I clench Jolene’s metal case and I take a deep breath. I raise my hand to my chest, clenching my cross and saying a silent prayer like I always do before every mission. Thankfully, I was allowed to have my cross back since we would be out on a mission. Going out without it would feel like I was wearing no underwear.

Waiting for Edge down in the reception was starting to make me jumpy. This was all new to me and I still wasn’t sure what the hell I was supposed to be doing. Normally our Commander would be giving us our briefings and not the receptionist. I have lost count of how many times I have glanced at the open doors and wondered if I should just bite the bullet and make a run for it.

Everything was out of order and it was making me anxious and angry. Everything down to the fact I hadn’t brought my own uniform and they hadn’t giving me one so I had to deal with what little I had. I am wearing the thickest coat I could find in my suitcase and some left over army pants I had been using as casual wear.

The new bullets for Jolene were finicky too. They didn’t react the same way normal bullets did and I swear they feel heavier so now I have to adjust for that too. They had allowed me a few practice shots, but I was aiming at a stationary target and that wasn’t actual practice. In addition they had given me a handgun and a knife which I had to admit was pretty cool.

I was silently boiling over with agitation when I spot Edge from across the room by his trade mark black hood. He wasn’t carrying anything with him, which surprised me. When he gets close to me he looks at me and raises an eyebrow.

“The hell are you wearing?”

“I wasn’t given any gear so I had to make do. Next time I’ll raid your cupboard for my kit.”

“Sorry that’s my fault. I forgot to tell you that since we don’t wear uniforms here if you want a standard Folklore uniform you have to order it. They’re custom made so they take some time. Under normal circumstance new recruits are in training for about a month and you get them at the end.” I grit my teeth.

“Great you’re both here!” I hear the most delightful voice and that instantly changes my mood. Cam approaches us with a brown file in her hand and a giant smile on her face. “Sorry it took me so long I was briefing Tokyo and Ray. Ok so,” She opens the folder, but not before she looks at my clothes and raises her eyebrow at me.

“I didn’t have anything better.” Cam smiles kindly and adjusts her glasses.

“Bipity boppity boo, dear.” She says cheerfully while reading the documents.

“What?” I ask confused and I feel a whoosh of around me like a gust of wind. I look around and Edge is staring at me with a smile and gestures to my torso. I didn’t know what he was pointing at, but I looked down and pure amazement broke through my previous bad mood. I hoot loudly looking at my arms and legs.

My old ragged clothes were no longer on my body. I was covered in a black uniform that fit me perfectly. I was also wearing extremely comfortable boots that I had decided were my favourite part of this uniform. It wasn’t like my army uniform it was more like a spy’s uniform. It wasn’t skin tight, but it wasn’t like my usual baggy clothes and it fit my body like a dream. I expected the Folklore sign to be on my chest, but it was on the top of both my hands.

“I can’t thank you enough for this Cam.” I hug her and she rubs my back.

“It was a pleasure sweetheart. Anything to keep you safe.” I feel a squishy feeling inside and I tighten my hug. She might look old, but I doubt my hug would hurt a witch.

“How about I put a hit on Gerry and you rule this place like the Queen you are?” I smile winking at her.

“Ew.” She answers simply and I smile.

I turn to pick up Jolene and notice that Edge was staring at me. I wave to catch his attention and he looks away fast clearing his throat.

“Right, listen up. This is a termination mission. I am sending you to the Bellagio were four vampires have been staying in the Presidential suite and have been killing anyone who has been going to their room. Strippers, food delivery employees, waiters and many, many others. They have been mesmerizing the staff and police officers that have gone to investigate and it’s just a never ending cycle.” I don’t know why, but that sounds pretty tame compared to what I was expecting. I was more expecting to be thrown into a field of land mines or dropped dead centre in the middle of a war zone.

“Are they all type A’s?” I ask and Cam nods.

“It’s only four vampires this should be a cinch for Edge. Your job is too watch learn for now and get better acquainted on how this procedure works.”

