Chapter 3

Chapter

Three

TALULLA

F lynn Lancaster.

What does a vampire with a faint British accent and incredibly expensive taste in clothes want from Cassandra?

A vampire I can't seem to get out of my head. When I touched his icy skin, I felt warmth. How can a lifeless being give me such a reaction? His velvety fingers sent electric shocks all over my body. He felt… soothing. And that scares me. Very much. Especially now that I have to focus on my money problem. I can't spend my time investigating a random vampire with a daylight ring.

I lock Eric's office and make my way to my dorm, feeling drained from the emotional roller coaster of feelings I experienced today. I shoot a message to Cassandra to meet me at my building and then realize that my mother sent me a text. My poor mother.

MOM:

I'm trying to find a solution, sweetheart. He won't have that power over you. I love you.

TALULLA:

Don't worry, mom, I'll be okay. Love you too.

Nora Popescu is the best mom I could ever ask for. She's sweet and caring and has never had me wanting for anything in life, but there's just one thing she can't bring herself to do: leave my father. She is a firm believer that keeping him content is the only way I can have my own life.

The reality is that she grew up in an even worse environment, and my father swept her away from it like a knight in shining armor. And he did save her, and he always treats her with respect, but my father is a vampire hunter, and that meant giving me a vampire hunter education before I could even crawl. Tough love, that's what he always calls it. Denying me things I like so I can focus on what is really important: the cause . This absurd idea that we must exterminate vampirism once and for all. We, as in me and my father. He had me knowing exactly how powerful I would be from a young age.

The only vampire hunter in existence who can't be compelled.

A vampire hunter trained by the best and with the best abilities.

And now I'm ruining all his plans by wanting to stay in school and be nothing like that. Don't get me wrong, I still end up killing vampires who get in my way. But I never kill a being who isn't giving me any problems, even if it's a lifeless being. Most of them didn't even want to be turned—they didn't have a choice—and that's what my father seems to forget.

Sometimes, I feel like I am just like a newborn vampire, turned against my will. I was made into a weapon through no choice of my own, and now I'm going to use my abilities to cheat and earn money to get out of here once and for all. The end justifies the means . Isn't that what Machiavelli said?

I reach my door and find Cassandra and Asmodeus waiting for me. The blonde wizard is gazing down at her, adoring her from afar. Cassie really needs to realize how gone the guy is for her.

"You're fighting tonight, and Asmo was able to get you a meeting with the organizer."

My jaw drops.

"Based on your performance tonight, he's willing to lend you an advance that will cover your tuition, which you will then have to repay by continuing to fight."

"That is—"

"So wrong," Cassandra finishes the sentence for me.

"It is, but it's also perfect. Thank you, Asmo."

"Don't thank me yet. I don't love the idea either, but I know you'll win very easily."

"I guess this organizer guy didn't really say how long I was supposed to fight to pay back the advance."

"He did not."

"We'll worry about that later," Cassandra adds, and I nod.

"Cass?" I ask before adding, "Why does Flynn Lancaster want to talk to you?"

Cassandra's eyes go wide. "Did he approach you?"

"He came to Eric's office while we were working because of some artwork he's donating, and well… he said he'll see us soon because he has to ask you a question."

"That is… odd."

Asmodeus's stare darkens at the thought of a vampire around Cassandra. "You gotta call Set," he says. "Maybe he knows why he's looking for you."

"I'll shoot him a text and see. In the meantime, we should prepare a plan for tonight."

"Easy. We go there, I fight whoever, the organizer is impressed, I get a hefty check, and we're out."

"I have a weird feeling about this. I don't know." Cassandra comes closer, touching my arm. She wants to get a vision. She never touches anyone unless it's Asmodeus. Me? Very rarely.

"Anything?"

"Nope. But I do feel like something is coming, and I'd just feel better if we were prepared."

Asmo brushes her shoulder, trying to give her a sense of comfort. Cassandra's eyes close, and Asmo keeps a reassuring hand on her. Then the moment of silence gets interrupted by her phone. A photo of her and a guy with the same sharp features but dark eyes and light hair appears on the screen. I always saw them as so similar, yet so different. Two sides of the same coin. Set is calling us back.

"Hey, Set. You're on speaker," Cassandra informs him.

"Hey, Cassie Bear, what's up?" His voice sounds a little far and echoey. He's driving somewhere.

"Flynn Lancaster is on campus and told Talulla he needs to speak to me."

"Oh shit. Flynn is there? He didn't tell me he'd be in town," he replies, his tone remaining calm.

"Set, why does a vampire I don't know want to talk to me?"

"I know this sounds crazy, especially saying this with Talulla there, but he's not bad at all."

"He's a vampire," I state.

"A vampire who won't hurt you unless you give him a reason to do so."

I snort. "That makes no sense."

