Ghostly fingertips brushed Merritt's cheek and he swatted them away.

Something cold and damp dragged across his chin as he reopened his eyes, blinking away the weariness that lingered. A pair of devilish vermillion eyes pierced through his soul as he jolted up with a soft yelp. He gazed around the room for an escape, only finding a single door in the windowless box until he noticed the familiar plaque with Bloodworth's name engraved on it.

"You're not in court anymore." Bloodworth's voice drifted through his ears. "We're back in my office. Judge Valdine ordered a mistrial already after Sylvester tried to unleash a damned demon on us all."

A mistrial? Nausea churned in Merritt's gut to remember how he'd stepped forward to banish that demon, but he had no idea what had happened to poor Sylvester. He hoped they understood the poor old man was possessed. He wasn't some nutty necromancer on a vampire killing spree.

Merritt parted his lips to tell his boss just that, but he couldn't find his voice. Not when his parched throat tightened with old fears.

Gentle embers of healing magic fluttered around Merritt like tiny butterflies kissing his skin. The rush of sandalwood, citrus, and something that reminded him of the oceanside comforted Merritt as he rubbed at his temples with a groan to fend off a developing headache.

He'd overused his magic.

He couldn't bring himself to meet Bloodworth's gaze again. He tried to make anything else in the room appear more fascinating, even the floor. The disappointment that had to linger, and the embarrassment in him was too much to bear. Vampires did not tolerate nonsense. Especially not a renounced vampire lawyer like Bloodworth.

Merritt hadn't meant to lose control and black out. He only hoped he wasn't out for long.

"I'm sorry," Merritt rasped as he rested his hands on the desk before him, realization dawning on him that he sat in Bloodworth's leather office chair. His precious familiar, Bandit, nudged his ankles on the floor with a soft whimper.

"What are you apologizing for?" Bloodworth touched his shoulder, but released Merritt when he flinched. "Any reason why you omitted your necromancy and demon banishment skills in your resume?"

Merritt worried his lip, offering a noncommittal shrug. "Figured it wasn't necessary for the job." His blush traveled from his face down his neck, and he noticed Bloodworth's gaze trail down to his protective collar. He covered it with his hand on instinct.

"Is that so?" Bloodworth reclined against the side of his desk, his impenetrable glare so damn difficult to decipher. It was like trying to solve a puzzle with all the wrong pieces. "Many firms would fire you for not divulging your necromancy skills upfront. Especially vampire owners. Such magic poses perilous harm to my kind, but you know that already don't you, Merritt Lark?"

The sound of his given name should not have sounded so enthralling coming from Bloodworth, but a shiver rolled through him regardless. Vampires did not like being deceived, and Merritt had done so to him. He could only imagine the rage simmering beneath Bloodworth's cool demeanor, likely wanting to rip his throat out for lying. But it had never been his intention. Not really.

He'd kept his necromancy magic a secret all throughout law school because he didn't want the extra disciplinary rules that came with it. Or the mandated extra blood feedings. Necromancy magic could bring back the dead, but it could turn a vampire into a husk of withered skin and bones. Vampires wanted those with such powers to never unlock them, weakening them with feedings until they could barely even use their magic.

"I can take magic suppressant pills," Merritt offered in a tiny, squeaky voice he barely recognized as his own.

The way Bloodworth cocked his head down in his direction with such disgust made Merritt feel like he'd suggested hexing him into a pigeon.

"Let me make something very clear here, Merritt." Bloodworth pushed off his desk, coming around to plant both hands on the leather chair to spin it and face his direction.

The intensity that burned beyond those vermillion eyes should've frightened him. Instead, it only made his pulse quicken and heartbeat roar like the thunder outside. "Yes, sir?" Merritt murmured breathlessly, as if transfixed by the way his irises shone in the dimly lit office.

"I do not tolerate weakness. You will not take any drugs to alter your magic and weaken it while working under me. I will consider you abusing substances and let you go if I learn you're doing such a thing. Do I make myself clear?" Bloodworth leaned so close, enough for Merritt to smell a whiff of cinnamon in his breath.

Merritt nodded, sputtering out a soft, "Crystal."