“Where are you sending us?” Edge asked.

“There is a room below theirs so that’s where the door will be opened.” The door?

“Understood.” Edge spoke sharply. Seeing him act like a soldier was very intriguing yet unnerving.

“I assume I will be back up?” I was trying to get a better picture of my role in this and so far it just looked like I was tagging along for company and that pissed me off.

“No. You’ll stay downstairs in the room with the equipment.” His purple eyes flared at me.

“Yes sir.” I said tightly. His eyebrows greased and he didn’t look convinced.

“You’re my Alpha on this mission and like a good beta it’s my job to listen. I may be a loud mouth smart ass, but when we’re in the field I follow orders.”

He straightens up and glares at me. “Don’t look so stunned sunshine. It’s in my best interest to stay alive.” Since I don’t want your fangs in my neck anytime soon, I thought to myself.

Cam gestured for us to follow her to the line of doors I had seen when I first walked in here this morning. I guess this is what she was referring too when she said “The door”.

The door Edge and I were standing in front of was pure white and it looked like any other normal door to me. The only part of this door that was unusual was that there was clear crystal that skirted the frame. It looked decorative, but these were the only doors in the building that had it so I doubted it was for aesthetic reasons.

Edge cracks his neck next to me and pats his stomach making odd noises. “What’s wrong with you?”

He hiccups and groans. “I had to drink three litters of blood. It’s uncomfortable.” I snicker.

“Want a tum?” I joke and he flips me off.

Cam was busy reading the paper in her hands silently and I was bouncing on my heels. I wanted to know what these doors were and I had a big suspicion it was magic. AND I GOTS TO KNOW. “I don’t mean to rush you Cam, but I really want to know how these doors work.” They both laugh at me, but I didn’t care.

“Then let me explain it.” She takes out a black marker and I feel myself deflate a little at how un-magical a black non-permanent marker was. “Do you see the crystal around the door?” I nod silently waiting for her to continue. “Crystal is one of the best magic conductors. I channel my magic through the crystal and poof, you have a door that goes anywhere.” I gaze at the door feeling a strange magical sensation envelope my chest. I felt like a giddy child again like when my parents told me Santa Clause was real.

“Then what’s the marker for?”

“I need to write runes to activate the door otherwise it’s just a piece of decorative wood.” She opens the door and sure enough there was a brick wall behind it. “A plain black board marker does the trick. After you’re through I have to erase them or the door is still active.” My eyes sparkle at a thought that came to my mind.

“What happens if you used invisible ink?” I arch my eyebrows and Cam thought about it for a second.

“Damn that’s a good question.” She manoeuvres around us and starts to write weird shapes that I assumed where the runes she mentioned directly on the crystal. It takes her a few minutes and while we wait, I take the chance to check my bag on the floor one last time. I have all the equipment I assumed I will need.

On the contrary to my overly and stuff pack, Edge just had a canister of blood on his hip, two knifes strapped to his forearms and two holstered guns beneath his armpits. In addition, he also had a belt filled with extra gun clips. His outfit surprisingly was similar to mine, but it was complete black. He wasn’t wearing a helmet like, but then Cam hadn’t given me one when she conjured my uniform. I was relieved when I saw he had on Kevlar and a neck guard. The two things that could kill him where guarded at least.

“I didn’t peg you for a gun man.” I sling my bag over my shoulder and I open Jolene’s case checking her over one last time. She was already loaded with the new bullets and I checked her scope to make sure it was clean. Although I was sure I wouldn’t get to use her or any of my equipment this time. I had pure confidence that Edge would bulldoze everything in the penthouse.

“How do you think I kill vampires?”

“Bare hands, bared fangs, ripping vamps apart. You get the picture. Gory movie style.”

“You’re a strange woman.”

“Cut me some slack here. I am not even sure how to kill vampires I am using the only references I know.”

