Releasing the Dragon: Myths and Legends, Book One (4 page)

Rook chuckled and shook his head, "That's our
Scarlett. She always has been an unforgiving task master." He
glanced down at me with an appreciative look. "You must be a very
impressive dancer for her to offer you a position here at the
resort. She accepts nothing less than the best, you should be proud
of yourself."

My cheeks burned and I knew they were bright
red. I'd never been able to accept praise graciously. "Thank you, I
hope I won't disappoint her."

"I'm sure you won't," he said kindly. "Now,
you could think of the resort as a square or rectangle with the
casino at its center and the hotel on the upper levels. The route
we are taking is actually the long way to the staff apartments from
The Catacombs but it will take us past almost every attraction the
resort has to offer. You'll notice that the hallways are lined with
images and descriptions of various myths and legends. The
literature and artwork are arranged according to the themes of the
various attractions. For example, outside The Catacombs you will
find stories of zombies, vampires, and any other walking dead
creatures you can think of. Here at The Wolf's Claw, our tattoo
parlor, the walls are covered with shapeshifter lore."

I strolled over and read some of the writings
on the wall. "I've always been fascinated by shapeshifters and
vampires, reading everything I can find about them," I said over my
shoulder. "I wonder how long it will take me to get through all the
material displayed here at the resort." I turned back to Rook and
we started walking again.

"With your interest in the supernatural and
talent for dancing this must be a dream job for you," Rook
mused.

"You have no idea. I had just about given up
on a dancing career until last week when the invitation to come
here arrived in my mailbox. My mother talked me out of leaving for
New York or Hollywood right after high school, but I wouldn't let
her talk me out of this. I promised her that if things didn't work
out I would come home using the round trip ticket before it
expires. She's my best friend and it was difficult to leave her,
but maybe if things work out she can eventually move down here." I
was looking down by the time I finished speaking, thinking about my
mother and how much I already missed her.

He came to a stop in front of me and lifted
my chin with a gentle hand. "It sounds like you miss her a lot, but
remember, everything happens for a reason. Follow your instincts
and let fate be your guide. I'm sure everything will turn out for
the best in the end."

His soothing tone was comforting but I wanted
to lighten the mood. He'd been so serious, showing genuine concern
for my safety when we talked about Mystique. Now I was turning
melancholy thinking about my mom. I almost made a quip about
fortune cookie wisdom but it died on my tongue when I looked up and
met his black eyes. I couldn't shake the feeling that his eyes have
seen far more than his thirty-something appearance led me to
believe. There was a depth of knowledge belonging to a much older
soul, one with countless years of experiences to look back on. I
could see that he meant what he said, that they weren't just empty
words spoken to help me feel better. At that moment I was really
glad I'd been paired with Rook for this tour, and I hoped that I'd
found my first friend in my new home.

Rook broke the eye contact and pointed to a
set of French doors painted black and splattered with bright neon
colors. Surrounding the doors were images of voluptuous female
demons engaged in various acts of sexual foreplay, some bordering
on obscene.

"You'll remember Mystique of course. The
myths and legends depicted here focus on sex demons, or I guess
some would call them succubi or incubi. After last night I'm sure
you can understand why." He teased, putting a smile on my face once
again.

The tour continued through the hotel lobby
and around the corner where we stopped in an elegant entrance
hall.

"This is the receiving area for The Gateway
to the Otherworld, a place where people meet before being shown to
their tables," Rook explained.

The receiving area was decorated in reds and
gold with ornate crown molding and flowing fabrics draped from the
ceiling and walls. Delicate sofas and chairs that appeared antique
sat on the periphery. Detailed paintings hung in gilded frames
depicting mythical scenes of dragons, sorcerers, vampires, demons,
and shapeshifters. The overall effect was very palatial.

"This is wonderful, it's so beautiful," I
gushed. "I can't wait to see what the inside looks like."

