Page 101 of Livewire Witch

There are two of them, leaning against the wall on either side of an open doorway which is marked as an office belonging to administrative staff.

They don’t seem surprised to see me.

“Ah, you’re here. So glad you could join us, pet.” The voice is familiar, despite me only having heard it once before.

Icy dread trickles down my spine.

The shaven head. The scarred face. The memory of those features is etched into my brain whenever the nightmares rear up inside me, which has been a regular thing recently.

Although it happens less often when I’m sleeping beside Roscoe or Zeph, like their presence soothes my unconscious mind. Like they help to keep the nightmares away.

“I apologize for leading you here like this,” Simpson says. “But I had a feeling if I had invited you directly, you wouldn’t have come. And we have much to discuss.”

... and now I’m recognizing that I didn’t make my way here by chance. It wasn’t just my restless legs that carried me here.

No. It must have been a vampire’s compulsion.

Dammit. I should have known that something wasn’t quite right. My magic should have alerted me to it.

Last time, when it was Dante trying to wiggle his way into my mind, I sensed it. I couldfeelthe magic of the worm he was trying to force into my brain. And I could reject it. Whichever vamp it is that compelled my feet to carry me here must have been powerful. So powerful that I wasn’t able to pick up on the fact I was being manipulated.

If that isn’t a terrifying thought, I don’t know what is.

“What am I doing here?” I ask.

Simpson leans back against the desk he’s reclining against. His eyes sparkle with malicious intrigue and I have to look away from him, instead inspecting the room like it’s the most interesting thing I’ve ever seen.

He has an intensity that’s practically rolling off him in waves, and I remember exactly how things went the last time I saw him.

It did not go well for me. I don’t feel like cornered prey all that often. I’m generally moving too much for that, shifting among the shadows so that no one can pin me down. But right now, it feels like I’ve stepped into a trap without realizing it.

“I’ll apologize for how our last meeting went,” he says, surprising the hell out of me. I don’t drop my guard an inch, though.

This guy is a shark. I don’t trust him one bit.

“I believe I lost control somewhat,” Simpson continues. “You have to understand that you caught us unawares and my... more feral side came out to play. Something that was only exacerbated when I smelt the power thrumming through your veins.”

“So you haven’t lured me here to kill me?” I’m hopeful as I mentally go through how I might get out of this situation.

I’m still vulnerable here, but at least my magic isn’t drained like it was during our last encounter. At the very least, I can try to throw some lightning his way. I just need to distract him long enough to work out what to do, since, if I miss or choose the wrong thing, I won’t get a second chance.

He shakes his head and tuts. “Of course not. You are instrumental, my pet. I knew it as soon as I laid eyes on you. As soon as I caught your scent, I knew you were powerful. Special. But it all made sense when he explained exactly what you could do. It made me realize how you can change this entire game.” He leans close enough for me to smell his coppery breath. “I’ll even forgive you for burning down our nest.”

“I, uh, have to admit I’m confused. If you don’t want to kill me, what am I doing here?”

He folds his arms and throws one leg over the other, like he’s settling in to tell me a story. His body language is pure confidence. All while I’m clinging to the wall to hold me up and fighting a losing battle with my panicked thoughts.

“I’m sure you’re aware of the imbalance in our city. As vampires, we have had a place here for as many decades as the city has been in existence. Despite this, despite our inherent power, we have been kept in the shadows. Pushed aside. Treated asless thanby the elite members of society. You saw our nest, how we’ve been forced to live. As vampires, we are unable to own businesses outright within the boundaries of Arcanum. Are you aware of that?”

I think back to what Dante said about owning his club. How he’s able to manage it, but doesn’t own the place, despite having founded it himself years ago. I remember his displeasure toward the Nexus mages for how they’d treated him.

I just didn’t realize it was a city-wide thing.

“I didn’t know,” I say.

Although, I don’t really understand what that has to do with whatever is going on here, or why it’s led to this little clandestine meeting with the vampire that poisoned Fabian.

“We have been biding our time for decades. Our society has been built on a rotten core, and it’s about time that things changed. I’m sure you overheard at least some of this when you were eavesdropping all those weeks ago.” He smiles, baring his sharp canines, and I can’t tell if he’s attempting to look alarming, or if this is him trying to charm me.

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