Ella

“Here you are. The Palazzo. Enjoy your stay in Vegas,” the cabbie announced as he pulled up to the hotel.

Ella paid the man, walked to the front desk and booked the cheapest room available for a single night. She ignored the cascading fountain and the vaulted views. Yes, the lobby was beautiful with its towering columns, friezes, and pediments, but it was a modern interpretation of old-world architecture. It didn’t have the same aura, that could only come from enduring for centuries. None of that mattered though. Ella wasn’t in Vegas to sightsee.

Her heels clicked on the terrazzo tile, as Ella followed signs that led to the casino. When she entered the giant game room, she was assaulted by a cacophony of ringing bells and strobing lights. Ella had never stepped foot in a casino. She didn’t know how to play any of the games laid out before her. The place reeked of a mix of excitement and desperation. In her current state, she added to the pathetic vibe.

Ella walked around the room studying the games and the players. She bypassed by the slot machines. They had digital displays, and paid credits onto cards, rather than spitting out chips or change. She didn’t dare try to mess with them. Ella ignored the card games altogether. Her gift was no help there. She wasn’t psychic, like Wolf’s friend.

Ella stopped when she came to the Roulette table, with its spinning wheel. People were gathered around the table laying chips down on the red felt, betting on specific numbers, or red versus black.

“No more bets,” the croupier announced, then spun the wheel and sent a little white marble careening.

Everyone held their breath as the marble rattled and bounded from one space to the next on the wheel. Ella smiled at a young woman wearing a giant button announcing it was her twenty-first birthday. She was bouncing excitedly as she watched the ball.

Ella reached out with her gift, testing how it felt to nudge the marble as everything slowed. She aimed for the twenty-one, since that was the number the birthday girl was chanting. Once in the numbered slot, Ella held it there, as the birthday girl jumped up and down squealing in delight.

This is my game.

She watched a few more spins to get a better feel for how to play. Some, Ella let ride on their own, others she picked a random number for the ball to land on. It wasn’t too hard to get it to go where she wanted. It didn’t take finesse, since the marble danced erratically in the wheel before stopping.

Ella stepped up and set her money down on the table. After the plane ticket, the cab ride, and her room for the night, she only had four hundred dollars to play with. It was the remaining balance of her checking account. Ella bet all but fifty bucks that the number would be odd, then worked her magic.

Cheating at the game was harder than she thought it would be. Not because she couldn’t get the marble to do what she wanted, but because after several wins she realized it would look strange if she kept winning. Even though she was mainly betting on the odd/even or red/black spaces, she was clearly making more than she was losing. People around her had started betting on the same spaces she chose. After a few more spins Ella collected her seven thousand in chips and moved to another table.

Over the next hour Ella cautiously doubled her winnings again, before deciding it was time to move on. She was doing really well, considering she started with a few hundred. But progress was slow.

With a five-hundred betting limit, it’s going to take forever to amass a seventy-five grand.

Ella wandered over to the bar, grabbed a glass of wine then circled the casino again. She stopped at a Craps table and watched as she finished her drink. Ella had dismissed the dice game because the rules were more complicated, but she was back again. The betting limits and payout were higher at Craps.

Well it looks like I’m learning to play Craps.

The table wasn’t full, so Ella sidled up next to a middle-aged man in a green polo, who looked like he knew what he was doing.

“Hi,” she smiled. “I don’t really know how to play. Do you mind if I shadow you?”

“Not at all. You’ll want to put your bet here on the Pass Line. The name’s Charles.”

“Thanks. Nice to meet you Charles. I’m Ella.” Ella nodded as she set fifty dollars in chips where he indicated. “What number do we want to see rolled?”

“Anything but two, three, or twelve for this first roll.”

Ella watched as another woman at the table tossed the dice, sending them tumbling against the felt bumper. Ella let the first die fall naturally then nudged the second one in their favor. Everyone at the table cheered, since they hadn’t immediately lost their money.  

“Now we’ve got eight points. If another eight is rolled, we win. But if it’s seven, we lose,” her new partner coached.

Ella played along with Charles, until she got the hang of the game. It wasn’t long before she got bolder, placing bigger bets, and her fifteen-grand tripled.

Halfway there, Bella Bear.

Between rolls Ella noticed movement on her right, and turned to see a well-dressed man sit down beside her. He wore an obscenely expensive Fioravanti suit, like it was business casual. It was paired with an equally lavish blue silk tie, matching platinum cufflinks, and a watch that would pay her rent for over a year.

