The Dragon & The Phoenix Chapter 4

The sun rose and fell like it always did. Right before sun set I woke and climbed into the shower. Morgan woke a few moments before I did, she started the shower, laid out my favorite red corset and a pair of fresh leather pants for the night. No matter how hard I try to treat her like an equal, the girl was always happiest when she was serving me. I climbed into the hot shower, letting the heat relax my sore muscles. I guess that’s what I get for falling asleep on the couch again, but I loved the smell of the leather so much! Although leather now a days didn’t smell like it did in the good old days.

A knock at the door. “Enter.” Morgan opened the door and stepped inside letting the steam escape. “It’s almost time to leave Mistress, shall I help you dress for the evening?” I started to pout in the shower, I just wanted five more minuets. “You really need to stop calling me that. I haven’t been your Mistress in many centuries, it’s getting awkward.” I heard her moving around uncomfortably when I said that. Great, now I feel bad. I sighed not knowing what else to do, “Please get my things ready for tonight, we are leaving as soon as I’m dressed.” The bathroom door closed behind her as she left. Well so much for a lovely shower, time to face the night.

After my shower, Morgan quickly pulled my corset closed and tied it tight, so it wouldn’t come loose. Always happiest when she’s serving. I don’t think she’ll ever leave me, not that it’s a bad thing I just worry about her if something should happen to me. I grabbed my favorite thigh high boots with the red lacing, so they matched the rest of my outfit for the evening, Morgan wore her favorite lacey green top with her favorite red bra under it for show. She’ll rake in the tips tonight with that outfit. The black leather stretch pants complete with her combat boots made her look younger then she was. Good thing we catered to the other side of night goers. We climbed into the elevator that led down from our loft to the basement and tunnels. With it being mid summer, we had to take the tunnels at this hour or risk being burned up like a good old fashioned Korean BBQ.

I leaned back against the wall of the elevator and watched the numbers as they counted down. A new shipment of booze was coming in to help restock so I will have many paying and happy clients tonight. Stock day was a huge payday, “Mistress? I was thinking, maybe we should hirer a bouncer or two for the bar. It couldn’t hurt to have some extra protection.” Well that was a surprise, I looked sideways at Morgan, “Why? Did you see something?” For as long as I knew Morgan, she had the gift of foresight. The problem though was it was a fifty fifty split if it would turn out the way she saw it. It was a gift she had long before she was turned, it’s what got her Mother burned at the stake. I always felt for the girl because of that. People were so ignorant when they didn’t understand something. Especially if it was different from them. I found Morgan on the streets in a near by village just weeks after I married, I took her in and gave her purpose. During those times, people in her situation would have died on the streets. I guess looking at mankind now, not much has changed.

Morgan looked at her feet, she rubbed the toe of her boot into the floor debating if she should tell me or not. She finally looked up at me after a long thought, “Promise me, if I go missing you wont come looking for me. Tell me you’ll stay safe and leave the city.” I looked at her in horror, “Morgan, what did you see? You know I can’t do that, I won’t leave you behind.” Her eye’s pleaded with me to agree, the rest of the ride down was an awkward silence.

Morgan walked ahead of me in the tunnels. They were used during the days of prohibition and had been boarded up or other wise sealed as a deterrent for people coming down here to mess around. Oh Al Capone, how I missed him. He was so much fun when he wasn’t getting his speakeasies shut down by the cops.

It took Morgan and I a better part of a month to clear enough of the debris away to create a path to the bar. We used the rock and wood planks to create a walk way so we weren’t stepping in sewage water. Morgan took a step and slipped on a stone, she started to fall over into the water. My arm shot out and caught her pushing her back up on to our walk way. “Be careful. We’re almost to the bar and you don’t have a spare change of clothes.” She smiled back at me as she straightened out her shirt. We reached the steel doors that led into the back of our wear house below ground. The truck would be arriving in a few minuets, it gave us just enough time to open the back door for them into the kitchen.

I pushed on the double doors and Morgan slipped through first. As I made my way inside there was a familiar smell of musk and gun powder caught my attention. Panic took over and I looked around in the dark for signs of what might be making that smell. Not seeing anything I noticed that Morgan wasn’t in the basement with me. Panic took over fully and I flashed up stairs to the kitchen. Morgan was already pulling the old beer forward to make room for our new stock, I watched her work while looking around the kitchen for signs of a break in.

“What’s wrong Mistress?” Morgan stood with a beer in each hand, worry and concern written across her face. “Did you smell something odd in the basement?” She shook her head, so I nodded and went to the front bar to start getting ready for the crowd what would be arriving soon.

