be unsure, but shrugged it off as she finished cleaning up. "Fine, whatever. Go grab a broom and start sweeping," she ordered instead.

I chuckled. "But I don't work here."

She glared at me. "Don't make me go to the back."

I gulped. I knew it was an empty threat, but it was still something to be concerned about. "The Back" was the room where we kept all of the items we found during our escapades that humans could use on us. We kept ahold of them for safekeeping, making sure we knew where all weapons were to keep from getting killed. If we found a human with something that could kill us, we killed the human and kept their weapon as a "trophy" and for security.

I left to grab the broom to help her finish up. While we swept, I felt my phone buzz. I pulled it out and saw Victoria's message. I grinned at my phone. She actually did it. I don't remember if I made her forget that part or not, but she remembered to message me.  I quickly responded to her and pocketed my phone. I finished sweeping and put the broom away and met Julia at the entrance.

While Julia locked up the bar, I felt another message come through. Expecting it to be Victoria again, I pulled it out eagerly, but my face immediately dropped when I saw the message.

My house, NOW.

Julia must've seen the message over my shoulder, because she chuckled and waved a finger at me. "Someone's in trouble," she sang mockingly. I shoved her and pocketed my phone. 

"I'll see you at home," I told her, before hopping on my motorbike. I strapped the helmet on my head and shut my visor before cranking up the bike. The destination wasn't too far from the bar; most of us stayed close to it, as it was our safest location. No one suspected a thing there, and it was rare a human found it. That's part of the reason Victoria surprised me. How had a human found our little cove?

I pulled into the circle drive in front of the mansion. I kicked the kickstand down, turned off the motorcycle and took off my helmet. I let it hang on one of the handles and straightened myself out. Here goes nothing, I thought as I ascended the stone steps into the mansion.

The mansion was filled with others, as expected. This is where those of us who don't have abilities that allow us to walk amongst humans live and hide. They only come out at night, but it seems like a lot of them ordered takeout instead. Most of them reek of alcohol, so my guess is that they were at Jules's bar earlier.

I walked past all of them, not glancing or speaking to anyone. Not that they were trying to make conversation with me, anyway. Most of them seemed occupied, based on the mixture of iron and alcohol that wafted through my nose. I ascended the grand staircase in the center of the foyer, took a few turns and found myself at the Grand Office. I didn't have to knock.

"Come in, Felix."

I entered at her demand. The lady sitting on the chair had a cat in her lap, stroking it gently. The cat was sitting satisfied on her lap, seemingly asleep. The woman holding the cat had grey hair, her face sunken with age. Despite how old she was, she knew the fashion trends of today. She wore a white mink coat draped over her shoulders, a white cheetah-print skirt, skin-tone tights, a black top and black heels. 

There were two others standing next to the woman. One of them was a male, his dark hair groomed to perfection. He wore a suit, matching his outside persona. Daniel paraded daily as a lawyer, and he was damn good at it. However, the only ones he defended were those of us who live the life we do. I met his judgey green eyes without faltering, then looked to the lady staring out the window at the night.

She wore her blonde hair down, wearing  no more than a long black nightgown. Her back was exposed, showing the slight scar she'd gotten several decades ago. Despite having the ability to walk amongst the living, she refused. She had been attacked and barely saved by her husband, and that led her to never want to walk amongst them again.

My eyes met the lady with the cat. Her golden eyes looked tired, but I knew there was much more beneath them than exhaustion.

"Hello, Mother," I greeted her.