The witch let out a scream as she was flung against the wall, collapsing to the ground as blood ran down her eyes. The ancient vampire floated across the floor toward her and lifted his hand. An invisible hand seized around her throat and pulled her up the wall. She clawed desperately at her throat while trying to find air, kicking her feet wildly to no avail.

“We can do this the hard way, or we can do this the easy way,” the High Vistor said with a cold smile. Watching the life slowly drain from the blue eyes of the ebony-skinned girl was something of a thrill for the Vistor. He’d hated witches for as long as he could remember. They were treacherous creatures and were it not for a witch he wouldn’t be as he was today. Still, they had some uses, but it wasn’t always straightforward getting their cooperation.

The fiery eyed girl gurgled through choking sounds, her face growing redder by the minute. She gave a stilted nod of her head, indicating that she was ready to talk. The Vistor released his grasp and let the girl fall to the floor of her bare concrete cell. The young black girl gasped heavily as she regained her breath, straightened the creases out of her copper-colored gypsy dress and clenched her jaw.

“You’re a cunt. You know that?”

The Vistor had to laugh. He admired the girl’s tenacity. “Shut the fuck up Glamora. Are you going to cooperate or not? Do you want another year in the cells?”

“You can’t do this to people!” the girl protested. “If Azu or Ezra knew you were doing this—”

“Your sister Azu is dead,” the Vistor said plainly, “and Ezra is dead too. Although I believe she has reincarnated as another witch by the name of Rubago.”

Glamora gasped. Tears would have filled her eyes if she wasn’t kept in a constant state of dehydration. “Azu, dead? But how?”

“I thought that might get your interest. It’s partly to do with why I’m here. Azu was on our side temporarily. Without her, we’ve had some setbacks. She was killed by a vampire called Ansel Draco. I’d like you to look into that crystal ball of yours and show him to me. After that I’d like you to track another too. Ellie Thorn.”

The captive witch gave a disbelieving laugh and rolled her eyes. “Yeah, right. You’ve had me prisoner here for countless moons, Vistor. I don’t have the strength to seer. You of all people should know that. You can keep a witch prisoner all you like, but she’s no use if you don’t treat her properly.”

“That’s why I’ve arranged a short refueling period. With Azu dead I must now resort to using you Glamora, as unfortunate as that might be. You don’t possess the same strength as either of your sisters, but you might still have a use to me. I’d like you to meet a friend of mine. His name is Kaleb. He’s my latest project… and I think you might like him. He’s very good at making people… cooperate.”

The cell door to the right opened briefly to let the tall and broad vampire enter. Glamora stood to her feet in anxiousness, sensing a trap. “I’m not some fucking puppet on a string,” she sneered. “You can’t just lock me up and pull me out whenever you need me. I won’t recharge my energy to help you. Torture me all you like!”

The Vistor gave her a cold smile and stepped forward. “Blood. Sex. Sacrifice. Rest. These are the ways a witch recharges her magic, are they not? Rest assured, you will be back to fighting form inside the hour, and you will do so voluntarily.”

Glamora spat at the Vistor, her eyes hard as steel. “You can take your pretty boy and fuck off. I will never help you!”

The Vistor turned his head slowly to look at Kaleb and gave a slight nod. The hybrid vampire stepped forward and approached the witch. He spoke with in a deep and rumbling voice that sounded pleasant to the witch. “What’s the matter darling? Aren’t you pleased to see me?”

“Stay away!” Glamora screamed while backing into the corner of her cell. “I’ve little magic left, but there’s still enough to kill myself!”

“But why do that?” The Vistor said with dry amusement while watching the scene unfold before him. “Why do that when your… soulmate is here?”

Kaleb began his transformation at mention of the word soulmate, his whole body shifting and transforming into that of another man. In a few seconds the tall white-skinned man was gone and replaced with a black-skinned man with long dark dreads and sparkling black eyes. Glamora’s eyes flicked from the man to the Vistor behind him in disbelief, not really sure what was happening.

“What is this?” she stammered.

“Kaleb Spartan.” The Vistor smiled. Kaleb stalked over to the stunned witch in the corner and brushed a hand down her cheek. “He can instantly assess the perfect genetic match of any person and shift himself into that form. This is your… soulmate. Or an approximation of him anyway. I take it you’ve not actually met your real soulmate, hence the confusion…”

Glamora’s eyes softened, losing all focus as she stared into those beautiful black eyes. There was a distant suggestion of protest in the back of her mind, but she couldn’t really remember why. This man was beautiful. He was the face to an idea that had dwelled in her heart for a long time. Sweat pricked on her skin. Her breathing became fast and short. She sunk her teeth into her bottom lip. He moved closer.

“Not only can he take on the appearance of a mate, he becomes attractive on a base biological level. Pheromones, scent, and the such. You’re probably feeling those effects right about now.”

The man’s hand settled on her waist and he pulled her toward him ever so gently. She fell in voluntarily, melting as his lips dissolved against hers. Deep spice. Rich salt. Heaven.

The Vistor smiled to himself darkly as the witch surrendered herself to the man. He moved over to the cell door and opened it. “I trust then there will be no further protests in helping my cause. We will see to it that your strength is resumed quickly. When you’re back to your old self you can help me in finding these troubling elements.”

He exited the cell and stalked back through the hallways to his next destination. Things were going well. The second part of his attack was about to launch. He had a good feeling about everything. New waves of Black Fang would be released onto the human population in the next few weeks, which would weaken the vampires in Belmont valley. Glamora had been little use so far, but now Kaleb was up and running, the Vistor could use her however he wanted.

The Vistor slipped the two photographs from his jacket pocket into his hand and stared down at them as he walked. In one there was the fresh-faced picture of his only surviving descendent: Ansel Draco.

Draco would be problematic if not dealt with soon. He was the only living vampire that held the power to take him down. The Vistor would be paying Draco a visit very soon, as soon as he found out where he was.

In the other hand was the photo given to him from Valdis. A young girl with long blonde hair and sharp blue eyes smiled back at him. Ellie. The second lost daughter.

It wouldn’t be long before Glamora was back to her old self, and when she was the Vistor would make use of her power. Kaleb Spartan was already proving to be an excellent weapon.

It would be most fascinating to watch him destroy Ellie Thorn.