I wake up after what seems like no time at all. I forgot to close my blinds and the morning sun is streaming directly into my eyes. I groan. Snot is curled up in my arms which is odd since I didn't know she'd followed me into the room.

I get up and check the time. Eleven. My stomach rumbles and I scowl at it. I sift through my closet until I find a sufficiently clean outfit for pilates and throw it on. Then I drag the dresser away from the bedroom door and peer out. Nothing seems amiss. I sneak down the hall until I can peak around the corner and into the living room. The man is still passed out on the couch. I breathe a sigh of relief.

I head to the kitchen in search of something to take the edge off before my workout class. A bowl of cereal and oat milk will do the trick so I pour them into a bowl. I carry it over to the little bistro set I have near the windows and sit down. I position myself with my back to the window so I can keep one eye on the man at all times. He's kind of sweet when he's asleep, his face almost kind. Almost.

I unlock my phone, type "Fact or Fiction Succubus" into a search browser, and open the first link. The site looks like something out of the 90's and for some reason they decided to go with comic sans as the main font but it's still the most reliable site for all Flooded related information.

The webpage for succubi has a big Fiction written across the top.

'A female sex demon, the succubus feeds on the sexual energy of their male victims. They are depicted as hideous monsters with wings, tails, and horns and are said to disguise themselves as beautiful women in order to seduce their prey.

There are currently no known cases of succubi.'

A sex demon? Gross. I shoot a dagger stare at the unconscious man. So he had seen me with the vampire then. Great, just great.

I eat magic, not sexual energy. And I don't even need sex to feed. It just makes it more fun.

I eat two more bowls of cereal while I read through the rest of the page about succubi. There's a surprisingly gross and graphic description about how they implant their babies into unsuspecting women that almost makes me gag. After I'm finished I rinse my bowl and herd Snot into the bedroom. Best that she stays away from the man for now. Then, I leave. I purposely leave the door unwarded and I'm kind of hoping that when I get back he'll be gone but he's pretty injured and still very unconscious so I don't hold out hope.

The weather is unseasonably chilly as I make my way to the studio. It bites at my skin and I have to blow on my hands to keep them warm.

"Sophie!" a cheerful voice calls as I walk through the doors.

It's Preeta, the instructor. She pulls me into a tight hug.

"Hey Preeta, ready for a great class?"

"You bet! I saw you were signed up and saved you a spot right at the front. Go get set up because we're starting in just a minute."

My heart sinks but I give her a smile and head off. I've only been coming here for a few weeks. I'd hoped to keep coming for at least a few more before they started noticing me. A shudder runs through me at the memory of the last time I got too comfortable. The last time I was noticed. I refuse to go through that again so it looks like today is my last class.

Preeta runs a hard class. Within the first ten minutes I'm pouring sweat and I'm not alone. The rest of the class is breathing just as hard as I am. I'm lucky today. Today it seems that most of the class has magic to spare. I gulp it down greedily. As I do the energy shifts. These women will think it's the dopamine kicking in but in truth it's the reward they're getting for parting with so much of their magic. For the second half of the class we kick it into high gear. My muscles burn while my stomach fills.

My sports bra is completely soaked with sweat when the class finishes. We all give Preeta a round of applause for a great class and file out of the humid room. I put my sweater on and throw a quick wave over my shoulder before heading home. Now that I've eaten I'm feeling much, much better. I even stop at a cafe and grab a latte and herbal tea. They warm my hands as I carry them home.

I push open the door, not sure what to expect but ready to throw scalding tea on an injured fae if need be. He's sitting on the couch.

"No knife this time?" I ask coldly.

He turns and looks at me. His eyes follow me as I circle the couch.

"I brought you tea."

As I come around I see the yellow blanket draped across his lap and a black shape sitting in the middle. It's Snot. I glance down the hallway but the bedroom door is still closed. I look at the scarves but they still seem to be attached at both ends.

"How did she-?" I shake my head. "Here. It's a peace offering. It's yours as long as you don't try to cut me again."

I set the tea down in front of him on the coffee table. He doesn't make a move to pick it up. His hands are unconsciously stroking Snot who seems to be perfectly content in the man's lap. In fact, she's purring.

"Snot doesn't usually like strangers," I tell him, sitting on the other side of the couch and sipping my latte.

It's a good sign that she does because she's a great judge of character.

The man continues to stare at me without saying a word.

"So now that you've had a nice long nap, how about you answer some questions. Why were you in that facility?" Leaning back, I sip my latte.

Nothing. Okay, maybe that question was too hard.

"You're a fae, right?"

Still nothing. Maybe I need to go even simpler.

"What's your name?"

Silence. He doesn't even move, just watches me with those dark brown eyes. I stare back. We sit in silence while I wait for the man to say something, anything, but he just continues to stroke Snot's head. Finally, I give up.

