The Deadly Muses
Three
The Firebird had a vast interior, with two levels and a brilliant red and black color scheme. The lower level had a dance floor in front of a small stage, a bar and a few tables here and there. Hidden speakers in every corner blasted out every kind of music imaginable, song after song after song. The dance floor was packed with supernaturals, a few scary humans and some idiots who had paid their way in.
The upper level was only accessible via a pass, large amounts of money or a scary reputation. Avalon, Athena and Anita had all three, and went straight up the curving iron staircase.
The upper level was full of little nooks and crannies, curtained booths and tables in corners. There was a smaller but better stocked bar then on level one along the back wall, and a couple of doors leading to even more private areas. The three women went over to the bar.
“Hello my dears, what can I get you?” The barman was very tall, very buff and very handsome. He had short black hair and brown eyes, several flaming skull/flaming roses/flaming anything tattoos, and his name was Terence.
“Hey Terence, nothing to drink yet. However, we are meeting someone. I don’t suppose you would know where a certain someone who wants to meet us would be lurking?” Avalon asked sweetly. Terence winked.
“I would, I would indeed.” He pressed a button beneath the counter. At the same time a light would be flashing in one of the curtained-off areas. It was a long-used signal that meant that they had something at the bar or that the occupants of the enclosed area needed to leave quickly. (The Firebird was well-known for harboring long-sought-after criminals for large sums of money.) Mere moments after Terence had pressed the button a man who looked to be in his early twenties appeared.
“Hello ladies, I assume that you are the Muses?” he held his hand out to Avalon, who seemed to be in some sort of daze. Athena nudged her (though it must be said, not that gently), and Avalon blinked and shook the man’s hand. “My name is Sebastian.”
“Avalon,” she said softly. Sebastian shook the other two’s hands, neither of whom seemed affected by him. Avalon’s eyes never left his face.
Sebastian was tall and slender, with spiky black hair and green eyes. He was dressed simply in a short-sleeved black shirt and jeans. On one arm he had a tattoo-it looked like a name written in a foreign language.
“My colleagues are waiting at our table. Shall we?” the women nodded and Sebastian offered Avalon his arm. Avalon, who was generally a firm believer in doing everything herself and who always refused help of any kind, took it instantly. Anita nudged Athena, raising an eyebrow.
Back at Sebastian’s table were two other men, who were also wearing black shirts and jeans. The first was Daniel. He was tall and broad-shouldered, and had shaggy, honey-blond hair and grey eyes. Athena was the one to fall for his charm, yet at the same time she remained confused and nervous about how he was affecting her. The final man in the trio introduced himself as Jason, and Anita could not take her eyes off of him. Jason was a bit shorter that the other two, but more muscular. He had short, white-blond hair and icy blue eyes.
“Right,” Daniel said. “Let’s get down to business.”
The upper level was only accessible via a pass, large amounts of money or a scary reputation. Avalon, Athena and Anita had all three, and went straight up the curving iron staircase.
The upper level was full of little nooks and crannies, curtained booths and tables in corners. There was a smaller but better stocked bar then on level one along the back wall, and a couple of doors leading to even more private areas. The three women went over to the bar.
“Hello my dears, what can I get you?” The barman was very tall, very buff and very handsome. He had short black hair and brown eyes, several flaming skull/flaming roses/flaming anything tattoos, and his name was Terence.
“Hey Terence, nothing to drink yet. However, we are meeting someone. I don’t suppose you would know where a certain someone who wants to meet us would be lurking?” Avalon asked sweetly. Terence winked.
“I would, I would indeed.” He pressed a button beneath the counter. At the same time a light would be flashing in one of the curtained-off areas. It was a long-used signal that meant that they had something at the bar or that the occupants of the enclosed area needed to leave quickly. (The Firebird was well-known for harboring long-sought-after criminals for large sums of money.) Mere moments after Terence had pressed the button a man who looked to be in his early twenties appeared.
“Hello ladies, I assume that you are the Muses?” he held his hand out to Avalon, who seemed to be in some sort of daze. Athena nudged her (though it must be said, not that gently), and Avalon blinked and shook the man’s hand. “My name is Sebastian.”
“Avalon,” she said softly. Sebastian shook the other two’s hands, neither of whom seemed affected by him. Avalon’s eyes never left his face.
Sebastian was tall and slender, with spiky black hair and green eyes. He was dressed simply in a short-sleeved black shirt and jeans. On one arm he had a tattoo-it looked like a name written in a foreign language.
“My colleagues are waiting at our table. Shall we?” the women nodded and Sebastian offered Avalon his arm. Avalon, who was generally a firm believer in doing everything herself and who always refused help of any kind, took it instantly. Anita nudged Athena, raising an eyebrow.
Back at Sebastian’s table were two other men, who were also wearing black shirts and jeans. The first was Daniel. He was tall and broad-shouldered, and had shaggy, honey-blond hair and grey eyes. Athena was the one to fall for his charm, yet at the same time she remained confused and nervous about how he was affecting her. The final man in the trio introduced himself as Jason, and Anita could not take her eyes off of him. Jason was a bit shorter that the other two, but more muscular. He had short, white-blond hair and icy blue eyes.
“Right,” Daniel said. “Let’s get down to business.”