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A hopeless cast goes over the human’s face. “Then you can’t help me?”

That surprises me, and I am not used to being surprised. “Why would you say that, ma souris?”

“If he’s your rival, helping me would only bring trouble to your doorstep. I’m not worth that.”

Such a low opinion she has of herself. Is that from her own insecurities, I wonder, or something she learned from Colton? I consider her words, though. If Colton claims this girl as his own, he will definitely be unhappy if I get involved. Would it be enough to start a conflict? Do I care? I have avoided clashing with the Circle, it is true, as they usually stay away from my turf, but they have gotten bolder as of late. I have no doubt that I will need to deal with them, eventually. Maybe I just need an excuse.

I lean back in my chair. “I’m insulted, ma souris. Do you not think I cannot handle a little trouble?”

She looks at me searchingly, trying to decide whether I am truly offended or not. I let my face stay relaxed, and she relaxes a touch, taking my words as a jest. For her, they are. But I have killed men for slights as small as hers. But, for some reason, I don’t relish the idea of her fear. Perhaps because she reminds me of my long-lost sister. Or something else, something I cannot name.

Andi takes another bite, slower and more carefully than she was eating before, chewing it thoroughly and swallowing before saying, “In my experience, Colton is more than a little trouble. And he doesn’t like it when people deny him what he wants.”

“That must make you brave, then,” I remark, “because you have been denying him for three months.”

“Only because he hit me. That woke me up.”

“Not everyone can say the same, ma souris. Many stay in similar circumstances.” I think again of my sister and barely suppress a grimace. I’d thought I was done with Alizée haunting me, but it would seem that I was mistaken.

Andi just shrugs and takes another bite. “My foster mom, Granny Jean, drilled into my head that someone should only get to hit you once. Then you should leave, because no matter what they say, they’ll do it again. He was surprised, though, when I got up and left. He did just like Granny Jean always said they do, and immediately promised not to do it again, saying he had just lost control and that it was my fault. All the classic manipulations. He was contrite and charming like normal, but it was like his mask fell off and broke, and I couldn't stop seeing what he really was.”

“What is that?”

She shrugs again. “A monster.”

I frown at her words. I wonder what she would think, innocent little Andi, if she knew that she was sitting across from an actual monster right now. That she is in a building full of them. I suppose I am going to find out, because I’m not letting her leave this room without entering a contract with her.

“I can protect you from this monster,” I tell her. “It will not be easy, but whatever influence Colton has, I have more. I can provide a bodyguard who will ensure he stays away and punish him if he continues harassing you. I can give you your life back, but it won’t be for free.”

Andi stops eating and pushes her plate away. She’s only eaten half of what’s there, and I want to insist she finishes, but perhaps she doesn’t have much of an appetite. “What is this price everyone keeps talking about?” she asks, seeming lost. “Why won’t anyone be specific?”

“It is a delicate matter,” I reply. “I can’t answer your questions before you sign an NDA.”

Her eyes widen. “An NDA? Just to tell me how I can pay for your services?”

I shrug. “If you could pay our fees with cash, it wouldn’t be necessary. But since you seek an alternate way to pay, one that would require us to open to you certain secrets, you must first sign.”

I don’t tell her that all our contracts, whether for humans or other beings, are also spelled by the best techno-witch in the city. After she signs, she won’t be able to talk to anyone outside the Other World about vampires. I pull the standard contract for humans up on my phone and slide it over to her.

“The sooner you sign, the sooner you will be free of your monster,” I tell her as she peruses the thick legalese. It’s all very standard, save the spell. I can tell she’s only skimming the document, as most do. Not that she’d be able to find anything amiss, even if she read the whole thing, poring over it with a magnifying glass. It’s airtight and straightforward. If she tries to tell anyone about our kind that is outside of our world, she will be unable to, but we will know of the attempt. And the fines and punishment will be steep.

She glances up at me from the phone with her hypnotic eyes. Are they a little teal now? “If I sign this, you’ll tell me what will be required to get your help, but I won’t have to go through with it if I find it objectionable, right?”

I nod. “That’s a separate contract.” I don’t tell her that she can’t leave until she agrees, and that I am willing to use my vampire compulsion on her to make her more amenable. That she is leaving the orbit of one monster to solidly enter mine, and I won’t be letting her go until I am bored. At the very least, I will be able to promise her that she will never know my fists; I don’t hurt women, a remnant of my chivalrous past. If a woman crosses me, she gets a bullet to the head, an easy, fast death. The same cannot be said for men.

Andi isn’t stupid. She looks at me warily, obviously suspicious of my answer. All the secrecy isn’t sitting well with her, and she can tell she is out of her depth. One look at her face tells me that. But then determination crosses her features, and she puts out a finger to the phone, signing on the touchscreen. Ah, desperation. My greatest ally. It makes her ignore the instincts that tell her she is prey with a predator. That some secrets aren’t worth knowing. But she’s in my grasp now, and she’ll stay there as long as I like.

“Alright,” she says as she finishes signing and slides my phone back. “What is this payment?”

Normally, I would just tell her, show her what I am and save time. But my little mouse is sensitive, and I don’t want to scare her needlessly. I will attempt to be delicate. “What do you know of the Other World?”

Her nose crinkles adorably in confusion. “Like, death? The Other Side?”

I shake my head. “No, ma souris. The Other World. The one that exists alongside the normal, daylight one. One filled with magic and darkness and creatures from myth.”

Her lips quirk lightly up in a small, amused smile. “Are you telling me a ghost story right now?”

“Answer the question, ma souris.”