Nightshade had padded over to her, hackles raised and fur bristled.  Gwyneira stepped toward the window, shifting the curtain just enough to peek out the frosted glass at the tall shadowy man on her doorstep.  She couldn’t make out any identifiable features, but the strain in his voice sounded real and desperate enough.  

Honestly, she knew she ought to turn him away for her own safety.  She was well-versed in defensive spells, and she knew without a doubt Nightshade would claw his eyes out if he even dared to lay a single finger on her.  Gwyneira inhaled a sharp, shaky breath as she tried to reason with herself and remember why she’d chosen such a dangerous line of work to begin with.  To help those in need.

With a trembling hand, she reached for the lock.  He wouldn’t try to kill her or eat her.  He was just an ordinary guy in need of legal counsel. That was all.  With a twist, she unlatched it and poked her head out to find the man shivering in his wool coat. Long, cascading waves of black hair flowed across his shoulders like the soft, velvety night sky. His moon-blessed skin nearly matched the falling snowflakes themselves.  

“May I come in?” The man offered a kind, gentle smile that exposed the very sharp tips of his fangs.  It came across as more predatory than comforting, like a beast politely seeking permission to enter before it mauled her to death.  

A ferocious howl penetrated the night, and she watched as the vampire outside instinctively curled his own reddened, pointy-tipped ears inward. He glanced behind them, as if worried whatever creature made such a distressing sound was near.  That did little to ease her already troubled thoughts.

“Please?  I promise not to take up too much of your night.” The vampire clasped both his hands together, desperately glancing back toward the snowy buildings behind them.  

“Fine.” Gwyneira frowned.  “Follow me.”

The biggest mistake of her entire life trudged inside, and she relocked the door behind them.  Paranoia clung to her like a second skin as she gestured for the vampire to follow her over to her desk and to make himself comfortable in one of the plush chairs across from hers.  Her familiar came up to their desk and perched herself right in front of the vampire, letting out a fierce hiss to let him know his place.

“You don’t know how much I appreciate you, miss.” The vampire glared down at Nightshade like he wanted to hiss back, but she supposed he remembered his manners and kept quiet.

“Gwyneira,” she said, taking her place at her own desk with a frown.  The vampire had no clue who she even was, so why seek her firm out of all places?  Unless it was a trap.  “Tell me your name.”

“Emrys Hawthorn.  You’ve likely heard of my father and brothers.  They own and run Hawthorn Veinworks.”

The country’s most notorious bleeding farm.  

Color drained from Gwyneira’s face, her throat tightening as she clutched her wand tightly beneath her desk.  She was a member of the courts, so that meant by law, she was not allowed to be trafficked.  That was why her family all became doctors.  So long as they worked for the vampire government, they were safe from brutal feedings and being sent away to be nothing but livestock for those thirsty bats.   

“Someone of your status would surely want counsel from one of the larger vampire-owned firms in the city.” Gwyneira forced out a small chuckle, hoping he couldn’t sense her anxieties.  “Would you like me to compile a list of local ones for you?”

“I’m doubtful I could afford a luxury law firm.” Emrys dragged his tongue across his fangs, his crimson eyes slanting in her direction.  “If you don’t accept vampire clients, I understand.  It’s just, most boutique firms around here are run by witches and wizards.”

Vampires in Valorath bathed in blood and gold.  They came from ancient bloodlines of wealth that never ran dry, so it still left her puzzled as to why the son of a notorious blood farm needed her assistance.  She really should’ve told him to take flight and find another firm willing to help his sorry fangs, but he’d yet to be anything but nice so far.  She couldn’t be prejudiced just because of who and what he was.

“Why do you need a lawyer?” Gwyneira asked.  “First consultation is free, and anything you say here is confidential between us. Regardless if I take you on as a client or not.”

“The police are going to arrest me for killing a vampire called Iron Fang, but I swear on my own grave that I didn’t do it.  I woke up and there he was right outside my coffin.  Dead.  Like, seriously dead.  His heart was cleaved out of his chest.”

That was a lot to process, and Gwyneira wasn’t really sure where to even begin. “Iron Fang?”

Emrys nodded.  “He runs around with the vampire mafia.”

“Vampire… mafia?” Gwyneira had no intentions of riling up the bloodthirsty mafia and was even more inclined to tell that vamp to take his fangs right back out the door from which he came.

“Please, you have to help me.  I can’t go to prison.  Do you know what they’ll do to me there?  With my family’s reputation?” The fear in his voice was genuine, and it made her heart ache to imagine all the vengeful witches and wizards who would ruthlessly slay him.  

Rarely vampires were sent to prison like humans, but when they were, those inmates did not look kindly upon them.  Emrys wouldn’t last the morning in one of those cells.  The vampire guards were known for making bets on how long fresh meat lasted, which was why Gwyneira tended to avoid criminal cases at all costs.  She’d only ever handled a few in her lifetime and had hoped one never crossed her desk again.  So much for that.

“Okay, let’s start from the beginning.  Did you know about this Iron Fang vamp before he died?” Gwyneira asked.

“A little, yeah.” Emrys rubbed the back of his neck.  “He’s a loan bat.  I borrowed some money from him and he was starting to get his fangs all worked up because I wasn’t paying him back enough, which wasn’t true.  He just upped his interest rates because they killed two of their other clients, thinking they could just squeeze the extra gold out of me instead.”

“Goddesses protect me,” Gwyneira murmured, making the sign of the cross over her chest.  “I don’t think you understand the danger you’re in.  My firm doesn’t have the resources to protect you from those kinds of vamps.  They’re going to rip your throat open.”

“Not if you can prove I’m innocent.” Emrys leaned against her desk as if he were about to whisper a secret to her.  “I heard about the wolf walker you found innocent of slaughtering his family.  That case made headlines for months, and every vamp in the city believed him guilty as sin.  But you found evidence that proved his innocence.  A crooked bat cop was responsible.  It takes real guts to go after those guys.  That’s why I came to you, Gwyn.”

Gwyneira glowered.  “Did I give you permission to call me that?”

Emrys reclined in his chair with a smirk, showing off those pearly white fangs of his.  “I have more than enough gold to pay your fees.  Just don’t let the vampire mafia know about it.  I’m dipping into my emergency stash.”

“Fine.” Gwyneira conceded.  “I’ll see what I can do.  First, we need to visit your residence and report the dead vampire to the authorities.  I take it you haven’t done that yet, have you?”

“Of course not.” Emrys shook his head.  “I figured I should find myself a good lawyer before doing that.  You should also know, I’ve been resting over at the Sleepy Bat Inn.  Couldn’t afford my apartment anymore.”

“Oh, wonderful.  Some innocent housekeeper likely already discovered it by now.” Gwyneira massaged her temples in frustration, resisting the urge to whack him in the head with her wand for being so stupid.

“Probably not.” Emrys shrugged.  

Gwyneira sighed. “Well, for your sake, let’s hope you’re right.”

Nothing good would come from accepting the vampire’s case, that much Gwyneira was certain of.