شاهنامه

I stood in the doorway of the Haven, gazing at the crowd and taking in the smells of smoke and the beer soaked floor. Seeing Grr behind the glass of the DJ booth and Omega dancing, I made my way in their direction toward the circular booth and tables in the back, nodding a greeting but not speaking. I was bone weary and tired of thinking. I could see Grr looking me over carefully from where from where he stood, his head lolling from side to side.

“Dance with me, Joah?” Omega smiled.

I lowered my head for a moment, my hand to my forehead somewhat torn. I knew Omega’s arms could only be, at best, fleeting comfort for the crushing sense of loss that I felt. All I could think of was Nareth and Aunt Beast, Bella’s words echoing in my mind. The ache and the desire for what was lost was physically painful to me.

My hesitation did not go unnoticed by Omega. “If you’d rather sit? You look tired, M’dear….” Grr pulled off his headset and chucked it on the counter, then hopped over the booth to pull a chair out for me. Omega grinned. “Sit, and keep an eye on that coyote...you can never tell when he's up to mischief.” Omega’s hips moved in time to the music as she laughed. “Well…you can…he's usually breathing.”

Grr feigned deafness cupping an ear and mouthing "Huuh?" while he pulled back the chair and gestured me to it. I accepted gratefully, sinking down into the cool dark leather as Grr ran a paw warmly over my shoulder. He then looked at his bare wrist where a watch might sit and rushed back to the DJ desk. I settled in, watching Omega glide across the floor, smooth steps in time with the pulse of the music. At a tapping on the glass of the DJ booth I turned, seeing Grr press a note to the pane: “Is yer brain okay?" I gave him a tired smile with a slight nod of my head.

Through the broad, plate glass window fronting the street I could see Severus and Nerissa, her close and almost touching him in the sheeting rain. He didn’t flinch, standing still, pale eyes locked with hers. My gaze shifted back to Omega, watching her easy movements, head dipping and red hair cascading over her shoulders. Leaning back I rested my hands in my lap, opening one gloved palm to release a small ball of flame, which I began to roll absently between my finger and thumb.

"Lady," I looked up, speaking under the noise, "Bella is not dead." Omega cocked her head toward me to listen. “"Bellatrix. She's not dead," I repeated. I continued to roll the ball of flame, through thumb and index finger, then between each finger of my hand. A tinkling, musical sound could be barely heard as it moved.

“Bella?” she asked. “Well, that is an interesting piece of news.”

I nodded. “Earlier, during the party on the beach…I dislike crowds… I was working in the Library, talking to that little self-hating vampire…and…she just walked in. I had thought she was dead.”

Omega smiled. “The age of miracles has not yet past.” I watched as she moved rhythmically, the motion traveling from feet to hands, head to hip. “And did she mention where she's been all this time?”

Grr hopped onto the desk and leaned over the glass. "I’m real sorry I missed it, Spirit Gal, I'd have liked ta whisk ya away."

“Whisk me away?” I smiled.

Grr nodded sagely. “Crowds…not my favourestest thing ever, neither…and…um…things unfinished.” I gazed at his golden eyes for a moment as he opened his mouth, starting to speak, then closing it again his thought left unsaid. He reached with a toe claw, cuing the next track, and then hopped of the desk, appearing to sort through his music with much concentration. I turned back toward Omega.
“She said she’d been away. We talked of so much…I can't quite remember it all. There was a boat….” I frowned in concentration and focused again on the fiery ball in my hand, pitching it up, catching it as came down. I half closed my hand and blew into it, watching as the little ball flared out. "No more the dancers," I whispered to myself.

As the flame flared out, a swirl of crimson and gold arose in the middle and danced above it. I was dimly aware of Grr padding over to hug me around the middle, giving me a gentle head bump. I turned from the flame to Grr, surprised at the suddenness of his affection, though the flame continued to hover over my hand, a crimson and gold bead forming. Grr watched me, a thoughtful expression on his face.

I breathed deeply as the crimson and gold bead spread out into a date palm tree, red branches dripping clusters of golden dates. I remained focused on the flame, watching Omega dance over the top of its flares, the fire of Her hair and clothing melding with the fiery tree in my palm. The branches of the date palm turned up, spreading into crimson wings that elongated into talons.

Grr watched, fixated by the flickering as only children or the not quite human can be. The crimson and gold fanned out and turned in on itself, the outer whorl forming into three crimson sepals and the inner whorl into three golden petals. A fiery orchid shimmered in the air, pulsing as if alive, the red labellum swelling.

I gazed at Omega over and through flames as her hair swayed, lingering on the white throat and the gentle swell of Her breast.
Grr shuddered slightly and let out a low moan as the orchid pulsed and shimmered, opening slightly before dissolving in a shower of sparks. I began to drift to the music.

Omega stopped dancing, turning to look at me then taking a chair beside me. “Interesting trick.” She leaned an elbow on the table, resting her head on a hand. “Would you like to see one of mine?”

I felt adrift, unfocused. Shaking my head as if awakening from a dream, I turned toward Omega. “Yes, Lady. Of course.”

Omega smiled, looking at me intently. “Are you quite sure?” I met her gaze nodding, but she continued to stare at me, waiting for a response.

“Yes, Lady. Please show me.”

“That's yes, then?” Omega continued to smile, eyes trailing up and down, once again, waiting for a response.

“Yes. Please,” I murmured.

The Lady’s grin turned feral. “There we are, not so hard, little one? Thrice. Give me your wrist.” Omega reached out a hand for my wrist, leaning forward on the table, taking it and gently turning it, palm up. She pulled the seam of my glove back, raising my wrist to her lips, smiled, then sank her fangs in.

I gasped, the shock and pain sudden, and surprising. The Lady had never fed from me before. Grr gasped. “The poison…" I choked out, feeling a warm sensation rush through me.

Omega continued to drink from my wrist, closing her eyes. After a moment, she raised her raised her lips, her eyes bright. “One man's poison…is another's meat...so says the Bible….” She released my wrist with a sigh and looked directly at me. “I promised you a trick....”

Stretching her hand out towards me, palm up, Omega took a deep, deliberate breath, drawing air in and centering herself. She licked her lips, and smiled, closing her eyes, as her palm trembled slightly and a ball of flame appeared, then and spiraled, taking the form of a phoenix. I felt…pulled…as if connected somehow still to Omega, watching the fiery bird hover above her palm.

Grr muttered, "Tha fire is tha blood, tha blood, tha fire."

"What is it that you know?" I stammered, confused.

Omega opened her eyes. “Thrice given, Joah...you ought to mind your words….” She smiled as the flame-bird flapped its wings and flew into the ether.