Paying the Price (RP)

Persephone arrives at the club via the private "company" car she is allowed to use when on business. She slides out of the back seat and waves a VIP badge at the bouncer, provided for her by Wentworth. They had met earlier, in his offices, high up in some nameless glass tower in the City, with a view of the sludgy grey Thames. She remembers their meeting well...

"Agent Sato, I have here a dossier of great import. You must process this contract, with a temporal restriction of midnight Greenwich time, this evening. You will be provided a car, as well as access to the establishment, a business named, "The Libertine." I trust that the name provides enough context for the nature of the clientele. Dress accordingly."

What a tosser. Every dossier he hands her is 'of great import,' because he thinks everything he does is important. Ugh...

Within the dossier was a head shot of her target as well as a typed info sheet on him: it contains his demographic info, his habits, background, etc. More than she probably needed, but it never hurt to have the info, just in case things got weird. And as usual, the document seems to be hand-typed, which makes sense; her patron is excessively careful with information and does not trust sending it electronically very often.

Howard Winters, huh? Ah yes, asked for fabulous wealth, in exchange for a five-year time limit. Well, his time is up; I hope he made the most of it.

She enters the night club and heads turn. She stands about 5 foot 6 inches, with a slender dancer's body. She wears an elegant black Versace mini dress, strapless and form fitting, and a pair of expensive, but relatively low Jimmy Choo heels. Her hair is up, pinned up with a silver brooch, which in fact has a very sharp point at its tip, hidden within her hair. She holds a small black and silver Christian Louboutin clutch purse. Small diamonds sparkle in her earlobes.

Persephone hands off her umbrella and purse to the coat check guy, though she does keep her slender smart phone with her. She moves through the crowd with the skill of someone who has been to upscale clubs many times before, either for work or pleasure, and this one is no different. She looks for a raised area, perhaps a balcony or mezzanine, from which to view the crowd and, hopefully, pick out her target. Once she has spotted him, she intends to follow him discretely, until she can get him alone. Whether that's in a bathroom stall here at the club, one of the private rooms, or outside on his way home, remains to be seen.

Persephone takes in the situation and considers her options. She could lie low and wait for him to leave, but the dossier has a time limit and he might be in there all night. So she decides to enter, so she can lay eyes on the target herself and make a better plan. Maybe she'll try seduction?

She grabs a drink from a nearby bar and orders an obituary -- a gin martini with absinthe. She loves the taste and she smirks at her own little inside joke with herself; she is, after all, going to be causing an obituary for Howard tonight.

Drink in hand, she weaves her way to the VIP room and plays the part of a high class party girl, the kind that are granted access to VIP rooms with little fuss. Once in, she blends in with the crowd as best she can and surveys the area.

Persephone grits her teeth and holds her breath for a moment, steeling her nerves for what she must do. Then, she smiles and slides in next to her target.

For a short time, she sits there, playing with his hair, laughing at his jokes, and sliding her leg along his. Then she leans in, and in a breathy whisper, says, "Why don’t we go somewhere private? Just you and me?"

Persephone feels her resolve begin to slip. If only he had been a total creep! If only he had tried to take advantage of her, it would have been so much easier to ... to defend herself against him... she thinks, frowning.

Finally, she sighs and changes her posture, sitting up and looking at him directly. She says, "OK, you look like you wanna talk. So tell me, why throw this big exorbitant party with a bunch of parasitic strangers? You seem like the lonliest person here." Her tone suggests she is being sincere, if blunt.

Persephone listens as Howard speaks, a mix of emotions roiling within her. On the one hand, he is clearly pitiable. He is lonely, friendless, without love or beauty or joy or fulfillment or any of the things that makes life worth living. Persephone does not wish to add to his misery. Indeed, a part of her is screaming out to protect this man, to take care of him, to help him escape his own mistakes.

On the other hand, this man is a fool for entering into this deal and deserves his fate. He gave away his soul? For a lottery win? When he had loved ones he could lose, like this Anabel, and a wife... Yes. He is a fool and he deserves to pay the price he agreed to. And that is just what she tells him. Because, after all, aren't we all prisoners of our own mistakes? There is no way out.

She turns to face him, putting her hands on his shoulders so he looks at her and can't escape her words. She speaks, with an earnest directness that spares nothing.

"So let me get this straight. You had a wife and a... daughter? Was Anabel your child? You had a family. You had your life. And you thought that something as petty and inane as a lottery win would bring you happiness? Look what you already had, and have now lost! You had a chance for true happiness, and you traded it away. For this.". She gestures around them. "An empty VIP room at a pointless club, just you and a big bag of coke. Pathetic. Contemptible. Disgusting. You know the end is coming for you. And believe me, you cannot imagine the pain it can involve. So why don't you go ahead and do everyone a favor?"

She picks up the bag of cocaine and opens it. She leans into him, suggestively, her body sliding up against his. She hold the bag up toward him and says, "Why not finally take control of what happens to you, for once in your life? Finally make a decision that is truly yours. It's time, Howard. It's time for the end. Go ahead; I'll stay with you."

She raises the open bag to his face, waiting for him to inhale.

She knows, deep down, she is lying to him as much as she is lying to herself. She knows that none of this is his choice, not really. But he traded away his ability to make choices when he signed the pact and nothing can be done about it now. So she might as well do her job and get this over with.

She also knows, in another, darker part of her heart, that she will shove his face into the bag if necessary. She hopes it won't come to that.

Persephone sighs and nods in acquiescence. "Yes, I’ll stay until the deed is done. Howard, it is time."

She waits until he ingests an obviously fatal dose, encouraging him. She watches as it begins to take effect.

Then she says, "You did it, Howard. You have escaped this awful life. I don’t not envy what awaits you after this."

She stands, straightens her dress, and looks for an opportunity to slip out largely unnoticed. She is leaving Howard to die alone. After all, in our way, we all die alone.

"I hope his fate is better than mine," she whispers to herself, trying to contain her nausea and self-loathing as she leaves.

Persephone makes eye contact with Howard one last time, though she had tried to avoid doing so. Her stomach twists as she sees the look in his eye. She mouths the words, "I'm sorry," as she slips out of the room. If and when she gets away free, she vomits in a nearby alley, disgusted by what she has done.

Persephone stumbles out of the alley wiping the sick from her face. She glances down to see some of it has dirtied her very expensive dress. Now drenched in rain, Pers also realizes she has left her umbrella and her very expensive purse behind as well.

"Ugh. I'm a mess. Well, I can't go back for them. And I just can't stomach seeing that car right now."

She sighs heavily and begins to walk to the nearest station, which ends up being the Mansion House stop on the Central line. She rides it, with everyone giving her a wide berth, as she smells of sick and drips all over the floor, like a feral cat caught in the rain.

She gets off at Piccadilly, her stop, and walks the few blocks toward Mayfair. Her condo is in northeast Mayfair, close to Soho and Piccadilly. Well, she calls it hers; it's her patron's, of course. Wentworth gave her a key and a stern lecture about treating our patron's property with respect.

She arrives at her building at the night doorman struggles to contain his surprise at Persephone's appearance as he opens the door for her. She drips her way across the lobby to the elevator and takes it to one of the top floors. She's not the top floor -- that belongs to someone else, someone who owns the whole floor, apparently. Her condo is one floor down, but it is on a corner, giving her a nice view northeast to southeast. Which is great for an early riser, which she used to be, before all this.

Her elevator opens -- fortunately she was alone on the ride up -- and she exits. As she turns the corner out of the elevator room, she sees someone standing in front of her door.

No. Ugh, not NOW. What is she doing here??

Persephone's younger sister Circe (yes, mom and dad had a thing for greek mythology) is a bit shorter than Persephone. And even though she is only three years younger, her babyface always makes her appear younger still. She finally looks like a grown woman and not a child, though she still could easily be a freshman or sophomore in college based on her appearance. Ugh, and her fashion sense, apparently. She is wearing tan UGG boots, brown leggings as pants, and a charcoal colored rain slicker with a hood, which is currently down. She is dry, so she must have been here for a while, waiting. Her hair is cut short, in a chin length bob, and is straight and black. She has... oh no, she has luggage! What?!

She turns and smiles to see Persephone, but her smile turns into a frown of concern at Persephone's condition. "Ohmigod Pers! What happened to you? Oh.. is that... did you throw up? Jeez Pers, what happened to you?"

Persephone sighs heavily and waves off her concern. She says only, "I had a bad night is all. Drank too much, lost my umbrella, got caught in the rain. I'll be fine. I'm... I'm not usually like this. Don't tell mom, ok?"

She looks to Circe when she says this last thing, a look of concern in her eyes. Circe nods; she was always willing to cover for her big sis whenever Persephone would make bad decisions. Which seemed to be more and more often lately.

Persephone turns and types in her key code. Grateful that she did not lose her keys, only a purse with some makeup and her umbrella, she opens her door and lets her sister in.

Her condo is laid out an open floor plan with minimalist decor. As they enter, two two large wall sized windows at the corner of the building dominate the scene, with the rain running down the glass and the city lights from central and North London sparkling through beyond. IN the center of the space are some low, minimalist couches and tables. To the left, a dining room sits near an island and a modern kitchen with high end appliances, all appearing unused. There is a pile of a week's worth of delivery food and several empty wine bottles on the counter. To the right are three doors, two of them open. One goes into a spacious bathroom for guests and the other into Persephone's bedroom suite. Circe can glimpse into the bedroom and see another set of windows, a king size bed, unmade, an office space with computer and ergo chair, and a master bath with the light left on and a mess all over the vanity.

Persephone rushes in an begins picking up, embarrassed. "I uh, I had a party and haven't had a chance to clean up yet... Um, make yourself at home. There's a guest room behind that closed door, with its own bathroom. No window though, sorry."

She turns back to her sister and looks at her luggage. She says, "So! Visiting for a night or two before heading out somewhere? Maybe a European tour?"

Circe laughs, a little uncomfortably, and replies, "I've got good news, sis! I'm moving to London!!!! I'll stay with you until I get a job and a place. And, um, I was hoping maybe you could help me find a job? You know, maybe like interning at your company or something?"

She looks at Persephone eagerly, innocently. Persephone feels like throwing up again.

Persephone is soaking, sweaty, soiled, and sullen as she stands in her living room with her happily babbling sister. Circe was detailing every element of her trip -- the food, the in flight movie, the guy snoring next to her, etc. Persephone is about to lose it.

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming‽" she snaps. Realizing the harshness of her tone, she softens, and adds, "I, uh, would have cleared my schedule for you, dear."

Circe stops short in her monologue, taken aback by the sharpness of Pers' words. But then she laughs and says, "I did tell you! I sent you an email two weeks ago! To your Stanford email address!"

Persephone wants to throw her sister out. Instead, she practice a breathing exercise and says, "Hon, I don't check that any more. I graduated years ago."

Circe looks surprised and says, "Oh! I didn't know! I still use my Wellesley College email address. Well, anyway, I'm here! And we are gonna have so much fun!" She walks around the apartment, taking it in. "This is a new look for you! Soooo clean and ... my, expensive. And WHAT a view! This place is amazing, Pers."

Persephone manages a weak smile and says, "It's corporate housing; it came furnished. And thanks."

Persephone follows after her sister and gathers her hands into her own. She looks at her and speaks earnestly. She says, "Circ, I, um, my work... it's... well, it can be very stressful. With long, often odd hours. Um, high priority meetings across global time zones, you know? So I might not always be around, and sometimes I might need a little alone time to chill after an especially stressful day, OK? You are welcome to stay but, I just don't want you to think we'll be hanging out all the time, like we used to when you would visit me at Stanford. OK?"

She then takes her sister to a sofa and sits her down. She takes a deep breath and says, "now why don't you tell me all about you, and what you've been up to, while I make you something to drink."

Persephone frowns at Circe's admonition, realizing that she is indeed soaking wet and should not be sitting on the furniture. So she nods and they continue to chat as she takes a shower.

She does her best not to reveal too much, however. After all, there was a strange scar now on her chest -- a burn mark of a sigil of infernal design, marking her as the property of her patron. And then there are the bruises from sparring, too hard at times, at the local gym, not to mention those she got from taking a tumble after drinking too much a few nights prior. Her drinking, and partying, and casual liaisons, have all increased exponentially in frequency, but she wants nothing more than not to think about her situation, not to feel her remorse at what she is doing to people. Innocent people. People just like her. If she lets it, the pain will swallow her up. So she does what she can to avoid it.

So instead, Persephone talks about how her boss, Wentworth, is a stuffy jerk, and how she has been enjoying exploring London again, and how much she's been getting into her Kickboxing class at the local gym, and studiously avoiding any actual description of what she does for work.

Persephone sighs audibly as she reaches out of the shower for her towel and then steps out with it already wrapped around her body, hiding her mark and the worst of her bruises. Mostly, she just wants to put off her sister's probing questions and go to bed.

