At nearly four in the morning, most of the small crowd had left, with only the two of them remaining in their booth.  Bloodworth insisted he order something else while they waited for his professional to arrive, and Merritt couldn’t refuse some delicious free cinnamon roll bites. They’d discussed more about the case, and whether it was possible the ghost was telling the truth about Elspeth Fontain’s innocence when the diner’s bell chimed.

An elfin woman approached their table, donned in an elegant golden dress that shimmered like sparks of magic.  It hugged her hourglass figure in all the right places, and perhaps had Merritt truly had any interest in women, he would’ve found her attractive. Butterfly pins held her long blond hair up in a ponytail that hung loosely over her shoulder, exposing the sharp points of her ears pierced with gold hoops. Her crimson eyes made him weary, but he wasn’t too surprised that his expert was a vampire as well.

She slid into the booth beside Merritt, brushing her arm against him. Her scent of vanilla masked a metallic tang he was all too familiar with. “So, I hear you’ve got some issues with your crystal balls.” Her gaze traveled from Bloodworth’s impassive, frowning face over to Merritt.  “And who’s this handsome young man you’ve brought with you?”

Merritt choked on his cinnamon roll bite, and Bloodworth responded, “He’s my intern, and he’s off limits.”

What exactly was he off limits for? Part of Merritt seriously wanted to ask, but another thought better of it.  Ignorance could truly be bliss sometimes.

“I need you to use your magic and inspect these, Persephone.” Bloodworth pushed the bag over to her.  “One of them is broken, but I ensured to collect all the pieces.  We had a bit of a ghost problem earlier.”

“Ah, so they’re haunted?” Persephone asked.

“Most likely,” Merritt chimed in.  “If not, one or both could be cursed objects.  That would explain how she could be in his office without triggering any wards.”

“Are your ward markers fresh?” She eyed Bloodworth, as if accusingly.

“From what I noticed when I entered, yes,” Merritt answered.  “He had to redo them so I could have full access with untethered magic, and I assume he’d changed things for his previous interns in the past.”

“No, only you,” Bloodworth rasped, and Merritt noticed a tinge of scarlet blossom in the tips of his ears.  “None of my previous employers have had your kind of access to my office.”

“Pray tell, why is that?” Persephone leaned in far too eagerly, like she was trying to goad him. 

Something about Persephone irritated Merritt, but he just couldn’t place what exactly it was.  Bandit nudged at his arm from the opposite side of him, and Merritt gave her some reassuring head pats.  

“Have you seen his track record for interns? They leave within a week, tops,” Merritt said, dabbing his sticky fingers with a napkin.  “Would you trust anyone like that with such powers in your establishment? I know I wouldn’t. I’m sure you’ll let Bloodworth know what you find in those crystal balls, yes? Because it’s getting rather early and we all need to be indoors before the sun rises.”

“You’ve found yourself a rather mouthy intern this time, haven’t you? One with actual balls this time.” Persephone laughed, her voice grating like nails on a chalkboard to Merritt’s ears.  “I give you a month, kid.  You’ll be gone just like the rest of them.” She climbed out of the booth and snatched up Bloodworth’s bag, slinging it over her shoulder.  

“Well, let’s hope I’m still here by the time you’re done analyzing those crystal balls.” Merritt offered his most saccharine smile.  

Persephone did not seem pleased by his response, and Merritt found himself drawing up a defensive spell on the tips of his fingers in case the vampire woman tried anything.  However, she did something far more unexpected.  

“Darling Lucius knows I’ll be done with them before nighttime.  I’ll see you whenever you get home, all right?” Persephone winked at him, and Merritt’s stomach tightened in painful knots. He hadn’t even focused on what Bloodworth said in response to her.

After she had left the diner, Merritt chugged the rest of his coffee down.  Who exactly was she to Bloodworth?  Did they live together?  Share a coffin together?  It was none of Merritt’s business who Bloodworth took to his coffin, but why did the thought of him cozying up with that vampiress make him literally nauseous? 

“I apologize for her,” Bloodworth said, struggling to hide his grin.  “But I admire how you stand up for yourself, even when up against another vampire.”

“Who is she to you?” Merritt couldn’t resist asking.  “Sorry, you don’t have to answer because it’s none of my business.”

“It’s rather complicated.” Bloodworth rubbed the back of his neck.  “Persephone is my ex-wife.”

“Really?” Merritt was flabbergasted.  “She just doesn’t seem like your type.” He spoke the words without truly processing them, and quickly added, “With all due respect, of course.”

“Perhaps that’s why we didn’t work out.  Though I am curious now, Merritt.” Bloodworth rested his steepled hands on the table with a smirk.  “What do you think is my type?”

“Someone powerful.” Merritt rose from their booth, glancing down at his watch for the time because he couldn’t quite bring himself to look his boss directly in the eye.  “I imagine you with a lady fit to be a queen.”

“What an interesting perception,” Bloodworth remarked.

After his boss paid the bill and they made their way back out into the crisp night, Merritt summoned his broom with Bandit right at his heels.  Before he had a chance to mount, Bloodworth asked, “What’s your type then?”

Merritt wondered if he ought to lie, but found himself answering honestly instead as he swung one leg over his broom. “I don’t fancy women like that, sir.”