Figuring out how to coax the equivalent of a wild animal out of hiding, without it biting your hand, was a hurdle. Arthur almost wanted to call the whole thing off. It felt far too similar to when he had used himself as bait to get to Persephone in the past. And that wasn’t a good feeling. This time it was arguably worse, because at least in that older situation he was the one who would be punished if something went wrong. This time, Persephone offering herself as the bait gave him a bad feeling in his gut. He didn’t want to see someone else potentially get hurt in the crossfire if everything went to hell again.

  Nevertheless, this was the plan that had been agreed upon in order to draw out Santiago. They were working out of one of CargoLink’s old locations which used to be an illegal car dealership. It was far from Glasshill and worked kind of like a forward base, much closer to their other targets. The locationw as actually where Persephone had sent Obi’s men on their first real operation, still disguised as gang members. The cosmetic disguise working wonders. When all of them arrived back at Glasshill, laughing, and reporting that it had taken only around twenty minutes to clear out the entire dealership; Persephone couldn’t have been more pleased. They were good at recon, but they were even better at causing havoc.

  The location had been more or less just a large showroom with numerous luxury vehicles inside. Only one car had gotten damaged in the fight.. The remaining cars were as pristine as they had been found, and according to an appraiser Persephone brought in, were worth around twelve million dollars total. That amount of capital would sting, but not really hurt Santiago. The real reason they hit the location is because it had a perfect line of sight directly to the one coke factory that was inside Longley.

  But taking over the location was just the beginning. Arthur, like most of those involved, spent time going around town and talking to anyone and everyone he knew that was interested in luxury vehicles and had cash to spend. Which admittedly wasn’t a lot of people. Even so, telling everyone you knew about really nice things getting sold for extremely marked down prices was an easy sell. Two weeks later, they had their first auction. Arthur wasn’t sure how much of his own canvassing had actually helped, because he didn’t recognize anyone at the event. He guessed not much, because most of the people there seemed to be there for Persephone, and Claudia. They’d even advertised it over social media and had paid for a spot on the radio.

  The auction started at nine, long after the sun had gone down, and Arthur had never been to something like this where there was so many attractive people wearing such expensive clothing and jewelry. To say the least, he felt very out of place. Arthur stood awkwardly near the front door, in his own fitted suit, keeping an eye on everything going on around him. He didn’t get the impression he’d mingle well with most people. So instead he observed. And one thing he did notice is that certain people in the crowd seemed to not like the taste of their drinks, and instead held full glasses for long periods of time before abandoning them at tables or waiters trays.

  There were probably a hundred guests present, and Arthur figured a quarter of them were vampires. So the one thing he had in common with anyone here, he couldn’t actually talk about without risk of someone overhearing. Instead of exposing vampire society, he spent most of the night hanging near the edges of the party, with the other guards that Persephone had hired. Some were Obi’s men, others were those who worked for her or the Baron. All in all, it was quite the event. It was meant to be loud, ostentatious and well known so that it could reach certain ears. A bright, obnoxious message written out to say ‘We took this from you, and we’re flaunting it.’ And although the heavy security implied they were wary of another attack, Arthur wasn’t concerned.

  Santiago could murder people in an abandoned building, or cause a gunfight in a private club. But he couldn’t very well go attacking large groups of citizens. Even if he was crazy enough to, the cops wouldn’t let something like that slide and the amount of witnesses present would assuredly bring about his demise. He probably actually pitched the idea, but Arthur could imagine Bartolome lecturing him about how stupid it would be. At least, that’s what Arthur figured. He wasn’t really sure how Santiago would react after being provoked like this. And this was just the first step. Maybe if they took things to far he would actually risk something completely insane.

  Arthur’s anxious thoughts were interrupted by a familiar face, wearing a green dress that parted halfway down her thighs as she walked, with frills running around the waist. Arthur couldn’t help but smile, because apparently Claudia was back to her old form after the events at the club. Or at least, making the effort to make that look the case. Still, Claudia drew eyes from all around the room as she entered, performing her usual duty of greeting everyone she knew and throwing seductive glances to everyone she didn’t know. She picked a glass of champagne from a waiter who passed by her and continued to sweep through the crowd, many of which were momentarily distracted by her and seemed to forget that they were here for automobiles.

