Chapter 2

  October 8, 2016

  Manhattan, New York

  2:30 PM

  Blair

  Blair completely drained the caffeinated drinks during the fifteen-minute train ride to her destination. She seemed to have taken the role of the afternoon’s entertainment for the people in the train, as they watched her chug each can with gaped mouths and wide eyes, before she threw them back into the plastic bag, rolling her eyes.

  A tedious throb in her chest was currently taking place, as a result of her previous panic attack at the convenience store, putting Blair in an even more foul mood than she was when she woke up. The heavy dose of caffeine did not help either, but she needed a headstart to what seemed to be a long day.

  Stepping off the train and throwing away the bag at a closeby trash can, not bothering to recycle them properly, Blair walked up the subway stairs to meet dark grey skies looming over Bowery Street.

  “It looks like it’s going to rain,” she overheard a hotdog vendor say to a customer, as he handed them a hotdog.

  “Hm, it didn’t say that on the weather forecast,” the customer replied, taking it.

  Blair sighed before turning away.

  The caffeine successfully made it into her system, as she felt her headache subside and her mind refocus. Feeling refreshed and slightly more energised, Blair walked the five blocks to the first Ilken law firm on her mental list, avoiding glances of passersby as she entered alleyways. She’d have to visit at least seven different firms to land a case before she resorts to pestering Evans.

  Blair won’t deny that it would be a lot easier if she just accepted the full-time job positions they offered her at the firms, but she preferred the unshackled life of freelance.

  As she continued to walk, Blair caught a glance of a moon symbol graffitied on the wall of a coffee shop and paused. Sighing, she crossed the street to walk to the opposite sidewalk. Glancing sideways, she observed the werewolves from everywhere around NYC innocently grabbing coffee and chit-chatting. The Nightcrawlers were the least threatening of the three werewolf gangs, but having first hand experience with fighting one, Blair thought it best to avoid them. The bruises she had gained then took a week extra for her body to heal than the usual time.

  Blair remembered Crespo telling her once that New York was a city of extremities, and it was evident in the fact that it takes only two blocks and one turn to go from a destitute street with cheap, rusted, family-owned restaurants and second-hand stores; to a high-end avenue full of expensive brands she never bothered to remember and overpriced fancy restaurants where rich folk were waiting in line to grab “brunch”.

  Grunting, Blair kept walking on the pristine pavement and looked around.

  It was as if she stepped into a different world as the lavish skyscrapers overtook the worn-down shops not two blocks away.

  The exaggerated and creative architecture of the buildings stretched miles away as luxurious cars passed her on the clean streets.

  Blair’s nose wrinkled; breathing the same air as those corporate douchebags with all their pretentiousness always disgusted her.

  She already expected to find the Fae here as places like this are where they became more visible. They were easily distinguishable from humans with their exaggerated heights, elongated and pointy ears, and unique eye colours that seemed to glow in the daylight. Evans informed her that their race in particular values materialistic, extravagant, and deluxe lifestyles over humble, simple lives, which means they have more power in the imaginary hierarchy of the supernatural in the city. The Fae also have a weird obsession with beauty, as they almost never stayed in a place or communicated with people they deemed too ugly for their taste. If the world thought human beauty standards were harsh and unrealistic, The Fae’s were beyond comprehension. It did not help, either, that they began to take charge of the fashion and beauty industry.

  Ignoring the odd looks being aimed at her, from both Fae and humans alike, Blair walked towards a wide and lavish building on the boulevard across the street. The glass window panes that towered above were grey in colour mirroring the cloudy skies, causing them to blend in with the metal architecture of the rectangular building. A tall, brick stone pillar sign with the name Ilken Law and Co. engraved in silver stood a few feet away from the building, shrubs of fake grass and floor lights surrounding it. Security guards were stationed at the entrance, some tapping away on their phones and others taking their job a bit too seriously. Men and women in suits and formal clothing, as well as Fae, were rushing across the pavements and streets entering and leaving through the revolving doors of the firm.

  As Blair reached the pillared sign, making a quick plan to wait for the guard to use his phone before she could sneak inside, a squeal sounded from beside her and she glanced to see a man having spilt his coffee on a fae woman’s designer sheath orange dress.

  “Oh shit,” muttered the man,“I-I-I’m sorry, miss. I promise I’ll pay for the dry cleaning, but I just really need to get to this interview,” he called out, before walking away quickly.

  The scenario had caught the attention of the people around them and they all stared wide-eyed at the man-- the humans had more worried expressions plastered on their faces.

  He seemed to be too much in a hurry for the interview and failed to notice the Fae woman fuming and balling her fists as she noticed everyone around them had witnessed the scene.

  If there’s one thing the fae despised the most, it was being caught in an embarrassing position.

  Letting a deep breath out and squaring her shoulders, the Fae woman smirked and dusted off her dress as golden sparkles twinkled from her fingers.

  The coffee spill was visibly gone as if it had never been spilt on her.

  She then pointed her long pink manicured finger towards the man, and all of a sudden his brogues shoelaces untied and laced around his legs on their own accord, causing him to hit face-first onto the hard ground, his portfolio spilling papers everywhere.

  The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  He groaned in pain as the Fae woman perked out a hmph before giggling and walking away.

