Shadow of Mind

Chapter 2

- 🌌 - T a l i a 🌌 -

"What'cha want, new girl?" The bartender spat at me. He was a poison-gem, so I was wary as he cleaned the tables and arranged the cups. "Never seen you 'round."

"This isn't really my type of place. And my name's Adrienne. Not new girl." I replied, and gestured with my cash-card towards the table. "Strawberry margarita, on the rocks."

"Got a weak stomach? Can't take the extra fizz?" A burly man with a fire-gem around his wrist said, and his friend, a wiry man with a steel-gem as an earring, laughed. "Girly, I'll take you home if you get a little too tipsy." I looked around the bar, and all I saw were tired, drunk men and women, all tired from a long day of work or partying. You never knew. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a psychic-gem couple, and made sure to hide my face from them. Father had family connections everywhere, and if I was spotted at some nightclub at midnight, I wouldn't hear the end of it.

"I don't acquaint myself with people I don't know." I said sharply. "And since you've heard my name already, I think it is only fair that I knew yours."

I saw two beady-eyed fighting-gem soldiers, usually security guards for some upper class family. I couldn't help but notice their gems, but Father had taught me to notice those that may hurt me. I was weak to those of fighting-gem, bug-gem or fairy-gem, so I had to keep on my toes. A brown haired man, as skinny as a weasel, shuffled uncomfortably in the corner. He looked like a ground-gem, but didn't have that vibe.

The fire-gem man tossed back his fiery hair and laughed hysterically. How basic. A fire-gem with fiery hair. "Oh girly, you won't be so serious and cold when you get warm and tight with me. If you need to know, I'm Joshua. My boy here, he's Flint. I work at the furnace, he a mechanic, or sometimes he makes the toys for the big King up there. We work together, with Mr Sparky, or his real name, Kyle."

A blond, spiky haired man waved his hand, a huge grin plastered on his face, and the silver haired steel-gem smiled in response. "Nice to meet you, Liaaaaaaanne." The drunk man stretched out my alias, before giggling.

"A fire-gem, steel-gem and electric-gem. You work in the forges. That means you supply the army with their weapons, and make all the guns those security folks carry around." I looked at them. "If you wanted, you could take over this entire country. King and Queen up there aren't too fond of steel-gems."

"What gem are you, girly?" Josh asked, inspecting me. "And why you care about overthrowing the big man? We're happy here. We get payed, we get food, we have nice places to sleep. We got nothing against them."

"My gem is nothing of importance." By now, the bartender had already given me my drink, and I drank a gulp unceremoniously.

"Oh, it's everything, babe." 'Sparky' Kyle hiccuped. "I'd think you're a fairy-gem, or maybe a fire-gem, coz you're so freaking hottttttttttt."

"Isn't it obvious, Kyle?" A raven-haired girl came over towards me, her hair dyed with streaks of green, blue and yellow. "Look at her, all brooding and polite. She's a dark-gem. Probably one of the ones that works at the Palace. I'm Kate, this moron's sister. And yes, I'm an electric-gem as well. I work at the hospital."

My attention was once again grabbed by the brown haired ground-gem. He looked out of place, like he wasn't supposed to be here, and I frowned slightly, before turning back to Kate.