"Good." Bloodworth pulled away, taking with him the trace of a smile twitching at the corners of his lips. "Have you ever taken magic suppressant pills in the past?"

"Yes," Merritt admitted. "Back in school, just as a precaution. I'm very sorry for hiding it from you, but with all due respect, you have no idea how hellish my life would have been had they known. My parents lied about my abilities to the state long ago to protect me. Because they know vampires intentionally take more blood from them compared to others to keep them compliant."

Bloodworth's impassive expression only made Merritt more anxious after revealing more than he should've. His parents did what they could to protect him from ever enduring such excruciating blood feedings, but there he'd gone and literally confessed their crime to a notorious vampire lawyer.

"Please." Merritt did not wish to beg, but he had no choice. "I promise nothing like this will ever happen again. Consider it a fluke, okay?"

"You do understand there's no hiding what you are now, right?" Bloodworth asked. "All those vampires saw the brilliant magic you cast back there that saved their fangs. Only a fool would believe you have no true skill."

Merritt blanched. "Please, sir. There must be a way I can hide it or make an excuse for the powers they witnessed. I know this must be trivial to you, but I can't..." The words died on his tongue, unable to beg as any pathetic human would in his state. "I can't just be someone's blood bag again."

"Again?" Bloodworth raised a brow.

"It's not important." Merritt shook his head. "In all your years of practicing law, you can't tell me you've never deceived or lied to someone. I did what I had to just so I could be here."

"I'm not arguing against that."

"Maybe I'm a bit desperate, but I'm determined to survive in this world. I could have kept my abilities a secret during court today. I could have ignored Sylvester when he prepared that spell and nobody would have known. If I hadn't intervened, you would have been possessed by that thing."

"Is that right?" The amusement in Bloodworth's tone irked him far more than it should've.

Merritt knew just how dangerous a vampire possessed by a demon could be. No wicked entity needed such bloodthirsty powers.

"Yes, it is. That demon had every intention of stealing your body for its own wicked deeds," Merritt told him. "Why do you think I put a protection spell on our table? That wasn't just for my safety. I'm more than capable of handling myself against such an attack. But you? That demon would have been inside you before your heart could've skipped a beat."

"I believe you've made your point, Merritt." Bloodworth huffed a breath, as if tired of their conversation.

"No, I haven't, dammit." Merritt's anxieties faded into the strange healing magic around him, until a deeply rooted anger took control. "Learn the signs of possession before something controls you. Sylvester was possessed by a rogue spirit of some kind, which easily could have taken control over you. That demon wanted to devour you. How do you think that would have gone, huh?"

"Do me a favor, okay?" Bloodworth leaned in once again, and Merritt bit his tongue when the thought to tell him to learn a thing or two about personal space came to mind. "Don't let anyone ever dull your spark. Unfortunately, there is no way you can hide your necromancy magic from the public after that display this morning, but you won't need to worry about any extra blood feedings or the possibility of becoming some vamp's blood slave."

"I don't?" Merritt murmured.

"No. While under my employment, no other vampire is to even touch you." Bloodworth's eyes darkened, something sinister pooling in the deep red depths of them.

"What happens if someone does?" Merritt asked with a frown.

"I'll take care of them." Bloodworth's eyes shifted to a lighter shade as he moved away from the desk, toward the door. "I understand if you need some time to cool off after that overuse of your magic. If you need a medic witch, please let me know and I'll fetch one immediately."

Merritt blinked. "That's not needed, sir. But thank you."

"While that case tonight seriously set us back, there's still others on the docket tonight in courtroom six." Bloodworth adjusted his tie. "I could really use my trusted necromancer to ensure no more ghosts or demons attempt to possess me."

"Of course." Merritt sprung up from his chair to follow his boss.

"Later in the morning, we need to discuss mending our contract." Bloodworth held the door open for him.

"We do?" Merritt frowned.

"Yes. It's like you said, you're severely overqualified for this position. After witnessing your power firsthand tonight, it's clear you deserve more than I'm paying you."

Was he seriously getting a raise already? Merritt beamed at the thought, but did his best to conceal his excitement. He didn't wish to appear unprofessional to his new boss.

"I appreciate that, sir." Merritt grinned.

Perhaps working for Bloodworth would not be that bad after all.