"Assemble the team. We'll be in the third room, the warded one," Ryder said sweeping his hand in the direction of a staircase.
The club was huge inside and unlike the non-descriptive wood of the outside, the inside was lavishly decorated. Beams stood out prominently from the ceiling every few feet, going from one side of the room to the other. The high ceilings had chandeliers made with spiky coral hung from each beam. The tables had similar ones, much smaller that hung from chains from the same beams lighting up the tables and others dimly illuminated a more private setting in the back.
Celtic designs were highlighted on the walls, light shining through them from behind the frosted glass paneling. Brighter blue lights lit up the bar area from more frosted glass. The stage was set up for a performance, guitars and other instruments laid out as if the band had just stepped out for a smoke.
The stairway he was walking to lit up before his foot could even touch the first step, as if it was aware he was on it before he actually was. I watched each step he climbed, change to a different color before I attempted to step on it myself. My eyes bulged as I stepped on it and a siren went off across the room.
My eyes went up to meet Ryder's golden stare. He turned and kept walking as if nothing had happened, so I continued to follow him watching each step he took, change from the beautiful rainbow colors to crimson red as I stepped onto them. It was an alarm system, as if the stairs could tell the difference between my steps and Ryder's.
When we reached the top, a long winding hallway stretched out before us. Ryder's long strides were difficult to keep up with but I managed—just barely. While I wasn’t short, I was compared to his long legs. I had to jog to catch up, just to fall behind as soon as I did.
"Why are we really here?" I asked looking behind me as I felt something slither over my skin. I shook my head and brought my eyes forward just in time to collide against Ryder's chest. I jumped back as if he was on fire.
"Consider it another part of your interview."
I rolled my eyes and rubbed my arm where I had felt something touch my skin. There was nothing there, but the feeling had yet to leave my skin. I stood shifting from foot to foot wondering what he would make me do now. I didn't have long to wait before ten well-built Fae dressed in dark colored clothing walked up behind us blocking my exit.
I stepped back away from them. The odds of fighting them all were slim if they decided they wanted a fight. Hot breath touched the side of my neck and I instantly realized I'd stepped towards Ryder for protection. He'd probably help them beat the shit out of me.
"Behave, or I will make you," Ryder growled low and huskily into my ear, quiet enough that those striding towards us wouldn’t be able to hear him.
I watched the men get closer, their features hidden in the shadows by the hallways dim lighting. As they all got closer to where I stood, motionless on high alert, my hands itched for weapons I'd left at home. I hated that I was defenseless except for my spells.
They nodded dark heads in Ryder's direction before he opened the door beside us and walked through, the others waiting for me to follow his lead. I did, but the moment I passed over the threshold I felt it again, the slithering. And then a violent pain rocked me and nausea fought to get out from my throat.
"What the fuck!" I shouted even as I tried to keep the bile at bay.
"It is magic proof," someone behind me said, pushing past me into the room. “Well at least from your kind of magic,” he snorted.
I held my hand out in front of me. The scars normally hidden by the faint glamour I usually generated to hide them, now showed vividly. Whatever they had inside this room stripped all magic from me, all glamour. I was officially one hundred percent fucked. They watched me, seeing me.
A Witch was normally covered in spells. Most ran out of room and would be forced to use their faces or necks to complete their spells. Most were ruined of flesh by the time they had hit my age. I had one spell, to bar Fae from using me for sex and that had been done at the base of my neck. Two stars sat on my shoulders, marking the two deaths that had touched my soul. And another on my hip to always remember what had happened. The rest were not visible unless I chose them to be, or unless I stepped under a black light.
"Fuck me, she isn't all fuglied out." The Fae who Ryder had referred to as Savlian said as he came around with his eyes narrowed slightly as he took in my features more carefully.