Chapter Two: Daniel

Four months later

The Palace was buzzing with energy and magic when Daniel walked in. He had gotten off a flight from New York at Heathrow only minutes earlier, and the entire ride to the Palace had been so utterly human that sudden, surprising annoyance had swollen in his chest.

Maybe it was just Heathrow airport and not mundane humanity that threatened to make Daniel tear his hair out.

But stepping into the Palace stripped away all of that. Daniel gave a sigh of relief as a bellboy took his bags, and stood silently for a moment, allowing the bustle and spark to settle on him like a weighted blanket. He was almost tempted to stick his tongue out, to see if he could taste the magic that floated on the air.

“Sir, we’re happy to have you again.” Evans, the hotelier, and manager of the Palace came to a prompt stop next to him. Evans had been welcoming Daniel to the Palace of Souls for five years. And he hadn’t aged at all in that time.

Evans had to be in his late fifties, but Daniel was just guessing. The man was shorter than he was with pale, pockmarked skin, and hazy green eyes. He wore wire-rimmed, round glasses and his sandy hair was swept neatly around his head.

He wore the same clothes that he had been wearing for five years too. In fact, Daniel had never seen him in anything else, even in those moments when Daniel left one of the hotel bars after midnight.

A three-piece, gray suit and white shirt. A silk, slate gray tie that was so perfectly knotted that Daniel was jealous every time he looked at Evans. And leather Oxfords on his feet that shone in the soft golden lighting of the Palace lobby.

“It’s always good to be back, Evans.” The hotelier inclined his head and started walking through the lobby.

The place was busier than usual, and Evans must have sensed his slight apprehension, and the questions that popped into his head as he looked around.

“We’re simply having a convention sir,” Evans spoke to Daniel as they stepped into the lift. “The Fae only get one week out of the year to mix with the rest of us. They’re taking full advantage of the Palace’s amenities.”

“That must be good for business.” Daniel replied, considering the presence of the Fae.

He had worked with a number of Unseelie Fae before in his job as a curse-broker. In fact, Daniel had worked with almost every type of being in the supernatural community.

But the Fae were some of the most beautiful beings he had ever seen. They were ethereal, and to his human eyes, they were akin to Angels.

And that was just it. Daniel was one of the few humans who had gained access to the world of the Palace and the various magical communities throughout the world. The world where magic was power, and where that power sparkled and trembled in the air like a livewire.

A world so apart from the human one, that Daniel had suffered from psychic whiplash in the first few years that he worked as a curse-broker.

The Unseelie would have relished the opportunity to continue working with him, if only to trap him in a promise.

Being a human in the world of the Palace made him vulnerable. That was why he was there. This time, his trip was personal, not professional.

The lift stopped on the penthouse floor, the floor Daniel always occupied, at Evans’ request.

His eyes had to adjust to the shining chrome-like lights as they stepped into the penthouse hallway. The lighting in the rest of the hotel was very different from the lobby.

Silver bright lights shone from the ceiling, and they reflected off mirrored walls. Daniel examined himself in one of the floor length mirrors as Evans went ahead and checked that his suite met the hotel’s exacting standards.

Daniel was handsome, something he had accepted a long time ago. He had even used his looks as currency before he broke into the cursing business.

He was a little over six feet tall and had inherited his Jamaican mother’s dark brown skin. He had inherited her kinky hair too, though his hair was a dark auburn, something that he inherited from his Scottish father.

He had also gotten his hazel eyes and thick eyelashes from his father, and they sat neatly above his broad nose that his Jamaican grandfather had bequeathed to him.

“Sir? Your suite is ready. Your bags have been brought up. Should I arrange some entertainment for you?” Daniel blinked as he realized that Evans was standing in front of him.

“Uhm,” He cast his mind over the potential entertainment he could request. “No, I think I’ll go down to the Vault, and pick something out myself. I am expecting a guest later on, one of the employees at your magical services desk.” he told Evans, who nodded in understanding.

“That will be Catra sir, our best witch and magic practitioner. I’ll send her right up.” Evans said, brushing invisible dust off the front of his coat.

“Can you arrange dinner for us?” Daniel asked, sighing as he tried to relax and push away the tension that had settled almost permanently on his shoulders.

“That I can do. Ms. Catra has always loved French cuisine sir. I’ll make sure you have an excellent chef for the evening.”

Some of the tension in his shoulders dissolved, and Daniel smile gratefully at Evans.

“Thank you.”