"The inside is very similar to this only more
elaborate, at least until Solomon gets a hold of it. Once he starts
weaving his magic you'd swear you'd been transported to another
world - hence the name The Gateway to the Otherworld." Rook
grinned. "Even when the other acts are performing, Solomon works
his magic from behind the scenes bringing the shows to life. He is
responsible for the backgrounds and scenery for all the shows
featured in this theater. As a dancer you will eventually end up
working with him, which I'm sure you will enjoy. He is very
creative and talented but still likes hearing the ideas of his
staff. That's what makes him so different from others who have
reached his level of success. He doesn't seem to look down on
anyone. Instead, he encourages everyone around him to rise up to
their full potential."

"You make Solomon sound like such an
interesting person. I look forward to meeting and working with him.
Where to next?"

"I think we should do a quick run through the
remaining guest areas of the resort, and then I'll show you around
where the staff members live and play."

The tour continued with Rook explaining the
security protocols along the way. He pointed out Claire's Fortunes
where the world renowned Claire spends her days and nights telling
fortunes, a jazz club called Lilith's Lounge, a fine dining
restaurant named The Inferno, and the corridor leading to The
Dungeon, which is the arena where boxing and other fight bouts are
held. When we stopped in front of the guest gym and spa area he
said, "If you go outside here you will find the outdoor pool and
the trails leading to the beaches. There is also a path that leads
to the staff apartments, but we will take the indoor route to get
there now." I walked beside him as he strode down the next
hallway.

When we reached the end of what felt like an
underground tunnel he pressed his hand to the security panel to
open the door. "If you will place your hand here I will add you to
the system. Then you will be able to enter most of the areas
designated for staff members only, but there will still be a few
places you cannot enter because only executive staff members are
allowed access to them. Your apartment will also have a panel like
this one instead of a traditional lock or card key." I did as he
asked and placed my hand on the security panel. He punched in some
codes and information and then had me reopen the door to make sure
my information had saved correctly. "You're all set. Now I'll take
you to your apartment so that you can get settled in."

The main floor of the staff apartment
building housed an indoor pool, a staff gym and spa, a cafeteria, a
small grocery store and a doctor's office. My apartment was on the
fifth floor at the very end of the hall, number 513. It was fully
furnished with a couch and chairs arranged in front of a large
widescreen TV mounted on the wall. There was a beautiful marble
fireplace and a balcony with a stunning view of the ocean. Walking
through the rest of the apartment I felt like I was in a dream. The
kitchen had all the best appliances, gleaming stainless steel. In
the bathroom I found an extra-large shower stall with shower heads
on every wall. The bathtub was big enough for two and looked more
like a Jacuzzi than something you would wash in. The bedroom had a
king sized bed framed in wrought iron with the most intricate roses
I have ever seen. Never in my wildest dreams had I imagined myself
living in a place like this.

"Are all the staff apartments like this?" I
asked in amazement.

Rook smothered a laugh before answering. "You
should see your face. You look like a kid on Christmas morning." I
felt my face get hot as I blushed and my cheeks turned a deep shade
of red. He noticed and said, "I sorry, I didn’t mean to embarrass
you. Most people would be a little amazed by an apartment like this
one. To answer your question, no, not all of the apartments are
quite this well-appointed. Most of them are nice but have a lot
less amenities than this one. You were assigned this apartment
because you are an exceptional dancer and we want to make sure your
time here is comfortable and enjoyable."

"All of the dancers here are exceptional and
most of them have been here a lot longer than me. Shouldn't I have
to work my way up, or earn an apartment like this one?" I raised my
arms and held them out to my sides to indicate the luxurious
furnishings. "This must be some kind of mistake."

"Trust me, there has been no mistake. Do you
have any plans for this evening?"

"Well I'm certainly not going anywhere near
Mystique." We both laughed. "I do want to celebrate though, so
maybe I'll see what Lilith's is like."

He nodded his approval. "That's a good
choice; I'll try to check in on you sometime during the night. I
will leave you now so that you can rest and prepare for your night
of celebrating. If you ever need anything you can reach me by
dialing *13 on any house phone, or here is my cell number just in
case you need to use a personal phone." He handed me a card with
his name and phone number.