  Arthur laughed to himself, realizing he’d been staring as well, before diverting his gaze away as something else caught his eye. There was a short man with dark skin and black hair who was more or less blended in with all the other black and white suits in the crowd. Though he was just another guest, Arthur immediately recognized him, and immediately went on alert. The man seemed to be moving between groups of people, barely glancing at the cars, seemingly moving without purpose. But, Arthur had a feeling that he wasn’t just here for cars. He was probing, looking for something specific, but doing it in a subtle way so that he blended in. Gathering information. Arthur knew this because he’d done it himself many times before.

  The man was standing at a small round table by himself looking around innocuously, as Arthur approached him from behind and gently placed a hand on his shoulder.

  “Father Arlo, I didn’t know you were interested in super cars.”

  The priest turned around to look at Arthur, a warm smile already prepared on his face before he saw who was addressing him.

  “Ah, I remember you…hm. Your name is…”

  Arthur smiled wryly, stating his own name, despite being certain the priest already knew. Why he was acting otherwise was the only question.

  “I didn’t know men of God acted as spies.”

  “A spy,” the priest scoffed, “You have me mistaken. Just because I lead mass doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy high end engineering.”

  Arthur smiled, making an obvious display of his fangs if only for a second. The priest seemed undeterred. That answered one question.

  “Things have changed since we last met, Arlo. But it seems like you’re still working for Bartolome. Which makes me wonder why you think you can just waltz in here.”

  Over his shoulder, one of the guards had come to attention of their conversation, now standing half-ready to move if Arthur made a signal. Arthur looked back to Arlo, who had followed his gaze.

  “I wasn’t lying,” Arlo said, never breaking his smile. “I really, truly do have an interest in these cars. And as you know, working for our mutual friend can often be very profitable. I might even make a bid.” Arthur raised an eyebrow, as Arlo moved past him towards the nearest car. “DB11. V-12 engine, rear wheel drive. Eight speed.” Arlo opened the door, whistling low, “Balmoral leather. The better choice. Not a fan of bright orange, though,” Arlo said, closing the door.

  “I’m not either,” Arthur agreed, making a face at the garish orange color of the Aston Martin.

  “And although I didn’t lie about my love of cars,” Arlo said, “That isn’t the reason I’m here. Actually, I wanted to talk to you.”

  Arthur sighed. Arlo, the few times he’d spoken to the priest, did seem to take his faith seriously and had never lied to Arthur. He wasn’t even sure Arlo was a vampire, though clearly involved with them. In fact, Arlo had been the only person to warn him before Arthur had come into this new, dark world. But, if Arthur had learned anything, it was that caution was the safest route.

  “Fine. I’m here, let’s talk. And we’re not going anywhere private. Be grateful I’m hearing you out.”

  Arlo nodded, “Fair enough.” For the first time, his smile dropped and his face became somber. “From what I understand, you have joined our kin as a…night owl,” Arlo said, lowering his voice as someone passed close-by.

  Our kin. That answered a second question. “That’s right. Mostly on account of Santi-”

  Arlo raised a hand for him to stop, “Be careful about what you say. I don’t recognize anyone, but it might be safe to assume they have eyes and ears here.”

  Arthur furrowed his eyebrows, “…ok…?”

  “You might find this amusing, Arthur, but I still hold firm in my belief in God. I still practice Catholic rites, and I still maintain the catechism. Despite our situations. Obviously, one might question these things, because if tradition holds true than our souls are more than likely damned. However, I do what I can to avoid finding my soul even deeper in hell. I don’t know if you are a religious man, Arthur. But, you might be surprised to know that many of our own kind seek penance like myself.”

  “Where are you going with this, father?” Arthur asked, genuinely curious now. He barely noticed Claudia was now looking at him, trying to get his attention.

  “My point is this. The circumstances of your turning were…less than ideal. I understand the things our…mutual friend, has put you through. I understand that reasonably, one would want to take revenge for what has happened to you. I…am willing to help.”

  Arthur was taken aback. Immediately he considered that he was being played, and all his instincts were telling him as such. But, when he looked into Arlo’s eyes, he couldn’t help but think the man was being true, and earnest.

  “Why would you help? You’d be putting yourself in a very bad situation.”

  “You’d be surprised,” Arlo said, “How many people who work under our friend are less than enthusiastic about his methods. He has gotten many of them killed in the past year, mostly involving his own personal crusade. Furthermore, he cares little for them. He wasn’t even fully aware you are…as you are, now. Up until the nightclub attack, he didn’t even know you had been turned. Much less had started working for someone else,” Arlo finished quietly.

  He looked slightly nervous, and highly regretful.