  The Fae who had witnessed it all had also joined in and chuckled loudly at the man. However, every human around, including Blair, avoided contact with the entire situation as they hurriedly resumed their previous matters and pretended they did not just witness a crime being committed. Blair knew that the humans were educated enough to know that what the fae woman had done was practically illegal-- a total violation of the third rule of the Accord:

  No creature or human may ever exert their powers in a harmful or dangerous manner towards another being.

  She also knew, however, that no one had the guts to report her-- not even Blair.

  How ironic it is that they were only a few metres away from a law firm.

  The man pushed himself up and turned to face the fae woman. Looking around, everyone avoided eye contact with him, and his papers were now discarded everywhere with people stepping on them. His nose looked broken and blood flowed down from his nostrils like little waterfalls as he dusted off his smudged suit, picked what remained of his portfolio, and walked across the street with slumped shoulders.

  A face of excitement and adrenaline was now replaced with complete dejection.

  Sighing heavily, Blair waited till the security guard had his eyes glued to his smartphone before stomping to the revolving doors and pushing her way inside Ilken Law.

  *****

  Taking a few steps inside, she was immediately hit with a citrus and mint smell that enveloped the entire firm. Walking across the wide reception area to the elevators across the hall, she passed by people and fae sitting on the sofas discussing whatever business they had in mind over cups of coffee or tea.

  Blair wrinkled her nose, “Corporate assholes,” she muttered under her breath.

  She sped up her pace when she walked in front of the reception desk and looked down, trying her best to avoid the receptionists.

  “Ms. Martinez!” one of them yelled just as Blair punched the elevator button, “Did Jesse ask for you?!” Blair ignored and quickly walked into the thankfully empty elevator, pressing the eleventh floor.

  “Martinez!” she yelled, louder this time.

  As the doors slid closed she caught the receptionist dialling security and smirked.

  *****

  The elevator doors opened up to Jessie’s reception area where his secretary, Megan, was currently on the phone with her brows furrowed and her hands rubbing her forehead. The brown desk across from Megan was empty but absolutely filled with papers and files that made their way to the floor. Glancing around, Blair could tell from the noise of the various phones ringing and the lawyers and employees hurrying and rushing about that it was not a particularly good day at the firm.

  “Oh for the love of-” Megan muttered from beside her, catching Blair’s glance. She smashed the telephone as she stood up fuming, her mascara was completely smudged under her eyes.

  Blair walked out of the elevator doors, avoiding Megan’s glance.

  “Blair, it’s seriously not the day,” she scolded.

  Blair just ignored her and said, “Where’s Jesse?”

  As Megan opened her mouth to respond, Blair heard stomping footsteps approaching from behind and knew from the sound of his dress shoe heels that it was Jessie. He entered the room and glanced at Blair before rolling his eyes exasperatedly and continuing to walk away.

  Blair rushed to catch up to him and said, “Any jobs for me today?”

  “Go home, Martinez,” he grunted as they walked past various glass windows and offices.

  “Why the grumpy attitude?”

  Stopping in his tracks he looked down at her with his dark eyes fuming, “Because you can’t keep coming here unannounced, riling up security.”

  Blair narrowed her eyes as she raised her head up, “Subtlety is not what you hire me for.”

  “No, but I would appreciate at least a smidge of professionalism,” he sighed before walking again.

  “That wouldn’t be a problem if you weren’t so stingy with your cases,” she huffed out as she walked to keep up his fast pace and long legs.

  “I’ve offered you a permanent position here various times to which you have continuously refused,” he raised his eyebrows at her, “What was it in your words? You refuse to ‘succumb to the dirtbag pigs of corporate America.’”

  “Well…”

  “Just leave, Blair, we’re already looking for other private investigators to take the position,” he said as they finally reached his office and reached a stop in front of the closed oak doors.

  “Whoever they are, they’re not as good as me,” she grumbled as he took out his keys.

  “Well, at least their methods won’t be as violent and questionable as yours.”

  “Oh, cut the crab, we both know you hire me for my methods,” Blair narrowed her eyes.

  He unlocked his office and walked inside with Blair tailing him.

  “I can’t help you anymore if you don’t take the permanent position,” he muttered and sighed heavily as he sat down on his leather chair and grabbed a file placed on his desk.

  “You’ve given me seven jobs that no one could deliver on other than me,” she spat out, her eyes going slightly wide, “Don’t act like you don’t need me. Especially now, when you need someone with my methods.”

  Pulling his gaze up from the file, he glared at her but she didn’t even flinch. Jesse dropped the file and rubbed his eyes, sighing heavily.

  It wasn’t until now that Blair noticed the dark circles coating his eyes and the sharper edges to his jaw and cheekbones.

  Footsteps rushed across the hallway outside and pursing her lips she asked, “What’s going on?”

  He stood up abruptly and snapped, “JUST LEAVE!” his eyes going so wide, Blair could clearly see the stark redness of them.

  Blair didn’t even flinch as she raised her brows and noticed the wrinkles of his dark brown suit. His cropped brown hair was unkempt and his dress shirt was untouched, missing his usual neat tie.

  Jesse rubbed his forehead and turned to the window behind his desk and braced his arms on the glass.

  “If there is a job, I will contact you,” he mumbled with his head bent down, “It’s just not the time now.”

  Blair bit her tongue before stomping out of the office and slammed the door behind her, taking pleasure in some of the cement that rattled off the ceiling.