“I’ve heard about you,” he grunted. “I’ve got money… Lots.”
I rubbed my palms against his, considering the offer. Was I an easy sellout? I hadn’t held a job in the years since I was human. Having a place to live would be nice. The Vampire part of me didn’t need sleep, but the Mage side did, so I spent a lot of time napping in movie theaters or Laundromats. It saved on rent, but I missed having a bed of my own.
“How much is lots and lots? Or did you just say lots?”
His chin pressed against his chest. “In my pocket there’s a bank card. I’ll tell you the PIN—you can take it all.”
“How many lives have you destroyed, can you count that? All because you wanted to get high from their light. Does that card belong to one of your victims?” When he didn’t answer, I sighed. Letting him go would mean issuing a death sentence to countless humans. “Sorry, Mage. The pity parade just left town.”
With my hands still gripping his, I pulled every last drop of energy until his core light snuffed out. There was an audible snap that cracked like a whip, followed by a bright flash of light. His energy tasted bitter and cold, mixing with my own like poison. I’d retain it for another day before it naturally leaked out.
I’d once overheard a Mage talking about his gift as an Infuser. Supposedly, if someone like me pulled core light out of a Mage, an Infuser could permanently seal it to my own, meaning I’d get to keep their gifts. But if that meant their dark energy would stay with me forever, then no thanks.
The darker the light, the sicker I felt. My stomach turned, and I wasn’t sure I was going to make it through the night.
The Mage gasped in disbelief, finally comprehending my full power when he felt his own mortality. Before he could protest, I lifted my blade, centered it over his heart, and drove it in to the hilt.
The best part about being a woman? I rarely paid for my own drinks in a Breed bar. Food, however, was another matter.
Vampires don’t require food to survive. But I was only half Vampire, and my Mage half was starving. Especially after the showdown earlier in the human club down the street. I still had the vile taste of bad blood in my mouth.
I took a seat next to a burly man in a red shirt. “Hey, are those any good?”
He put away a large tortilla chip loaded with meat and gave me a skeptical appraisal.
Out on the streets, most people assumed I was a human since my energy was undetectable and I didn’t look like a Vampire. In a Breed bar, it wasn’t as easy to read people with so much energy pulsing in the room. Most assumed I was either a Mage concealing my light or a Relic, since they’re genetically identical to humans. The only thing that separated them was a Relic’s ability to retain information and genetically pass it down to their children.
I gazed longingly at his nachos, wishing I had the charming abilities of a Vampire, but once again, destiny screwed me over.
“They’re not bad. I’ve had better,” he grumbled, as if implying something else.
“Mind if I try one?”
When he licked his thumb and narrowed his eyes, I gave him my best come-hither look, making sure he could only see my brown eye, which was my left one.
He nudged his plate toward me, and I chose a cluster of chips tied together with cheese, guaranteeing me the biggest bite. Some of it fell onto my lap.
“Oh, sorry about that,” I said, shoving them into my mouth. “I didn’t mean to take so many at once.” I wiped at the cheese stain, irritated since it was my only dress. “I love a real man who knows how to share. What’s your name?”
“Murphy. What Breed are you?”
Talk about a guy who got right to the point.
I could sense he was a Mage, so I chose the best possible answer he’d want to hear since there weren’t as many Mage women in the dating pool. “I’m a Mage. I’m just concealing my light for a little privacy.”
When he pulled back his plate and resumed eating, I realized he wasn’t interested. Most would have jumped at the chance to be with a female Mage, but I should have taken the time to feel him out. Every so often, I’d run into a guy who preferred Shifters, blondes, or sometimes men.
Strike one.
I searched the bar for someone else who had a plate of food in front of him. Chitahs didn’t usually share with a non-Chitah female since they had a dim view on interbreeding, so I skipped over any tall man with golden eyes. A Mage was always a safe bet, which was why I scouted them out by seeking their energy flares.
“Take it easy on those nachos, Murphy. Thanks for the bite.”
When I stood up, I spotted a man with a plate of mini burgers. I salivated, my stomach growling like a grizzly bear coming out of hibernation. I leisurely strolled toward his table, formulating a game plan. Only one man had ever offered to buy me dinner; the rest behaved like lions protecting their kill, but every so often, I found one who would share.