  “What exactly do you do for our friend?” Arthur asked. “Why not just walk away, instead of risk coming here?”

  “I cannot,” Arlo said. “I have known him for a very, very long time, since back in Mexico. I owe the man my life, truly. So I provide sanctuary in my church and help him with various endeavors where I can. He trusts me, deeply. However, I knew from the start he was an evil, cruel person. It has been long enough where my debt to him is now outweighed by my beliefs. My desire to stop this bloodshed, and put an end to his killing.”

  “So you’re defecting?” Arthur asked.

  He shook his head, “No, not formally. The Judge’s influence spreads far, and deep. If I was seen working alongside you, it would be my death. I simply cannot turn my back without facing consequences. However, just like how I do now, for him, I can assist you in whatever way possible. I want to help. Assuming you get rid of him, I cannot say where that will leave me. And, assuming you accept my offer, my involvement in anything that goes on must be completely deniable. I want to help, but I cannot if I am dead, you understand. If something goes wrong, I must not be caught in the crossfire.”

  “Well, this definitely isn’t what I was expecting,” Arthur said, looking up and now noticing Claudia sauntering her way towards him. “I don’t know how my colleagues will react to this. They probably won’t like it.”

  “Then maybe it is best for you to decide,” Arlo said, “I know this is taking a big risk. But please, believe me. My intention is pure.”

  “Fine. I’ll get in contact with you if we decide to use your help. Is that ok?”

  Arlo nodded, quickly belting off various times he would be alone at the Church before Claudia was in ear shot. He told Arthur to come find him at one of those times, shook Arthur’s hand vigorously and made his way away from the table. He passed through the crowds and as Arthur watched him move away from the light, he seemed to slip fully into the shadows and disappear near the front door.

  “Who was that?” Claudia ask, standing less than a foot away from Arthur, a sly smile across her black glossed lips.

  “An old…friend,” Arthur said, turning towards her.

  “He was cute, in a funny kind of way,” Claudia said.

  “Sure,” Arthur said, still considering everything Arlo had said. “Anyway. How are you? I haven’t seen you out and about…since, you know.”

  Claudia didn’t move, the smile glued to her face, but Arthur could immediately tell he shouldn’t have brought it up.

  This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  “Er, no. Sorry for asking. I didn’t mean to bring down the mood.”

  Claudia let out a sigh, blowing air between her lips. “It’s ok. Honestly you’re one of the only people who has even bothered to ask. The answer is, I don’t know. I’m not used to that type of stuff. A lot of those guys that got killed were my friends. Including Lewis, asshole that he was.”

  “Yeah,” was all Arthur could muster. His mind was still on what Arlo had just told him, and he wondered how many of Santiago’s people didn’t actually like him all that much. He realized Claudia was giving him a disappointed look.

  “That’s it? Yeah? Art if I wanted to talk to boring, dumb people, I’d talk to literally anyone else in this room. What’s on your mind?”

  Arthur forced himself to come back to the present, “Right, right. Uh, I’m thinking about how good you look in that dress,” Arthur said with a smile.

  Claudia rolled her eyes, “Oh please. You’re not wrong, but that’s not really what’s on your mind.”

  “You don’t want to hear what’s on my mind. It isn’t fun.” Claudia crossed her arms and stared at him, so he conceded. “Ok, fine. That guy I was just talking to, he’s like us. But, he’s still faithful. In God, I mean. According to him, all our souls are screwed.”

  “Oh my god,” Claudia said rolling her eyes again, “You’re seriously worried about something like that right now?”

  “Claudia,” Arthur said taking her arm firmly, “You just said it. Right now we’re not in the safest profession. People are dying left and right. And more people probably will. What if you or I go next?”

  Claudia gently placed her own hand over Arthur’s, slowly removing it from her arm, then clasping her own hands around his.

  “Art. Why are you suddenly worrying about all this? We’re here now, in the moment. You and me. We made it through last time, we’ll make it through this time. We’re at a party. Unwind. Enjoy yourself. Make a bid on one of the cars.”

  “With what money?” Arthur scoffed.

  “We’ll put it on Persephone’s tab,” Claudia winked. Arthur laughed.

  “You’re right. Sorry. Didn’t mean to be so dour.”

  “And stop telling me you’re sorry,” Claudia snapped playfully. “I never hear you telling anyone else sorry as much as you do to me.”

  Arthur grinned, “That’s because your special, of course,” he teased.

