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Scene #8
A part of Kat wished that she could back out of this assignment, but she knew she couldn't. If she found out the dirt on the Dragon's Lair club, she might even be able to get a staff job on one of the newspapers. Wearing thigh high boots and a tight burgundy dress that revealed far more than it covered, she hoped she looked the part. Her long black hair bounced around her shoulders as she made her way through the tourists in the French Quarter.
She spotted Mina at the end of the block. Her black lace dress barely concealed the black bra and panty set that she wore underneath.
When Mina spotted her, her gaze traveled over her length. "Nice," she commented with a smile. "Don't tell me you had this in your closet!"
Kat answered with a look of derision. "Hardly," she replied.
"So what? Did you clean out Trashy Divas?" Mina prodded. Kat rolled her eyes. "Something like that."
Mina looked up at the sky, the look on her face making Kat look up too.
But that wasn't what worried her.
What worried her was the reddish haze that seemed to surround it.
"Blood moon," Mina observed.
Kat's eyes narrowed. "What?"
Mina's gaze never left the moon. "That's what my grandmamma used to call it. Blood moon. She said it was a sign."
A heaviness settled in Kat's chest. "A sign of what?" she asked.
Mina's eyes met hers. "A sign that someone is going to die."
Before she could contemplate Mina's warning, she was following her through the narrow streets. Finally, they reached their destination. From the outside, no one would know that the house was a club. Large ornate iron gates guarded the entrance. Mina stepped up to the side, her fingers punching a code on a glowing keypad on the right. The symbol of a dragon hung above the lighted pad. After a moment, she heard a click and the gate opened. Kat followed her through it, surprised when the gate closed on its own behind them. Moonlight illuminated the small courtyard. A fountain with angels dancing was lit up to her right. A closer look revealed that demons danced in the water beneath them.
A sense of foreboding crept up her spine as she followed Mina down the winding path. She stopped before a large wooden door with metal slats. Mina lifted her hand to rap her knuckles against it. It was opened slowly by a large, burly man with blond hair and blue eyes.
Kat stepped inside all too aware of the curious stares that focused on them. The interior of the room was littered with plush velvet couches and chairs. The walls were painted a burgundy red.
She gazed around the room which was lit only by candlelight. Crystal candelabra hung overhead with flickering candles. She couldn't help but wonder why there weren't any lamps, but decided that it must be part of the ambiance. The air around her was cool.
Glancing around the room, she saw two blond women sitting on either side of a man with brown hair. The man had his arm around the girl to his left, while stroking the other woman's bare legs. Both women seemed to be completely enthralled by him.
Kat couldn't help but wonder if the women were under the influence of some mind-altering drug. Before she could ponder long, the man's eyes met hers. His lips spread into a slow grin. A chill raced up her spine. Mina tapped her on the shoulder, breaking her concentration.
When she turned to face her, Mina's eyebrows arched. "Friend of yours?" she asked her amusement clear.
Kat pursed her lips. "Hardly," she replied.
Before she could say anything else, they were approached by a statuesque red head in a long black dress. She came to stand in front of them, her green eyes glinting in the candlelight.
"Welcome," she greeted, glancing back and forth between them before zeroing in on Kat. "I don't believe I've had the pleasure of meeting you." She held out her hand. Kat reached out to take it, noting that the other woman's hand was ice cold.
Mina turned to face her. "This is Kat. It's her first time here. I hope it's okay," she said.
The other woman didn't even look at Mina, her gaze focused on Kat. "That's fine. Why don't you get our new guest something to drink?"
Mina hurried off to do her bidding.
"I'm Genevieve La Fleur," she explained.
"Kat Montague," she replied.
"Kat? Is that your given name?"
She smiled. "Actually, it's Katarina. But I've always gone by Kat."
Genevieve tilted her head back in acknowledgement. "Ah," she said, finally releasing her hand. "So, are you enjoying our establishment?"
Kat's gaze traveled around the room. "It's very nice," she commented, the hair on the back of her neck standing up. She turned around, her eyes searching the hallway. But there was no one.
It was odd, because she could've sworn she felt... "Ms. Montague?"
Kat spun around to find the other woman staring at her with narrowed eyes.
"I'm sorry," she said, color creeping into her cheeks. Genevieve smiled. "I hope you enjoy yourself here. If you need anything, just let my staff know. And if you want to use one of the private rooms, please feel free to ask."
With that, the woman walked away.
She was about to turn and leave when Mina appeared at her side.
She thrust a crystal goblet into her hand.
Kat looked down, her eyes narrowing. "What is this?"
Mina's eyes twinkled as she answered. "The house wine."
Kat lifted the glass to her lips, letting the sweet, salty liquid slide down her throat. "Mina, what are the private rooms used for?"
The corners of her mouth tilted up revealing fake fangs. "Privacy, of course."
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