Chapter 2: Breakfast for four.

  Lamar pulled up to Elle’s Diner, a place most would consider to be a hole in the wall with the best breakfast burritos in the city. It was the go to spot after a night of hunting down the supernatural and maintaining order in the human world, it was also a safe haven for duskers, Elle’s was surrounded by hex bags, sigils, and all types of wards. There was no way you’d be able to start a fight in or around the building for at least a hundred feet. So duskers knew they were safe. The outside wasn’t much to look at, typical bland grayish one story brick building with a big red neon sign on the roof that flashed ELLE’S, nothing special. The inside was nothing great either, a few booths a lined both sides, a counter with some high stools in the front and in the middle about 10 tables with 4 chairs for each one. Not much to look at but it was the safest place in Toledo. Elle was a retired dusker, which was a name the younger generation came up with because they felt that hunter was old and played out. Elle never understood why dusker though, they didn’t just hunt at night she would always say.

  Elle’s is central hub for all duskers, the building itself is like an iceberg, you only get a glimpse of how big it truly is from the outside looking in. If you were to go to the back of the diner you’d find a door that when opened looked like a normal supply closet full of cleaning supplies and things of that nature. But if you spoke the right phrase before you opened the door it would open up to an underground market place that was full of different shops, some office spaces that were used for strategy sessions and other reason, and places to rest up and heal. So it was only natural that it became the emergency contact center as well. Lamar and Serenity even had their own workshops in the market place.

  Lamar made his way inside, the diner was its normal busy for the morning rush. He saw his friends sitting in their usual corner booth waiting for him. There was Mycal, warrior class, 6’0” and built like a linebacker, then there is Sean, shooter class, 6’1” leaner build, and last there is Daniel, chasseur class, and 5’10” built like a body builder not the average look of a chasseur they were more lean like Sean. Lamar was the only black one of the group, most people thought their group was odd, but they all grew up together, it didn’t matter to him that he was black and they were white.

  “What up.” Lamar said sliding into the booth next to Sean.

  “What took you so long, I’m starving.” Mycal complained.

  “I had to work.” Lamar said grabbing a menu, which he didn’t need, the menu hasn’t changed in over a decade and he knew everything on it.

  “I don’t get why you work, you make a killing with your potions, hex bags and enchanted weapons. You don’t need a regular 9 to 5 like we do.” Mycal said.

  “When being a dusker starts providing health insurance then I’ll quit, but until then my diabetes meds alone cost a small fortune.”

  “True.” Sean chimed in.

  “We all can’t be rich like Daniel.” Mycal joked.

  “Fool I’m not rich, my dad has money not me. I work just like all of you. And what do I have to do with this conversation.” Daniel said defensively.

  “Calm down, you know he just messing with you, don’t get all angry.” Lamar said trying to diffuse the situation before it got out of hand.

  “Yeah rich boy calm down.” Mycal joked.

  “Call me rich boy one more time and I’m going to…” but before Daniel could finish his sentence he felt a firm grasp on his right shoulder, he looked up and saw a 5’9” buxom black woman, with smooth dark brown skin, shoulder length red hair, deep brown eyes. Standing behind him. She had that classic beauty, and she carried herself with pose and self confidence that radiant off her like the sun.

  “Now I know you boys aren’t about to tear up my nice clean diner.” Elle said with a smile.

  “No ma’am.” They all said in unison.

  “Good, that’s good, because I would hate to have to raise my voice.” Elle was one of the best duskers you’d ever would meet. She was a powerful arcane type mage who specialized in attack magic, her signature attack was her banshee cry. It was a loud scream that she could control the frequency and use it at pinpoint accuracy. There has always been this particular story that floated around like an old wives’ tales about the time she used the cry like a whistle to explode a vampire’s head.

  There was one time that the boys got to witness Elle’s powers. It was a few years back, they were trapped in an abandon warehouse in the middle of nowhere fighting off a gang of succubus, Lamar and Mycal were hurt real bad, and they were out of healing potion. If they didn’t get help fast they weren’t going to make it.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  Serenity created these small emergency buttons that connect to a large electronic map of Toledo and some surrounding areas. So if you held down on the button for 5 seconds it gave the location of the dusker and open up a channel to communicate with whoever was running the hub so they can find out what was going on and what kind of help was needed.

  Now most duskers out of pride and ego flat out refused to carry Serenity’s emergency button, but not Lamar he always had one on him when they went out. The other guys really didn’t care if they had one or not, but this night they all were glad that Lamar was carrying one. Because he used it when things started to get dire.