  “I know I am,” Claudia said flicking her hair. “Look, a lot has happened recently. A lot of it not good. But you’re tough. And smart. It’s why Persephone chose you. I don’t think you need to worry so much.”

  “You’re probably right,” Arthur said. “Speaking of which, how’s the club going? Have you started renovations?”

  “Oh you and the club, it’s like all you can think about is it, or me,” Claudia said, making Arthur roll his eyes. “It’s almost back up and running. But, I think I’m going to sell it off once we’re done. Nobody wants to do drugs and dance at a place that’s been shot up.”

  They spent most of the rest of the night together, talking about inconsequential things. Arthur was having a good time, and despite the circumstances remembered that everything didn’t have to be all business and blood. Sometimes he could just have fun. Unwind. But, it only lasted for a few hours, because by the end of the auction all of the Baron’s people present were called to stay late. Some of the guards had spotted two of Santiago’s men, one inside the party towards the end of it and one had been scouting it from a parked car outside. At first people were concerned and there was some apprehension that things were getting dicy.

  But, Arthur still wasn’t worried. It just meant that the first part of the plan was working. As Persephone closed out the night, she pulled aside Arthur and Claudia.

  -

  Arthur, Persephone, Claudia and Shiang had all just gotten out of an SUV and were now standing in the rain as they hastily deployed umbrellas. They were a street way from the main highway through Longley, standing in front of an old, run down, two story building. It was big and ugly. Arthur couldn’t figure out why they were here. Shiang made his way to the door and unlocked it with a swipe of a key card.

  “This place still has locks?” Arthur muttered.

  “We’ve already installed functioning cameras on the exterior, all four corners. We left the inside empty for now so you can made a decision on where to place them later.”

  Arthur and Claudia looked at each other, unsure of who Shiang was directing that towards. As the door opened, all four vampires walked inside. It was pitch black, and Shiang warned them to watch their footing as he found his way past the walls using his phone light to guide him. He turned a corner and a few moments later bright flood lights filled the room. The building was a lot bigger inside than it looked like from the outside. It also had one of the strangest layouts Arthur had ever seen. The floor they were on was nothing but two balconies that wrapped around the walls. The center of the room was completely empty, stairs on either side leading down to a huge open space below them.

  Shiang began walking, and the rest followed. “The building has three floors and a basement. The basement leads to an underground parking garage. It has gates, booths, and barriers. Not easy to get in or out of without permission. Cameras can also be wired down there as well. On the main floor, you have twenty total side rooms,” Shiang said motioning to either side of the balconies. “Ten on each side. About the size of an office, enough to put pretty much whatever you want in there. I recommend a bar on each side, and one downstairs.”

  Claudia looked at Arthur with a raised eyebrow, who just shrugged.

  “The main floor is just that. Probably could be best used for a dance floor. There’s bathrooms pretty much everywhere. There’s also a security monitoring room. This one has a double locked steel door and a gun rack in case of emergency,” Shiang said pointing across the room. “And a backstage area for whatever you might want. Dancers, prostitutes, etcetera,” he said, sounding out the word. “Follow me.”

  Shiang led them to the opposite side of the entrance where there were two large elevator doors in industrial grey color. He swiped the key card again and the panel lit up green, and a moment later Arthur could hear the elevator descending to meet them.

  “There’s a fire exit here,” Shiang said motioning to a door near the elevator, “Heads straight out to street level into an alley. Also leads down into the garage. Going up,” he said getting in the elevator. There were only three buttons, for the basement, the main floor, and the floor above which appeared to be their destination. The doors opened in front of them into a hallway.

  “I took the liberty of installing wood floors and having the walls painted with a base coat,” Shiang said, motioning to the beige colored walls. “But everything else is up to you to decorate. You’ve got two penthouses, bathrooms, a bar, a lounge, a second security room to monitor the downstairs. I also put in a very large safe,” Shiang said as they walked through the rooms.

  Towards the back end of the floor, nestled away from anything but a single hallway, was what Shiang had just called a safe. It looked more like a vault door to a bank, with a large metal rotating wheel on front, a keypad with numbers, and a scanner of some kind. It filled up the entire room.

  “For safety, of course. It can serve as pretty much anything you want. It can hold guns, supplies, blood rations, money. Or it could be used as a bunker. And lastly, you have the view,” Shiang said.

  He led them back to the main room, and pressed a button on the wall. A large curtain automatically began to slide back against the wall revealing a huge glass window across the entire northern section of the room they were standing in. The window had a direct view down onto the club below.