"Sure hon, I can show you the place. I'm not sure I'll be free to go any time soon, but maybe. But for now, I need to get some sleep, ok? And I don't have an early meeting, so feel free to go out and grab breakfast or whatever when you wake up tomorrow. I'll probably sleep in and, well, there's no food in the house right now. Sorry." Her voice is tired and perhaps a little patronizing, but final. She kisses her sister on the cheek and says goodnight and heads to her bedroom, which she locks, and tries to sleep. Instead, she tosses and turns, seeing Howard's eyes in her head pleading with her all night.

The problem with turning her life into a novel was that she had no idea how the story was supposed to end, and no clear sense of which parts to include. Should she write about Sarah? Arundel? Miriam? David? There was no way to know which of the threads will end up being the most significant, and she didn't want to go back at a later point of time and document something when it was no longer fresh in her mind. She ended up deciding to write about everything, even if it consumed a little bit more of her time.

Sitting by the window in the coffee shop, the sound of her fingers tapping on the keyboard was drowned out by the drumming of rain against the glass.

The never-ending thunderstorm showed the most promise of becoming a pivotal plot point. The only issue was that she had no idea what was causing it, except that it was undeniably supernatural in nature. Maybe ‘Emma’ should get herself involved in that investigation?

She sipped her coffee, savoring the warmth for a moment before she set the cup back down. Yes. She needed to find a way to get involved. There had to be plenty of people investigating that mystery already, surely they (or at least, some of them), wouldn’t mind a tag-along?

But first, she needed to finish the chapter about her encounter with Miriam.

Her fingers resumed their tapping, and with her eyes on the screen, she was completely oblivious to the flow of people coming and going in the coffee shop around her...

The next morning, Persephone awoke late. She had finally fallen asleep near dawn and had slept until late morning. Circe had grown tired of waiting, apparently, because she was gone, leaving a note that read, "Went exploring! Might do the British Museum. Be back for dinner."

Thank goodness, Pers thinks. She sits in her living room on her sofa, legs crossed, drinking her coffee and she realizes, Well, I guess I can't avoid it. My sister is here now. I might as well... And with that, she gets dressed for the day and heads out.

An hour or two later, Persephone walks into a coffee shop, knowing whom she is likely to see there. She'd spied Emma working there before, in her writing headspace, and totally unaware Persephone was there. And today she was there again, visible through the window from outside, just as Persephone had hoped, or at least half-hoped.

Persephone was wearing what she called corporate comfortable -- a warm, soft midi skirt of navy and brown checked wool, a soft cream blouse under a slim and flattering gray cashmere cardigan, sensible but stylish leather boots, and a navy rain slicker with hood. She hadn't replaced her umbrella yet, unfortunately, so she took off her soaking wet coat and shook it in the entryway before coming into the coffee shop.

She approached Emma, took a deep breath, and said, "Ohmigod is that you, Emma?! Hi! It's been so long! How are you!?"

"Pers?" Emma’s heart skipped a beat. She hadn’t seen her old friend in ages, and the sight of her brought a wave of warmth. Persephone looked great, just like she remembered her. The fashionable outfit she was wearing looked so effortlessly chic, and she pulled off the look with such confidence that Emma momentarily wished she could afford to dress like that.

She herself was dressed much more casually, no different than what she would be wearing at her own home. An oversized gray sweater that she borrowed from David, and that still carried a hint of his scent, and a pair of jeans. Her own raincoat was hung over the back of her chair; she didn’t feel like she needed it anymore, in the warmth of the cozy coffee shop.

"I can’t believe it!!! How have you been?" she said once she recovered from her shock.
Quickly pushing her laptop aside, she jumped up, arms wide for a warm hug.

Persephone smiled warmly and hugged Emma, sincerely happy to see her old friend. She said, "Oh I want to hear what you've been up to! And what you're working on now. And how married life is! And so much. But lemme grab my coffee..." Pers quickly ordered her coffee -- a quad ristretto espresso -- and rejoined Emma, sitting across the table from her.

She sipped her espresso and said, "OK! Tell me everything."

While Persephone went to order her coffee, Emma stood up and gathered her things. She moved from the window bar, to one of the larger tables, so they could sit comfortably and look at each other while they talked. Pers! She hadn’t seen her in years, but she was still excited about seeing her old friend, and couldn’t wait to hear what she’s been up to.

Her eyes light up when she returned with her espresso, and the first thing she told her was what brought the most joy to her life:

"Well, yes, I’m married now" she held up her hand to show her the simple gold ring adorning her finger "David is wonderful. We’re really happy together" she distracted herself by picking up her own coffee to keep herself from gushing over her husband. "What about you? How long have you been in town?"

Persephone smiles to hear that her friend is so happy in her marriage. "Oh that’s so wonderful!! I’m so happy for you, Emma."

Persephone looks away, uncomfortable — or is it shame? — and adds, "I’m sorry I couldn’t make the wedding… It was… it was a bad time for me."

Then she shrugs and says, "and now? Ah, just work. I was recently assigned to the London office, but I’m not sure for how long I’ll be here. Just boring … uh, HR type stuff."

Changing the subject again, she happily declares, "I read your book! It was hot!"

And then she asks a follow up: "So! What are you working on now? Tell me all about it!"

"Oh, don’t worry about the wedding. It was really small. We didn't even have a reception or anything. Just the ceremony at the church" It wasn't an attempt to make Pers feel better over missing her wedding. She and David couldn’t afford a big wedding anyway, and she didn’t want to reveal just how tight money was for them "You should have seen me in that dress though" she said with a playful grin, and quickly turned her phone toward Persephone to show her the screensaver - a picture of herself in the stunning white dress, standing in front of the church. Her face did lit up once Pers mentioned her book, and she couldn’t hide her excitement. "You read it?" she leaned forward just a bit, and pulled back the oversized sweater, which had slipped down one shoulder yet again "It's awesome, isn't it? It actually sells! I'm already working on my next novel, but there still lots of work to do" now she sounded not only excited, but a bit exhausted as well. She had lots of really good parts, but still no plan on what would be the main narrative.

"Enough about me" she changed the subject "Where are you staying while you’re here? I really hope you’re here for a while. It’s been too long since we’ve had time to hang out"

Persephone leant over and looked at Emma's phone. Her mouth opened and turned into a wide smile. "OH EMMA!! You look so beautiful! You are positively glowing. Radiant! I am sorry I wasn't there. I should have been. But I am still so happy for you."

"And of course I read your book! When my dear friend writes a best seller, you'd better believe I'll read it! Besides, I kind of love steamy romance books. And with monsters? Even more so! So I was totally your target demographic. But even if it had been about something else, I would have read it, because it was yours!"

When the conversation turned back to her, however, Persephone became less animated. She said, "Yeah, they have me staying at a company condo in Mayfair, on the Soho side. It's nice, but a little... I don't know... austere? Very corporate chic. Oh! And my sister is visiting too! So you know, maybe we can have a big reunion or something. So yeah, I got in town not too long ago and I've been settling into the dreary monotony of work -- very corporate stuff. Contract management, HR, etc."

Then she turned the subject back to Emma again. "So! What does David do? I know you had told me at one point, but -- sorry! -- I can't remember."

Emma’s eyes lit up when Persephone mentioned reading her book. "I’m so glad you liked it! I know it’s not highbrow entertainment or anything. It was meant to get people’s hearts racing, you know? A roller coaster of emotion; fear, arousal - that sort of thing" yes, some critics did pan it for being trashy, but who cares? The book was selling, and that was the important part. "You'll like the next one, too. It's going to be...a bit darker, if you can imagine that. More like a Stephen King novel, but with more, emmm. 'romance'"

Her jaw almost dropped when she mentioned staying in Mayfair "No way!" she sat up iin her chair, practically glowing with joy "I live just a minute away, on Bridle Street. We're practically neighbors" That would mean they could see each other much more often now, but she didn't want to assume anything. Pers still had a day job, and judging by the way she was dressed, a high-paying, demanding one. Maybe she wouldn't have that much free time for Emma in her life after all.

"You must come over tonight then! I’m having a few friends over, and I’d love for you to join us. It’s been way too long, and it would be so good to catch up. You'll get so see David too - he works at the Environmental Health Department at London’s City Hall these days" she couldn't help but smile when talking about her husband, and it took effort for her to stop "You know what he's like. Very idealistic. Always wanting to make a difference" she realized she was doing it again, and turned her attention back to Pers:

"How’s your sister doing? Is she enjoying London?"

Persephone looked visibly excited at the prospect of reading Emma's second book. "Ooh I can't wait to read it! If you need anyone to read drafts, let me know! It'd be just like when we were back in school, doing homework together!"

She smiled softly with the nostalgic memory, but then a dark cloud passed over her face, as she realized that halcyon time has long past.

Pers smiled and nodded in agreement at the realization that they live so close, but the smile does not quite reach her eyes. I'll have to be careful not to let her find out... I can't let anyone know... she thought, feeling deep shame over her new line of work.

She perked up at the invitation to a get together. That, at least, was something she knew how to do. "Oh that sounds fun! I'd love to. Do you mind if I bring my sister along? She's just arrived and is excited to spend time with me and see London. She is also looking for a job and thinks I can get her one, but..." Persephone trailed off and shook her head, indicating she thought the idea unlikely.

"Here, this is my local number. What's your address?" Persephone shared the number to the cell phone she got for herself when she arrived -- she always got one whenever she would stay in another country for a time, so that her friends or non-work contacts didn't have to dial internationally. She also had a "work phone" given to her by Wentworth, but she understood that the work phone was not to be used for personal calls. She did not share her own home address right away, however.

She smiled at Emma's description of David and commented, "Aw, that's sweet!" She then turned to an important matter, asking, "So, will this be a formal affair or casual? And who else will be there? And should I bring something?"

"Sure; I'll send you a draft once I get it in shape" She couldn't send Pers a series of half-baked, loosely-tied chapters. She wouldn't feel comfortable about other people reviewing her work until she could weave it all into one narrative.

"We're just chilling tonight with a few friends. Nothing special. Wine. Snacks. Some games. You don't need to bring anything - other than your sister" The more the merrier, as far as Emma was concerned, though she would now have to burrow a few chairs from Mr. Kalman to make sure everyone had a place to sit. She texted Pers the address after they exchanged numbers, then set her phone back on the table "But you got to invite me over to your place one time in return. I'm dying to see what you've done with the place" seeing how posh and stylish Pers was, she was sure it would be nothing short of amazing.

Persephone smiled and said, "Wonderful! We'll be there! Maybe I'll bring some wine. And of course, I'd be happy to have you and David over for dinner some time. I haven't had a chance to do anything with the condo yet -- it came furnished, and I don't know how long I'll be there, so..." She shrugged apologetically.

Emma and David's cozy apartment consisted of a single living room that doubled as a dining area, and an adjoining bedroom. The two had made the most of the tight space, carefully selecting only the essentials. Besides the large sofa facing a sleek flat-screen TV, and a smaller, single-person couch beside it, there wasn’t much in the way of furniture. Even the sitting corner, which held a compact table, was so small it really could only accommodate the two of them for a quiet coffee, a simple meal, or for typing on their laptops.

The big, wide windows in the living room were the defining feature, making the space feel a bit larger than it actually was. They opened up to the street outside, though these days you couldn’t see an inch past the windowpane due to the heavy rain.

A few carefully placed houseplants and a couple of abstract art posters on the walls, completed the room’s stylish vibe.


*********
"Hello and welcome!" Emma opened the door with a smile. She was dressed casually for an evening at home; a chunky knit teal sweater, black leggings, and a pair of flip-flops.

Persephone arrived with Circe in tow, holding a bottle of very expensive red wine she had found in a wine cabinet installed beneath the counter in her kitchen.
Persephone is wearing expensive somewhat dressy but casual and comfy clothes. Tonight her outfit is a taupe cashmere blazer over a tan ribbed turtleneck, with black tapered pants and low heels. Her sister Circe follows closely behind, wearing an oversized light brown cardigan sweater hanging loosely over a black silky knee length dress. Persephone smiled as the door opened. She began to say hello when Circe rushed past her to hug Emma. They had known each other when Circe would come visit Persephone in college and Circe absolutely adored Emma back then.

Circe babbled at Emma excitedly. "Ohmigod you look so amazing! And that outfit is so cute! And oh hey look what I am wearing! I found it in Pers' luggage! Do you believe she still hasn't unpacked yet? And apparently she has been in London for like a whole month already! Like, what? And hey I read your book like three times, once in my friends' smutty monster lovers' book club! Oh, wait, is that offensive to you? I mean it's a great book too, not just smut, but you know it is really good too. And Pers told me you're working on a new book? I can't wait..." etc etc

Persephone nodded, hoping this would happen. They could chat at each other and she could sip drinks and try to feel normal for an evening.