Ella knew expensive taste. She liked the finer things, even owned a few outfits that the rich and fabulous would die for. But her vintage Dior ensemble was purchased at a sweet little old lady’s garage sale, not some over inflated house of couture. Ella wore her finest on this risky excursion so she wouldn’t look out of place, playing with a large amount of cash.

The thirty-something man on her right was more than comfortable as he threw down the max bet of two thousand. He didn’t hesitate the way others did when they made high bets. He had the same confidence Ella did, but for a different reason. The man could obviously afford to lose.

The stickman stood up straighter as he pushed several dice over toward Business Casual, making Ella wonder if the man was a regular at the casino, or someone important.

“You want to pick out your favorite dice and give’em a kiss for good luck?” Business Casual said with a smile.

Ella felt like he was appraising her, even though his gray eyes never drifted from hers. She suddenly felt like a little minnow being circled by a shark.

“I have a feeling you don’t need the luck,” Ella smiled back, undaunted because the man came on too strong.

“I was thinking the same about you,” he commented as he glanced at the column of chips she amassed. “Please.” He pushed the dice in Ella’s direction.

Ella shrugged and grabbed two dice, blew a kiss on them, then handed them back. Business Casual brushed her hand as he took the dice from her. It was intentional. Ella caught herself before she rolled her eyes.

Business Casual looked like he was Mediterranean in origin, and was rather attractive, but his cocksure demeanor came off all wrong. Ella thought about another proud character she knew. Wolf.

Crap I should call him. Ella had been so caught up with this nonsense, she forgot to give him a call. I hope he and the boy are okay.

“Pardon me.” Ella leaned back from the table and pulled her phone out of her purse.

“Should I wait?” Business Casual cocked his brow.

“Oh, no. I’m sorry.” Ella set down a bet, and the man cast the dice, while she checked her phone. “Darn it!” The thing was dead, and in her rush, she forgot to bring her charger.

Good planning, Ella.

“Problem?”

“My phone died. I was hoping to hear from my boyfriend.”

Ella took the liberty of calling Wolf her boyfriend. Neither of them had made the declaration, but what they shared certainly wasn’t casual. Also, Ella hoped the comment would stop Business Casual’s sideways glances.

“I’m sure they sell chargers in one of the shops,” he commented as he glanced at the blank screen on her phone.

Ella nodded and slipped the phone back in her purse.

“Are you in kid,” Charles asked.

“Yeah.”

Ella smiled at her impromptu mentor. She’d been careful to not screw him while she earned the money for her sister’s hospital bills.

“This is my last round. I’ve got dinner reservations with the wife. She should be happy, since I didn’t lose my shirt, and she got time in the spa.”

“Thanks for showing me the ropes, Charles. It was nice meeting you.”

“No problem, you’re a natural. Have fun.”

Charles got up after the final roll, collected his winnings, then walked off with a smile.

“So, this is your first time playing Craps? Miss?” Business Casual asked.

“Ella,” she replied, giving him her first name only. “Yes, it’s my first time. Mister?” Ella asked in return.

“Drake.”

He reached out his hand. She gave it a firm shake, then turned back to the game.

Ella bet several rounds as she had, win a little, lose a little, win a lot, all while keeping a watchful eye on her steadily building bottom line.

“You are a natural,” Drake commented nonchalantly, as he took a sip of his overpriced scotch.

“Yes. Well, I think I’m due for a break. Nice to meet you. Good luck.”

Ella stashed her stacks of chips in her purse, and stepped away from the table, heading for the ladies’ room.

“Join me for a drink, Ella.”

Ella swung around at the sound of Drake’s voice.

How in the hell did he get so close?

“No, but thank you.” Ella turned to go.

“Ah, but I insist, Miss Roulant.”

Drake gripped the back of her arm, seized her purse before she could get a good handle on it, and ushered her past the bathrooms, toward a set of double doors.

“Excuse me.” Ella attempted to pull free.

“Don’t make a scene,” Drake insisted as he directed her forward.

A couple of staff members approached, and Ella hoped they would do something, before she lost her shit entirely.

“Mr. Drake.” They nodded and walked on by.

Obviously, Drake worked for the hotel.

“Am I being detained for some reason?” she demanded.

“Let’s discuss this matter in my office,” he practically growled.