  “Two way glass. Nobody will probably notice you up here, but if they were looking they might see a silhouette. Am I forgetting anything?”

  “You know there isn’t,” Persephone said.

  Shiang smiled. He turned towards Claudia, and handed her the key card. “Each one of us has copies. There’s also ten more in the main office for you to dole out if you please. More can be made, if you want. Obviously you can run all decoration costs past Persephone, though we’ve already allocated significant funds in order for you to furnish things.”

  “I…don’t understand,” Claudia said.

  “This is your new club,” Persephone said with a smile. Claudia’s eyes went wide and she jumped forward wrapping Persephone in a hug, practically squealing. “With, one stipulation,” Persephone said, slowly pushing her to arms length.

  Claudia made a growling noise in her throat, “Oh my gosh, there’s always something. Ok, lay it on me I guess.”

  “This place is a veritable fortress,” Persephone said. “With guards, cameras, and the key system, nobody is getting in or out without us knowing and without us being able to do something about it. But we didn’t just do that for your sake. The club belongs to you, but we have to pretend like it belongs to me.”

  Claudia narrowed her eyes, “I don’t like where this is going...”

  “The Baron wants this place to be the new safe ground. He spent a lot of money buying it out, and we’ll probably be spending a lot more once you fill it out. But, I’m going to be posing as the owner. We’re going to make the grand opening very public, and we’ve already started spreading rumors among our own that a new, better Syndrome is opening up. In other words, we want absolutely everybody to know about it, and we want everyone to know just who is going to be here all the time.”

  “You,” Arthur said. Persephone nodded. “I like it. It’s dangerous, but I like it. But won’t people think it’s weird that you’re the new keeper? What about Claudia?”

  “Claudia,” Persephone said with a smile, “Will be the true owner, like I said. Make all the decisions, hire all the personnel. I’ll have some of the barons guards with me when I’m coming and going, but everything else will fall to her. And once this is all over and done with, I’ll leave, and it all will go officially to Claudia.”

  Arthur turned to Claudia, half expecting her to protest or complain, but she didn’t seemed concerned. When she realized Arthur was looking at her, she said, “Oh please, Percy isn’t cut out to run a club. No offense. Plus she hates having fun.”

  Persephone just laughed, “She’s right, at least partly. I don’t like clubs, and I don’t want the hassle of running one. I’ve got enough on my plate, and Claudia has a knack for these types of things. The amount of revenue she brought in with Syndrome was impressive. Speaking of which, have any new names in mind?”

  “Always, duh,” Claudia said. “But I’m not going to decide on it just yet…I need to see the whole place. Give it a vision. A purpose. Only then, will I know the name it’s meant to have.”

  “Uncharacteristically philosophical,” Shiang said, drawing a glare from Claudia. “Oh. The other thing you asked for came in as well, Persephone. It’s in the trunk out front. If that’s all, I must be going to finalize some other things.”

  “Thank you, as always,” Persephone said. “Why don’t we go take a look at your gift too, Arthur, seems like Claudia is already occupied,” she said, heading back to the elevator as Claudia was already taking pictures of the place with her phone, and talking to herself about what kinds of decor would go where.

  Arthur followed Persephone back down and outside to the SUV.

  “I get a gift too? I don’t know how well I can run a club.”

  Persephone ignored him, looking around the dark street to make sure nobody was watching, then opened the trunk of the car. Stuffed into it was not the gift Arthur was expecting. It was a person, whose hands and feet were tied and his head covered in a bag. There was a stake jammed into his chest, and he was unmoving inside. Arthur shuddered, remembering that terrible feeling. Persephone yanked the black hood off the mans head and Arthur saw a large, burly man whose mouth was gagged. His eye flicked towards them, but the rest of his body didn’t move. Arthur was staring at him for a long while before he realized he recognized this person.

  “You managed to get your hands on a Soldado?”

  “Not just any Soldado. This is the one that shoved you off the building. The one who killed you.”

  Arthur had barely even gotten a look at the man, but the memory came back to him and the man seemed to fit the bill. He felt emotion rising in his chest, but the anger was mixed was a touch of confusion, and pity for the man currently at their mercy.

  “Turns out,” Persephone said, “It wasn’t just an accident. Wesley and I interrogated him. Thoroughly. He, and two others were under orders to make sure that no matter what happened at the abandoned apartments, you didn’t make it out alive.”

  The anger began to overtake the pity. “Can I remove the stake?” Arthur asked through gritted teeth.

