After the stress and anticipation of the Council convening, the entire town could have used a drink. The night of the meeting, everyone stayed in their respective corners. Creatures didn't want to risk the ire of their leaders. Instead, everyone knew that Saturday would be the day to let go of all the stress.
The Thirsty Fork was packed from wall to wall. You could barely cross the room without having to snake your way through sweaty bodies. A DJ dominated the back third of the space. The front half was intended to be more relaxing, a chance to drink and let go, but the thumping music infiltrated every available space. The dancing spread inch by inch until it consumed the whole bar.
As soon as Ella, Aura, Marina and Ivy stepped foot into the bar, they knew none of them would leave this bar sober. Ivy had already warned Hunter, who had opted to stay home to work. None of the other three had significant others to worry about so they kept their eyes trained on the handsome lads at hand. Ivy bit back a laugh seeing their eyes go wide and the invisible drool form at the corner of their lips.
"Oh he's cute!" Marina squealed pointing at one while taking a long sip of her cocktail. "Aura, you can't tell me he's not cute."
"Also a fairy." Aura shrugged her shoulders and flipped back her fiery locks. "You just can't pick 'em."
"Nothing wrong with fairies," Marina muttered, pursing her lips and knitting her eyebrows together.
Before anyone could chime in, Ella came back with a set of shots. She handed them out one by one. Ivy's eyebrow shot up, head snapping at attention to the tray. Shots always spelled trouble for her.
"Courtesy of our friend at the bar." Ella held her glass in the direction of Lucian who sent her a wink. Ella's cheeks grew pink just enough that the others noticed.
"Is our little Ella flirting and with the bartender no less?" Aura cooed, ribbing her friend. "Damn girl, get it."
"Whatever." Ella rolled her eyes and held the shot up higher. "Here's to surviving our first Council meeting. May we never have to go through that pain ever again!"
Whooping, all their heads flew back as they downed the shot. Ella handed out a second one, despite the playful groans. The group repeated the movement, and their faces pulled at the burning sensation. That sensation remained with Ivy long after the alcohol made its way through her system. She figured it was due to the fact that she didn't drink very much and whatever Lucian had given them had been extra strong. She downed her Rum and Coke, even sucking on a few ice cubes trying to manage that heat that consumed her. It started as a slight smolder at the back of her neck, growing until it blanketed her from head to toe.
Slipping off her cardigan, she stripped down to her red-wine-colored satin body-con dress. The v-neck exposed the better part of her chest, thin straps just holding it up. Marina's eyes grew saucers at the sight. She had never seen the earth user dressed in such a way.
"I can't believe Hunter let you walk out of the house like that," Marina whistled admiring the bold outfit.
"Oh, he saw it, and he just about begged me to stay home." A coy smile tugged at Ivy's rouge lips. She shrugged innocently, holding her hands up. "I told him I had an important night with my girls planned."
The heat managed to subside, but the relief didn't last long. If anything, she became more agitated because she couldn't strip down further. The already thin, barely-there dress felt too constricting. The earth witch almost wished she had opting for a crop-top and jean shorts. Now that would have taken everyone by surprise.
Ivy slipped away from the group to order more drinks, pleased when Lucian walked over. His eyes widened at the sight of her, either from the dress choice or her previous threats. She didn't mind either way.
"What'll be?" He struggled to keep his eyes on her face. The way he bit his lip and shifted on his feet gave him away.
Ivy remembered that last time she had talked to him, really when she had threatened to take him down if he ever used his powers against her. A ghost of a smirk curved on her lips at the memory.
"Rum and Coke, double." The magnetism Lucian used on other customers had all but disappeared as he prepped her drink. A triumphant grin took over her face at the thought of Lucian not being a problem again.
The night crawled by. No matter how hard Ivy tried, the fever feeling remained. It ebbed and flowed, growing stronger and weaker at different intervals. She used alcohol to distract herself, succumbing to whatever was happening. Marina attempted to probe her with questions as she felt Ivy's aura shift. However, as Marina grew drunker, she also grew sloppier with her powers. The only one to stay relatively intact was Aura. Ella even managed to let loose.
