All Tony could see of her as he walked in was her silhouette and her full red lips, shining in the sliver of moonlight that entered the chamber,

"So you came." Her voice was a low murmur, it didn't seem directed at him, nor was it a question, but he answered anyway.

"Yes. You sent for me?"

A soft laugh sent shivers over Tony's skin as the chair containing the silhouette turned around.
"I did, didn't I?" The whiteness of her teeth was almost visible in the darkness. "Funny that."

The silhouette made her way to the window and the crack of moonlight fell on her ivory skin, causing shadows to fall from her long lashes onto her pink cheeks before she pulled the heavy curtains completely closed.

Tony could only presume his eyes were following shifts in the darkness of the room. He wanted to say 'lumos', to spread some light in this lair, but he didn't think she would approve.

A candlelight caught his eye from across the room. The hand that held the wand to the candle had blood red nails, making Tony wonder what her nail polish really contained. Some people said dragon blood. Others said unicorn blood. That had to be a lie. Unicorn blood was silver, not red.

"Can I help you with something? I have to get back to-"

The silhouette turned around and long golden hair was illuminated by the fire on the wick. Tony could see more candles lighting themselves in his peripheral vision, but he couldn't take his eyes off this dark goddess.

"Yes, you can Tony." Tony was surprised she knew his name. Granted, he didn't know how else she could get someone to summon him, but still. "I need a little help obtaining something."

The voice took on an innocent note as if it belonged to a helpless child who needed a big, strong man to take care of her. He knew it was fake.

"What do you want?"

Another laugh rang out, this one not as quiet as the last. The laugh finished in a seductive smile.

"What I need and what I want are two very different things." She walked toward him, a finger tracing his jaw as she passed, forcing him to look at her at she went. "What I need is for you to arrange a meeting between the mermaids of the Lake and I."

"A meeting about what?" Tony cringed as soon as he finished the question. Everything went still in the room, no one moved. "I'm sorry, that's not my business, I-"

"Can you arrange it or not?"

Tony pressed his lips together and nodded. He was about to open lips to confirm it aloud since she hadn't been facing him when she spoke.

"Good. If you do this for me, I'm sure there's some favour I can grant you."

Tony shivered at what he knew some people asked for. Some people never spoke of it again. He knew only to ask for what he earned.

"Actually there is-"

"I will grant you the wish if you succeed in the task I have set you."

A dull chiming sounded through the heavy entrance door. A feminine sigh hung in the air as the door opened and a muscle-bound youth poked his head through.

"Classes, Mistress."

Tony picked up his bag filled with school books as the girl he had been speaking to strode past, heels clicking on the stone floor.

Tony half-ran out the door before one of her henchmen decided he was taking too long and threw him out. It had happened.

"Bag?"

"Got it."

"Books?"

"Yes. Calysta."

"Quill and ink?"

"Packed."

"Dismissed."

A group of several girls diminished from a crowd as a henchman moved in. She ran this school, including the staff, and Tony was pretty sure she was completely aware of it.