"You shouldn't have" she shook her head when she saw the bottle of red wine Pers had brought. She didn't know the first thing about wines, but she was sure it was an expensive one "You can hand it over to David. He's in the kitchen" she pointed at her husband, who was busy carefully arranging the appetizers on a tray.

There was one other young woman already there. Emma managed to convince Sarah to change from the oversized clothes to something that would complement her figure, but she didn't manage to pry her from her phone. She was sitting on the couch with her legs tucked underneath her, lifting her eyes only for a brief second to look at the guests before returning to her scrolling

"This is Sarah" she gave a short introduction "She's staying with us for a while" she stopped short of adding 'until she can find her own place', not wanting to panic the young woman this evening.

"So, you liked my book, huh?" she beamed at Circe. She actually didn't mind it being called 'smutty'. It was a better fit than a 'romance'. "I don't have a problem with that at all" her lips curled into a sultry smile: "we could all do with a little 'smut' in our lives, don't you think?"

Kat's dress was totally out of sync with everyone else’s more casual attire, but Emma could still appreciate a daring dress when she saw one. Besides, she didn't want to make her guest feel uncomfortable. "Wow, Kat, you look Aa-mazing!" She walked over to greet her with a warm smile, taking a moment to admire her mini dress.

"Make yourself at home. This - " she pointed at the sole man in the room "Is my husband David. Pers is an old friend from school, and this is her sister, Circe" she gestured at each as she spoke out their names "And the young woman on the couch is Sarah"

"Everyone - this is 'Ekaterina'" she tried to engage Kat in conversation and make her feel more at ease, though it looked very much like she had no problem being the center of attention: "You mentioned you are doing some modeling, right?"

Persephone gladly headed to the kitchen to deliver the bottle of wine to David, leaving Emma and Circe to chat for a moment. She set the wine on the counter and smiled at David's friendly greeting. "It's good to see you again, David! It's been too long. I heard you are fighting the good fight. Environmental health, was it?"

She hadn't seen him since college, or at least it had been well before the wedding. He looked great; a bit more mature, and still a handsome guy. Persephone felt happiness that Emma had found a good partner, but she also felt a pang of jealousy. Emma's life seemed so... normal, so domestic. This was the life Persephone had thought she would have one day, with the right man or woman. But fate, it seemed, has a sense of humor.

She returned to the front room with David when the final guest arrived. When the door opened, Persephone heard ... no, felt a buzzing in her ears, like a swarm of flies. The hair on the back of her heck stood on end. And for a fleeting moment she smelled something that reminded her of decaying human remains.

But then it all passed and a Russian woman was standing there, dressed to kill. Persephone eyed her curiously, but the buzzing in her ears remained, a dim background sensation whenever she looked at this woman. Persephone had had odd sensations around other people linked to the infernal realm, but they all worked for her patron and, so, they all had a similar 'vibe,' for lack of a better word. When she would meet another of her patron's people, she would get a wave of nausea and a whiff of brimstone off them. This, though, was different, she thought.

She must be associated with another demon! I wonder if this woman's patron is allied with or an enemy of my patron? I bet infernal politics are endlessly byzantine and infinitely cut throat, which means I had better be extremely careful around this woman. But perhaps... perhaps I can gather some information that would be useful to my patron?

Persephone approached Kat and smiled when she was introduced. "Hi. So tell me, Kat, what brings you to London? Modeling, was it?" And to Emma, she asks, "So, Emma! How do you know Kat?"

Emma didn’t know how hard it was to break into the fashion industry, but to her, Kat looked like a striking young woman that could make heads turn anywhere. Maybe Kat expected she would have been discovered by now, and if she hadn’t made it by the time she was twenty, she wasn’t going to make it at all. Which sounded like a load of bullocks. It was all about opportunities, and the right connections. Kat probably didn’t have that – not in Russia. It was all a game of luck, timing, and who you knew. Maybe that is what she decided to latch herself to the much older ‘Sin’. A powerful man like that could open all sort of doors for her, though from what she witnessed at dinner, it seemed like Kat’s involvement with him had more to do with how much money he was willing to spend on her – and her habits.

"Well, it’s their loss" she said, and meant it, feeling sorry that the stars never aligned for her.

Wishing to change the subject, she grabbed the wine bottle David already opened and reached for the plastic cups. It was a bit embarrassing, but there were no other choices. David was a teetotaler, and Emma didn’t like drinking alone. Their apartment was tiny, and the kitchen barely had enough space for the everyday things they needed, let alone a dozen glasses that would mostly sit unused. Plastic cups were the only option.

She filled them out generously, and passed them around, without leaving Sarah out "Sorry about the cups" she offered an apologetic smile "It’s not ideal, but it still tastes the same, right? After the first glass, I’m sure no one will mind what they’re drinking from."

Persephone eyed Kat again. Was she lying? Was she merely a model worried that she had missed her shot? Somehow Pers doubted it, but she supposed it could be so. Perhaps the infernal aura she carries is by association somehow? Persephone wasn't really sure how these things worked, to be honest; in reality, she was still very new to such things. Even so, she would keep an eye on Kat tonight. She nodded in response to Kat's explanation and asked, "So how do you like London?"

She took the plastic cup from Emma and smiled. She laughed and said, "Ha, it reminds me of college! I think the last time we hung out we drank wine out of solo cups, so this is giving big nostalgia!"

Persephone gulped down the wine and glanced over to Circe, making sure she was OK. She then turned her attention back to Kat. This woman intrigued her, mostly because she could not yet put her finger on what it was about her that stood out. She had an infernal air about her, but seemed... well, less threatening than the others she'd met who carried such an aura. Was she something different? Perhaps not human at all? Or maybe a toy for a demon, rather than one herself?

She turned to Emma as the three of them stood and asked, "So Emma, how do you and Kat know each other? And Kat, do you have a sponsor here in London? Someone supporting your modeling career, perhaps? I would imagine you could draw some exceptional patrons..."

"Oh, we met at a dinner party" she didn’t go into any more details than that, feeling a need to keep it vague. Her smile did tighten ever so slightly when Pers started questioning Kat. She didn't like what she was implying when she mentioned 'patron', or even 'several' of them. It wasn't like she herself didn't suspect Kat relationship with 'Sin' was anything but transactional, but it was impolite to insinuate it. To her face, no less.

"Do you have anyone in mind?" she decided to intervene and run interference for her guest before Kat had the chance to answer, instead directing the question back to Pers with a whimsical smile.

Persephone was a bit surprised that Emma interfered with her little infernal investigation. Apparently Emma liked this demon-tainted Russian woman. Of course she likes her... she invited her to her house didn't she?! Ugh, I am making myself crazy. So what if she has had interactions with demons... It's not like she's the only one.

She smiled at Emma and said, "Well, my corporation sponsors all kind of cultural projects; it's a good tax write-off for them and it builds good will with the community. London is filled with wealthy corporations and individuals, and it's not a cheap city to live in, after all."

Seeing that she would likely not have the opportunity to press Kat for more information, Persephone relented and switched tacts. She looked down at Kat's dress and said, "I love your dress, by the way! I wore something like it at the club just last night, actually!" She took the opportunity to scan the model's body, wondering if she had a demonic mark like Persephone's. She couldn't help but admire what she saw.

Emma relaxed when the conversation shifted away from Kat and her 'patrons'. She sipped her wine, feeling a bit lighter, before her mind circled back to what Pers just mentioned:

"Wait. Your company sponsors cultural projects!? Like... how does that work exactly?" There was a genuine interest in her voice "I mean, I’m a writer. I could probably offer something 'cultural', too. Is it something you might be able to get me in touch with?" she wouldn't mind some extra money. Who knows when her next book would be published, and what kind of royalty deal she would be able to negotiate? It sucked always having second thoughts about every expenditure.

But then Pers continued talking about clubbing, and Emma's eyes lit up: "Oh my god, we definitely should go out together sometime, just like the old days. Maybe Circe would join us, too? And Kat? I think it would be a blast"

Persephone nodded and smiled uncomfortably at Emma’s line of questioning.

Crap, well that backfired…

She shrugged and said, apologetically, "Well, I don’t know how it happens or anything; I just know the company sponsors the arts. I could ask, but I certainly couldn’t make any promises…?"

Persephone felt awful. All I’ve done is lie to my sister and my friend. And now I’m lying even more. I’m am a terrible person. I’m going to have to tell someone, eventually. Could I tell them? Not Circe; I couldn’t bear to see her disappointed in her big sister… she looks up to me so much. And she might tell my parents and that’s… No. but Emma? Maybe? But it would blow her mind, to learn that the supernatural is real. It’s not just romantic fantasy.

Turning back the Kat, Persephone tried one last time to get info without Emma undermining her. She looked to the Russian model and asked, "So, um, Kat. Do you have a modeling agency? Or do you work with specific brands?"

"Well, if it is not too much trouble" she sensed Pers was backtracking a bit. She couldn’t understand why, but she didn’t want to press the matter. Confident that Kat had some ready-made story about what agency she is working with, she was content to leave them alone for a while so she could help David with the appetizers. They didn’t prepare anything too fancy; Italian bruschettas with diced tomatoes, garlic, and basil, plus a charcuterie board with cured meats, assortment of cheese, and some fresh fruit.

As she set the trays on the coffee table in front of the couch, she quickly glanced at Sarah to see how she was handling herself. It was probably best not to call too much attention to the withdrawn young woman, but part of her wished she could find a way to coax her out of her shell.

"So, Circe" she instead turned her attention to Pers sister, offering her a bruschetta over a paper napkin "What’s next for you? Pers mentioned you were staying with her for a while?"

Persephone felt another pang of guilt for lying to her friend. She nodded and tried to smile at Emma, saying, "I will!" She watched as Emma left.

She turned to Kat and her smile faded. She said, "You know, there's something familiar about you. You remind me very much of someone I know and I can't put my finger on it. What the devil is his name? What in hell is his infernal name? Ah well, maybe it will come to me."

She watched Kat for a reaction. If she saw none, she studied her once more. Could this girl be a plaything of a demon and not even realize who it is she spends her time with? Could she be so naive?

HA! As if I myself were not lulled into a false sense of safety by my 'friend' who offered me solace and support when I was at my lowest, only for me to learn too late who -- or what -- he really was!

Persephone chatted for a while more with Kat before excusing herself to go to the bathroom. She entered and locked the door. She looked into the mirror, disgusted, and tears began to well up in her eyes. She wiped them away, and tried to fix her makeup, though a touch of red around the edges remained. She was, quite literally, doomed.

Persephone's eyes narrowed as she studied Kat one more time. Oh my god! She's doomed to hell, like me, but somehow she... doesn't know! How? This... this is wrong. I ... I have to help her. Somehow.

Persephone changed her tack entirely. She looked Kat directly in the eyes and said, "Kat. Ekaterina. You have fallen in with some bad people, haven't you? They use you. They might provide for you, but you are owned. I know, because I am owned too. By evil, powerful people, who own me body and soul. I can't free myself, but maybe... maybe I can help free you. Would you let me help you? I... I need to help someone for a change."

The sincerity, desperation, and urgency in Persephone's voice and expression were clear.

...

Circe smiled warmly at Emma and took the bruschetta, which she promptly popped into her mouth between swigs of wine from the plastic cup. As she chewed, she said, "Oh Emma, your place is so cute! I hope to have a place like this one day! Living in a big city in a cozy little place with my hubby, working on my art! Oh, and yeah! That's the plan, ha ha! I'm hoping my big shot sis can land me a job doing business stuff, ha. They've got to need like file clerks and mailroom people, right? And who knows, maybe I'll discover I actually like the corporate stuff, like she does!"

Circe had been all smiles and warmth, but then she frowned for a moment and asked, "Hey Emma, do you know what Persephone actually does? Like for her job? 'Cause she kind of won't tell me."

Persephone and Kat's animated conversation was hard to miss. Pers was unusually engaged with Kat - almost too engaged, and something about the intensity of the conversation seemed...off. It wasn't unlike Pers to be so wrapped up in someone so quickly, so there had to be something going on there. She tried to dismiss the thought, but stole one last glance before turning her attention back to Circe:

"Yes, it's pretty great" she readily agreed with her assessment of her life. Despite all the struggles, and money being tight, she would never exchange her life for a boring 9-5 at a cubicle in some gray office building. "Pers?" she gave a light tug of her shoulders when Circe asked what her sister was doing "She works at HR. I didn't ask what exactly she was doing, but I'm guessing it is about dealing with employee stuff; Recruitment, Work Contracts, Performance Reviews. Termination... I'm sure she will tell you all about it if you press her" Emma didn't see why she wouldn't. Maybe because it was too boring, and Pers was too tired explaining it after a long day at the office "Anyways, I don't think they have file clerks and mailroom people today. It's all digital. We don't have them at the Independent either. In fact, I rarely come to the office myself. Can't remember when was the last time I actually saw Mr. Thompson. I usually just mail him my columns...."

