I spent the rest of the day wandering the city, stopping into bars along the way and doing nothing with my time. Still disappointed I'd lost my job, I thought it better to wait to inform Blaine until this evening.

And though the thought of telling him terrified me, my curiosity piqued every time I thought back to that vampire hunter I met earlier in the day.

Oh, I would meet him alright. If my reward was as big as he claimed, I’d have no problem confessing my job loss to my lover. If it wasn’t? Then, I would call the police on that weirdo and have him arrested for... something. I’d figure it out if I needed to.

The evening quickly approached and I found myself wandering up the street in which the strange man lived. Or worked. Hell, I didn’t even know if he was renting the place. Maybe he was a squatter. Or worse. Maybe he’d murdered the original owners and stolen their house.

My heart thumped hard as I stepped up the single step onto the tiny porch. I cupped my chest, willing myself to calm down, but as I looked up at the ordinary door I realized this was no ordinary situation. There was no light blazing through the windows, nor any sound coming from inside.

I swallowed up the fear and reached out to knock. Before my fist could reach, the door swung open to reveal a dark, shadowy figure with glowing silver eyes. My heart hammered even harder—this really wasn’t a good idea after all.

“About time you came,” the familiar voice had me gasping for air.

“Y-you?”

Five fingers seized onto my arm, jerking me inside the house. With a blink, the lights flicked on and standing in front of me was the strange man who I’d called the vampire hunter.

Was he truly just a “hunter”?

“Is this some kind of game?” I grumbled, heat raging through my cheeks. “I don’t really have time for any bullshit, okay?”

“It’s no game.” The man shook his head. “Listen, thank you again for coming. As you know, you didn’t have to. I wouldn’t have sought you out again.”

Thanks for telling me this... but wait... “You... sought me out?”

“Mmm, no. I only saw you at the lounge this morning and thought you could help. That is all.” He stepped forward. “But you coming proves you’re at least interested in my search.”

“A reward is what interests me. That’s all. Now what is this all about so I can get back to my life?”

“I told you before. I’m seeking a vampire.”

Right. Now I was questioning why I even thought to come here.

“You, Angel Matthias Belser, are a clairsentient being. One able to sense spiritual energy from beyond, correct?”

I froze immediately, unsure of what to say or do. It didn’t bother me so much that he knew my full name, even my middle name, but how did he know that one hidden secret I’d been keeping since I was five? I couldn’t see them, nor hear them, much less talk to them, but I could sense spirits and beings around me. Skinless creatures, like ghosts, some on ground level bumping into me as I walked. Some hovering in the air. Some could even fly.

The only time I’d ever spoken a word about this was when I first felt them. My religious-nut parents promptly called an exorcist. Thus it was no surprise that when I came out to them, they had tried to claim the dreadful demons had finally taken over their boy.

“I’m sorry if I surprised you,” the man said.

I raised my head, realizing I’d been staring at the floor until my eyes burned. “Huh?”

“Such a gift you have shouldn’t go to waste. It would be of good service to me in my search.”

“Y-you mean, I would be of good service if I used this ability?”

“Yes.”

“And my reward?”

The man sighed. “You’ll be rewarded, I guarantee it.”

“With what?” I stomped my foot. “And what exactly will I be doing with this ability of mine?”

“You’ll be helping me find a vampire, remember?”

I took a deep breath. “Oh yes, of course. So said vampire can bite me and suck my blood...” I laughed under my breath. “Ah, this is just stupid. Why did I even come?” I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms across my chest. “Wait, wait, wait... Don’t tell me you’re a vampire, too?”