he streets were quiet as the day slowly crawled towards dusk. That was what wealth bought, quiet and peaceful, along with other desires. The caravan of three black Range Rover SUVs with dark tinted windows drove down the empty roads with easy, carrying the passengers towards the heart of the city's businesses that catered to the select clientele that could afford to patron there. This was the downfall of a crown... the entourage. Never a moment of silence, never a moment of solitude; there was always a hulking form in black suit and an ear piece lingering in the shadows.

Eve was used to this arrangement. She had never been one of those foolish nobles that believed she was untouchable. Sure, her station and wealth gave her a shield to the outside world but it also came with the price of needing protection. The fairy sat in the back seat in the middle SUV, watching quietly as the city passed by in a blur of color. She regarded the city as she took a long, lingering sip of her champagne. It was a city of chaos, supernatural and the base lifeforms... all mingling in a handful of square miles. No one ruling, no one keeping order. It seemed like everyone was solo. Of course, this was not her city. At least not yet... Growing bored of shopping and dining... spending money that she had fought for and taken, was less satisfying than conquering. So, Eve set her eyes on taking a little of piece of Sacrosanct for herself.

The SUVs came to a halt outside a large, historical building. The dark brick façade needed some attention but the structure was stunning. The back door of the SUV opened and a hand was extended to offer her assistance as she stepped from the vehicle and on to the sidewalk. Four of her security personal flanked her as she took a few steps towards the building. Those unusual blue eyes moved over the building assessing it. This just might due for what she had in mind. The old Victorian neo-gothic structure had been a civic building that had long been abandoned and now the city wanted to unload it at a tenth of it's worth. It even came complete with spires on the roof. It over looked the bay offering a view that couldn't be beat.

Yes, this is where she would begin again and stake a claim to something of her own. She snapped something in an ancient language of her kingdom and a thin, balding man in a gray suit moved toward her holding a briefcase. "Make the arrangements, Marco. I want it open in no later than 6 months. Spare no expense. Victorian meets modern contemporary." Her voice was demanding and heavily accented with a lit of her home kingdom. "Also... I want it for 20% less than what they are asking." Her cold blue eyes cut over to him waiting for a rebuttal. Marco only nodded once before turning to walk back to the third SUV. Eve took one last look at the building before turning and making her way back to her waiting ride.

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When the caravan pulled up to the The VooDoo Room, Eve already looked different when she exited the vehicle. Her body rippled liquid gold and solidified again. Now, she was tall and willowy, with an hour-glass body and pale skin. Her face had sharp features, high cheek bones, delicate slightly turned up nose and full lips. Her eyes were a stunning blue and lined in smoky black. Eve had let her pulled her mocha colored hair in to a loose up do that framed her face with loose curls. Her clothing had changed as well, now she wore a knee length, tight black cocktail dress with an open back and stiletto heels. The security team no longer seemed phase by her changes, it was simply a new reality for them.

The team guided her inside the building before three split off to take up positions around the dining area and the other two remained by her side as the host, Andrew bowed low to her and showed her to her usual table in the corner of the room, atop a four-step platform that looked out over the entire establishment. The staff had already prepared her table with a place setting, a bottle of white wine and with a waiter standing by to take her order. The host pulled out her chair for her, poured the wine in to the glass before bowing again, "Madame, would you require anything else?" She waved him away as she settled in to the high wing-back chair that gave her the illusion of a throne when none existed. "No, thank you, Andrew." Her voice was feminine but firm with an exotic accent that didn't seem to fit any particular country. She tilted her head ever so slightly toward the broad-shouldered, barrel-chested man in a black suit that appeared from seemingly nowhere to give Andrew a large number of folded bills as a tip.

Eve brought the crystal glass to her lips and swallowed a sip of the liquid, reveling for a moment at the taste and sensual feel of the warm liquor sliding down her throat. This was what she had spent all her life working towards, solitary moments of freedom like this.

"Talks like this"

THE QUEEN OF THORNS