"Thank you for showing me around today.
You've made me feel very welcome," I told him truthfully.

"It was my pleasure." Rook gave me a slight
bow before opening the door and stepping into the hallway.

I closed the door behind him and just stood
there thinking none of this could be real. How could I be so lucky
to land my dream job and move into this exquisite apartment all in
one day? Any minute I was sure I'd wake up in my bedroom back home
just like Dorothy after she clicked the heels of her ruby slippers
together.

When that didn't happen I decided it was time
to call my mother with the good news then start unpacking and get
ready to celebrate the beginning of my new life.

After a torturously long day of dance
auditions I should have been exhausted and ready for bed. Instead I
was so excited about making the final cut that I thought I might
never sleep again. Once I'd unpacked everything I brought with me,
I slipped into a sexy red dress with a plunging neckline and headed
out to Lilith's Lounge.

Brochures for the resort describe Lilith's
Lounge as a New Orleans music club with a supernatural twist - a
description that turned out to be right on target. Everywhere I
looked there was a splattering of vampire lore mixed in with New
Orleans music memorabilia. Stepping into Lilith's was like walking
into the heart of the Big Easy. Everything from the eclectic
assortment of art, the mysteriously sexy vampire costumes, and the
music coming from the band on stage, all helped maintain the
illusion. This was a place to live and laugh while dancing with
vampires to a mixture of jazz, blues, funk and rock music - a place
to let your hair down and leave the troubles of the day behind.

I was relieved to find the atmosphere in
Lilith's to be infectious but not overwhelming like it had been at
Mystique. In Lilith's I felt the urge to dance, but only because it
would be fun, something I would enjoy. At Mystique there had been
an intense need to feel other bodies rubbing against mine. To feel
hands caressing my breasts and erections grinding into my lower
body, to be completely free and give in to the sensual pull of the
music. The sensations had felt unbelievably amazing, but - wanting
to avoid one night stands and threesomes with strangers - the
experience was not one I wanted to repeat anytime soon.

I went to the bar and ordered a drink, a
Transylvania Twist, which was some kind of fruity mixed drink. It
had a good flavor, but sitting on the sidelines sipping a drink
just wasn't my style. I found my way to the dance floor and asked
to join one of the staff dancers in his routine. There weren't any
dancers on stages or pedestals in this club. Instead, they mingled
with the crowd and encouraged wallflowers to join in the fun. After
a few songs we went our separate ways and then I danced with anyone
who asked me. Some of my partners were pretty good dancers while
others struggled to keep up. At one point, a man twirled me away
from his body, and just when I thought he would pull me back in, he
let go of my hand. I stumbled and lost my balance only to be caught
in strong arms against a broad chest.

The man who held me was tall, probably only a
few inches shorter than Rook, and he looked to be in his early
thirties. Even through his clothes - tailored black slacks and a
form fitting, charcoal grey shirt - I could tell he was well built,
muscular but not too bulky. His black wavy hair was cut in a shaggy
style that came over his ears and brushed his collar in the back.
When I finally looked at his face I saw that he was very good
looking with a well-trimmed beard and dark chocolate brown eyes
framed by long thick lashes. The heated look in those eyes sent a
shiver up my spine when I realized I had seen them before. They
were the eyes of a predator sighting its prey, the ones that had
watched me from the balcony in Mystique last night.

Looking into his eyes with his body pressed
against mine brought the vision from the night before to the front
of my mind. I could almost feel him pounding into me when he took
my hand and spun me away from his body. We danced through several
songs, some fast, some slow. He danced with skill and effortless
grace which surprised me considering his size. Dancing with him
caused delicious tingles of anticipation to course through my nerve
endings. I saw the same sensations mirrored in his eyes, but his
hands never strayed beyond what propriety called for and he
maintained a respectable distance between our bodies at all times.
Eventually, wanting to learn more about this seductive stranger, I
led him off the dance floor and over to a secluded table along the
back wall.