Circe's mouth opened in surprise and understanding, revealing that she had not yet finishing chewing the bruschetta. She covered her mouth and swallowed quickly, then laughed and gulped some more wine. She said, "Oh duh! Of course it's all digital. I watch too many old movies. Um, well, I mean, what I [I]really[/I] want is a job doing, like, graphic design, you know? Like, maybe laying out fashion spreads for a magazine, or designing logos and graphics for a cool coffee shop, or something. That way I can actually use my art classes! And then, when I'm not at work, I can draw and paint as much as I want!. But I am guessing Persephone can't help much with her HR thing or whatever. hey, does your newspaper need that sort of thing?" Circe looked at Emma with excitement and hope.

"Any company could use a good graphic designer. I'm sure even the one Pers works at has at least one position. I can send your CV to our HR department, in case they are looking for someone" she wasn't sure there WAS a position open, but who knows? Maybe the stars will align for Circe. She was much more interested, however, in seeing some of her work. Emma appreciated art, in almost any form. It was always cool to see what talented people could come up with "I'd love to see some of your work. Do you have any pictures you can show me?"

Circe's face lit up at Emma's request to see her work. She pulled out her phone and immediately began to show her photos. Two particular ones stood out to Emma.

Persephone looked at the two women and felt a deep pang of sympathy. She had not realized it until that moment; she was property. She was an object belonging to a demon, just as these women were objects belonging to a pimp and a "manager". These three women were all, effectively, enslaved.

Persephone could not free herself, but dammit, she would pay whatever the cost to free the other two. She had only ever experienced suffering, self-loathing, and disgust in her time after signing that contract. Well, tonight, that changes. Tonight, she was going to help herself to the power afforded her by her damnation.

She excused herself for a moment and went to the bathroom once more. She looked in the mirror and she reached out. She intended to let out her power in order to summon her dark patron’s attention directly to her location, to these two women, and ask that she be granted this boon. She bit her lip hard enough to taste blood and, with blood in her mouth, she whispered, "Help me free these women from their slavery, my patron, and I will owe you an even greater debt. I will do things even more debased. I will not resist. Give me power and have my willing cooperation. Please. I need this." These last few words were tinged with desperation as tears welled in her eyes.

"Wow, this really is impressive" Emma was genuinely taken aback by the boldness of it "I bet you can do this professionally. Do you mind sending me these pictures, so I can show some people?" Emma had all sorts of connections, and has reviewed a couple of avant-garde art galleries for her column. Maybe one of the gallery owners would like to showcase one of Circe's pieces? It couldn't harm asking. She was about to suggest just that, when Kat sat down on the couch next to her and said something that made her choke on her wine.

Pers? Really? That was what this was all about?

Emma’s mind raced, a sinking feeling spreading through her chest. She had suspected Kat might be an escort, but she never imagined Pers was involved in something like that too. Was that why she’d been so secretive about her work? And why had she been so fixated on Kat tonight? Trying to "headhunt" her for a different agency? It was almost too much to process.

Pers? How had her friend gotten involved in something like this? When did it start? Why?

The shock was still settling in as more questions kept piling up. Emma wasn’t against sex work - as long as no one was getting exploited! but she wasn’t sure this was what was going on with Pers. Kat had mentioned a "pimp," but the details of the conversation weren’t clear. Neither she nor Pers seemed particularly happy with their current arrangement.

What was she supposed to do now? What was she supposed to say?

She glanced over at Circe, giving her a blank stare, wondering how much of the conversation she had overheard. She had to say something, but before she could gather her thoughts, Persephone had already excused herself to the bathroom, for the second time that evening. Maybe there’s something else going on. A more uncomfortable suspicion crept in. Could Pers have a drug habit too?

Still in turmoil over the revelation, she got up, walked toward the bathroom, and knocked gently on the door:
"Pers? Are you alright in there?"

After she uttered her words and spat blood into the sink -- an offering? -- Persephone looked back up at the mirror. Behind her, suddenly, a shadowy figure appeared and time slowed to a stop. The faucet's drip of water paused midair. Space warped around them. And red eyes -- burning, piercing eyes -- peered out from the shadowy humanoid form into Persephone's. She got the distinct impression that her patron intentionally hid its true form from her for some reason, concealed in this caul of shadow, caught in a moment of time.

Darkness crowded in around her, blotting out the bathroom and everything else. Only she and those red eyes remained until she looked back at the mirror and, peering out of her own face, were those inhuman red eyes. A voice rumbled inside her head, like thunder from a faraway storm, echoing across the distance. Persephone did not hear words but somehow she knew things now that she did not before. And then, just as it arrived, her patron receded, pulling out of her mind with a feeling like being turned inside out, as if she were vomiting her feet up and out of her mouth. But as it left her, she felt it take something with it -- some small piece of her gone forever. Was it a memory? Some of her ability to feel empathy? She could not be sure. She knew with a chilling realization that she would not miss it, whatever it had been. Whatever she had been.

My god, what have I become?

Then reality came crashing back at her. The light, the sound of the faucet drip hitting the sink, the ambient noise of the ventilation, were all deafening. She fell to her knees and cried out. The smell was unbearable; brimstone, decay, rotting flesh, bad eggs... the light, the noise.... it was too much. She regurgitated her wine into the toilet nearby and slumped to the floor.

So that... that's HER. The demon who owns me. My god. She was not sure if the patron was a her, but the way it occupied her body felt familiar in a way that made her prefer 'her' over 'him', or even 'they' or 'it.' She went with it.
"Um, just a second!" Persephone shouted back, feebly. She scrambled to her feet, wiped the sick from her chin, and went to the door, trying her best to compose herself. It was only after she opened the door that she glanced back and saw her blood in the sink.

"Um... I'm fine! Sorry. I guess the wine didn't agree with me. I... um, sorry, my word that is a bad smell. I am so sorry, Emma! Can I ... um... open a window or something? Ugh, this is embarrassing."

Emma pinched her nose with her fingers as the foul odor wafted through the bathroom door. The smell was downright vile. She didn’t think it had anything to do with the food she’d served; Persephone hadn’t eaten a thing, and even if she had, food poisoning didn’t develop that quickly, as far as she recalled.

Though she could barely stand the stench, she lingered by the door, her concern for her friend stronger than any physical discomfort.

"Don’t worry about it!" she was relieved once the door finally opened. She didn't believe whatever was happening inside was just about the wine, but she wasn't going to argue. Pers obviously needed her support right now.

After quickly rinsing the specs of blood in the sink, spraying an entire bottle of air freshener inside, and activating the bathroom ventilator, she closed the door behind her and looked at Pers with concern: "Can I get you a glass of water? Maybe some tea?"

When they returned back to the living room, she forced a bright smile to her lips, pretending that the last few minutes never occurred. She did exchange a quick glance with her husband, however, wondering just how much of the conversation he caught wind of. Not only had Emma invited a couple of escorts into their home, but it turned out that Sarah, who had been living with them, was apparently one as well.

She didn’t want to think about what was running through David’s mind right now. Trying to shake off the discomfort, she cleared her throat: "What do you say about playing a few games? Might be fun to switch gears a bit" she suggested, desperate to move away from the tension and shift the focus elsewhere.

Persephone looked at Emma, ashamed, and nodded. "Yes, please. Some tea would be nice. Thank you."

As they were walking down the hall and back to the party, Persephone asked quietly, "Could we talk, maybe? Like just us two. Sometime soon?"

When they arrived back with the others and Emma proposed a game, Persephone smiled. Escape into fun, pleasure, or just about anything was a welcome diversion right now. She went over and gave Circe an unusually emotional hug and nodded to Kat and Sarah, as if to say, I meant what I said about freeing you.

"Sure; we can catch up tomorrow if you want" she felt torn between wanting to be there for her, and the growing sense of unease over what Pers had gotten herself involved in. This was all so unlike her; Pers was always the one with everything figured out. She was smart, and ambitious; Emma was sure she was going to make it big one day. How did she ever end up as an escort??

She excused herself to the kitchen, her mind still reeling as she sat the kettle to boil. Once she returned with the tea and handed the cup to Pers with a soft nod, she sat down on the floor next to the coffee table, making herself comfortable as the others continued chatting. The kickboxing lessons sounded like lots of fun, and she didn't want to miss an opportunity to support Pers. Of course, she would join.

Then, she quickly transitioned into explaining the game. She picked one specifically that didn't require any knowledge of English, one Kat might even be familiar with. 'Verish Ne Verish' was the Russian variant of 'Cheat', a shedding-type of card game that required lots of deception, lies, and a little bit of strategy. She shuffled the decks quickly as she explained the rules, dealing all the cards between them - David included.

"Empty your cups before we start the first round" she led by example, gulping the reminder of the wine in her own cup "-these games are much more fun if you don't take yourself too seriously"

Persephone nodded a meek affirmation when Emma offered to meet tomorrow. "Thanks" was all she could muster. She returned to the party to discover Circe inviting the whole party to Persephone's kickboxing class. She felt her shoulders and neck tense up; a migraine was coming on. She squeezed the bridge of her nose and felt the hint of tears threatening to burst forth. She inhaled and exhaled tightly, trying and failing to relax. She cracked her neck and muttered to herself, It's fine. it's fine! I can find a new class. They can have that one. I .. ... yeah. This is just my life now.

She slumped, feeling absolutely defeated. She joined the others, prepared to try to participate in the game, but her heart wasn't in it. She wasn't really present at all. She felt like an empty husk.

The evening was supposed to be a light, fun gathering with friends, but it turned different than she expected. Per's mood hung over the room like a dark cloud, and she found herself glancing at her friend from time to time, wondering what happened to the confident, successful woman she had once admired.

Maybe she should have never invited her over tonight. She did want to help her, but now was not the time for a heart-to-heart talk. It was selfish of her, but was asking for one pleasant evening without drama too much to ask for?

At least Kat was having fun. She was happily engaged, despite the language barrier, and her carefree nature was like a breath of fresh air. She felt a little lighter when she was around her, not bogged down by secrets or inner turmoil. She needed more people like that in her social circle, she decided. People without emotional baggage, who knew how to live in the moment, and enjoy the small things in life.

Not wanting to force people to participate if they didn't want to, she allowed Sarah, and whomever else, to opt out of the next rounds if they felt like it.

It was pretty late by the time everyone left. The evening had been strange, but maybe not as strange as some of her past nights. At least this one didn’t end with her being scolded in the Administrator's office. While David moved through the house, collecting glasses and plates, she helped Sarah make the bed on the couch. "I’m sorry about the disruption tonight" she said softly as she fluffed the pillow

Sarah usually stayed up late, but they still kept her from getting to sleep earlier if she wanted to. Living in such a small apartment, without a private space to call her own, wasn't easy. "Next time, I’ll talk things through with you before inviting anyone over" she promised.

With David outside taking out the trash, she used the opportunity to send a quick text to Kat. She was glad she’d invited her. Things would have felt even more awkward without her, and she wanted to let her know she appreciated she came over: "Hey! Thanks for coming tonight" she hesitated for a moment as she considered what to type next. The cozy night at home might not have been Kat’s idea of a good time, and she wanted to make sure they would meet again if it wasn't: "Next time – you pick what we do 😉"

She thought about texting Per and Circe too, but something held her back. What could she possibly say to Pers? She’d been distant the whole evening, and she wasn't sure what to say about the big revelation either. She couldn't even make sense of what she felt about it. Maybe it wasn’t the right time...

She set her phone aside and started her usual evening routine, waiting for David to come back so they could gossip about the night’s events before heading to bed.

Emma would have pulled Kat into a hug if she was there right now. She smiled as she texted her back, telling her 'good night', and that it was a 'joy' having her over.

Later, after slipping into bed and cuddling with David under her blankets, she sighed and paused for a moment when he asked her about Pers. It was obvious he didn't catch any part of the conversation that night, and she was not sure it was a bad thing. But she was determined to keep no more secrets from him. Not even the whole 'vampire' thing, which she was just waiting for the right opportunity to break to him. She took a breath, her fingers lightly brushing against his skin as she spoke.

"She works as an escort now. Kat does, too. And from what I overheard, Sarah as well."
Her voice grew a little sadder as she continued with the rest: "There was some talk about Pers trying to convince Kat to switch agencies"" her heart sank just saying it. Pers was once an old friend; it was hard to wrap her mind around the fact that she was mixed up in something like this.

Persephone left Emma's house, ashamed at her behavior, confused about her vision of her patron, worried about Circe's growing interest in Persephone's life, and the fates of Kat and Sarah. How could she save them? How could she protect Circe? COuld she save herself?

No. She was lost. But may she could save others. Maybe.

That night, she tossed and turned in bed. She got up and journaled. She drew tarot cards (she drew The Tower...great, yeah she already knows her life is falling apart). She even tried praying, but the words tasted like ash in her mouth.

She needed help. She didn't know who else to turn to. What few friends she once had were back in California, though she had burned a lot of those bridges before she left. She couldn't go to her parents. She couldn't involve Circe.

