The Shade: Shades of Change

Chapter 18

Chapter 18

We'd gone to the liquor room, or cigar room. Exen and Maximus joined us at a round table with a deck of cards. Maximus got two bottles of Bourbon and four glasses. I knew one was for me.

"No thanks." I told him as I lifted my cards that Exen had passed out.

"If Bourbon isn't your thing there's about a hundred other liquors you can chose from." Maximus offered kindly.

"No thanks. I'm fine." I assured him happily. "Vex might get mad." That was all I needed to say to get him to back off.

The card game was poker. The chips had been distributed and the game began.

It didn't take long for Shawna to be drunk. She was really down about everything. She'd tried several different drinks and had stacked shot glasses and bourbon glasses up between the two of us.

She was laughing so I guess the alcohol was doing it's job. I'd gone to the kitchen at one point to get her something to eat since she kept saying she was starved.

Exen had just taken a big chunk of my chips when the door opened and Lokin looked in.

"She's in here." He said then pushed the door open walking in with Vex following.

Vex walked over and frowned at the glasses.

"Are you drinking?" He asked lifting Shawna's half empty glass of rum.

"That would be mine." Shawna slurred to him taking the glass. She motioned to the empty glasses. "All this is mine." She said looking at him.

I cocked my head. Vex was not visible to her, yet she was acting asif she could see him.

"Hey Shawna," I asked softly as she tossed back the rest of her beverage. She looked at me with heavy lidded eyes. "What color is Vex's tie?" I asked her softly.

Everyone was looking at her now.

Shawna looked at Vex and narrowed her eyes at his tie. "Blue. Why?" She asked swaying slightly.

I raised a brow and looked up at Vex. He looked intrigued.

Maximus, Reshna and Exen had all been holding their glamour easily enough. But Vex should have been invisible to Shawna.

"Alcohol dulls the senses." Exen murmured to me, confused by the turn of events but shrugged.

I looked at the red velvet cake a moment then picked a piece up and put it in my mouth and forced it down. I looked up at Vex as I got the distinct taste of sweet rotten fruit aka Lugat blood.

"It's your blood. She can see you because of your blood." I told him.

"Interesting." He said looking at Shawna.

"I can be very interesting." She told him then noticed Lokin."Hello beautiful." She murmured casually and winked at him.

He gave a disgusted look while Vex smirked at his brother's reaction.

"Why aren't you getting intoxicated with your friends?" Vex asked curiously. "I will not be angry." Damn it!

"I don't want to drink." I said shrugging.

"She can't drink." Shawna said. "Shhh." She said to Reshna who forced a laugh.

"I think you should lay down." I told her as I stood.

"I'll help." Reshna offered standing. Then she was doubling over in pain. Maximus stood and all our attention was on Reshna.

She was holding her stomach as she let out sharp breaths.