Page 34 of Livewire Witch

I’ve never met anyone strong enough to withstand my compulsion before. I’ve also haven’t met anyone ballsy enough to show up in my office on multiple occasions without invitation.

When she found the forbidden archives and picked through the thousands of tomes to find the correct book. I felt a tug inside me. A need to speak to her, to see her again.

That tug still hasn’t abated, even weeks later.

Perhaps it’s another symptom of the crisis I’m having. I’ve been on this planet for longer than most. Perhaps I’m finallylosing my marbles, letting myself get enchanted by a witch who is barely in her twenties when I’m over a century old.

I’m an old, tired cliché.

And yet, I’ve not been able to get the witch out of my mind. It was almost as though, when I tried to compel her, she flipped my power around and planted a worm inside my mind.

What complicates things even more is that the witch has been claimed by the idiot banes of my existence. She might not realize it, but these Nexus mages might as well have stuck a flag in her to mark as their own.

The endlessly cheerful one is most fervent with his affections. He also comes across as someone that can barely tie his shoes without getting distracted.

I assume the others are much the same, since the lot of them have never had an original thought in their heads.

What kind of fool does that make me since I’m here making tea for the idiot mage? Even though it’s the last thing I’d ever want to have him in my private quarters.

I’m not entirely sure what happened after Silver passed out. It’s like my body went into autopilot mode as soon as I scooped her unconscious form up and ensured Silver was safely in bed. Sickness requires cold compresses and mugs of tea. That’s how I was raised.

At least until Silver regains consciousness for long enough to consent to accepting some of my blood.

For medicinal purposes only. Vampire blood is powerful. Can cure many ills and give a boost of pure energy. It’s not to be taken lightly.

It’s not offered lightly, either.

The fact I’m very willing to offer it to this witch is testament to how deep she’s sunk into me. She scared the absolute shit out of me, passing out in my living room like that.

“No sign of her waking up yet?” I rasp, handing over a mug of tea to the mage on my floor.

Roscoe shakes his head forlornly, like a sad, tattooed puppy. “You think we should fetch someone? I don’t think we can get one of our med bay nurses without alerting Felix that she’s here, but she has a sister that makes potions. Maybe she can help.” He shakes his head, twisting his fingers in front of him.

“She’s in danger. Did I tell you that?” he continues rambling. “I thought we were helping her by asking her to help with Fabian’s curse. But I think my uncle was blackmailing her and it’s like being involved with us hasn’t helped her at all.”

I’m not all that comfortable with him spilling the business of this secretive little witch without her knowledge. It’s like he can’t help himself though, the words coming out of him as he fails to manage his anxiety and panic.

Damn idiot mage needs to pull himself together.

“We don’t need her sister or any nurses.” I cross my arms, eyeing the unconscious witch. Her cheeks are pale, but I can sense that her pulse has returned to a normal rate. When she first passed out, it was racing like a little rabbit. “She’s going to be fine.”

I don’t know why I’m currently trying to comfort this mage. The insolent, slouching, grinning fool who has no respect for me or my space.

Who broke into my office.

So did Silver,my mind whispers.And you’re not irritated with her.

Instead my chest warmed as soon as I caught sight of her. A ridiculous part of me wascharmedthat she felt comfortable enough to just turn up here. She doesn’t fear that I could just tear out her throat with ease. And I could almost kid myself that she’s as intrigued by me as I am her. That she couldn’t stay away.

My feelings are confusing me greatly.

Clearly, my mind is crumbling and soon my brain will be a pile of dust.

I step closer to the bed and take in a deep breath of her scent. As a vampire, all of my senses are superior to the mages’. In addition to my super speed and my powers of compulsion, I should be able to scent if there’s anything lurking in her system. Poison or sickness.

Her temperature is elevated, and she’s battling a fever, but that seems to be about the extent of it.

“There’s clearly something wrong with her. She just dropped to the ground, and she looked dead.” The mage looks properly broken up about it and I feel a strange combination of irritation and... understanding.

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