Chapter 46

It was quarter to eleven when Lauren portalled Quinn to the club in the Waterfront district and told him to wait there.

He had said, "Wait where? All I can see is an old warehouse that looks like it's spent its better day as a crack house?"

"Be right back," she promised.

"Wait," he said comically, "don't leave me alone in this neighborhood, " but it was too late she was already gone.

She had portalled Kelly earlier; Zach was the last to be picked up. She couldn't explain exactly why she wanted to get him last . . . or could she?

When she dropped her spell card on the ground and the glyph appeared, she was so nervous she could feel butterflies in her stomach, and she had almost dropped it again when she picked it up to put it back in her little black clutch. What if he thought she looked ridiculous?

She chided herself when she thought what would Lagertha do? Hope Ragnar noticed her, or be the bad ass she is and know he will? She knew she looked great. She felt a foot taller for more reasons than the four inch heels and equally as tall poof. So taking a deep breath she climbed through the port door and across the byss to the other side.

When she breached the abyss she made a mental note to take her time stepping through; she was creating a moment here after all.

First her four inch shiny patent leather stiletto clad foot came through, then her skin tight black leather pant leg, and finally as she arched her back and used the balance that she had acquired through her last three years training in Wushu, her killer 'do was next to breach the opening and she was rewarded by Zach's sharp intake of breath when she stood up in her full glory.

Huzzah!

He had actually started walking towards her in a trance like state. When she beamed at him and did a full turn giving him a generous look at her ass in the amazing pants, he actually groaned.

This is the moment she thought: this is the moment I'm going to replay in my head. Whenever he makes me feel small, every time he's a jerk to me. I'm gonna replay it to remind myself that he's the one missing out.

"Are you ready," she asked coolly? Taking a page out of Megan's book.

He cleared his throat and gulped before he stammered, "Y-yea-h ready whenever you are."

She just turned and smiled a crocodile smile. Oh yeah. Thank you Kelly. Let him try to resist her now.

When she took his hand it was trembling slightly.

She decided to add some icing on the cake. She looked up at him before walking through the portal gate, and locking him in her hazel-eyed stare, she licked her heavily glossed generous lips.

In that moment, she couldn't be sure, but she may have seen his knees buckle slightly. Oh yeah she was going to have fun teasing him tonight.

"Wait!" He said suddenly remembering something. "We can't go yet; you have to mirage my room so the Dads don't find out."

Oh what the hell she thought paybacks a bitch. She wasn't done playing with him yet.

"Sorry Zach, "she feigned disappointment, "the mirage won't work your room's too neat."

He looked at her like he doubted her for a second and then went to work throwing stuff all over the place and tossing the covers off his bed and then throwing them back on in a heap.

He finally stopped a little breathless with the effort, and asked, "Does that work?"

Oh yeah, she snickered inwardly, that works just fine.

Before she left she waved her hand across the room and a replica of Zach with his hair that sticks up in the back sometimes showed up in his bed.

Helping Zach through the port door, she thought:

Oh yeah tonight was going to be so much fun . . .

***********************************************

When they walked through the portal gate CJ and Donnie were waiting with Quinn, which reminded her that they were new to the magical world too, so of course this must be the first time for them to visit the popular hangout.

Lauren couldn't help the satisfied smirk that spread across her face at the looks on their faces.

Donnie let out a wolf whistle and CJ howled, but both of them took on a more serious demeanor when Quinn punched them both in the arm, and by the way they had grimaced it looked like it had really hurt.

Quinn had almost out done her tonight he was wearing a button up black cotton shirt and black skinny jeans and his worn black leather jacket and black docs. Apparently black was the theme of the day. But it was what was around his neck that really caught your eye. He wore a Traditional Navajo Heishi Bone choker.

It had four stands and the bones were stained a dark burnished brown color and in amongst the bones were bright turquoise beads that really brought out his skin tone and his dark chocolate brown eyes.

When he noticed her admiring it he said, "Oh this old thing Do you like it? My foster mom got it for my off the Rez last time she visited. She gave it to me for my last birthday."

She did like it. It accentuated his dark skin tone and really brought the rich brown in his eyes.

His usual Mohawk made them look like a couple and his long braid down his back just confirmed it. Lauren walked over to him and let him wrap his arms around her possessively.

She couldn't help but surreptitiously glance Zach's way, but his expression was unreadable.

His total lack of emotion over seeing them together made her wonder: maybe she had been wrong; maybe he had never had romantic feelings for her. Yeah Nash she chided herself: Maybe it's time to stop playing games and get with the program.

Quinn obviously liked her, and he made no secret of it. And she liked a lot of things about him too. It wasn't fair of her to use him to try and make Zach jealous. And it wasn't fair to either of them to be pitting the guys against each other constantly either.

Lauren sighed and leaned into Quinn wrapping her arm around his waist as he snaked his around her shoulder.

She smiled up at him and asked, "You ready?

"Ready for what," he said, "dumpster diving," as he pointed at a dumpster across the dingy parking lot?

She just giggled and commanded repeat after me . . .

CJ interrupted her and said, "Lauren if this is another one of your games; I swear I'm not falling for it again."

"Seriously guys would I lie to you?" she feigned a hurt look.

"In a New York Minute," Quinn chimed in.

"Okay, okay," she threw her arms up in surrender, "but I'm not now. The club is glamoured and warded; the only way to get in is to use the password or in this case passwords."

"Okay, what are the words," Zach asked in a tone as serious as a heart attack?

"Like I said repeat after me:

Naivietas

Yeonomus

Xysticus

They all intoned the words after her and the glamour seemed to melt away.

Donnie's education was slightly different than theirs. He was schooled in Rome at an all boys Catholic Boarding School and as such Latin was nearly a second language for him.

When his eyes got a big as saucers, and he turned to her, she couldn't help but snicker.

"No Donnie, the first word doesn't mean what you think."

She nearly keeled over when she saw the disappointed look on his face.

"What do the words mean?" Zach inquired.

They mean:

"Bondage

Guardian

Champion"

"The words describe our Halfblood circumstances. We are forever bonded to the council, we even guard them for a time, and there is also something you may not know, we can be called back to service to them at any time as their champions."

Zach looked bewildered, "Why remind us of that oath at our club?"

"It is to remind us that out here, that is what we are, but once we breach the door to NYX we are our own magical creatures, and beholden to no one."

"What are we waiting for then, this I gotta see!" Quinn crowed as he started pulling her along beside him.

Tune in tomorrow to find out what it's like inside the club.

********************THANKS FOR READING***************

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