The shipment came, and Morgan took care of it for me as always, signing paperwork, unpacking it all and taking stock of what we need to order more of. Sundown came, and I opened the front gate. The street view of the bar was all brick. A sign of a Phoenix leaving a cave on fire was our logo to the front entrance. People had to come in the front gate and down a flight of stairs that was too narrow for people to come in side by side. Our little bar wasn’t much, it held a few tables, a few stools at the bar itself and there was a stage at the back that was build directly into the wall, so we always had live music or open mic night. Tonight, we had a band from Canada playing. Some metal band from a place called Edmonton, I think their name was iVardensphere. They were doing a sound check and they seemed pretty good so far. Our first group of after hours came in. A pack of werewolves, they were regulars and their Alpha was a female by the name of Amber.

The group took their usual table in the far-right corner, away from the stage, Amber came over to me smiling. “You’re looking good tonight Legs! Hoping for a busy night?” Amber sat at the bar and waited for me to finish putting away stock. I smiled up at her when she used my nick name. I had known Amber when she was just a pup. Her long red hair looked more like a lions’ mane and her amber colored eyes sparkled as she looked at me. We had a fling about a decade ago, but we had always remained friends. She was the only other constant in my life other than Morgan.

“I’m always hoping for a busy night Pet. Are you looking for the usual tonight?” I looked over at her pack, there was a new face I hadn’t seen before, a male about twenty, dark hair and eyes dressed all in tight leather. “Who’s the new kid?” Amber looked over her shoulder at her friends, “His name is Scott. He’s still trying to make sense of his transition. Make him a double.” I nodded and went to load up a serving tray for her. There were six of them, so three beers, two scotch and one double scotch and six shots of tequila. I never had to worry about bar fights when the pack was in, everyone knew better. It was bouncer staff with out having to pay them, except in booze.

I handed Amber the tray of liquor and she handed me a hundred, told me to keep the change as she left wiggling her hips as she walked. Not gonna lie, I missed that girl, but her pack came first, and Morgan came first in my life. The bar filled quickly tonight, and the band was minuets from going on stage. Already I had to shout at the clients to find out what they wanted. Morgan came up to the bar with her serving tray and handed me her order. I looked it over, negative o with a shot of rye on the side. I looked up at her, “Who’s this for?” Most of my after-hours group ordered their liquor in their drinks, hit their blood stream faster that way. She pointed to a guy in the corner of the bar to the left of the stage. He sat facing me and the front door, just watching my reaction. He was well built, army issue hair cut so probably new to the scene, brown hair from where I stood, clean shaven wearing a tight green tee shirt.

I looked at Morgan as I handed her the order to place on her tray, “Tell Amber to watch him for me.” Morgan nodded and walked to the table avoiding cat calls from a group of male Fae that were way too drunk and I would have to cut them off soon, Fae were always the first to get tossed out. Damn it, I just opened!

“Here’s your order love, let me know if there’s anything else I can get you, k?” Morgan placed the two drinks down in front of him trying to get his attention off of me. He looked up at her as he placed a twenty on her tray, “Keep the change Morgan.” She looked at him strangely, she didn’t wear a name tag and this was the first time he had been in to the bar. Morgan smiled at him, “Have we met before? I don’t remember you.” He looked over her slim build, he had been warned about her. “Not yet.” Morgan smiled sweetly and walked away thanking him for paying. As she made her way past Amber’s table she spoke in a tone that only Amber would hear, “In five minuets come to the bar as if you are ordering something. There’s trouble.”

Morgan came around the back of the bar and placed her serving tray under the counter. While she was under there she quickly undid the safety strap that held the shot gun filled with rock salt in its holster.

One of the drunk Fae walked up to the bar bringing back the empty glasses they had been drinking out of. He saw Morgan and started to make kissing noises at her, “Hey baby! Your green top looks great, but it would look better on my floor.” I reached over the bar and grabbed him, so he was inches from my face. My green eyes were glowing as I bared my fangs at him, “You wanna eat your own lips tonight?” The Fae was terrified as he shook his head quickly in a no motion, “Then leave her alone or you and your buddies will be banned for life. So that’s gonna be a very long time.” I let him go, watching him fall on his ass. He scrambled away as fast as he could get back to his buddies, maybe he’ll be a little nicer now.

Amber walked up as the Fae pushed passed her. She set the tray on the counter in front of me, Morgan walked over and took it to fill it up again with the same order. When she returned the tray, Morgan leaned in to Amber, “Army guy knows my name. He’s trouble.” Amber smiled thanked us for the drinks and walked back to her table to warn the rest of the pack.