"Flynn is old. He isn't like the newbies you find here. He hasn't touched a warm body in ages."

I clear my throat, trying to stop imagining him possibly biting my neck as his only solution for nutrition. "He… doesn't feed?"

"He does, just not like you'd expect."

"What would he want to know from me, Set?"

"Maybe a name. He might be here on business."

I replay my earlier interaction with him in my head, trying to think of a possible reason why a vampire would need to ask anything to a witch. "He's here to donate some artwork to the university."

Set chuckles from the other side of the line. "He's clever, Talulla, very clever. That's clearly not why he's here."

"I know that, Set. I'm not that stupid," I hiss.

"Never said you were, Talulla. You're many things, but stupid is not one of them."

Set always treated me like part of the family, even if Cassandra came into my life only a few years back. He's like the brother I never had.

"Can we trust him?" Cassandra asks.

"Trust him? Tricky question. He's a vampire, so always be cautious, but see what he wants. It can't hurt. What I do know is that he's an honorable man. He won't touch you. Asmo?"

"Yes, bro?"

"Keep them safe."

"You know it."

We reach the address that was sent to us just twenty minutes before the fight is supposed to start. It's an old, abandoned warehouse with a packed parking lot. Even if secluded, this number of cars is still suspicious. I wonder why the authorities haven't checked this place yet. As I step inside, I laugh at the scene in front of me: the seating section is shrouded in dark lighting, and there is a big spotlight on the ring, which is right in the middle of the room. People are filling their seats, laughing, and drinking cheap beer. The smell of tobacco and sweat fills my nostrils, and as we approach the little cubicle on the left side, a sense of unease rushes through me.

I'm nervous, and I shouldn't be.

I can do this quickly. But that's the problem. I need to make sure not to accidentally kill my opponent.

"Ah, you must be Asmodeus," a man with a thick Italian accent says before turning to Cassandra and me. "Which one of these two is the fighter?"

"The blonde one," Asmodeus replies with a smirk on his face. "Her name is Talulla, and as I told you on the phone, you'll love her."

"Pleasure to meet you, Talulla. I'm Paolo, and I really hope we can do a lot of business together."

I shake his hand and nod. "Same here. Is there a locker room or somewhere where I can change?"

"Yes, of course. Follow me, it's in the back."

We walk through the crowd, and I can feel so many eyes on me—on us. We look out of place. Well, at least Cassandra and I do. Asmodeus is in his element.

"Are you sure you're up to it, kid? The other guy tonight is big." Paolo looks at me with concern in his eyes. He's probably in his fifties, with faded tattoos on his arms, and not in the shape he definitely used to be when he was my age. He wears a wedding band on his ring finger, indicating he's married and probably a father too.

"I'm a tough cookie. I'm not going to disappoint you," I reply, smiling at him.

"Well, I definitely hope so. If you win, come find me after the match. If you don't"—he turns to look at Asmodeus and Cassandra—"take her out of here through the back and don't make a scene. I don't need the paramedics and police around here."

"Will do." Asmodeus nods. Cassandra just stares in silence with clenched fists.

"Okay, then," Paolo says before turning on the lights in a locker room. "This is your spot. No one will bother you in here. You can change, and there are showers in the back too. Be ready to fight in ten."

"Perfect. Thank you, Paolo."

"Don't thank me yet." He exits the room, leaving us three alone in this space.

"I don't like this at all. We should find another way," Cassandra starts saying. "What if he's in the Mafia or something?"

"First of all, he probably is, but that's okay because I'm here to fight and not to do other illegal activities. Second of all, we are supernatural creatures. I'm sorry, but I'm pretty sure we can handle ourselves."

Cassandra's hands are still closed into fists. She's nervous. She's been feeling like this all day, and I don't know how to make her feel better.

"How about if we still feel like something is off after this fight, we leave and don't even look for Paolo? We can figure out another way to get the money."

She sighs. "Fine." Then she turns toward Asmodeus. "Let's get two seats close to the ring, just in case."

"Yes, good idea," he replies before turning to me. "Don't kill him, Tal, but fuck, I can't wait to see you fight."

"I'll be careful, I promise."

With that, they leave, and I change into boxing shorts and a sports bra. It's very tight around my chest, but it's the only way not to have my damn boobs jiggling around and giving everyone a free show.

A knock on the door lets me know it's my time to step into the ring. I crack my neck, and after checking the tape around my fingers, I decide I look legit enough to be seen. This is it. This is my way out of my family's business and into my new life. An illegal way, I know, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

I don't even see the people around me as I lock eyes with my opponent, who is already in the ring. He's easily six foot five and completely covered in tattoos, with tanned skin and a missing tooth that shows as he smiles at me. He's a professional. His crooked nose gives it away.

"Come on, little girl. Let's have some fun," he says as I step into the ring.

