Shift of Time (A Rue Darrow Novel Book 1) (2 page)

I
reached
my street all too soon and groaned when I turned the corner and found Almonester on the front, as usual. I considered retracing my steps to avoid talking to him, but decided I didn’t need to tell him anything. Most likely, I would find a new position tomorrow night, and I wouldn’t be late with my rent.

I crossed the road to his side of the street, and he turned his back. Good. We wouldn’t have any conversation. Before I could ascend the stairs leading to my apartment, his scratchy voice reached me.

“You can work at the bar.”

I froze, my hand on the railing, and then turned in degrees. Even with deep shadows in the dark street, I saw him without a problem. Perhaps it was my imagination but for an instant his eyes seemed to glow. No, they were their usual black orbs, narrowed and angry. Almonester appeared like any human of indeterminate age, but he smelled of dank earth. Not appealing in the least, and very unlike the scent of humans.

“What did you say?” I asked, although I was certain I had heard him.

“I’m leaving now. You can follow and work until closing.”

“You’re saying work for
you
?” Yeah, I know. Pretty thick.

Almonester growled and balled a meaty fist at his side. “What have I just said? You lost your job, didn’t you?”

I put my hand on my hip. “Just how do you know that?”

“Never mind. Do you or don’t you want the job?”

He owned a bar, but I had never mixed drinks while I lived or after I died. In fact, I had seldom drunk even before I was turned, and I told him so. Then there was the fact that Ian warned me not to stay in Almonester’s presence for long. This part I didn’t share, and maybe the conversation he held now was longer than the occasional grunt he exchanged when either of us came or went each night.

“You can serve beer until you learn. Not too daft to use the pump, are you?”

I flared my nostrils. “Why should you help me, Almonester? You don’t like vampires. You did Ian a favor by letting me stay.”

Never had I felt such ill will from a person as I felt at that moment. The sense was so strong, I zipped backward a few feet, tense and waiting for an attack. He remained where I left him, still as a statue but radiating anger. Yet, he thought I should happily accept his offer?

“I did not do
anyone
a favor,” he groused in an ugly tone. Then as quickly as the anger rose, it died away to its normal level, which was still pretty high. “Work at the bar. This is your final offer.”

I hesitated. “How much can I make?”

His black gaze scraped over me in the darkness. I bristled, but Almonester sneered as if to say skinny pale redheads didn’t appeal to him. The idea! “If you dress better than that, then maybe…” He named a figure.

“That much weekly?”

“Nightly.”

I gaped. My resolve to obey Ian wavered. Each month, I sent Mason child support for Jake, and I saved as much as I could to add to his college fund. Mason could likely afford to send our son to college if my brilliant darling didn’t manage to get a scholarship, but I was determined to give him a helping hand. If I couldn’t be there, I could at least help support him financially. Working at the bar would make that dream a reality.

Besides, as my sire, Ian hadn’t
commanded
me not to remain long in Almonester’s presence. Plus it wouldn’t be as if we were alone. The landlord’s bar must be full of patrons all the time as well as other bartenders. Besides, I had incredible strength if not fighting skill. I would be fine.

“Okay, I’ll do it,” I said. “Just give me a moment to change. Is there a dress code or uniform?”

He looked at me as if I had taken leave of my senses. “Sexy.”

I pursed my lips. “I’ll wear a denim skirt and a softer blouse.” With that, I whisked up the stairs and into my apartment. Within moments, I was ready and joined Almonester on the street. His expression said he still didn’t approve of my choice of clothing, but he didn’t protest.

“The bar is the Rusty Ankle on Oak Street. Go ahead of me. I don’t want to walk with you.”

“You mean we’re not going to be the best of friends from now on, Almonester?”

He scowled, and I caught the wind and left him behind. This was something else I filed away. Almonester didn’t have my speed, so if I ever needed to, I could get away from him.

The Rusty Ankle, when I got there, was already teeming with customers from wall to wall. My landlord’s establishment wasn’t the type to cater to dancers as there appeared to be no dance floor. However, that didn’t stop a few swaying couples from enjoying the music in each other’s arms. Most of the people crowded the bar or took up every available spot talking to each other in loud voices. A few tables arranged along two walls were occupied.

