His mother resembled a devil in her blood red pantsuit, and the sharp glint of her piercing blue eyes took him back to all those times she'd tossed him in the basement. His stomach turned as phantom pains ran over the scars of old lashes, and he swore her teeth were longer as she greeted him with the smile of a wolf about to devour a lamb.

All logic screamed at him to come up with an excuse to leave, but he forced himself to stay. He couldn't run away from his parents forever. Instead, he straightened his posture and cleared his voice. "Sorry for worrying you last night. We got stuck in Nevermourn, and I sent a Spellogram to dad but I guess it didn't go through? I know that's no excuse though. I should have called."

"Nevermourn?" Her sharp nails rested along his back, a light tap that made Lucien tense. "What business did you have there so late in the night?"

Lucien found himself grateful he hadn't eaten breakfast as his stomach churned. Anxiety clawed at his dry throat, but he did his best to calm his frantic heartbeat as he looked toward the detectives not far from them. It wasn't like she could do much in their presence, so he was safe in the council building.

"I was seeing someone there. But don't worry. It was a one time thing, just a silly fling. We ended it. That's why Castor was with me, to take me home."

"I see." His mother's tight-lipped smile faltered, but she kept her composure. "We have much to discuss this morning now that you're back." She cut a glance at Orick with a small nod of her head. "It's high time you got a promotion, my dear boy."

"A promotion?" Lucien wondered if the wind had somehow messed with his ears during his flight. Where in the devil had that even come from? His mother hadn't mentioned anything about him moving up within the Supernatural Council, not with how many times she used to berate him that he'd already be fired if it wasn't for her.

"Of course." Her tone was far too cheery for Lucien's comfort as she guided him down the hallway. "You need to continue on our legacy, Lucien. You know, Charlotte would be so proud of you." She squeezed his shoulder.

Lucien knew better. Those words were meant for those detectives, not him. What she actually meant was your sister deserved this so much more than you. Charlotte wouldn't be proud at all. Despite how she'd tried to pave her own path in life, their family still chained her down to council duties and their family legacy. The weight was falling on Lucien's shoulders far too fast, but he didn't have the strength to tell her no.

Once they reached Orick Mandrake's office, he stepped ahead to unlock the door for them. Lucien took a seat in a leather chair across from his desk, wishing the upholstery would swallow him whole. Whatever promotion they had to offer, Lucien didn't want it. Paperwork was a tedious job, but it was better than being deep into their organization.

Orick took his seat behind his desk while his mother flanked his side in the chair beside him. "You may not be aware of this, Lucien, but your sister was a Silverblood Hunter."

"Silverblood?" Lucien frowned. "I thought Charlotte worked with the court system. I don't understand."

"She did." Orick nodded. "But when an opportunity presented itself, she chose to fight for the greater good. You have an advantage on her already though. One of those dangerous bloodsuckers trusts you." The gleam in his slated gray eyes had Lucien gripping the armrests of his chair. Shivers raked down his body when he realized where he was going. "Don't worry, we won't make you slay your former lover. Sebastian Wraith already has immunity from his council."

"I'm not a hunter," Lucien said, his voice cracking with unease as he shrunk down in his seat. "I can't kill a vampire. I'm not even trained. You know my swordsmanship grades weren't that good in school, and I'm even worse with defensive magic."

"That's the best part about this, Lucien." Orick rested his hands on his desk. "All you need to do is feed them your blood and they'll bend to your will. You won't even need to stab them yourself. A simple command to force them to rip their heart out would suffice. From what I recall, you did very well controlling Sebastian Wraith back at the Vale emporium."

Lucien blanched. "You can't really expect me to command those vampires to just..."

"You can't squander a job offer like this." His mother loomed over him like a shadow. "It'll be easy. You already had one vampire sucking at your neck so you shouldn't have a problem luring others in."

"Was that what you had Charlotte do?" Lucien asked, glaring at Orick. "Lure unsuspecting vampires to their demise? Until it killed her?"

"Lucien, that's enough." His mother's strident voice cut through the air sharp like a knife, and he almost expected a bolt of pain through his back for his defiance. "Haven't you brought enough shame to your family as it is? Orick is offering you a chance to amend your mistakes. Accept the job."

It was hard not to concede and do what she wanted, as if putting him under a spell to obey her every command. Lucien had always done his damnedest to make them proud. There was a time when he would've accepted the job without hesitation just to prove himself worthy in their eyes.