Emma. Maybe she could cope with it, maybe. She had to try.

By this time, it was almost dawn. She sent Emma a short text, and then another, and another.

"Good morning! I'm up early apparently and wond"

Her hands were shaking so badly, she accidentally hit send.

"Heh, sorry! Hit send on accident. So would you wanna come over and have some coffee this morning?"

Oh! What about Circe??? Panicking, she looked up her kickboxing school online. Oh thank the goddess they have an intro class this morning! She quickly booked the class.

"Circe will be in a kickboxing class, so it will just be us. I want to explain "

She looked at the sentence, unsure of how to finish it. So she just hit Send.

She lay in bed and played out what she might say to Emma, over and over, for an hour or two. Nothing felt right. She finally gave up and took a shower, slammed an energy drink, and put together a simple breakfast of yogurt, fruit, and granola. She didn't eat it, leaving it on the counter for Circe. She started a pot of coffee and went to awaken her sister.

Circe was confused about getting awoken so early -- it was like 7 am and she was still a bit jetlagged, after all. But Persephone insisted, putting on a fake enthusiasm for her big day in London. She said, "I have all kinds of fun plans for us. First thing, you are gonna take the intro class at my Kickboxing Academy! I have breakfast made already, so get those lazy bones up and join me. Chop chop!"

Eventually, she got a confused and still sleepy Circe out the door and sat at her kitchen bar with a large mug of coffee, checking her phone addictively and wondering what in the world she was going to say to Emma.

It was dark outside when Emma woke up to the soft buzz of her phone alarm. Even though it was already seven in the morning, the heavy clouds blanketing the sky made it feel like the dead of night. Groggy, she reached for her phone and scrolled through her messages, among them was the one from Pers. She hesitated before opening it, finally deciding against it. She didn’t want to deal with anyone else’s problems first thing in the morning.

She dragged herself out of bed with a sigh. The room was still cold, and it was soooooo tempting to stay wrapped up in the warmth of the covers for just a little longer. If only she didn’t have so many errands to run today…

After running through her usual routine and scrubbing away the remnants of sleep, she finally picked up her phone again and went through Persephone's text, lips twisting into a sad frown. She stared at the message for a moment, then poured the freshly brewed cup of coffee into the sink.

She didn’t want to take on anyone else’s mess. Her life was complicated enough already. She and Pers used to be close, but years had passed without contact. Was it fair of her to reach out now, and ask for her help? She better not ask me for money for drugs. After the way she looked like last night, she assumed the worse.

At the end of the day, she was too much of a bleeding heart to turn her away. They were friends once, even if that felt like a lifetime ago. Having coffee wasn’t asking for much, and she could keep it brief.

"Don’t worry about explaining anything. I don’t mind what you do for a living, I just want to make sure you're safe. I’ll swing by for a bit before starting my day."

She hit ‘send,’ hoping Pers wouldn’t expect too much from her, and get the message that she couldn’t afford to stay long.

Grabbing her coat from the hook by the door, she wrapped a scarf around her neck and picked up her umbrella. The wind was biting this morning, together with the rain, so she bundled up as best as she could. A few short minutes later she was at Pers, ringing the buzzer to her appartement.

Persephone had finally dozed off after she got Circe out the door. She was slumped on one of the low, minimalist sofas with her coffee, still full, sitting on the low coffee table in front of her. She didn't even awaken when her phone buzzed with Emma's text. Indeed, it was only when the doorbell buzzed that she bolted upward, in that strange state of disoriented panic when one suddenly wakes from deep sleep.

"Um, yes! I'm coming! Just a moment..." She stumbled upwards and kicked the coffee table with her shin. She cursed and ignored the pain. As she looked around, she realized she had not picked up as she had wanted to. The place wasn't a total disaster, but the kitchen was a mess of dirty dishes, empty wine bottles, and delivery boxes that she still hadn't had a chance to clean up since Circe's arrival.

She splashed some water on her face and rubbed it with a dish towel -- ew this is dirty! -- and she tossed it aside. She walked over to the door and smoothed her rumpled clothes. At least she had gotten dressed this morning, before waking Circe.

Persephone opened the door and smiled at Emma. She was wearing a causal, loose-fitting pair of black yoga capri pants and an oversized sweatshirt with the word Stanford across the front. She wore fluffy pink ankle socks, had her hair in a messy pony, and wore no makeup. She had deep, dark circles under her eyes, which were a bit bloodshot -- she looked exactly as she felt, exhausted. She mustered some cheer and welcomed her friend.

"Hi Emma! Thanks for coming by. Come in!"

She held the door for Emma and offered to take her coat as the door closed behind them. She walked into the condo, a large space with an open floor plan on the corner of the second to top floor, just below the penthouse. The big feature were floor to ceiling windows on two walls, giving a breathtaking view of the city around them. In the middle of the space, a minimalist and likely expensive set of sofas and a coffee table sat, looking austere and unused, save for a cup of coffee leaving a ring. To the side opposite the windows was a large, commercial grade kitchen with stainless steel appliances, an island, and ample counter space, though most of it was occupied with empty take out boxes, wine bottles, and dirty dishes.

Persephone walked around the island and got a mug and the coffee pot, which was still hot and mostly full. Pouring a cup, she asked, "I forget how you like it. Cream or sugar?" She offered Emma her coffee once it was prepared to her liking and invited her to join her on the sofas.

After an awkward pause, Persephone opted for small talk, saying, "So, um, how are you?"

Persephone’s disheveled appearance was shocking, but not nearly as much as the sight of her apartment. The space was beyond enormous—like something out of a magazine, but somehow even more breathtaking in person. The furniture was sleek, modern, and definitely expensive, and the view!! If only the rain wasn’t pouring, she was sure it would have been breathtaking.

How on earth could Persephone afford all of this?

She had no idea escorts made that kind of money. It was uncomfortable thinking about it as she glanced at the mess around her. Pizza boxes, empty wine bottles scattered across the counters. She couldn’t help but think that Persephone had been entertaining men here, maybe even as recently as last night. That would explain why her friend looked like she hadn’t slept in days.

Emma, on the other hand, looked perfectly put-together. Her outfit was elegant, in a minimalistic sort of way; a beige raincoat over a tight-fitting black turtleneck, and a pair of jeans. Her makeup was also minimal, but flawless, and her blonde hair neatly braided, French style. The contrast between her composed appearance and Persephone’s haggardness couldn’t have been starker. "Wow" Despite the mess, the apartment was undeniably beautiful, and she couldn’t help but admire it "This place is amazing... everything looks great." She moved closer to the floor-to-ceiling windows, trying to take in the view despite the downpour. "Just black, thanks" she called out to Pers "I try to keep it healthy... those things really add up" Her smile was a little strained, her mind still on the clutter, and what it might mean.

Sitting down on the couch, she crossed her legs and took a sip of the coffee, holding the cup for warmth. She was acutely aware of how out of place she might have seemed in the apartment—so put-together, while Persephone looked like she was running on fumes. They had exchanged small talk just yesterday at the coffee shop, so she knew the usual "How are you?" was nothing more than a way to break the ice.

"I'm fine, you know. Nothing new since last night" she said softly, trying to force herself to look into Pers bloodshot eyes "But how are you really doing?" Both of them knew something was off, but she needed to hear it from Pers. Give her the opportunity to pour her heart out.

Persephone smiled weakly at Emma's compliments. She replied, "Yeah, the company actually owns the space. I've just been assigned to it while I'm in London. When I'm working, they drive me aroud in a company car, give me pretty much inlimited discrtionary spedning for food, clothing, and so on... It's ...nice, I guess."

She took her coffee from the coffee table, now cold, and sipped it. When Emma asked her how she was really doing, Persephone could feel a breakdown coing on.

No. That won't do anyone any good. Suck it up, you wimp.

She closed her eyes and breathed for a moment, regaining her composure. She looked at Emma and began her story.

"So. Um, this is gonna sound strange, and you probably won't believe me, but I swear, Emma, it's true! OK?"

She gulped hard and contiinued.

"So, after graduation, I went to Stanford and studied computer science and marketing and wanted to write that art app I always used to talk about, right? Well, I met a girl there, Meredith, and fell in love. We worked on the app together. We raised venture capital -- a lot of it. Several hundred thousand dollars. This was gonna be BIG and it felt like my dreams were coming true. We incorporated as an LLC, started hiring, working on prototypes, alpha testing, the whole nine. We did market studies and it looked like, if we could position it properly, it could be a major player. Meredith found this mysterious angel investor to come in witih a big sum -- millions, this time. She insisted he was a sure bet, so I leveraged all my savings. I was so excited, and so confident, even my parents bought in; they basically put their retirement funds on the line. "

Persephone stopped for a moment, as tears began to roll down her face. She sniffled and conitnued.

"We had all this debt, Emma. And then, without warning, she took it. All of it. Meredith emptied our accounts and disappeared. We couldn't pay our devs. Our product was DOA. We would have no way to generate income or pay back the debt. My money -- my parents' money - was gone. All of it. I... I panicked. i didn't know what to do. I went back to the angel investor that Meredith had brought in -- I hadn't met with him prior, but he was willing to meet with me -- and explained the situation. He was empathetic; he was kind; he was was fabulously wealthy; he was, in a word, my savior. My life's work, my parent's retirement -- everything -- he could save it all. All I needed ot do was ... sign his contract."

She sobbed now, nearly wailing with pain, in between sentences, as she continued.

"I didn't know what else to do! I... I couldn't let that happen to my parents. My parents, Emma! I signed it all over to him. All of me. Body and soul. He wrote a check, I paid off my debts, launched my app, and... it failed. We made enough to pay the devs and the intiail investors, but nowhere near enough to pay back the angel investor. Not that it mattered. I had signed myself over to him."

Her sobbing subsided and she turned to Emma and looked directly at her. She said, "I sold my soul for that money, Emma. Like, literally. To a devil. The angel investor worked for the being that now owns me. Like a certified, fire and brimstome, biblical demon, Emma. I am not joking. I'm doomed for all eternity to serve a demon and do its bidding. And I knew what I was doing when I did it, but I couldn't see any other way. I was such an idiot..."

She looked down at the coffee table and shook her head. Her voice was hollow now, defeated. She continued, "So now, I travel around the world in fabulous luxury, getting people to sign away their souls, just like what happened to me. And sometimes, Emma? Sometimes I don't close a deal; sometimes I have to... enforce a contract. and that means, when someone's time is up... I..."

She pulled her legs up onto the sofa and hugged them against her chest, hard. She began to shake and shiver, unable to speak.

Emma assumed Persephone was about to tell her how she got into escorting, and at first, everything seemed to align with the narrative she imagined: her partner, lover, and friend fleeing with all the money, then going back to the investor, signing over ‘everything’ for another chance at success.

She didn’t flinch when Pers said she ‘sold her soul to the devil’. At first, she thought it was just a metaphor. But when she insisted it was all real, Emma blinked and frowned.

The story was getting stranger and stranger by the second. What the hell was going on???

Pers sounded sincere, but the words didn’t make any sense. How could she have signed herself over to a devil? Was she having a psychotic break over everything that happened? Was she off her meds? Using drugs? The idea that she actually did sell her soul was worse than any of the more plausible options.

She didn’t rule out the possibility of demons existing. After all, she knew vampires were real, and Bev had mentioned a ‘demon hunter’ friend. But she was desperately hoping that Persephone was totally off her rocker rather than making a conscious choice to sell her soul.

Whatever the case, this was bad. Real bad. She wasn’t equipped to help her one way or the other.

She hesitated, struggling to figure out what to say. "Pers… this is horrible." She put her coffee down on the table and reached out to take her hands. She wanted to tell her everything would be okay, that they’d figure this out somehow, but she couldn’t. There was no comforting way to say everything will be okay when Pers was talking about selling her soul to a demon and spending the rest of eternity in hell. This wasn’t something she could fix with reassuring words and a tub of ice cream.

She shifted, trying to think through it. Maybe this wasn’t just a spiritual crisis. Maybe Persephone was suffering from something medical. That’s what Emma wanted to hope for at this point.

"Look, I don’t even know what to say to all of this" Her tone softened, and she rubbed her thumb over Persephone’s hand. "I think you need some rest. It’ll be good for you, at least to clear your head. Maybe things will make more sense after you get some sleep. Take a break. Take care of yourself."

She paused before continuing, unsure of how to broach the next part, but knowing she had to say it "And maybe… maybe you need to talk to a professional. A doctor? Or, a priest?" A doctor could help rule out the possibility that she is hallucinating it all, or help her if she was. And, if she really believed she made a contract with a demon, maybe a priest could guide her, help her repent, or whatever they do. Maybe that would be enough to set her mind at ease...

Persephone laughed bitterly. "Ha! You think I’m insane. Well, I guess I don’t blame you. I didn’t truly believe it either, not until I saw it for myself. Ok. I guess I’ll just… show you."

