“Ignatius,” it said in a voice that was neither female nor male.
“Good evening, Astir,” Ignatius responded with a slight bow of his head.
“A private dining room, I take it,” the creature said, turning its eerily fiery eyes toward me.
“Of course. ”
“And who is your companion?”
Ignatius turned to me and said, “A friend. ”
“And we are discreet,” Astir said with a small smile. It lifted one hand and a butler appeared from behind another red curtain and bowed.
“Please, follow me,” the newcomer said.
Astir smiled at me softly, then turned, and I saw two terrible scars on its back, then it was gone with a sweep of its long robe.
Ignatius took my hand and drew me after him as we stepped beyond the curtain. We traveled down a long hallway, just as opulent as the first, but a bit narrower. Thick curtains covered doorways and the butler guided us to one near the end of the hall. Pressing back the curtain, we stepped into a very elegant, yet small dining room with an exotic round table and two chairs. The walls were dark and the curtains that flowed to the floor beside the ornate fireplace were so dark blue they were almost black.
“Your private stock,” the butler asked.
“Yes, please,” Ignatius answered.
The butler drew out my chair. I sat down and looked to Ignatius curiously. He looked quite serious and a tad mysterious. He took the chair opposite of me and raised his hand to rest his chin upon his knuckles.
“Where are we?” I asked.
A waiter entered the room with a tray with two crystal goblets upon it and a bottle with an ornate seal upon it.
“Purgatory, like I said,” Ignatius answered again. “Or at least Astir calls it that. Astir’s guests call it the Haven, for this is a haven for all things not human. ”
The waiter popped the cork and poured the wine into the goblets. I looked up at him to see if there was anything irregular about him, but he appeared as bland and ordinary as any waiter in a fine restaurant.
The curtain parted and a lovely young woman stepped into the room dressed in an ornate robe the color of a peacock’s throat. She curtseyed to us, her blond locks falling around her sweet face.
“Good evening, sir,” she said to Ignatius.
I admit a bristled a bit at the look in her eye.
“Good evening,” he answered.
She proffered her arm and the waiter drew a fine silver dagger and slashed her wrist. I was amazed to see that she barely winced. Tilting her hand she allowed the blood to trickle down her fingers and into our wine goblets.
I flicked my gaze to Ignatius, arching an eyebrow. He smiled slightly at me over his hand.
The waiter slipped a white cloth about the girl’s wrist and tied it firmly. After another curtsey, she slipped out of the room. I noticed not one drop of blood had fallen onto the fine tablecloth or the floor.
The waiter presented both of us with a wine glass, then he also slipped from the room.
“That girl,” I began.
“She will be fine. They have potions here that will allow her to heal quickly. ”
“And she is human and knows what we are?”
Ignatius nodded. “Some humans are willing to serve us in exchange for…pleasures. ”
I frowned at him.