"While I appreciate the offer, sir, I'd much prefer to stick with my path going into the court system," Lucien said as he rose from the chair on shaky legs. "I know it'll take me much longer to rank up this way, but I can assure you my talents are best needed there."

Lucien didn't dawdle after turning down the promotion. The magical energy that singed his skin told him enough about his mother's rage, and he wanted to steer clear of that inferno to come. Once out into the hallway, he quickened his pace until he was far away from their offices. It wouldn't be long before his mother hunted him down, but he needed a breather.

Heartbeat pounding in his chest, Lucien wandered down into a vacant courtroom just to calm himself. An aura of strong magic permeated through him as he stepped closer into the dimly lit courtroom. Rows of pews led up to the judge's podium, hand-carved wood with intricate designs of protective spells.

This was where Lucien wanted to make a difference. On the inside, working to mend their broken laws and handle whatever cases came their way. He wasn't as strong willed as Charlotte had been, but looking back on things now, he wondered if she had been just as scared. She had probably accepted that position with the hunters to keep their folks happy.

"How enchanting to find you here, Lucien Cromwell." The judge's large leather brown chair swiveled around to reveal a young man with light brown hair and piercing silver eyes that shone like moondust, but that gnarled scar across his cheek made him appear far older.

"Rishon?" Lucien frowned. "What are you doing here?"

"Napping." Rishon shrugged. "Is that a crime?"

"No, but I doubt you're allowed to do that here." Lucien cast a worrisome look around, as if expecting his mother and Orick to pop out from the shadows of the room.

"You won't rat me out, will you?" Rishon climbed off the podium, coming around to stand in the center of the courtroom. His long black coat reached past his knees, just as dark and dreary as the rest of him. "I've been out on the oceanside these past few days hunting some vamps trying to sneak across the border. Thought they were clever little bats. But man, did it tire me out waiting for them to make their move. I haven't slept for two days."

"You're a hunter?" Lucien asked.

"One of the Silverbloods." Oblivious to the concept of personal space, Rishon approached Lucien and tossed an arm around his shoulders like they were old pals. "A little birdie told me that you're my new apprentice. Charlotte was my partner, you know? I taught her everything, including that sweet little blood trick."

Lucien tensed at his sister's name. "Blood trick?"

"Don't play coy with me now." Rishon trailed a finger along his neck, leaning far too close for comfort just to sniff him. "I smell his faint marking on you. It feels so good to let them bite, doesn't it? Did you control him? Make him do unsavory things to you?"

Lucien jolted away from him and his uncomfortable neck fondling. He wanted to get far away from that weirdo. "Sorry, but I really should get going."

"I do it all the time." Rishon took a step back. "It's not like we have to report our sex lives to the council or Orick, if you're concerned about that. I heard about the bloodsucker you were into. Just imagine how many others you can have working with the hunters. I won't tell, I promise."

"I already turned down the position." Lucien crossed his arms over his chest. "Maybe killing vampires gets you off, but I'm not doing that."

"They use us for our blood. Why shouldn't we use them as well?" Rishon asked. "You know, we don't go killing all vampires that cross our path around here. Just the ones without council immunity. Which means your precious doctor is safe."

"I'm still not joining the hunters."

"Did you know, there's a pub that lets vampires drink you right from the source?" Rishon asked, not taking the hint that Lucien was beyond creeped out by him. All his talk of screwing around with vampires before killing them made him uncomfortable. It was one thing to hate their guts, but to use them for their own twisted desires then slay them was borderline psychotic. "For many wizards, that's shit is risky. With our special blood, we can indulge as much as we want without the fear of them draining us dry. Just one command and they'll drop to their knees for us."

"Look, if this is some weird recruitment technique, I'm not interested. I already made that very clear." Lucien had expected some resistance from his mother's end, but nothing like the badgering from Rishon. "Please, just leave me be."

"Charlotte was unsure of hunting at first too," Rishon said, his voice softening like he actually cared. "But she was a natural at it. That's why they're pushing for you to take her place after learning you inherited that special blood too. Vampires crave it like a damn drug, so it's easier to control them."

"Well, I'm not my sister." Lucien stepped away from him and turned back toward the door, realizing no place was safe for him in that council building. There was no doubt in his mind that Orick or his mother had purposefully sent Rishon to seek him out. When he reached for the door, he turned his head back toward the creep and said, "If you try following me, I will hex you."