Automatically dialing down my sense of hearing, which I think was self-preservation, I weaved through the crowd. Someone grabbed my arm, and I looked around. A leering, toothless man stood before me. “Hey, baby, buy you a drink?”

“Go away,” I said and started to give him a little push to help him. Then I recalled my new job and restrained myself. I forced a smile that must have looked menacing because he flinched. “Maybe some other time.”

“Uh, yeah.”

I moved on and reached the bar. A man and a woman worked behind it, serving customers with smooth efficiency. Did Almonester even need me? Well, if it was only to be tonight before he came to his senses, I would take advantage of it.

The man, a blond, good looking with silver eyes, appeared before me and set down a napkin. “What will it be?”

“Nothing. I’m supposed to start working here.”

His eyebrows rose. “You? But you’re…”

He broke off, and I leaned forward over the counter. “I’m what?”

“Nothing.” He averted his eyes quickly from mine, which stirred my suspicions.

Someone called to the blond before we could exchange names and other pleasantries, and he moved along the bar. I turned away from it and gave the place another scan. All human patrons, I was disappointed to find. I liked learning about new—well, I wasn’t sure what you would call them. Species? While I knew there were many in New Orleans, they weren’t drinking in the Rusty Ankle. I wondered if that had to do with Almonester’s evil disposition.

A few men tried to catch my attention, and a couple were bold enough to approach. I sent them on their way with more forced smiles. Each time, the reaction was the same. Maybe I needed to practice charming human men who reeked of alcohol. Unfortunately, I didn’t want to.

Upon my third attempt, Almonester appeared and grumbled. “Stop scaring the customers!”

“I—I wasn’t,” I stuttered, embarrassed.

He glared at me and turned away. “Follow.”

Resigned that I wasn’t going to get courtesy from him, I did as he asked, and we headed toward the back of the bar. When he opened the door to an office, I hesitated, but I didn’t want him to think I was afraid, so I followed him inside. He shut the door, and the noise of the music was only partially muffled.

Almonester rifled through a series of shelves on the far wall and then turned to hand me a bundle of material. I unraveled it to find an apron. Musty. First chance I got, I would wash it.

“You don’t have to smile,” he snapped. “You just have to be—” His teeth clicked together.

“Be what?” I wasn’t focusing on him but on the small office. The walls were painted a dull gray, and no pictures broke up the dismal impression. An old metal desk dominated the room with a chair that leaned to one side behind it. In the corner beside the desk was a safe at least four feet tall. Talk about obvious and intriguing. Didn’t Almonester keep his money in the bank, or didn’t he trust them? Wasn’t he worried someone would break into the place and haul the safe away?

The click of my landlord’s yellowed teeth caught my attention, and I turned back to him. “Pretty by human standards.”

I folded my arms and tilted my head. “You mean you don’t find me pretty, Almonester?”

“You don’t want to goad me, vampire.”

I sobered fast. He was right. His normal disposition was angry, and earlier he had escalated it to rage with one word from me. Antagonizing him was a bad idea because I was ignorant of his abilities and whatever had prompted him to do as Ian asked.

“Focus!” Almonester roared, and I snapped out of my reverie. He continued. “Your sire should have taught you, but what sense can anyone expect from a vampire?”

“Watch your mouth,” I quipped. “I won’t allow anyone to speak ill of Ian in my presence.”

While I stood up to him, doubts assailed me as well. My silent criticism of Ian for leaving me when I needed him most.

“I don’t care about him or you,” Almonester grumped. “I care about my business. You’re here to make me more money. Vampires are cold and heartless, but they are like carved marble.”

I curled my fingers into my palms. “What are you going on about?”

He pointed a gnarled finger at me, and it gave me unsavory imaginings of the shriveled witch who gave Snow White the apple. Maybe that’s what Almonester was, but then I thought of my friend Isabelle back home. Pretty and sweet, she had promised to look after my best friend Monica, who Ian had glamoured to all but forget me. Isabelle was a witch, and she was the only one from my hometown who knew my whole story and that I had taken a new body, other than my son Jake. Monica, and everyone else in Summit’s Edge believed I had moved away to reunite with my ex-husband. The mere idea was ludicrous.