"Jeff, I want a clean fight. Don't kill her, please. I don't need the headache," Paolo yells from the side. "This is not a boxing match, but if the opponent taps out, it's over. Are we clear?" he adds, waiting for us to nod. Then the ref in the ring checks our shin guards for possible hidden objects.

The whistle blows, and the fight starts.

Jeff walks slowly to me with a cocky pace, thinking he can end this in a matter of seconds. What he doesn't know is that I will be doing that.

He tries to grab my arm, but I crouch down quickly, use my momentum to grab his ankle, and make him fall to the ground with no effort. The audience laughs, and I can hear many people mocking Jeff for letting a girl fight him.

"That was not nice, little girl." He gets up, and his movements get faster, but not enough to ever touch me.

"Don't call me little girl," I say before I knee him in the stomach and then elbow him on the back of his neck, making him fall like a bag of potatoes. I turn him on his back, and with no effort, I press my foot on his neck, making him choke on his own spit.

Jeff taps out not long after that.

I laugh as the people cheer my name. I give Jeff a hand to help him up, but his pride is too wounded to accept it.

I look over at Cassandra and Asmodeus, who are clapping, and then, for some weird reason, I look at the entrance. There, I find Flynn resting against the doorframe. As soon as our eyes lock, he gives me a small nod and then heads out.

Odd.

I walk to the locker room and wait for Cassandra and Asmodeus to find me. I put on a big hoodie without even bothering to change. I just want to talk to Paolo and leave this place. As if on cue, a knock on the door gets my attention.

"It's us."

"Come in, it's unlocked."

Cassandra, Asmodeus, and a very happy Paolo come into view.

"Was that good enough for you, Paolo?"

He walks to me with an envelope. "Here's a check. You're a true surprise. We have a deal. Here's how it's going to work: When I text you, you come to fight to repay what's in there. It's as simple as that. I'll try to give you at least a day's notice."

I tilt my head a little. "Why are you helping me?"

"You look like my daughter, Talulla, and I can tell when my daughter needs help. This is strictly business, but it's in my blood. If I can find a way to help someone in need, I will do that. Don't take advantage of it though. I do not like people who treat me poorly."

"Understood." I nod and thank him once again before he heads out.

"Flynn was here," I tell them as we head out of the locker room.

"Well, let's get this over with. If he has to ask me something, let's do it now so we can continue with our lives."

We head outside, and there he is, still in his dark trousers and black button-up shirt that mold perfectly to his body.

"I'm impressed, little hunter," he says as we approach him, not moving one inch.

"Don't call me that. How did you know where to find us?"

He touches his nose and smirks. Then he turns toward the two witches at my side. "Cassandra Drusus, what a pleasure to finally meet Set's sister."

"What do you want?" Asmodeus asks, cracking his knuckles.

"Cute." Flynn points at the blonde guy beside me. "Does he bite on command too?"

"Flynn, what do you want?" I ask, and I can see how happy he is to hear my voice.

"I do like the sound of my name on your lips, little hunter."

"You have a death wish," Cassandra says, laughing at what he just said. He does have a death wish. He's pissing me off so much I want to strangle him right now.

"I need to find a friend we have in common."

Her eyebrow rises. "And why would I help you find this friend?"

"That's none of your concern."

"If you want us to help you, you could at least answer a simple question," Asmodeus says, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I'm sure Set can—"

Cassandra's phone rings. She picks it up as soon as she sees who's calling. Her face falls as she hears what happened, and then she stares at Flynn.

"What the fuck did you do?" She lunges at him.

I look at him, and he's clearly confused at what she's insinuating. "Cass, what happened?" I ask her, trying to keep her from cursing Flynn.

"He drained someone," she accuses.

"What the fuck?" Flynn's confusion continues. "No, I did not." His eyebrows squish together, and his hands are up in the air, pleading his innocence.

"A werewolf was found dead on campus. Completely drained."

"Okay, first of all, I don't drink from dogs," he starts. "Second of all, I was here watching the fight, and before that, I was with Mr. I-Wanna-Fuck-My-Assistant the entire afternoon."

"The fuck did you just say?" I bark at him. "Mr. Wagner would never."

"Oh, he would," Flynn says. "You, though, I don't think you would."

"I mean, he kinda does check you out," Asmodeus adds.

"Can we focus on the real matter here? A werewolf was drained, and we need to find out who did it."

"Cool. How about I get what I want, and then you guys can go do whatever you children do at your age?"

"You're insufferable."

He smirks at me. "And you are quite the delight." Then he turns to Cassandra. "Now, where can I find Evanora Hart?"

Cassandra's head tilts a little. "Why do you need a potion mistress?"

"Because she has the recipe for something I really want, and I have a lot of money to spend."

"Evanora doesn't like strangers showing up at her place," Asmodeus states.

"Good thing I'm not a stranger, then."