She sighed heavily and stood. She stepped around the coffee table and took up a position across from Emma. She looked at Emma and said, "I’m going to show you what I have become. But please, I promise I won’t hurt you, ok? You’re safe."

She called on the fell power within, imbued within by her infernal pact.

Persephone closed her eyes and, for a moment, nothing happened. No, that’s not right; something happened, but it was subtle. There was a sound, an energy, like an old CRT TV turning on, and a sudden change in air pressure in the room.

Persephone opened her eyes and they were oily black. Smoke began to flow up and out of them, forming a halo around her head. Her skin grew pale, translucent, and her bones began to shift visibly under her skin, twisting into unnatural shapes — jagged, spiky shapes — shapes for rending flesh. Her shirt tore from the jagged bones and gray, fibrous wings sprouted from her back. They resembled giant moth wings, but with wisps of smoke coming off them.

She held her arms out to her sides and spoke. Her voice sounded unnatural, an octave lower, and like there were three of her speaking at once. She said, "This is my true form, Emma. I’m… I’ve become… a monster."

And then she put her arms down and the transformation reversed. But this time, a vortex of smoke whirled around her and dissipated, leaving only Persephone, the human Persephone. Now her clothes were torn, however. And strangely, she looked revitalized. The circles beneath her eyes were gone. The color had returned to her face. She looked fresh and new.

Emma’s breath caught in her throat as she watched Persephone’s transformation unfold before her eyes. Part of her wanted to recoil, or flee, but a far stronger part of her was captivated by awe. She had seen things that defied logic before. She invited a vampire to bite her. She has seen Benji effortlessly lift a slab of stone that weighed several metric tons. But this… this was different. Something from beyond.

Persephone wasn’t just a person anymore. She was a monster. Translucent skin, stretched tight across jagged, deformed bones. Empty voids for eyes with smoke pouring from them. Massive smoky wings unfurling form her back, and voices that sounded like thunderous chorus.

Despite the surreal, terrifying spectacle before her, she couldn’t help but feel drawn in by it. It was beautiful, in a way. A primal presence greater than her own understanding. Terrifying, and magnificent, like looking into the heart of some cosmic force. She felt so small and insignificant, and for a brief moment, understood what it was to gaze upon something beyond humanity – not just in power, but in meaning.

When the transformation reversed and the smoky wings dissolved, Perspone looked more alive than ever, as if she transcended human vitality. She looked so much more vibrant, with the weariness gone from her face.

Emma was still reeling as she looked at her, struggling to process everything she had just witnessed.

What the hell did this all mean?

Demons.
The Devil.
The creation of the world.
Hell.
God...

Was Persephone now a damned soul, or a demon in the making? Could she be saved, or was her fate to be bound for eternity in hell. She couldn’t make sense of it. Didn’t even know where to begin.

She sighed as she pushed the braided lock of hair behind her shoulder and slowly sank back down onto the couch.
"I swear, I’m like some kind of weirdness magnet" she muttered under her breath. Her voice was quiet, almost a little breathless. "This is a lot to take in."

She paused as she tried to get her thoughts in order, deciding to focus on the practical. She couldn’t comfort Persephone with empty reassurances. She couldn’t pretend she was fine with any of it. With what Pers has done to herself, and to others. But maybe… maybe there was something to be done.

"The contract you signed… I mean, you don’t seem particularly happy, right? Are you sure there’s no exit clause? No terms or conditions that could, maybe, let you out of this? How does this whole thing even work?"

Persephone's mouth dropped open an her head tilted to one side. "You're a weirness magnet?? That's all? Huh. I guess I expected you to freak out or something."

She collapsed back onto the sofa across from Emma, looking and feeling more comfortable, energetic, and at ease that she had in weeks. She'd been avoiding taking on the demonic form; it was evil, after all, and good for nothing but death. Or so she had thought. Apparently it could also cure hangovers and sleep deprivation! It felt pretty great, actually. Persephone was equal parts excited and afraid.

She nodded as Emma asked about the contract and replied, "It's irrevocable. In principle my patron can offer me my freedom in exchange for something I might give them, or do for them. But here's the thing; everything it wants, everything it has me do, is evil. I... Emma, I had to kill a man two nights ago! I mean, I was supposed to, but I ended up just convincing him to OD. And he did! I might not have done the deed directy, but he is dead because of me."

Persephone's eyes began to well up with tears, but she shook her head in self-disgust and stopped them. She continued speaking, in a level tone.

"Every time I do something my patron wants, I lose a little of myself. If I ever do pay off my debt to my patron, I don't know if there will be any of me left...So I'm not sure waht to do."

For a moment she looked forlorn, despairing. Then a grim determination set in and she grit her teeth and frowned. She spoke again, but this time there was anger and conviction in her voice.

"No. That's not true. There is something I can do. I might be damned, but I can still use these powers to help poeple, too. There's no rule that says I can't. And first and foremost, I can help others who might be trapped by demonic power and influence. Like your friend Kat. She is a kept woman, and whoever keeps her is a demon. I'm sure of it. Now, your other friend, Sarah, I'm less sure of, but I suspect it may be something similar. Emma, I want to help them. To use my power, and influcence, to help free them."

"Yeah, I’m dealing with all sorts of craziness lately." Emma’s tone was surprisingly calm, more than it had any right to be given what she had just witnessed. But she chose not to elaborate. She didn't want to make the conversation about her.

Her eyes did narrow when Persephone spoke about the consequences of her deal, unable to hide a hint of disappointment. Persephone had sold her soul—she could understand the desperation, and that she regretted her choice. But dragging other people into it?? That crossed a line. It wasn’t just about being a victim anymore. It was no longer a 'mistake' - she was making a conscious choice to delay her reckoning at the expense of other people's immortal souls. Something in her was annoyed with seeing her crying for herself, knowing what she was choosing to do was basically worse than murder.

She pushed those feelings aside. Emma was good at compartmentalizing inconvenient truths, especially when she couldn’t do anything about them.

"Demons exist, right? Does that mean Jesus does too? What else is out there?" she didn't expect Pers to answer, but to give her some food for thought "Maybe there is another way to break this contract. But your patron probably hasn’t told you about it because—why would he? It benefits him to keep you bound to him. There has to be more to it, and we need to find someone who knows about this kind of stuff, because honestly, I don’t think we have the full picture here."


She stiffened when Pers mentioned Kat. Part of her didn’t want to believe her new friend could ALSO be involved with demons (what were the odds?) But she couldn’t ignore what Persephone was saying: "I can tell you who Kat is associating with, but be careful. You can’t just waltz in and confront him. He’s a very powerful man."

It was surprising just how much information Pers was able to glean in that short interaction with Kat and Sarah. Maybe someone with Pers demonic nature had a supernatural sense about these things.

"And about Sarah…" she sighed softly "I was just about to head to her apartment to try to get some answers myself. I’ve got a roommate I need to talk to too." She decided to let Persephone in on a bit of what she knew. There was no harm in it, really. "Sarah’s been fed on by a vampire. Multiple times. That’s why I took her in. To protect her. But I’m worried that whoever sees her as his property might come back to ‘reclaim’ her."

Persephone shrugged at Emma’s theological questions. "I dunno? I mean, yeah, they’re demons, but they don’t seem especially Biblical or anything. I assume angels exist to counterbalance the demons but, maybe not? Who said the universe had to be balanced?"

She shook her head in doubt at the topic of breaking the contract. "Maybe?? Sure don’t know about it. I guess we could do research? I don’t even know where to begin with that…"

When Kat and Sarah came up, Pers replied, "yeah of course he’s powerful. He’s either a demon or a senior henchman to be putting off that much infernal stink. But yeah, I’ll be careful."

After that, all she could says is, "Wait WHAT? Or you telling me vampires are REAL? Ohmigod… heeeyyy wait a minute! Was your book… like, a field report???"

"Gosh, my first book?" She put an emphasis on the word 'first', since her next novel was indeed very much a personal journal chronicling her life. "No... I got so many things wrong back then. I didn’t know the first thing about vampires." She let out a soft sigh "But when I started researching for my new novel, someone reached out. He claimed to be a real-life vampire, and proposed an exclusive interview." She paused, her fingers idly brushing her hair. She could have told her about her meeting with the vampire lord. How she carefully designed tomake herself irresistible to him. How she allowed him to feed from her. His growing obsession. But what did it matter now? She didn’t want to dwell on these details right now, and besides; Eliot was gone, and it didn’t look like he was ever coming back.

"So here I am," she brought herself back to the moment "I’ve gotten a lot better at spotting them in a crowd since then. And their victims..." She made a reference to Sarah, without speaking her name.

She looked out the floor-to-ceiling windows at the pouring rain. The dull gray sky, obscuring the light of the sun for so many days now. She drifted for a moment before turning her eyes back at Pers.

"There is so much more going on, but I haven’t had time to look into them yet. Everything’s moving so fast." She gave a small shrug, like the chaos was just another part of her life she was getting used to.

"But I know a few people. I can ask around if you want. There’s definitely someone out there who knows more than what you are being told"

Persephone raised her hand in disbelief and asked, "Wait a minute. You got contacted by an elder vampire... for an interview? Wasn't that... from that book? By the romance author? What was her name..." She waved it off and focused on the topic at hand.

She again raised her hands up next to her face in confusion and exclaimed, "Wait, what‽ You 'know people' who might be able to help me with my demon problem?! You know vampires?? Emma! What is happening with you?"

She shook her head in disbelief and then looked at Emma and said, "How did we get involved in all this?!" She sighed. "I miss when we could just go shopping together and talk about our crushes and that big Brit Lit essay we were working on... I miss our friendship. How can we find our way back to that, with ... all this in our lives now?"

She looked sad and added, "And Emma, I'm sorry. I've... I've been selfish, and stupid, and I should have reached out a long time ago. And I should have told you. And... Well, I'm sorry." She reached out a hand to squeeze Emma's.

"Anne Rice?" Emma stifled a smile. Obviously, she knew the author. She read all her books; not only the famous ‘Interview with a Vampire’ from the Vampire Chronicles, but the other book series as well, including the ones which were mostly smut. "Her books are obviously all fictional. Real vampires aren’t suave 19th-century gentlemen seducing innocent maidens. They’re predators. Like sharks. Or snakes"

She said it with a casual shrug, as though discussing the nature of supernatural predators was just another day in her life. Unlike Persephone, Emma embraced the supernatural world with an almost giddy fascination, reveling in the strangeness of it all. She wasn’t bound to hell, after all, so she wasn’t overwhelmed by doom and gloom like her friend.

"Are you kidding me?" her lips curled into a smile when Pers reminisced about the old times "We have much more interesting stuff to gossip about now!! And you should see the red dress I got for the recent gala. Even vampires could feel their blood running hot in their icy veins looking at me!"

She instinctively hesitated for just a split second when Pers reached to grasp her hand. Pers was a monster, and something primal inside her recoiled at her touch. But once she overcame the sensation, she pushed the thought out of her mind and folded her other hand over Persephone's, trying to reassure her: "Hey, don’t worry about it. You weren’t in London anyways until recently, right?"

Persephone listened in amazement as Emma described her experience with vampires. "Oooh you have to show me that dress, then!" she commented.

When Emma mentioned how long Persephone had been in London, however, her eyes dropped. In a small voice, she said, "I've... been here for over a month. I saw you in the coffee shop before, but I couldn't bring myself to approach you. I had missed your wedding, I had let us drift apart, I was... a fricking demon... So it took me a little while to build up the courage to 'accidentally' run into you at the cofee shop that day. Emma..." she raised her eyes to meet Emma's again. "I'm so glad I did. You've given me something I haven't felt in a long time. Hope."

"My wedding was months ago, and you weren't in London. Don't stress over it" Emma certainly didn't "I'll ask around about this whole demon thing, see if I can dig up something useful. I know a few people who might know more about what you're dealing with. Might take a little while, but I’ll try to get some answers" she promised

She glanced at her phone and noted the time, already mentally gearing up for her next errand. Someone else she promised to help. She picked up her coffee and finished it quickly, a little surge of energy before dealing with a bit more madness

"I’ve gotta get going. I’m heading to Sarah’s apartment to see if I can find any clues about what’s going on with her" she stood up, pausing for a moment as she gathered her thoughts "You're welcome to join me if you want. But if you do, follow my lead on this, okay?" Her eyes sparkled with that mix of excitement and mischief she always wore when she was heading into something unpredictable.

Persephone nodded and looked up at Emma as she stood. And for the first time since they'd reconnected, Emma saw Persephone smile authentically, without pain clouding her eyes.

She said, "I'd like to come. I want to help. But...uh... I wrecked my clothes. Lemme change!"

She dashed off to the bedroom. Emma heard her rifling through things and saw the occasional rumpled garment tossed past the open door. A few minutes later, Persephone returned, dressed more properly. She wore a thick heather gray turtleneck and a black raincoat, with loose charcoal-color pants, and some expensive urban walkers that were good for the wet. She grabbed an umbrella near the door -- one of those large, wind-proof ones, with a glossy wood-grain handle -- and looked at her outfit, and Emma's. She said, "Do we look too twinsies? We could be, like, the fashion police here. Detectives Emma and Persephone are on the case!"