Almonester’s unfriendly voice cut through my thoughts. “You are for display. The humans won’t know you’re a vampire, but they will be drawn to you and to your looks. They’ll buy more drinks and keep coming back.”

“That’s awful. You’re cheating them. That’s why there are only human customers.”

“Oh, you noticed that, huh? Blind to everything else. If you don’t want to work here, get out!”

“What do you mean I’m blind?”

He spun toward the desk. “Put the apron on and get out there. Orin will teach you enough to get through the night. Tomorrow wear something to show your boobs more.”

“I will not!” I was beginning to sound like Ian, who never used contractions. For the record, losing my emotions didn’t change my southern drawl. “If the humans are drawn to me as you say, it doesn’t matter what I wear.”

I waited for him to fire me on the spot, but he sat behind his desk and began flipping through papers and muttering to himself. Realizing I would get no more from him, I flounced from the room while tying the apron around my waist. Definite wash was in order. I didn’t have to breathe in dust and cobwebs, but my poor nostrils protested.

Orin met me on the way out as if he were waiting, or he might have been eavesdropping and run over to the front when he heard me coming. I didn’t judge him as I had done more than my share of listening into conversations in the past to solve mysteries.

His even white smile greeted me when I approached. “All ready to start?”

I pursed my lips, unable to resist teasing him. “I could have sworn you knew nothing of me being hired a little while ago.”

He didn’t so much as blush. “Almonester phoned me and asked that I train you.”

When I followed him to the counter, I took in his scent—Vanilla, spices, some type of cologne, and something else I couldn’t put my finger on.

I watched as he demonstrated the use of the tap to draw beer. The labels were all visible, so that would be a big help. Orin disabused me of using them as a crutch. “You’ll need to learn where everything is so you can keep up the pace. We get swamped, and this is a slow night.”

The sea of faces made me blink. “This is slow?”

Orin patted my shoulder. “It is, but you’ll get the hang of it.”

A brunette who appeared to be in her late thirties approached the bar and beelined for Orin. “Light beer,” she said in a sultry tone, “any kind. I don’t care.”

If I hadn’t been standing right beside him, I wouldn’t have believed it. Orin poured the beer and set the mug before the woman. Then a twang of energy lit the air.
Honey! I smell sweet honey. So yummy.

I found myself leaning toward Orin the same as the woman was doing, showing off a generous amount of cleavage. She opened her purse and pulled out a twenty. “Keep the change,” she breathed.

“Thanks, sweetheart.”

My jaw slackened, and whatever haze I had fallen into popped. The smell of honey receded, and the cobwebs in my head cleared. I snatched the money from Orin’s hand. “How much does a beer cost?”

His eyebrows lowered over his eyes, and his jaw worked a few times, but he told me. I had no idea of the general cost, but the price seemed a bit steep. “Give her ten back,” I demanded.

His smile vanished. “This is your first night, and already you’re breaking the rules? You won’t last long.”

I waited for him to move, and he did with reluctance. The woman, who was blinking over and over as if trying to clear her own head, thanked him and moved away. I spun to face Orin with my hands on my hips. “You did something to her. You’re not human.”

He hissed between his teeth and dragged me from the counter toward the hall. “Keep your voice down!”

“No one could hear us. They’re
all
human.” I pointed to the crowd. “That’s why Almonester wants only humans, so he can fleece them.”

Orin rocked on his heels. I had the opportunity to see his full length. He really was beautiful, with brilliant blue eyes and blond hair he tied in a ponytail. He wore black slacks and crisp white dress shirt, but he didn’t need any more than that. With the sleeves rolled up to reveal muscular forearms, the whole package excited the female clientele. Yet, he had added what I assumed was a spell.

“What are you?” I insisted.

His gaze flicked down the hall toward the back office then to me. Once again, I was aware he didn’t look directly into my eyes. “I’m Fae.”

I noticed he said Fae and not
a
Fae.”

“And the other bartender?”

“Pammie is also Fae, and you’re vampire,” he volunteered.

“Are you worried I’ll glamour you?”

I watched for his reaction, and he blushed. I liked seeing blushes. I couldn’t blush anymore no matter how embarrassed I became. “No,” he snapped.