The heat played tricks on her mind. Ivy eyed the dance floor longingly, wishing Hunter had come. She imagined all the dancing they would have done...or what they would be doing if she were home in that instant. A devilish gleam reflected in her irises. Finishing her drink, she stole Marina's, who happened to be chatting with a familiar-looking fairy. Marina pouted at first but didn't chase her down. Ivy would buy her a drink later.
The earth witch wandered downstairs. She balanced her phone and drink in one hand while the other gripped the banister. Pushing the bathroom door open, she looked under every stall to ensure no one was around. Her fingers found Hunter's number and pressed it. The phone rang several times until a voicemail recording greeted her. Ivy pouted, frustrated at the lack of availability on his part. She wanted to whisper dirty thoughts into his ear and tell him to come pick her up. Downed the drink, she sulked and headed for the exit, only to be cut off by a monster of a man.
"Well, well, what do we have here?" The man drawled, whiskey on his breath.
"A pervert in a woman's restroom?" Ivy retorted, jutting her hip out with a hand no it. She took in a deep breath to catch his scent, but it was pure, aside from the alcohol and sweat. This man was just a piece of human scum.
"Now, now, that's not nice." He trailed a hand up and down her arm. A sinister grin played at his lips.
Ivy scrambled away from him, tripping backward in the process. Thankfully, she hadn't fallen, but her back was now pressed against the wall. Her mind reached out to her vines. Nothing. The intoxication blocked them. Her eyes darted across the bathroom looking for something to use in her defense, zoning in on the opening door. Could this scum have an accomplice? Ivy wouldn't go down without a fight.
The other man stepped inside and pulled the pervert away from her. He threw the scum across the room, a loud thud when e hit the wall. Ivy barely noticed, the heat and fever blossoming to the point of consumption. She fixed her gaze forward, only half paying attention to what was going on. The heat pulsated behind her eyes. If she were alone, she would have splashed water over her face, uncaring if it landed on her dress. She could have jumped into a ice bath, and it still wouldn't be enough to alleviate this feeling.
"Now, now, attacking women isn't nice," the man growled. He marched across the room and hurled him out the door and up the stairs. "If you ever try something like his again, I will find you."
From the tone of his voice, Ivy knew he was serious. This man seemed like the type to follow through on his word, even that meant hunting you down from across the city. Ivy didn't need to look at him to feel his hatred for the scumbag.
The man doubled back and closed the distance between them. Despite standing a few feet from her, she felt everything. Goosebumps covered her arms, the hair on the back of her neck standing up. A shudder racked her shoulders, for what reason she didn't know. Ivy didn't sense immediate danger in her future, especially not from the hands of this man.
"Are you OK?" His voice slid through her ears like honey. His scent hit her nostrils. The scent of the forest and sandalwood overwhelmed her, especially as it mixed with the alcohol she smelled off herself.
"I—" Ivy brushed past him, ignoring the sparks from where their shoulders touched, and headed straight for the toilet.
Whatever mix of drinks she drank throughout the night came back to haunt her. She stared at the back of the white, porcelain bowl, emptying her stomach. The earth witch found little relief when the heat rushed back to her senses. She thought unloading the contents of her would give her somewhat relief of this fever that plagued her over the course of the night. Instead, it blazed even stronger.
The man moved closer. She held her hand up to say no but couldn't stop him when she bent over. His fingers grazed across her shoulder blades, taking hold of her curls. He pulled them out of her face, away from the contents spewing out of her mouth.
Once her body deemed itself cleansed, Ivy sat up and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. Leaning back without thinking, her mouth formed a small 'o' as her body collided with his. Exhaustion all but wiped her out, and the warmth made her feel drowsier. Ivy didn't wait to see if he would catch or her not. She simply relished in the small relieve of heat she felt as their skin touched.
A/N
Pushed back the Sunday post to Monday, almost forgot completely with all the running around I had to do today.
What do you think this all means????
Only time will tell :)
Hope you are all doing well and staying safe!