  “Sure. If he tries to run, well. He can try,” Persephone smiled wickedly.

  Arthur leaned into the trunk, took a firm grip of the stake and yanked it out of the mans chest with a small spray of blood. The man gasped and groaned, violently wriggling in the car, but his hands and legs had been wrapped with duct tape, zip ties, and cuffs just for good measure. Even if he did break free, Arthur remembered how he felt after being staked. He’d barely been conscious until Persephone had given him blood.

  “Is it true?” Arthur asked.

  The man stopped straining, eyes darting up to Arthur. There was only fear in them.

  “Answer him if you know what’s good for you,” Persephone said dryly.

  The man nodded. Arthur felt hot. He leaned forward and yanked the gag down from his mouth, “Why, damnit, why? Why did he tell you to kill me?”

  The man looked at Arthur, then Persephone, fear still in his eyes. “You’re talking to me. Do anything stupid and I will hurt you. Now answer the question.”

  “He…he said you weren’t of use to him anymore. That you’d become a liability.”

  “A…a fucking liability?” Arthur snarled, “After everything I’d done for him? Everything?! Perfectly executed, no mistakes. A liability?!” Arthur almost yelled.

  The rage inside him was growing rapidly, and Arthur felt his blood beginning to boil, almost like it was begging him to use his powers and hurt this man, like it was encouraging him to do something drastic. Not that he needed much encouragement. His fists balled up, and he felt like bringing them down and pummeling the man who’d killed him, who’d taken his mortal life and made him this…thing. This blood sucking parasite. But when Arthur looked down at the man, all he could see was the same thing he’d seen in so many others he’d come across.

  The need to survive. Arthur brought up a hand up and smashed it down hard against the door of the trunk, putting a large dent in the metal. The man jumped beneath them.

  “What did you mean when you said this is a gift?” Arthur asked slowly.

  “Well, I figured you might want to see your killer. The one who was fine with turning you out and murdering you despite claiming to be your ally. Your friend, as you used to call them.”

  Arthur looked towards her, a sort of furious exhaustion in him. He realized in that moment he felt weak. He needed to feed. “What did you think I’d do with him?”

  Persephone shrugged, “Anything you want to. Kill him, or don’t. Either way he’s our prisoner, and we got what we needed out of him.”

  Arthur shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose. He looked down at the man, trying to remember his name. “You’re name is Gabe, right? Gabriel?”

  The man nodded, fear still lingering in his eyes but seemingly half resigned to the fact he was likely going to die tonight.

  “Like she said, man, I was following orders. I’m sorry. I know it was fucked up.” Gabe looked up at him again, “…are you going to kill me? Just make it quick,” he said with a whimper.

  Arthur turned to Persephone, motioning her to turn away so the man couldn’t hear them. He spoke quietly.

  “This is maybe one of the worst gifts I’ve received, to be honest with you. I’m not going to just murder this guy right here. It’s no better than what Santiago does.”

  Persephone said nothing. Arthur figured she didn’t agree with him in the slightest, but wasn’t trying to get into an argument right now.

  Arthur sighed. “But, I think maybe we don’t have to kill him.”

  Persephone raised an eyebrow.

  “Your Potential, I’ve seen you command a room. Are there any other ways you can use it?”

  “What did you have in mind?”

  “Well, I’m thinking we could send this guy back to Santiago. But, if you can use your power to…I don’t know, control him somehow, or give him a specific command, then maybe we can make use of him.”

  Persephone shrugged, “It’s possible. I’ve done things like it before. But, why don’t you try it? Seems like a good time as any to develop your own Potential.”

  Arthur nodded, turning back towards the man. He looked up at them again, this time a sliver of resolve in his eyes, having accepted he wasn’t getting out of this. At least, not the same way he came in.

  Arthur leaned down, feeling that roiling, furious blood within him pulsing, asking to be burnt up like fuel and used. He focused it as much as he could, feeling it being to writhe, and rise to the surface of his veins. Arthur leaned in, and focused his voice. As he spoke, his tone was deeper, with more bass, and more commanding than usual. He spoke specific words into the mans ear who seemed to freeze up as Arthur was speaking. A few moments later Arthur finished talking, and rose back up. The man relaxed and then looked back towards them again. The same fearful, but resolved look in his eyes that had disappeared for just a moment when Arthur spoke.

  “I can’t tell if it worked,” Arthur said.

  But Persephone had a wide, proud grin, “Oh, it worked.”