Blood Magic

2-4: Red Hot Hair

.^^ Warren (holy hell) ^^

— James —

I don't really know what I expected, moving to Greece, but I really didn't expect to move into a group of people who already knew my name, and treated me like I'd always been here.

My birthday? The biggest and most celebratory party I'd ever had, amongst people who'd known me 16 hours at the most. They claimed, of course, (or to make me stop refusing to allow them to celebrate,) that they already celebrated August First, as the beginning of the seven-day Festival of Fortuna, culminating on August 7th as the Feast of Fortuna, their version of christmas, but I felt like they were exaggerating the usual party.

It really got rid of a lot of the fears I had about leaving England, where I'd always lived. My friends, the few that were close enough to care I was leaving, gave me their Skype addresses, and I promised to call once we were settled in.

My room was in the corner, facing the courtyard across the street, and pretty spacious. Not as big as the room in Athenos's house, but there was a dog door attached to the door Athenos made for me, that led into my room in his house, so Riley and Perceval could still travel between the houses, (one animal friendly to the max, the other meh,) easily.

I found out that Athenos was going to be sorta/kinda living with Rafaela, so another portal was made inside the house, in the kitchen. Without the silver key I had on my necklace, it led into a pantry, and with the key, it led to her parlor.

I was impressed with the expediency of the travel arrangements, because our stuff from our apartment in London was flown in in just two days, and Mum had the loft/house to her liking by day three.

I requested a part-time job at the restaurant on the first day, just washing dishes, and was accepted instantly. My starting wage was about €3 an hour, but for just washing dishes two hours a night, in a kitchen with sixteen other people, mostly chefs of some kind, (not including the servers, bartenders, and hostesses, in the two-storied, massive, yet elegant, Gourmet Restaurant/Luxury Bar,) I was doing pretty good, and the pocket money was good.

I wasn't running around and doing quests with Athenos anymore, so I wouldn't be getting money from random people for helping them anymore.

The entrance to the local sanctuary was above ground, I discovered, and the inside was one giant market. No houses. Apparently they all lived in this portion of town, not just a few of them, like in Miami.

I blinked, and remembered the piece of London like this. "Did we have an above-ground sanctuary in London, mum?" I asked.

She looked up from the little game she was addicted to on her mobile, which she'd apparently started in the hospital. "Hmm? Oh, yes, we did. And Belfast's is underground, like most."

"Cool." I grinned, and went back to sweeping the hardwood floors. She lifted her feet out of the way, so I could get around her, then set them back down when I passed her.

"So I hope you understand that if your grades drop, because of this job of yours, part time or no, it goes away. School is more important than pocket-money." She hummed.

"I know, mum, I'll be careful." I nodded.

"Good... but I am proud of you, I hope you know that, too! Growing up so fast... first a job, then a girlfriend-"

"Mum!" I complained.

"-or a boyfriend, who knows, and then college, and then a real Profession, and there you go, off into the world..." she sighed.