Wren leaned against the door and sighed. Now that they were awake, they could feel the small crack in their protections, and the power leaking out of the apartment. Jerkwad probably came over because of it. They sighed again and went to get their kit to fix the damaged sections.

It didn’t take more than a few minutes, but Wren knew they would not be going back to sleep tonight. They never did. They were lucky to get the four hours they already had. The potion they had brewed the day before was a success. Now to find a way to make it taste like something other than dog shit and blood.

Their stomach growled. The magick they’d worked, however small, had reminded them that they hadn’t eaten yesterday. In between brewing and testing, they’d forgotten again. Grabbing a carrot out of the fridge, they opened the pantry. Maybe adding the potion to food would make it taste better? Maybe they should try it with the new pain reliever they made for a client the week before. He had let her know it was bitter even after mixing it with honey tea.

That settled it, they would be doing a lot of baking tonight.

***

It was around ten the next morning when Wren heard the front door open. They didn’t look up from their video game.

“If you’re here to murder me, let me finish this level first,” they shouted over their shoulder.

Male laughter echoed through the apartment. Wren grinned. It seemed Reese had come to visit.

Reese was their next door neighbor, and a good friend. Wren had met him when they had first moved in. He came over that next weekend in desperate need of a hangover remedy, and most weekends since. After a while, Wren started having breakfast ready for his visits.

“Hey hun, I hope you don’t mind, but I brought a friend! He needs some of that beautiful brew you make.” Wren frowned a bit. Reese didn’t usually bring anyone else over. Sure, he recommended them to anyone needing medicine, but those usually came to the office in South Lestrine. This must be a serious ailment. Wren paused the game and climbed off of the floor cushions.

They found the two in the kitchen, Reese picking through the cookies and muffins they had made earlier, his friend looking at the cooking books in the corner, his back to her.

“The ones in the red tupperware are medicine free,” Almost as soon as the words left their mouth, the cookies were in Reese’s.

“Danks,” He said around the sweets. “Dis is Damen Renaros.”

On cue, the stranger turned, and Wren felt a flush come to their cheeks as they recognized him as the man who’d woken them last night. The man they’d been incredibly rude to.

They stretched out a hand, and after a moment, he took it.

“My name is Wren Arcanist. I apologize for last night, I didn’t realize my barrier slipped. I hope you can forgive my impudence.”

“I should be the one apologizing. My language was less than polite. It is truly a pleasure to meet you on better terms.” He had a slight accent. Spanish, maybe? He watched them for a moment after they shook his hand, then released them.

Clasping their hands together, Wren smiled and looked between the two men. “Now, how can I help you today?”

It was Damen who spoke next. “My amigo here says you are the best witch in this city. Is he correct?”

Wren laughed. “I wouldn’t say the best, but I get the job done. Did you need a potion?” They grabbed their notepad from the counter and flipped to a fresh page. “If you list your worst symptoms I can set up the diagnosis tests to start today. We can move to the study for more privacy if you’d like.”

Damen shook his head at her. “No señora, Reese already is aware of my issues.” Reese lightly struck his arm.

“Not señora,” Reese muttered, just low enough for Damen to hear.

Damen paused, slightly confused, then continued. “Tell me, how much experience do you have caring for vampirismo?”

“You mean vampirism?” Wren shrugged,looking up from their notepad. “There is no known cure, but I have made a few potions to help with some of the worst symptoms. I can get you something to help with the changing pains if you’d like?”

Vampires suffered with chronic muscle fatigue and joint pains for the first few years after their change completed, but it was easily treated with a mild pain reliever and an anti-inflammatory. It just needed to be able to dissolve into the budding vampires blood stream, something Wren had perfected about a year ago ─ by accident. It was cheap enough however, making them able to provide it free to charities that cared for young vampires.

Damen chuckled. “I assure you, I am well past the trials of my youth. No, I am looking for someone who can help me create an alternate way to feed. A way that eliminates humans from the equation.”

They frowned at him thoughtfully. Animal blood has always made vampires sick, so that was out of the question. Even growing the individual blood cells in the lab failed to provide nutrients, even though it worked for human transfusions. Donor blood bags were the only way to feed vampires, other than directly from a human. Surely, he knew all of that.

“Besides donated blood? I’m not sure that it’s possible..” He was shaking his head.

“That’s what they used to say about treating sick vampires, until you discovered how to force vampires to metabolize medicine.” Wren was shocked, not many people were aware that it was their discovery; too much attention would come from it. So, how did he know? “I will pay you handsomely for your assistance in this, and guarantee you rights to any revenue gained from anything you create during your process.”

“Revenue? You mean to sell whatever substitute I might come up with?”

He gave a short nod. “Sí. I work for Lune Industries. We want to better the lives of vampires. The situation for the common vampire is dire. Being completely dependent on donated blood means many vampires go hungry, or turn to violence. As a medicinal witch, I'm sure you are aware of the dangers of unwilling feedings?”

Wren nodded. Vampires who fed directly from people risked their safety as well as the donors. If the donor had a transmittable disease, such as HIV, it could cause serious damage to a vampire’s internal organs. Vampires could also carry super diseases: much stronger versions of normal human diseases like the flu.

Unwilling feedings, aka what happened when a vampire attacked a human to feed, were even more dangerous. The vampire could over drain the human, in which case the human could die, or the human could be a carrier of a dormant magickal gene, which could be activated by the humans flight or fight response. This gene could cause almost anything, from turning the human to a vampire, to making them spontaneously bursting into flames.

Damen was also right about vampires going hungry. Rich vampires could buy blood directly from donors or through blood banks, but if vampires didn’t have much money, they had to depend on blood from charity organizations or government subsidies. Blood for those came from unpaid donors, which meant more people would sell their blood to richer markets than donate it to the poorer ones. Some charities were trying to pay donors as well, but funding was always limited.

Wren sighed. They disliked working for corporations. They were a witch for normal people, not elites. They also hated having someone dictating what kind of projects they worked on. However, Wren knew they would never be able to create something of this magnitude with the meager amount they charged for remedies. Hell, they barely made enough to cover the ingredients to make them! They paid their rent and utilities with free medicine for the elderly landlady’s arthritis, and their clinic was given to them as a favor from a wealthy fae man after Wren cured his wife. Working with Lune could put them ahead for a while, and let them work on some more expensive tests.

“If you’ve talked with Reese, you know I don’t do the whole circus that is working under someone else. However, I agree with you. Something needs to be done, and soon. I am willing to help, under a few conditions. Are you able to agree on behalf of Lune, or do we need to wait for a company lawyer?”

He nodded, “I am fully authorised to discuss any and all details of our agreement with you.” He pulled out a small recorder. “If you don't mind, I will record our conversations, and a team of lawyers will write of a contract for you to go over.”

Wren sighed, already tired. “Let’s sit. I’ll grab some drinks.”