  They were cornered, tired, bruised and bloody. As the succubus got closer the building begun to shake, windows shattered glassing flying like knives, Lamar used the last bit of his strength to put up a barrier spell to block the flying glass from cutting them.

  The metal door of the building exploded off its hinges, in walked Elle, still dressed in her waitress uniform with something wrapped around her waist. Two of the succubus went after her, she braced her body and let out a scream that hit the two directly in the chest, sending them flying into the wall so hard you can hear their spines snapping from the impact. The other five succubus hesitated before one finally got the courage to attack, she dashed forward, Elle unraveled hot flash from around her waist, it was a her weapon of choice, a leather whip that was enchanted with hellfire, a gift from an exe demon lover from her past. This whip could get as hot as molten lava, burning and melting anything it touched except for Elle.

  Like a rhythmic gymnast doing a ribbon dance she fought the succubus, twirling and screaming like a beautiful tornado. The fight barley lasted five minutes until there was nothing but five ash piles on the ground. The two that were thrown earlier in the fight still laid there on the ground unable to move. Elle walked over to them as they tried to move. Even though succubus had accelerated healing abilities it wasn’t fast enough to save them.

  “I’m not one to kick someone when they are down, but you came after my boys and well I just can’t let that go.” Elle sent two pinpoint screams to their heads and they popped like water balloons.

  That is an image that Lamar and his friends would never ever be able to unseen, and the reason why when Elle tell you to do something, you don’t argue you just do it.

  “Here you go hun.” Elle pulled put a white envelope with Lamar’s name on it out of her apron pocket and handed it to him.

  “What’s this?” He opened the envelope to find a stack of fifty and hundred dollar bills. Eyes wide, “Momma Elle,” those who were close to her were the only ones allowed to call her that, “this is way too much.”

  “You’ve done a lot of work around here and deserve every penny, hex bags, the wards, and all the other odds and ends you do, not don’t argue with me and take it.” She said sternly.

  “Yes ma’am,” he got up and gave her a bear hug and a kiss on the cheek.

  “Now what do you boys want to eat.” They all got their usual order, as Elle walked away to put their order in Mycal leaned over the table. “How much she give you?”

  “Mycal.” Elle said.

  “Ma’am.”

  “Mind your business.” Elle said with her back turned. The others laughed.”

  “Yes ma’am.” Mycal said slinking down into his seat.

  “That’s what you get.” Daniel laughed a bit too hard.

  “Okay guys we need to talk about what happened last night.” Sean said trying to get down to business.

  “You mean how you three went and cleared that vampire nest without me.” Lamar said not trying to sound bitter.

  “Here we go.” Mycal said.

  “No, no here we go. You asshats left me after I did all the leg work.”

  “You’re still going to get a cut.” Daniel said.

  “It’s not about getting a cut.”

  “Then what is it about?” Sean asked.

  “Just forget it.” Lamar said.

  “Naw, we aren’t going to forget it, you brought it up, so say what you have to say.” Mycal said getting angry.

  “First off you can chill on the tone and secondly I said forget it there is no point anyways.”

  “You know I hate when you do that, you get all mad and shut down.” Mycal said.

  “Well I hate your blue eyes.” Lamar snapped back.

  “What does my eyes have anything to do with this conversation?” Mycal said confused.

  “Okay this is getting weird.” Sean joked. “I agree.” Daniel chimed in.

  “Anyways what I wanted to talk about is the royal situation.” Sean said whispering, trying not to draw anymore unwanted attention to their table. Luckily most of the patrons paid them no mind, it would have been more abnormal if they weren’t arguing.

  “Yeah what happened?” Mycal said.

  “I was getting off my lunch break and out of nowhere he attacked me.”

  “And you’re sure it was a royal?” Daniel asked.

  “Yeah, he had a royal crest embroider into his jacket and he was stronger than a regular vampire. If he wasn’t a royal he damn sure should be one.” Lamar said.

  Elle came over carrying a serving tray with their food, the boys got quiet.

  “What y’all get all hush for when I came over.” Elle said as she started putting their orders in front of them.

  “No reason, just talking about guy stuff you know.” Lamar said avoiding eye contact with her, she had a 6th sense of telling when someone is lying to her.

  “What kind of guy stuff?” She asked suspiciously.” Before any of them could answered Daniel blurted out “Nocturnal emissions.” They all looked at him.

  “Oookkkaaayyy.” Elle said picking up the empty tray and walking away.

  “What the hell is wrong with you?” Lamar asked.

  “What! It got her to leave didn’t it.” Daniel said proudly.

  “You need Jesus.” Sean said told him.

  “Anyways, where is he now?” Daniel asked Lamar.

  “In the back of my truck.” He said as he shoved a pancakes in his mouth.