"Nothing like saving the day and looking fabulous while doing it" she smirked when Pers joined her in matching outfit. Grabbing her own umbrella, she walked out of the apartment and waited for Pers to lock the door behind them

Sarah's apartment was located in a grimy concrete building with a facade covered in graffiti and peeling posters for local clubs. The narrow alley to its side reeked of alcohol, urine, and wet cardboard boxes. With the umbrella held high above her head to shield her from the pouring rain, Emma fumbled through the pocket of her raincoat and fished out her phone, so she could remind herself of the apartment number before ringing the buzzer.

Calmly stepping up to the door, Emma stood next to the big burly man and glanced at him briefly, giving him a knowing nod. She waited patiently to see if anyone would open the door, or for him to give up and leave, so she could try her own method to coax Chablis out.

Persephone followed Emma toward and into the building, stepping carefully around various bits of gross debris. When they arrived at the hallway to Sarah's apartment and saw the man banging on the door, Pers leant over to Emma and asked, "Chablis? Is that Sarah's roommate? Or...? And who is this odious man? I don't care for him at all."

Persephone stood back, tense and on guard, as Emma stepped up to the door. Something inside Persephone wanted violence, but she ignored that. For now.

When the slimeball propositioned Emma and her, Persephone stepped forward aggressively. She was struggling to contain the demon as it surged forward, smelling blood. "Oh, pretty girls like us can find work, huh? The folks I work for would eat you for lunch, you scumbag."

She stepped closer to the man looking up at him with disgust. She said, "I have a friend, very near by, who tears people apart for a living. And I mean that quite literally. If I call him, he will come, quickly, and you won't like what happens next. So why don't you run along now, and leave Sarah alone for a while, ok?"

Emma stepped in front of Pers to deliberately take the focus away from her friend. "What’s the matter with you, Claire?" she didn't bother hiding the anger in her voice "I can use the money"

She gave the bouncer a once-over, trying to reassure him with a submissive smile "I’ve got bills to pay. What kind of work are we talking about here? If Sarah could do it, I'm sure I could, too"

She could feel Persephone’s gaze on her, and though she wasn’t exactly thrilled with the turn the situation had taken, she gave her a quick warning glance.

"Bella" she gave Gene a polite smile and a fake name as she shook his hand "Nice to meet you, Gene."

She paused for a beat, glancing back toward Persephone to make sure she was staying in the background, or at least following her lead, like she specifically asked her to back in her apartment "We’re friends of Sarah’s" she continued "but we haven’t heard from her in days. We thought we’d drop by, see if she was alright."

She shifted slightly, focusing in on his earlier words "You said she’s been ‘erratic’—what exactly do you mean by that?"

"You must have been pretty close" she murmured. Gene knew Sarah's parents. She was expected to remember his birthday. It seemed like Sarah had opened up to him in ways she hadn’t to Emma. She let that hang in the air for a moment, then continued in a more casual tone: "We only know her through a mutual... friend"

She glanced down at the door, then back to Gene "I guess if she’s not answering, there’s not much we can do here" She shrugged lightly, as if it wasn’t a big deal "So, are you really looking for new girls?"

Persephone stood back and watched Emma handle the situation much more deftly that Persephone would have, with her stormy feelings muddling her good sense. She had not been the type to choose violence before; but since taking the demon form this morning, she’s had a craving for a fight.

Persephone played along. "Sorry, I… I thought you trying to hurt Sarah. Bella’s right; we are looking for work. Whatever you got."

Persephone struggled to keep her cool…

Stepping a little closer, Emma let her hand brush lightly over Gene's as she spoke, a playful yet needy edge to her voice.
"Come on, aren't we pretty enough for you?"

So, Sarah is a stripper. That means the vampire feeding on her could be any one of her regulars. Emma's desire to get into the club only grew stronger. She was eager to talk to people close to her, see what clues she could uncover.

Since a turtleneck was far less revealing than any of her club dresses, and she was never shy about showing off her body, she smoothly removed her coat, letting it drop to the floor with a quiet rustle. Her sweater huged her form, flattering her curves while still leaving much to the imagination. She shifted slightly, turning her body sideways so he could get a better appreciation of her silhouette.

"... do you like what you see?" she teased him, knowing that confidence was part of the game.

Persephone stepped back, allowing Emma to run the show. She watched her manipulate this man like a pro.

Where did she learn all this?? I’ve never seen her like this before. She’s really changed too, apparently.

Persephone recounted to herself what she knew about this situation.

So, Sarah is an exotic dancer, with a greasy but apparently kind manager. But a vampire has been feeding in her — maybe a regular customer. So Emma’s plan is to… become a dancer too? In hopes of … what? Being the next victim? Why can’t we just go as customers on the next night Sarah is scheduled to dance? See who shows up? Wait a minute… does Emma know how to spot vampires? Because unless they look like Bella Lugosi or something, I have no idea.

Persephone suddenly felt very out of her depth. She chuckled ruefully at that; after all, just an hour ago, she was prepared to rock Emma’s world. But now, it seems, the tables were turned.

Huh, she’s actually a good dancer. She might pull this off!

Gene's strictly professional interest in her did sting for a bit, but she shakes it off quickly, assuming he wasn't interested in women at all "Velvet Sin" Emma looks at the card, noting that the club was just around the corner, before slipping it into her purse. She never heard of the place, but she always avoided strip clubs. Not that she had any problem with nudity (the show she took her in-laws to watch had its fair share), but she preferred the idea that the dancers wanted to be there, something she couldn’t always guarantee in places like these.

"Let's go check it out" she hinted to Pers as she picked up her coat "Morning's always the best time to talk to the boss. Night's the busiest. You know how it goes" She keeps her voice light, hoping Pers will get the drift.

"So, what kind of people come to Velvet Sin?" She gives him a quick glance, feigning concern about the kind of money she might be making, but actually, her real interest lies with understanding what kind of clientele frequents the club "Is it a good gig?"

Persephone stood by, feeling foolish. She swallowed her pride and spoke up.

"Pardon me, I... I wanted to apologize, sir. I only met Sarah recently and got the impression that she was struggling, possibly in trouble. When I came around the corner and saw you banging on the door with a raised voice, well, I thought you were the source of her trouble. I can see now that you are the opposite; you are her friend. So I am sorry I jumped to the wrong conclusion; I was just trying to help Sarah."

She shrugs sheepishly and adds, "And I would approeciate a chance to audiiton as well...Here, how about this?"

Persephone removes her coat, hands it to Emma, and steps back. She bends forward, placing her hands on the floor, and goes into a handstand in the middle of the hallway. As she does so, she slowly brings her legs into forward splits, and then returning to standing.

She looks at Emma, shrugs, and says, "Mom wanted me to be a gymnast."

Persephone stands back up and tries to regain her dignity, but she largely fails.

She looks at Emma, almost apologetically, and says, "OK look. I met Sarah at a party the other night and she seemed upset. Someone said that a customer of hers had been showing ... more interest than Sarah was comfortable with, acting like he owned her. And I... well, I have experience being owned, treated like property, not getting to decide what I do with my body. So I wanted to help. Like, I don't want what happened to me to happen to anyone else, ok? But it sounds like you're trying to look out for her, and that makes me feel a lot better about your club."

Emma let out an inward sigh. She’d tried her best to steer the conversation away from Sarah, shifting the focus to the club and its clientele. But as soon as Persephone mentioned Sarah’s name again, Gene’s attention circled back to that topic, and they were back to square one. Now they would need to tell more lies, and each one had the potential to unravel their whole story.

"We last saw her about a week ago, at our mutual friend’s place" she kept her tone casual "She seemed pretty withdrawn, so no surprise she went there for a little 'pick-me-up.'" She shrugged and allowed Gene to fill in the blanks as she unfolded her umbrella and stepped out into the street. The walk to the club was short, thankfully, so she wouldn’t have to endure much more of his questioning.

"When was the last time you saw her? And where?" she asked in return. She was intentionally keeping him distracted and running the clock, letting him answer her questions until they were practically at the door.

"I asked him if he's seen her, and he didn't" She was going to leave it at that. Gene couldn't expect that she would tell him the name of every one of her associates. They've only just met! "We will let you know if there is any sign of her" she hoped that would be the end of the conversation, but either way, she was determined not to answer any more of his questions.

Persephone followed Emma as she walked with the man toward the door, hoping to avoid any further questioning as well. She added only, "I'm sorry, I don't know his name."

She nodded in agreement when Emma asked him to let her know if there's any sign of her and turned to leave.

"You're going to make me think you don't want us to sign with you" it was very odd of Gene to try to dissuade them after the 'audition' back at Sarah's apartment. She gave him a once over, before nodding "We're already here, so we might as well meet your boss and see what he has to offer us"

Emma briefly scanned the room, taking in the disorganization and general lack of care. Papers scattered across the desk, the unsophisticated approach to business. This club clearly wasn’t raking in the big money. The 'boss' (who hadn't even thought to introduce himself), didn't ask for any ID to make sure they were of age, if only to make sure he covered his fat ass. His lax attitude said it all; she had no illusions that this was a high-end establishment, and she wouldn't be surprised if there were a few illicit activities going on in the back rooms.

There was no point trying to interrogate this guy; he was too busy running things into the ground to answer their questions, and they could only raise his suspicion by staying in his office. She would have have better luck searching the locker room or any backrooms they might have for clues. Maybe some of the other dancers had seen or heard something useful.

"Sure; where do we change?"

Persephone followed along with Emma, wondering why they were doing this. When told they could perform immediately, Persephone froze. She stood there silently and watched Emma truly commit to this, going further than Persephone was willing to go. She did not share that now, however. Rather, she planned to accompany Emma to the changing area and speak to her about it there.

The first thing Emma noticed when she stepped into the changeroom was the smell. It was stale and musky, barely hidden beneath a thick cloud of cheap perfume. The room itself was small, rundown, and clearly hadn’t been properly maintained in ages. The walls were lined with lockers—some labeled, some with their names scratched out. A few lockers were piled high with discarded outfits, forgotten socks, and old shoes. A large metal hanger stood in the center, holding a collection of skimpy outfits, and Emma immediately made a beeline for it.

"You know" she spoke to Pers as she picked through the clothes "at first I thought maybe one of the clients was a vampire feeding on the strippers, but the more I think about it, the less it makes sense." She pulled out a naughty schoolgirl outfit, holding it up to examine. She had half a mind to swipe it, but then quickly dismissed the idea. She didn’t have a bag to hide it in. "But that would attract too much attention, right? If one of the dancers had to call in sick every time he visited"


She flipped through the rack, pausing to study each outfit more closely "So maybe it’s one of the dancers themselves. It's like having dinner delivered right to your door every night. If one of the customers gets a bit too worn out after his backroom visit, she could always blame it on the alcohol."


Her fingers brushed against the next outfit, scanning the fabric for any signs. Any smudge or stain. Blood was hard to get out, even if the outfits were sent to the wash regularly. She knew from experience that feeding wasn’t always as clean as people liked to think, especially if it was done in a hurry.

"Check the drawers of the vanity" she suggested to Pers, while she was looking through the outfits "..and maybe the trashcans"

Persephone followed Gene and Emma to the club. By the time they entered, Pers was walking with her arms wrapped around her, a look of discomfort on her face. When Gene turned to them and asked if they were sure they wanted to do this, Persephone looked immediately to Emma, who stuck with her story.

They shuffled in to meet the boss, an odious man in a filthy office. Ew. This scumbag can't be a vampire, can he? Persephone realized she had absolutely no idea if vampires looked like sexy aristocrats, like in Anne Rice, or anachronistic and unsettling menaces, like in Bram Stoker, or hideous monsters, like in the film Nosferatu.

They filed out of the office and headed to the changing room. Along the way, Gene apologized for Ray's behavior. Persephone glanced at Emma, arched an eyebrow, and replied, "The owner doesn't seem very nice... I guess being the owner comes with a lot of financial stress? Oh wait, he is the owner, right? Or just the manager?"

When they arrived at the changing room, she waited for Gene to leave before turning to Emma, who immediately went to the rack of probably used and sweaty stripper clothes. She stepped next to her to get her attention and said, "Emma! What are you doing?! Are you gonna go through with this??"

As Persephone spoke, Emma whirled through the area, and it dawned on Pers what she was up to. A search! Oh my god she thinks she's Nancy Drew. Honey, this is no game... Concern for her friend in her voice, Persephone added more softly, "Don't you think this has gone far enough?" She sighed, rolled her eyes, and acquiesced, with a "OK fine, but let's just be quick and then get out, ok?"