“It is always a pleasure sir. I believe your appointment is at six this evening. She is quite strict with her time sir, so remember to be up here by then.”

And with another gracious nod, Evans turned smartly and walked out of the room.

He knew the evening would be perfect. Everything would go well, only because that was what the Palace promised. Perfection. And Evans, who ran the place like a well-oiled machine, expected nothing less than perfection for his guests.

Daniel walked through the double doors to the suite and pulled off his sweatshirt as he walked. He kicked off his dragon-leather boots and pulled off his trousers and underwear, before heading straight for the shower.

The lights in the enormous bathroom flickered on when he stepped inside, and the shower taps opened with a wave of his hand.

He examined himself once again in front of the floor length mirrors before he stepped into the shower.

Daniel hadn’t shaved in weeks, and his beard was full and slightly untidy from falling asleep on the plane. He had to get a haircut, and the gold ring in his left ear hung askew.

The tattoos that covered almost every inch of his body rippled as he flexed his arms and legs. He had tattooed protection spells and charms all over his stomach and chest.

Dragons and snakes and deer roiled and curled on his back and up his shoulders, before stretching up his neck.

A small tattoo of a star shone from his left temple, above a silver ring in his left eyebrow. The only part of his body that wasn’t tattooed were his legs. But he hadn’t ruled those out yet.

He had to do some manscaping too, Daniel thought, looking down at his thick, flaccid member. He was naturally hairy and while he liked that about himself, he wouldn’t be able to see himself soon.

The shower was hot and fragrant when he stepped inside, and Daniel felt the day wash away as he stood underneath the gushing water.

The Palace had provided shampoo and special conditioner designed for his thicker coily hair, and he let the liquid slip between his fingers gratefully. He would never have gotten that kind of service in a human hotel.

It was a little after two when Daniel stepped out of the shower and pulled on a dress shirt, a clean pair of trousers and his dragon-leather boots.

It was time to go down to the Vault.

Something that Daniel appreciated about the Palace and the world of magic as a whole was its attitude towards s*x.

It was only after he had stayed in the Palace for the first time that he realized how prudish human society was. No one in the world of magic seemed to care much about gender, s*xuality, or kinks. There were no barriers to s*x, as long as everyone involved was a consenting adult.

It wasn’t like they were having s*x in the streets, but the Palace and most other magical places had dedicated spaces for s*x.

The Palace of Souls also catered for those who weren’t inclined towards s*x at all. The magical establishment had a library that spanned four floors, a gaming room, and five cinemas.

It didn’t quite matter what you were interested in. The Palace gladly catered for every kind of being. And no one in this world batted an eyelid.

The Vault was one of those spaces dedicated to s*x, and Daniel became aroused just walking in. The fragrance of s*x hung lightly on the air of the lobby underneath the hotel.

The Vault was located in the hotel basement, and the giant expanse had two restaurants and a bar. It also had roughly eighteen separate rooms for groups or couples. There were also five larger rooms where entertainers performed.

After ordering a club soda, Daniel headed directly for the strippers. He had no interest in participating in anything, and simply wanted to blow off steam.

Dancers of all shapes and sizes adorned the poles. Except, they weren’t simply dancing.

Two women, both curvy and muscular, were grinding against one another, their bikinis long discarded. He swallowed hard as he watched them fondle the other’s heavy, full bre*sts. They switched positions then, scissoring each other, gripping one another’s thick, dimpled thighs as they rocked against one another.

His d*ck had hardened the moment he saw the two women and it strained against his zipper as he ached for release.

It was then that a woman on the other end of the room caught his eye. The room was quite empty, and quiet aside from the sounds of the two women nearing their climax.

The woman, whoever she was, was beautiful, and way out of Daniel’s league, no matter how handsome he was.

She stood up then, adjusting her dress, and he got a better view of her.

She was stunning. Her body was voluptuous, gracefully round, and he knew her face would only add to the perfection, if only he could see it.

Her bre*sts, a*s, and thighs were thick and heavy. Her stomach curved adorably against the tight fabric of the dress. She wore heels and they highlighted her strong, muscular calves as she walked out of the room.

The woman’s long curly hair hung to her waist and obscured any view he had of her face. But when she turned, to walk out of the room, a flash of gold told him that she was wearing jewelry.

As he dragged his attention back to the dancers, who now wore strap-ons and were f*cking each other slowly, he wondered how long she’d be staying at the Palace and if he would see her again.