I looked at my other half, “What did he say to you?” She looked at me with worry, “I told you, you need to hire protection Mistress.” She walked away to help a client at the other end of the bar, all I could do was stare after her. After five centuries this girl was gonna give me a stroke from worry!

I heard the front gate open and shut as some one made their way down the steps. I looked at the entrance way and a fiery red head appeared at the bottom. He was six four easy and built like a brick house! His shaggy red curls fell like waves around his eyes making them stand out more. The were the deepest gold copper I had ever seen. From this distance it was hard to tell what color they were. He looked around and found an empty spot at the end of the bar. I walked over as he sat down, the smell of sulfur was strong with this one. I flashed my usual charming smile as I approached, “Welcome stranger, what’s your poison?” He looked up at me, he had the most beautiful amber eyes I had ever seen, but they held so much anger and rage.

“Something strong and keep them coming.” He looked around the bar at the other patrons and the band, like he was surveying the land. I poured the strongest whisky we had over ice and handed it to him. “Enjoy, can I get a name to run a tab for you?” He looked back at me as he took his drink, “Copper.” I smiled back at him, “Welcome the Phoenix Cave.” I walked away as someone else waved for my attention, Copper turned his back to watched the band.

The hours were getting late and the band was finishing up for the night. The Jar head who spooked Morgan still sat in the far corner watching her every move. Copper watched the jar head in the corner of the bar as the band finished up their set. He also finished up his whisky and motioned for Morgan to bring him another one. She nodded as she turned for a clean glass, “Mistress, who is the dragon?” I was grabbing a gin bottle off the back shelf for a Fae who wanted a martini, strange for them to be drinking martinis but they pay, so I serve it up. I looked up at the red head in the corner of the bar. Looking back at Morgan, her eyes were sheer white as she stared at the new comer. After a few seconds she sighed and came back to the present. I looked down at her putting my hand under her chin, leaning in close to her ear so only she would hear me. “What did you see?” Morgan took my hand in hers and looked up at me, “Give him a job.” Letting go of me, she grabbed the whisky off the shelf and moved over to Copper.

He looked up as she approached holding his drink. Morgan placed the glass in front of him and looked up as the hard-whisky smell hit her nose. “You don’t care for the fire water I take it?” Copper smirked at his question, Morgan looked at him, “Be good to her. Keep her safe, and she’ll help you in return.” Copper looked at her blankly as she backed away, setting to wait on other clients that were wanting her services.

I walked up drying a mug with a clean rag, “Everything ok?” Copper looked up at me as he took his glass in his hand, “You have some strange people working for you. Does she always act so strangely towards new people?” I watched as Morgan brought a fresh round of drinks to the Pack, took away the dirty glasses and set to help other people. “She may be strange but she’s mine. Sorry if she seems odd, she means well.” I flashed my best smile to help break the tension as he stared at me over the rim of his glass. Don’t think he’ll be back after tonight.

Copper thought that this was an odd little bar, but it catered to the other night life, so he knew he could be himself here. That waitress was one of the oddest girls he had ever met, the bar tender on the other hand. Well, she had an ass that was perfect in every way. The jar head in the corner concerned Copper the most though. The way he looked at the waitress made Copper realize that she was going to be a victim come closing. Probably was a good idea to stick around.

The soldier watched as Morgan approached with afresh empty tray. “Almost closing time?” Morgan watched as he finished off his drink before handing her the empty glass, “The band has one more sets then it’s last call. Can I bring you anything else?” Morgan tried to sound her sweetest and hide the fear that was creeping into her voice. He smiled back at her as he leaned forward in his chair. “Don’t play with me Morgan, I know you know what’s going to happen. So you can come quietly or I can haul you out of here and a whole lot of blood with be shed.” Morgan smiled at him, “Well, this will play out in many ways. None of which either of us walks away from. I’ll bring you another drink.” As Morgan turned to walk away his hand snaked out and grabbed her by the elbow, squeezing hard enough to make he drop her tray. The Pack was on their feet and surrounding their new pray with a blink of an eye. I stood in front of the Jar Head faster then his heart beat. “Let her go.” My eyes were glowing red and my fangs were at their full length. Every muscle in my body was tensed and ready to fight. The Jar Head smiled at me, “I’m sorry, I wasn’t done ordering.” I glared at him, “You’re done. The Pack with see you out now. Amber make sure he pays up his tab.”