As Emma proposed her hypotheses, Persephone scanned the place. She listened to Emma and then replied, "I have no idea... I mean, aren't vampires rich and powerful? Why would one want to be a stripper? I'd guess it's the owner, which definitely is not that Ray guy, not another dancer."

She continued her scan of the area.

"No, not all vampires are rich. In fact, many of them aren't. It’s really not that important to them. Money, I mean. Most of them don’t care for it the way humans do" She lowered her voice "Some barely scrape by. And then there's a whole other class of vampires. The ones I call 'Morlocks.' They're… crazy. Seriously. They live underground, in the sewers mostly. You can’t even really call them people anymore. They're ancient, older than most of us, and they kidnap humans to feed on. And yeah - they’re completely insane. The older they get, the worse it is"

She sighed in frustration as she scanned the rows of outfits again. Nothing. Not a single clue. No blood stains, no signs of anything unusual. This was a total waste of time. She hadn’t expected much, but she was still disappointed to come up empty-handed.

"Well, that was a bust" she muttered under her breath, and with a nod to Pers, started heading toward the door "- Let’s get out of here."

Persephone smiled at the cook and said, "Not sure yet? Hey hon, is that Ray guy the owner? 'Cause he wasn't very nice... I figured, if I could maybe... get on the good side of his boss, if you know what I mean -- the owner, I assume? -- it might be easier for me here. Do you know who they are, or is it just Ray?"

"You know, that was actually kinda fun" Emma's excitement was palpable once they were back out on the street. She got a rush out of lying her way into the club, and the spark of exhilaration in her eyes was unmistakable "If only we could find something useful in there. Oh well!"

She lead the two back toward Sarah's apartment. Now that Gene was gone, they could try their own luck with Chablis. She pulled her phone out from her purse and dialed her number, but no one picked up, and it was dead quiet on the other side of the door. No faint ring of a phone. Nothing.

With a small, teasing smile, she pulled a couple of bobby pins from her purse "Learned this trick from someone. Watch my back, I'll only need a couple of minutes" and without hesitation, she knelt down in front of the lock, bending the pins then working them into the mechanism.

Persephone followed Emma, but couldn't help feeling like she was being pulled along faster than she was comfortable with. How does Emma do this? She just... dives in and nothing phases her. I am still trying to wrap my head around vampires... It took me months to come to terms with being a demon. OK, well, that may still be a work in progress, but still... It's like she was born to this world...

They arrived back at Sarah's apartment to find it locked. Emma pulled a hairpin out, or something, and knelt before the door to supposedly unlock it. "Hon, this isn't the movies, you can't just..."

*Click!* The lock opened, to Persephone's great surprise.

"What in the..."

She put her hand on Emma's shoulder an got her to turn and face her. She looked at her with disbelief and said, "Who are you? How is all this -- vampires, demons, picking a lock -- normal for you? You're like a character in Scooby Doo! But, like, with Velma's brain in Daphne's body!"

Another rush of excitement surged through her as she heard the click of the lock opening. Cheeks flushed from the thrill, she gave Pers a tight-lipped smile: "Come on, this is no different than when we snuck into the Arctic Monkeys concert and ended up meeting Andy backstage. We can't just sit at home all day and expect something amazing to happen."

She turned, pushing the door handle down and peeked inside "Besides, what’s the worst that could happen?"

She had always managed to skirt by on her looks and charm since she was a teen, finding ways to dodge any consequences even when she did get caught. It had become second nature to her, so she didn’t question it anymore, assuming she will always be able to get away with it all. Besides, she was too addicted to the thrill of doing something dangerous, and enthralled by all the secrets she uncovered, to ever give up that part of her life.

Waiting for Persephone to follow her in, she quietly closed the door behind them and turned on the light switch, eager to start their search through the apartment.

A look of amazement spread across Persephone's face. Is she serious??! Her mind began to rattle off all of the very many things that could go wrong, when another voice inside her, a deeper darker voice, said, You are a demon. None of that matters any more. You have already lost your mortal soul; nothing else compares.

She stood in the hallway for a moment, blinking, processing. Then she exhaled, shrugged, and heaed in after Emma.

Once within, she wrinkled her nose at the stale smell and made a face at the unpleasant sound coming through one of the walls. Worried that someone was home, she began to walk in that direction, trying to tell if it was coming from a room within this apartment, or from another unit.

Persephone grimaces and gestures to Emma. She whispers, "Emma! There's someone in there! And they're... thumping on the wall?? Oh god I hope that's not a headboard..."

She looks at Emma an says, "Should we peek?" She summons her courage and asks herself, What would Emma do? and heads to the door. She opens it a crack and peeks inside.

Emma noted the several locks on the door. It wasn’t unusual for a place in a bad neighborhood to have extra security, but it made her curious. Moving swiftly through the apartment, she checked the fridge and rifled through the cabinets, looking for anything that could tell her how long Chablis had been gone, and what kind of person she really was.

She was about to move and check the bathroom when, she, too, heard the sounds coming from the bedroom. She moved to her Pers side immediately, trying to make sense of the noise as Pers peeked through the crack.

Persephone stumbles back just in time to avoid being ...eaten? Bitten? Drank from? She doesn't even know. What she does know, however, is that she does not like this person. At all. She doesn't even want to think about who the victim is in the other room....

She regains her composure and begins to reach inside, only to find the demon within already trying to explode out of her.

Emma couldn’t help but notice the stale, rotting food inside the fridge. Half-eaten takeout, moldy fruit, expired milk. If Chablis had been living here, surely she would’ve cleaned it out by now, right?

Unless...

The noise from the bedroom broke her train of thought, and her blood ran cold. That was when it clicked, everything connected in a single moment. The multiple locks on the door? Probably to keep anyone from breaking in during the day. The heavy curtains in the living room? Designed to block out the sunlight. Chablis had been Sarah’s roommate. She was always there.

"Pers, watch out!" She called as she saw her friend moving toward the bedroom door "It’s Chablis... She’s a vampire!"

Shadow swirls around her and her skin once more becomes translucent. Bones twist, muscle and sinew stretch and throb, and her hands twist into jagged, chitinous raptorial limbs, like a human sized preying mantis made of obsidian. Emma might notice that this time Persephone's form is subtly different, adapting to the situation; no wings sprout, for example, and her skin grows plates of chitin. With the mantis arms, she looks more insectile than she did before.

Persephone speaks, that low and rumbling, three voice chorus once again emanating from her. "What have you done with Chablis?!"

Persephone growls in her demonic voice and swings her claws at the door frame next to the lunging vampire, hoping the shower of splinters, not to mention the sound and sight of Persephone, would cow the vampire for a moment.

"No, Pers! Don’t hurt her! She’s starving!!!"

Emma’s mind raced. Chablis had mostly been feeding off one person—Sarah. That didn’t make her a monster in Emma’s eyes. She heard of far worse vampires. The ones who fed indiscriminately. The ones who killed their victims without a second thought. Chablis, on the other hand, seemed to try to limit the damage. She fed on Sarah. She made sure she forgot all about it. It was still cruel and unfair, but as vampires went, was she really that bad?

That didn’t change the situation, however. Chablis was out of control; she could see it in her eyes. Nothing they could say would calm her down until she got what she needed. She almost considered offering her own blood, but she didn’t trust Chablis not to drain her dry, or bit too hard and leave a deep gash that would never heal.

This could turn into a tragedy if they didn’t figure out a way to incapacitate her.

But how?

Persephone transformed as the vampire lunged at her through the doorway, armored plates rising to the surface of her skin just in time, as the vampire's ragged teeth gouged into her now chitinous shoulder. "Arrghhhh! It burns!" she cried out. Shadow flared out of her, almost like smoke from a raging fire, and she shoved the vampire backwards, back through the door. She swang her jagged claw arm at the vampire, striking the wooden doorframe and tearing completely through it. Splinters and shards of wood exploded into the room, peppering the vampire and making an awful noise. Onlookers might not be able to tell if Persephone intentionally hit the door frame or was going for a killing blow and the frame just got in the way. Regardless, the growl, the claw, and the hundreds of wooden splinters now piercing the vampire's skin was enough to break through its ferocity. It collapsed onto its back, on the floor, looking up at Persephone in terror.

Meanwhile, the chitinous plate on her shoulder has two nasty gashes in it, and blood began to pool in the gouges from where the fangs had pierced the armor. She leant against the lone remaining door frame and breathes heavily. In between breaths, she growls, "I don't... I don't wanna hurt you. Are you... Chablis?"

Persephone turned to Emma, about to yell at her for ...but then Persephone forgot. As Emma approached, entering the dark hallway near the bedroom, she was backlit in the dusty light, giving her a glow about her, almot like an aura of beauty, or an angelic halo. Persephone's head tilted... Wow... she thought. Persephone had always found Emma to be attractive, but they had been more like sisters than lovers. Besides, Persephone didn't know if Emma was bi, and now she was married! Yeah but maybe ...No! What the hell Pers... she thought, and tried to refocus.

She turned back to Chablis and said, "Behave and maybe we can help. She, uh, knows vampires apparently. Maybe they can help."

Turning back to Emma and shaking off her own sudden arousal, Pers asked, "Can your vampire 'friends' help? I'm not feeding her and I don't know want else to do?"

"Just... keep her in the bedroom!" Emma shouted to her from the kitchen. She knew better than to approach. Chablis was likely to go wild at the scent of her blood. Instead, she quickly grabbed her phone and dialed a number, barely giving Bev a chance to pick up before she blurted out her request:

"Bev, I need your help. I’ve got a starving vampire in here. She’s desperate for blood, and I’m not letting her bite me like this. Can you get over here fast? Bring your needles and a tourniquet. We’ll need both of us to handle this"

Persephone looked around the room — could she confine Chablis here somehow? The door was damaged and probably wouldn’t help much. Then she got an idea.

Persephone growled at Chablis, saying, "We are getting you something to eat now. But I need you to wait in the closet. Now."

She stepped forward toward Chablis, hoping her menacing appearance was enough to drive her back and into the bedroom closet. Once she was in there, Pers drug the bed in front of the door, effectively trapping her inside.

"Thanks!" she blurted quickly before ending the call. She knew it will be a hassle for Bev to get away from work for a couple of hours, not to mention having to donate her own blood, but she owed Emma a favor, and right now, she really needed her help.

"Help’s on the way. 30 minutes!" she called out toward the bedroom. Chablis had already gone without blood for maybe a week, so a few more minutes wouldn’t hurt. At least, that’s what she hoped. Still, her being so close, so within reach... it could be too much for Chablis to handle.

"I’m going to wait outside. Just... keep her talking. Do whatever you can to keep her calm"

Keep her taking? About what??

Persephone sighed, a strange sound in demon form, like the low rumble of distant thunder. She tried to small talk with the scared and hungry vampire woman.

"So, uh, you’re a dancer, yeah? With Sarah? Hey did Sarah have any special customers? Like mysterious or strange or extra rich ones, that left Sarah maybe a little off afterwards?"

Persephone sighed; this was not how she imagined today going. A vampire?! Like real honest to goodness Bella Lugosi here? My life is so surreal…

She sat in the bed pushed up against the closet and listened to Chablis breathe, and plead for Sarah. Eventually she spoke, as kindly as she could, despite being in a demon body. But even as she did so, she could feel the demonic power slipping away. Apparently, if she had no plans for violence, intimidation, or similar things—if she just wanted to be calm and bring peace—the demon form began to fade.

Ignoring this discovery for the moment, Pers spoke, her demon voice tempered by her calm. "Ok food is on the way. And Sarah is safe. But someone has been hurting her, Chablis. Did someone hurt you too? Maybe bite you? Or maybe make you forget a period of time when you were alone with them? Maybe someone who had been spending time with Sarah too? I’ll tell you what, if you help me understand, I’ll make sure you are always fed, ok?"

Persephone flinches when Chablis slams the door and she wonders what she can do here. She looks down and realizes she is still bleeding. She takes her shirt off and dabs up the blood, leaving the shirt now wet from blood. She balls up the shirt and slides it under the door, saying, "here, hopefully this will satisfy you for the few more minutes you have to wait."

She has no idea how much blood vampires need and if getting just a taste will calm her or drive her into a frenzy.

As Persephone slid the bloody shirt under the door, it was ripped from her hand with such ferocity that she fell backward. The bed started sliding forward from the violent thrashing within. She had only moments to jump up and push the bed back into place!

Emma quickly stepped forward as Bev approached, hiding under her own umbrella

"Thanks for coming" her voice a little more rushed than she intended. "Here’s the deal: Chablis is inside. She’s a vampire, starving, and too far gone to control herself" she fixed her eyes on Bev, hoping she was ready for the plan Emma had in mind: "Did you bring your blood transfusion set, like I asked? I’m thinking we draw blood from both of us, and feed it to her through the tube. That way, we can get her what she needs without allowing her to bite us." She continued talking as they climbed up the stairs "I have a friend keeping watch over her, but I'm not sure how much longer she can hold her. We need to hurry"