Chance Nightshade, daughter of the Melbourne City Alpha, will avenge her brother's murder at any cost. Even if it means working with a charming vampire prince.
Season 1 of Witchfire
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"Silence is a valuable thing," I whispered, excluding the rest of the room from our discussion. Did he understand the extent of my family's influence and wealth? "It could make you a very rich man."
"Freedom is invaluable," he countered. Then he glanced over his shoulder, taking in the throngs of people who shamelessly leaned forward in a futile attempt to make out our conversation. In a voice even softer, he added: "And something tells me that the safety of your people is invaluable to you."
My temper flared. Did he think to threaten me? Would he really maim the innocent to achieve his goals? I swallowed down the urge to beat a lesson into him. Pride was not the matter at hand to be resolved. I was here as a mediator, to facilitate discussion and balance the ulterior motives of two powerful parties. Anger would not help those that I wished to protect.
"I don't think you want to see anyone hurt," I ventured, hoping to appeal to his better nature. The tactic had certainly worked on London.
"What I want and what I will do are two vastly different things."
It was like breathing in a cloud of golden glitter. The witch meant what he said. He was like a cornered animal, one that would commit atrocious acts in order to be freed of a threatening situation, regardless of its prior domestication. When pitted against the instinct of self-preservation, the rules of higher thinking were bound to fail.
Perhaps his fear can be tempered with curiosity, I thought as the witch stared at me without quite seeing me, utterly enraptured. Something told me he was witnessing the activation of my gift.
"Let's compromise," I proffered. "How about a trade: I'll ensure your immediate release if you relay your message for the occupants of this hall one more time?"
"Fine," he relented, relaxing for the first time. The atmosphere, which had been uncharacteristically heavy and bitter, thinned into its usual consistency as he did. "But there is one more bargain to be struck."
Of course, there was the cost of his silence regarding my gift. "What do you want?"
"A vial of your blood," he said, and the speed of his answer made me deeply suspicious. What would he do with the vial? Sell it on the black market, use it to make me someone's slave...? I didn't know enough about witches to feel confident about my stakes in the deal he proposed.
"I won't collect it now," the witch added flippantly, as though I'd already agreed to his terms. "But I will collect it soon."
I bared my teeth at him, hoping the crowd would mistake the gesture for a smile. The cornered animal had in turn cornered me. I hated making decisions without researching them. But what other choice did I have?
You can always kill him later, when he comes to collect, offered a small voice in the back of my head. It made me feel better. From what I understood of the witch race, the man before me was human, despite his ability to wield magic. His bones would snap easily beneath my strength if I caught him off guard.