Amber growled low in her throat, “With pleasure.” With a snap of her fingers the Pack whisked the problem outside to the back ally, I turned to everyone in the bar smiling. “Next rounds on the house! Everyone drink up!” I walked back to the bar with Morgan under my right arm smiling, I leaned into her left ear, “You’re going to tell me what you saw in your vision.” Morgan Blushed, “Yes Mistress. But not yet, certain things need to play out first.” With that said, she ducked out from under me and went about taking fresh orders for the free round. As I reached the bar, Copper watched me with great interest. “Something on your mind darlin?” I looked at him when I asked to see if he was gonna start something next. I really couldn’t handle this guy messin’ around. He smiled at me while finishing up his whisky, “Just wondering how someone like you ended up running a place like this?” I smiled as I tucked my hair behind my ear, “What can I say, I enjoy a hard life.” Copper’s golden eyes flashed with excitement at that statement, “Well in that case. I’ll take another Whisky please.” I nodded as I made my way back behind my station and the mob started coming for their drinks.

Just as I started passing out the liquor to all my patrons, the fire alarm and sprinkler system went off causing panic and chaos. People started to run for the exits and I scrambled to find Morgan who had disappeared.

Morgan waited by the dumpsters in the corner of the ally. Shifting from one foot to the other, she became nervous that things wouldn’t play out the way she saw. Her gift was a curse and she hated her life at the best of times for it. She heard walking behind her, turning she saw the Jar Head smiling and covered in blood from the Pack. “You’re making this too easy for me little mouse.” Morgan smiled at him, “I know why you’re here, and I know that I’m safe for the time being. Take me to him before Carolyn comes back here.”

The Jar Head smiled at her as he pulled out a syringe with a clear liquid inside, “I’d like it if you put up a little fight.” He made a motion to strike her and missed swinging at air. Morgan stood behind him as he looked around for her, catching something out of the corner of his eye, he arched the needle around toward her neck. Morgan grabbed him and threw him on the ground locking his arm so it forced him to stay where she put him. He kicked her legs out from under her and jumped on top of her as she hid the ground with a thud. Quickly he jammed the needle into the side of her neck, pushing the plunger all the way down.

“Morgan!! MORGAN!!” I screamed her name not knowing what had happened to her. I couldn’t find her anywhere and now I was frantic. Copper came up behind me and grabbed my arm, “We have to get out of here. The fire department is coming to shut the system off!” The alarm was screaming, water was pouring over everything. Coppers red hair hung in wet ringlets around his face and his shirt was soaking threw outlining ever muscle and ab. The man was a God! I shook my head, I thought that about someone else once before too. My corset and boots were gonna be destroyed if I stayed here any longer in the water. Pushing my wet mop of hair out of my face and taking one last look around to make sure everyone was out, I took his hand and pulled him to follow me out the back to the upper street.

We burst threw the back doors into the back ally. As soon as we were outside the smell of blood hit me like something out of a morgue. I turned to see members of the Pack laying in the gutter and Morgan’s lifeless body being lifted into the arms of Jar Head. He turned and smiled at me, “Christian sends his love and looks forward to seeing you soon.” With a blink, he was gone and so was my best friend.

“MORGAN!!!!” I screamed into the night. I made a motion to go after them and Copper grabbed me by the arm, “The Police and fire department are coming. You have to be here to settle this.” I pulled my arm away from him my eye’s glowed a soft green, “Don’t tell me what I have to do. I have to find her, I’m all she has.”

Copper watched with concern as this Amazon woman screamed at the top of her lungs, rage and hate bubbled from her mouth as she threw the dumpster across the ally. He watched as she went to the bodies of the dead. Carolyn bent down and touched the amber colored hair that was once her friend. Pushing back the bangs on the body, she noticed bullet holes in the temple that stilled smoked.

“Silver.” Copper placed his hands on my Shoulders and helped me to my feet. “We have to deal with this.” Copper whispered into my ear, “Let me help you.” All I could do was look at Amber’s lifeless body and nodded in agreement. How did things go so wrong so fast?! I watched as Copper breathed in and spit out a raging fire, the likes I have never seen. The heat alone completely incinerated the bodies, leaving nothing behind for the forensics team to pick up. Copper turned to me, water dripping from his face and ears. He was cut from the finest marble, perfect square jaw, the most beautiful copper eyes I had ever seen. “What do we do now?” he asked me as I stood shaking in the early morning breeze. It was getting close to dawn, “I need to get home, the sun is coming up.” I looked up at him reaching out my hand to him, “Come with me.”