“Aim for the heart. A few shots from a handgun in the heart will kill them.” My eyebrows rise. I didn’t expect him to tell me that. “Be smart and fast. Don’t give a vampire a chance to get near you or you’re dead Ainz.”

“Got it.” I said.

“All done. Do you both have everything you will need?” We answer with a nod.

Cam turns her back to us and starts whispering in a language that I haven’t heard before and the crystal glows. I have to look away because it was almost blinding. Her voice sounded lyrical and they pulsed in my head. When the light died down I turn back to the door.

“Enjoy the room while you can.” She smiles opening the door.

The entire time I have been here I have had this expectation that someone was going to jump out with a camera and a crew and shout You just got punked. Winch would walk out of some dark corner in tears bent over laughing and that this was a massive elaborate prank.

I thought I knew what to expect, but when the door opened up completely I was frozen like a deer in headlights. What was once before a brick wall was now a beautifully big decorated room. I thought the place upstairs was the penthouse. Right now, it just looked like Cam had walked us to our room like we were already in the Bellagio, but we weren’t. I was still standing in the lobby of Folklore. I look around me just to make sure, but I can’t hide the ecstatic look on my face no matter how much I try to plaster my work face back on.

“It is always fun the first time. In you go!” She waves her hand at the room.

“Ok.” I say dumbly. I lean down to pick up Jolene and Edge walks into the room like he owned the place.

“Do you pay for the room?” I asked curiously.

“What do you think?” She answers with her own question.

“What do we do if the room is booked and they come up to the room?”

“Sweetheart I checked that before I picked this room for you. If someone comes in to clean it Edge just has to mesmerize them to thinking that there is no one there. You’re good.”

“Thanks Cam.”

“When you are done you use this phone and you text this.” Cam shows us a piece of paper with the word “Lily” on it. She then snaps her fingers and the paper burns away leaving nothing behind. “It’s your evacuation code. This code is unique per team so we will know it’s you. It’s a failsafe in case you’re captured. You need to be near a door when you do this so I can open it up for you from here. Any questions.”

I don’t have any and neither does Edge. “Be good kids and be safe.”

“I will try my best to still have a heartbeat when I come back. I don’t want to be the person who died on their first mission.”

“Oh you wouldn’t be the first. One new recruit actually got shot from a ricochet somehow five minutes in.” Edge says to lighten the mood. “So, the bar is already pretty low.” I smile glad that he was being friendly.

“What an odd way to die though.” I mumble. I take a deep breath and walk into the room. I say goodbye to Cam and she closes the door behind us. I drop Jolene on the floor and open the door again and I see the hallway of the hotel. I peek out and look around us and there was no one there.

“The world feels like a bigger place suddenly.” Edge smiles arranging his gear.

“That never goes away.” He remarks.

“So what do we do now?” I ask.

“I need to get a better view of who’s in that room. No use going in there if half of them are missing. We need them all in there or the others will smell that something is off and bolt.” I look out of the window. This isn’t the first time I was in Las Vegas, but it was still a gorgeous view. We were pointed right at the Bellagio fountains and just as I reached the window the fountain shot off and I smiled. I spotted the building across and calculated the distance. There was a room that would have a decent view into the top floor.

I take out a pair of binoculars and look at the room I was interested in. Perfect it was empty. “Edge you see that room in the hotel across the hotel.” He walks over to the window and I offer him my binoculars to look, but he doesn’t need them I suppose because he squints looking out.

“Yeah what about it?”

“If you can mesmerize the staff at the front desk I should be able to get you eyes on the room and keep tabs on them.”

“No. I can keep track on them with my hearing.” I try to protest and a weird thumping came from the floor above us. On cue we both looked up and really loud music started to filter through the floor. It was so loud even below them that I had to block my ears. If my ears were hurting Edge’s must be killing him.

“Can you hear anything?” He strains his hearing even closing his eyes to help him concentrate harder.

“No.” He growls. “They did that on purpose.” His lips turn into a snarl and I couldn’t help it, but I started laughing.

“I guess we’re going for a walk then.”