The prickling sensation in the back of her neck intensified.
Danger.Best not to linger too long in the same spot to allow that danger to manifest.
She flitted back and forth across the street before sticking to a lighted area, hoping that would be safer. She noticed a figure walking on the opposite side of the street, but when she looked again it had disappeared.
Phew. She relaxed a little but still stayed alert in case their was potential danger ahead. Though nervous, she pushed on and turned the corner, knowing the subway was nearby.
Darkness clouded her vision. A whispering voice crawled out of nowhere, low and seductive, full of magic. The words caressed her ears, and the chills down her spine worsened.
“Human,” the voice said. The darkness changed into a succubus with eyes that glowed an eerie blue in the dark. “Why don’t you come with me? We’ll have quite the fun time.” There was a force to his words, a compulsion that gripped her mind. His mouth curled into a grin. The panic Sasha felt was muted by whatever magic the succubus employed. She tried to fight, but somehow felt her body giving up without resistance. Magic consumed her in a horrible, nauseating way.
“I don’t want to go with you,” she managed to say through gritted teeth. She expected the succubus to get mad, but instead, he seemed to grow excited by her response.
“You’ve a strong will, little one. I will enjoy breaking it.”
Those words made her take one step backward, though it felt like wading through treacle, as the magic attacked her, drawing her to him.
Someone cleared their throat from behind. “Do you really want to use your crude magic here, soul sucker?” The voice came as a low, menacing growl that permeated the alleyway.
The succubus’ expression went flat. “Leave me to my human. I’m not doing anything illegal.”
“I’m pretty sure the lady here didn’t give you her consent.”
Sasha twisted around to see the newcomer and was startled to see a man in a mask, and not just any mask either. It was the specific mask of the fighter from the arena who’d won her ten thousand dollars: The Lonely.
The fighter took one deliberate step and the succubus let out a weird hissing sound before recoiling from her entirely. “Fine. Have the human. You shouldn’t be walking around with that mask, though, Lonely.There’s a lot of people pissed off at you for depriving them of their money.”
The man seemed to fade into the shadows, leaving her alone with the masked fighter. Her emotions returned to her in a rush, no longer affected by whatever magic the succubus had employed.
“Their magic is distasteful,” the man said. “It inflames emotions, manipulates them so that whether you want to or not, you become an object of their desires. Some of those desires end in death.” He examined her through his imposing white mask, which made him seem like another specter of the night.
“Uh… thank you.”
“Next time you come to the club, if you should do so, I advise coming with a friend. There are those who would take advantage of a lone human. I saw a few eyes on you.”
“You followed me?” She folded her arms and hugged herself.
“Yes. I will escort you to the subway and no further. I promise I have no bad intent.”
She swallowed nervously before nodding. The Lonely fell into step beside her, and they were quiet for the journey to the subway. There, it was completely empty, and the timer for the subway showed ten minutes until the next train would arrive. The trains ran slower at this time of night, which meant she had to stand there in an awkward way with a man who had the ability to transform into a dragon, a strange, misshapen dragon that fought so violently he’d won a victory over a challenger that everyone assumed would be the one to win.
She cleared her throat. With a grin, she examined this stranger, pleased in a way that he’d gone out of his way to help her out. She was also a little embarrassed that she’d risked herself in such a manner, though she knew that she had to take risks in order to be able to achieve things. And, as long as her financial situation remained so dire, so desperate, she had no real choice.
“My name is Cyrus,” the dragon shifter said after a long silence, but not a completely awkward one. “Yours?”
“Sasha.” She wondered what was behind the mask and if there was a way to ask him to remove it.
Still, she didn’t want to appear overbearing or act overly interested in him at their first meeting, even if this man was solely responsible for her winning ten thousand dollars. He’d saved her financially, at least for the next few months, while she figured out a way to get on her feet, apply for better jobs, and hopefully at some point get the breakthrough she so sorely needed.
A distant rumble indicated that the train was arriving. With that rumble, she felt the space between her and Cyrus increase as if once she stepped on the train, it would be the last time they would ever see each other. One some level that made her a little sad. Although, if she did go back to the arena to bet, maybe she’d see him again or maybe tonight was a one-time deal.
“That’s my ride,” she said to him, wondering if she should say more. The opportunity to connect was slipping away. Or perhaps there was never an opportunity for them to connect in the first place. When he said nothing, she blurted, “I bet on you. I think I was one of the only ones who did. It’s thanks to you and how you fought that I’ll… be in a better place. For now, anyway.”
He turned toward her, and behind the mask, she saw his brilliant blue eyes. “I wondered if someone would,” he said softly. “Or if people would not want risk money on me. Did you bet a lot or just a little?”
“I won ten thousand.”
He let out a slow whistle, nodding his head as if impressed. “Quite the gamble on your part. You should be careful to not get carried away by such success, though. That’s the problem with gambling in general. Some people do get lucky, that’s true. But often or not, if they stay in the business long enough, they will experience losses and eventually lose hope.”