Part 11
After several hours of debating, Blake had finally come up with a plan. It wasn't exactly a new one, he'd done it dozens of times before in the enclave, and it was always fun.
The problem was, he needed an attractive vampire that could pull of seduction like second nature, and a powerful witch. It was something he and Ash had often done, but now Ash was unavailable. Witches had been easy to get in the enclave, but how the hell did you find those things in the middle of nowhere?
He'd taken a trip into the nearest city, a two-hour drive away from Briar Creek. After making a few calls, he had finally managed to at least find one volunteer, whom he had been told would bring the other component of the plan.
She'd given him the location of a Black Iris to meet in. Unfortunately for him, it was poetry night. Blake had been sat in the dimly lit club for nearly an hour now, and was almost itching to kill the werewolf who had the floor, blathering on about mistreatment and broken hearts.
"Blake Redfern?"
He looked up at the girl ahead of him. Tall and thin, skin a pasty white, stretched thin lips curved in an odd smile. She was sloppily dressed in an oversize pink t-shirt and blue jeans. Blake stared at her in disbelief. *This* was the powerful witch he had been sent? "Yeah, Juliet Weald?"
The girl nodded and sat down. "Tell me again."
Blake hoped her magic was up to the standard he liked, her appearance certainly wasn't. He would never have given this - this *loser* a second glance if she hadn't been suggested to him by a contact over the phone. He explained his plan, while she just listened and nodded.
"All right, I can do what you're asking for," she said, brushing a few strands of mousey brown hair out her eyes,
"Good. Why the hell did you take so long?" he demanded. A round of applause indicated that the werewolf had finally finished. "On *poetry* night."
"My reasons," she said with a faint smile. "I had to see if you were genuine."
^Why?^ he thought. ^Most of the people who meet you switch off at first sight?^ He eyed her again.
"Hence the way you're looking at me," she said. "Why I work through an contact as well. I could be different if I wanted to, but it's easier to do my kind of work if you can be easily forgotten."
Blake wondered what 'her kind of work' was. "You said you might have a friend who can play the vampire part."
Juliet nodded. "Here he comes now."
Blake looked around, hearing a table of girls behind him whispering and sighing dreamily as a boy came down the stairs. The type of guy that usually made Blake kill him out of sheer jealously. Perfectly gorgeous, eyes to drown in, a smile to knock you over, perfect dark hair, perfect dress sense.
Blake looked at Juliet, who was smiling her odd smile. "You did ask for a vampire to whom seduction was second nature," she pointed out with a shrug.
Blake sighed, almost wanting to kick himself. No - he wanted to kick Midian. If the little bitch hadn't run away from him, then there would be no need for any of this. But she needed to be taught a lesson, and this would do that,
"What's the deal here?" the perfect vampire asked.
"Blake Redfern meet Aether Tevistha."
What the hell kind of name was that? Blake was beginning to wish he'd chosen a different contact. He was stuck with these two, so he might as well make some use of them. As long as they could pull off what he wanted them to do.
"Same as she should have told you." He looked over at Juliet. "You did tell him?"
Juliet nodded and held out a hand. Blake sighed again and tossed them each a wad of bills. "Now let's get on with it."
* * *
After several hours of debating, Blake had finally come up with a plan. It wasn't exactly a new one, he'd done it dozens of times before in the enclave, and it was always fun.
The problem was, he needed an attractive vampire that could pull of seduction like second nature, and a powerful witch. It was something he and Ash had often done, but now Ash was unavailable. Witches had been easy to get in the enclave, but how the hell did you find those things in the middle of nowhere?
He'd taken a trip into the nearest city, a two-hour drive away from Briar Creek. After making a few calls, he had finally managed to at least find one volunteer, whom he had been told would bring the other component of the plan.
She'd given him the location of a Black Iris to meet in. Unfortunately for him, it was poetry night. Blake had been sat in the dimly lit club for nearly an hour now, and was almost itching to kill the werewolf who had the floor, blathering on about mistreatment and broken hearts.
"Blake Redfern?"
He looked up at the girl ahead of him. Tall and thin, skin a pasty white, stretched thin lips curved in an odd smile. She was sloppily dressed in an oversize pink t-shirt and blue jeans. Blake stared at her in disbelief. *This* was the powerful witch he had been sent? "Yeah, Juliet Weald?"
The girl nodded and sat down. "Tell me again."
Blake hoped her magic was up to the standard he liked, her appearance certainly wasn't. He would never have given this - this *loser* a second glance if she hadn't been suggested to him by a contact over the phone. He explained his plan, while she just listened and nodded.
"All right, I can do what you're asking for," she said, brushing a few strands of mousey brown hair out her eyes,
"Good. Why the hell did you take so long?" he demanded. A round of applause indicated that the werewolf had finally finished. "On *poetry* night."
"My reasons," she said with a faint smile. "I had to see if you were genuine."
^Why?^ he thought. ^Most of the people who meet you switch off at first sight?^ He eyed her again.
"Hence the way you're looking at me," she said. "Why I work through an contact as well. I could be different if I wanted to, but it's easier to do my kind of work if you can be easily forgotten."
Blake wondered what 'her kind of work' was. "You said you might have a friend who can play the vampire part."
Juliet nodded. "Here he comes now."
Blake looked around, hearing a table of girls behind him whispering and sighing dreamily as a boy came down the stairs. The type of guy that usually made Blake kill him out of sheer jealously. Perfectly gorgeous, eyes to drown in, a smile to knock you over, perfect dark hair, perfect dress sense.
Blake looked at Juliet, who was smiling her odd smile. "You did ask for a vampire to whom seduction was second nature," she pointed out with a shrug.
Blake sighed, almost wanting to kick himself. No - he wanted to kick Midian. If the little bitch hadn't run away from him, then there would be no need for any of this. But she needed to be taught a lesson, and this would do that,
"What's the deal here?" the perfect vampire asked.
"Blake Redfern meet Aether Tevistha."
What the hell kind of name was that? Blake was beginning to wish he'd chosen a different contact. He was stuck with these two, so he might as well make some use of them. As long as they could pull off what he wanted them to do.
"Same as she should have told you." He looked over at Juliet. "You did tell him?"
Juliet nodded and held out a hand. Blake sighed again and tossed them each a wad of bills. "Now let's get on with it."
* * *