Diamonds and Deviants
This picture my own - others from Google Free to use images
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8
Part 9
Part 10
Part 11
Part 12
He had given her a great idea, so she gave him exactly what he desired - humiliation. Some humans’ cravings astonished her.
She went to the admissions desk and spoke to the cashier as though she owned the place.
“Tell Mistress Demonica that the new Mistress has arrived. I want to see the new establishment I’ll be working at.”
Celtica smiled for two reasons. The first was because the girl behind the desk scrambled for the phone and almost dropped it in her panic. The second was that the sweaty man at her feet had taken a sharp breath at her words. He thought she was a new Mistress and if she could fool one of the regulars, she could pretty much fool anyone, she guessed.
The cashier put down the phone and said to Celtica “Mistress Demonica will see you now. She’s in her office on the second floor. Please go up, it’s at the top of the stairs.”
Celtica walked into the old cinema. She couldn’t remember ever coming to watch a film yhere, but over the course of her time in this city, she may well have.
She climbed the stairs to the top of the second flight and saw Mistress Demonica’s door, it was open just a little. She rapped once on the door and went right in. Mistress Demonica had obviously been expecting a new Mistress because she didn’t look up. Perhaps it was an intimidation thing. Celtica closed the door behind her and went to stand in front of the desk where Demonica worked.
When she did raise her head to take a look at her new employee, Demonica didn’t seem to recognise her. Perhaps it was because Celtica looked a little older than she should. She usually looked to be in her early twenties but because she had recently been full dragon, her skin wasn’t as soft and supple as usual.
Celtica looked to be around fifty years old. She caught her reflection in an ornate, gothic mirror and realised that she’d have some serious rejuvenation to do before she turned up at the office, otherwise, she’d have some serious explaining to do.
“You’re late. You were supposed to be here early this afternoon.”
“That’s true, Demonica, but then you wouldn’t have been here to see me, would you? You’d still be in your coffin.”
Demonica's eyes grew wide, she was surprised at Celtica’s statement. It wasn’t common knowledge that she was a vampire of course, but certain employees knew. The mongrels and other preterdeviants that didn’t mind working for vampires knew what she was.
“Who told you that? I’ll have his head on a pike,” she said and Celtica believed her.
“Yes, I’m sure, but you’ll have to find him first. I think he’s gone to ground.”
“What is it that you want from me? I have to warn you, the last mongrel that came in here trying to blackmail me is yet to be found.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Celtica said, stifling a yawn. “You don’t scare me. I know what you are. The only thing I want from you is information.”
Demonica leaned back in her chair. “Why should I give you information?”
She appeared to be very self-assured, but then again, she had every right to be. There weren’t many vampires that were as old or powerful as she was, and the only other species that could hold a candle to vampires were the werewolves and this upstart standing in her office was certainly no werewolf. Or so she thought.
“You ordered a hit on someone earlier today, a business woman, private investigator. I want to know why.”
“Celtica Diamond? How do you know about that? More to the point, why do you want to know about it? She’s a goner.”
“I’ll only ask you once more, Monica,” Celtica smiled as the true name hit home. “Tell me now and save yourself a lot of bother.”
“I can handle all the bother you can throw at me.”
“Really? Maclaren couldn’t. Neither could the brother and sister team you sent, the ones I’ve decided to call ‘Humpty and Dumpty’. They’re dust now and I doubt that even your best warlock can put them back together again. I suggest you tell me what I’ve just asked or you can always take what I’ve said, discard it and have a go at killing Celtica Diamond yourself.”
“Who the hell are you?” Demonica stood up and backed away from the desk. As she moved, she took a firearm from the desk drawer and pointed it directly at Celtica.
“I don’t recommend you do that,” Celtica said.
Demonica pulled the trigger and Celtica took the shot in the shoulder. It knocked her back a little but the bullet’s force was absorbed by Celtica’s scales and it bounced to the floor.