Boy, was I wrong. I thought Drake was hitting on me, like some creepy Richie Rich. No, he was sizing me up for cheating. Shit, was I that obvious?

Ella calmed her mind, as they moved down the personnel hallway, and entered an elevator. She couldn’t let her emotions get out of hand. There was no possible way Drake could prove she was cheating. As far as he knew, it really was beginners’ luck.

Drake led Ella into a well-appointed office, with one-way glass that looked out onto the hotel.

“Sit.”

He pointed to a chair, as he took a seat behind his immense desk. Drake proceeded to dump the contents of her purse out. Ella watched as fifty thousand-dollar chips rolled across the surface. 

Although she hated her curse, it had also given her a sense of security that wasn’t easily shaken. Ella relaxed back into her chair, crossed her legs at the ankle, and adopted her best innocent yet reproving expression. She sat quietly as Drake pulled out a cord and powered up her phone.

“Your pin?”

“Your reason?”

Drake typed on his keyboard, then spun his computer monitor around. Ella watched herself on camera, as her four hundred dollars steadily turned into the small fortune it was now.

“That’s quite a feat.” Drake pointed to the screen.

“I’m pleasantly surprised, or was,” she replied.

“No, this is excitement.” Drake showed her the clip of the bouncy birthday girl, who Ella had helped win, when she first arrived. “You on the other hand are rather calm for winning so much, particularly considering, as you say, it’s your first time. It’s almost as if you expected to win.”

“I’m sorry, Drake. I’m mild mannered,” Ella shrugged.

“Yes, you are.” Drake smiled smugly at her. “Most people who are innocent of cheating my casino are not so calm, when approached like this. In fact, most of the cheaters I have these private discussions with aren’t either.”

Ella decided she should probably be worried about her safety, considering the stories of what happened to cheaters in the back rooms of casinos. But all she was concerned about, was the money sitting on his desk. Drake was trying to intimidate her. It was getting on her nerves more than anything.

“Am I supposed to be afraid of you? If so, again, I apologize for not behaving as you think I should. My boyfriend did call me Ice Princess when we first met.”

Drake laughed, though the mirth didn’t reach his eyes.

“Miss Roulant, if you have nothing to hide, then you don’t mind if I check your phone for anything that would influence my tables.”

“1990,” Ella replied.

Drake keyed in her pin and started combing through her phone. He then popped off the back and examined the inside, before setting it aside. The flashy man went through her purse again, feeling the leather for something incriminating, but found nothing. Drake got up and rounded his desk. He approached Ella, gripped both of her arms, and roughly pulled her out of the chair.

“Hey.”

“Hands on the desk,” he gruffly demanded, as he forced her to bend over the desk. “Miss Roulant, it’s not about the money. I’ve had guests who have won more. It’s the principle. I don’t like cheaters in my club.”

Drake started to frisk Ella. His hands groped her sides, then moved around front, to feel between and beneath her breasts. Drake could tell she wasn’t hiding anything in her bra, but he prolonged his disgustingly thorough inspection.

“Mind your manners,” Ella growled indignantly, her ire reaching the point where she was starting to have difficulty restraining her curse.

When Drake’s hands moved up her thighs and cupped her crotch aggressively, she could no longer control the energy that eked out. The chips on the desk started rattling. To cover her slip Ella slammed her hands on the desk, scattering the contents.

“Stop! I am not hiding anything, you grabby bastard.” Ella reared back.

Drake stepped back. The placid smug expression on his face had been replaced by one of surprise, mixed with intrigue, and an almost maniacal excitement.

“Ella, you are right, you aren’t concealing a device of any kind. I apologize. I usually have a nose for cheaters. This way,” he indicated toward the door.

Ella relaxed marginally. Drake grabbed her purse and started to escort her out of the office.

“What about my chips?”

“I will have a cashiers-check cut for you,” he said as he sent a text message on his phone.

Ella didn’t know what else she could do but comply, so she followed him back to the elevator.

Just get your money and get out of here. It was way too cramped in the small metal box. Ella wanted to be free of the smarmy man.

“I hope you can understand that we must be vigilant with such things. Perhaps you’ve heard about the recent case at the Bellagio, with the Craps scheme,” Drake said as the elevator descended.

“No.”

The doors opened and Drake pulled her out of the elevator. Ella’s eyes widened when she was greeted by a stark concrete corridor.

This isn’t the main floor of the hotel. Drake had deceived her.

The hair on the back of Ella’s neck stood on end. This situation was going from bad to worse. Drake gripped her arm tight, and led her toward a metal door, flanked by a couple of large goons.

“Take a hike. But don’t go far.”

The two men nodded and left. Ella was really starting to lose her composure. It was getting to the point where she didn’t know if she had any recourse, but to lash out with her gift.

Drake tugged Ella into the small concrete room, then kicked the door closed. Ella jumped at the ominous clang. Her curse pushed outwards, shoving at Drake’s slimy grip. His hand only tightened on her arm.

“Ella, Ella, Ella, I sorely underestimated you. I thought you were a pretty face being manipulated by some money hungry nerd, with a new gadget. I can see that I had it all wrong.”

Drake pushed Ella up against the wall, his body smothering hers. Ella pushed at him with greater intensity, using both her hands and her curse. Still he didn’t budge, much to her dismay and confusion.

“You’re going to have to try harder than that,” Drake chuckled. “Actually, I wish you would.” Drake leaned in, his face inches from hers. “You know, Ella, you’re not the only one hiding something.”

Drake’s canines elongated and his eyes took on an inhuman bluish glow. The ghost of a beastly image shifted across his face. Ella shrunk in fear and trepidation, even as her gift surged forth. Claws bit into her biceps, shredding her blouse, but holding her firmly in place.

What the fuck is he?

Ella pushed harder. She’d never intentionally unleashed her curse on anyone, this was the first time. The lone chair in the room smashed against the far wall, sending splinters of wood flying everywhere. The fluorescent light swayed violently, the bulbs exploding plunging them into darkness.

“Oh, yes. That feels fucking amazing,” Drake growled.

Drake’s hot breath skated over her neck, and she felt his sharp fangs graze her skin. He ground his hips into her and Ella could feel his erection.

“No!” Ella screamed.

The room started to vibrate, raining dust down on their heads, as Ella’s mind reeled, overwhelmed with panic. She felt a sharp pain in her neck then nothing at all.

 

Ella awoke and bolted upright. Her hand flew to her sore neck.

“You’re fine,” Drake stated.

Drake was sitting in a new chair, blocking the metal door. Beside him stood the two goons she’d seen earlier. Instantly her gift surged, and the light started flickering overhead.

“None of that,” Drake grimaced at her, baring his fangs. “See what I was saying boys. The way her power washes over you. It’s invigorating, though rather messy.” Drake rolled his head from side to side, like he was bathing in the unseen force she threw at him.

The two burly guys smiled menacingly, baring fangs like Drake’s. As frightened as Ella was, she instantly put a lid on her curse. Whoever, whatever these men were, her gift had little effect on them. They even derived some sort of pleasure from it.

Ella looked around. She was in the same concrete room, though the light she shattered had been replaced, and the glass cleaned up. Ella looked down to see she was sitting on a bare mattress. A horrific thought entered her mind.

What did they do while I was passed out?

Ella was relieved to see her skirt and blouse didn’t look like they’d been messed with, and she wasn’t sore, besides the spot on her neck.

“Do you think you can behave?”

“What the hell are you, and what do you want?” Ella demanded ignoring Drake’s question.

“What the hell are you?” Drake countered.

Ella was silent, because she had no answer.

“We,” Drake gestured to his companions, “are Shifters. Jackals to be precise.”

Shifters? Jackals?

“You, my little treasure, are going to be my guest. I’m sure you will prove invaluable. I think it’s only fair since you were attempting to steal from me,” Drake replied casually, as if holding someone prisoner was an everyday occurrence.

Ella closed her eyes as the weight of the situation pressed down on her. This was exactly what she feared when she thought about being discovered. Except this nightmare had a twist. Her captors were aberrations, who were just as odd as she was. Ella felt her panic rising again.

“Calm down! If you wreck this room again, you’ll be left in the dark, and can sleep on the hard concrete,” Drake snarled.

Ella took several deep breaths and reeled it back in.

“So, I’m to remain in this prison? As what? Your slave?” she spat out.

“You prove you can behave yourself and do as your told, and we’ll see.” Drake stood and left the room, leaving his two thugs behind.

Ella dropped her head into her hands as she fought to maintain her composure. It wasn’t just that she’d been discovered and was now the prisoner of some psychotic creature. Her failure had far broader consequences.

I’m sorry Sabine.