"Look, buddy, I got you out of the guard tower and I'm really glad you're okay and didn't die from your wounds but now you have to leave. I can sneak you out the back and then we never have to see each other again. I'm even willing to pretend the knife thing didn't happen. What do you say?"

It takes him so long to speak that I'm already getting mentally prepared to say goodbye to the best apartment I've ever had.

"I have nowhere."

"What about your home? Where do you live?"

"I have no home?"

"Family?"

"Dead."

"Friends?"

"Dead."

"What about your fae colony? Where are your people? I could get you to a portal, you could go there."

"I have no fae colony."

I let out a low whistle. "You're making this really tough, you know that? Where were you planning to go after you held that knife to my throat?"

"I'm not sure. I believed that my life was in danger so my goal was to remove myself from the danger."

"And now?"

He looks down at Snot. "I no longer believe I'm in danger."

"Glad to hear it but that doesn't answer the question of what I'm supposed to do with you."

He pauses thoughtfully, looks down at Snot again, then back at me. "I'd like to remain here."

I shake my head vigorously. "Absolutely not. No way."

"My lady." He begins.

I hold up a hand. "Stop right there. First of all, saying 'my lady' is weird. Second of all, there's nothing you can say that would convince me to let you stay here."

"My lady," he tries again, "I am too injured to leave. If I go now I will surely be captured and they will want to know how I escaped. I would gladly give them that information. In fact, they may even assume that you caused the lights to go out in order to break me out. I am sure the authorities would be very interested in that information."

Shit, that's really convincing.

He continues. "You have seen my wings. You know I am a powerful fae. If I were just given some time to recover I can leave and you shall never see me again."

My lady? Shall? This guy is a real piece of work.

"What happens if I let you heal and you get caught anyway?"

He doesn't respond.

"Right." Pulling the hunting knife out of my boot, I stand. "You've convinced me after all. Convinced me that you're too much of a liability."

I see his fingers slide between the cushions but I'm a step ahead of him and the knife he's expecting isn't waiting there.

It's kind of a bummer that I rescued this guy just to have to murder him but death will probably be better than living the rest of his life pinned to a wall by dozens of iron stakes. Sure, it's been a while since I've had to kill anyone but it's like riding a bike. Right?

I advance.

"A blood pact," he says. His voice is surprisingly calm. "We could perform a blood pact." I pause. "I could make a vow to protect you. Vow to keep your involvement a secret."

I tap the knife against my hip and think. It would be nice not to get blood all over my couch.

"How long does it usually take you to heal?" I ask.

"For something like this? It would take a month to regrow my wings but I do not need that much time. It would only take a few days to recover enough of my magic to defend myself."

I'm considering it. I'd prefer not to have to murder another person to keep my secret safe. Besides, I had worked really hard to put all the killing behind me.

"Just a few days? Okay, fine." I sigh heavily. "Let's make a blood pact."

A blood pact requires only three things. Blood, sacrifice, and agreement. The first is easy enough but the second and third take us nearly an hour to figure out.

Once the blood pact has been made there's no changing it and no breaking it so every detail matters. We go back and forth on the content, then the wording. Wording is more important in magic that most people know. Absolutes are nearly impossible to guarantee and a broken blood pact is... well, painful to say the least.

The man goes first. "I vow to remain in your care for as long as it takes me to recover enough of my magic to defend myself and avoid capture. While I am in your care I vow to follow the rules of your home. I vow to tell you any information I believe is important to my recovery and I vow that after I leave I shall keep the secret of your identity and involvement for the remainder of my life."

"I vow to allow you to remain in my care and to nurse you back to health until such a time as you are able to use enough of your magic to defend yourself and avoid capture. I vow to do what is in my power to aid your recovery and I vow to protect you and keep you safe to the best of my ability until you leave my care."

"I accept your vow," he says.

"I accept your vow," I reply.

I'm not sure if the blood pact will work since normal spells don't but there's a sting as the spell takes hold. I snatch my hand back, clutching it to my chest while the pain spreads up my arm and into every cell in my body. When it subsides I open my hand and examine the wound. There is a thick white scar where the knife cut my skin. Out of curiosity I reach out and take his hand. There's a network of crisscrossing white lines on his palm.

"Do you have a habit of making blood pacts or are you just really clumsy?"

He yanks his hand back.

I ignore his scowl. "I'm Lexi, by the way," I say, standing up.

He doesn't reply. I sigh.

"Are you planning to not tell me your name?"

"Perhaps."

I roll my eyes. "Whatever. I'm going to make some soup. Would you like some, nameless man?"

He doesn't answer and I take it as a yes since I don't know the last time he's eaten and the faster he recovers the faster he'll be out of my hair.

I head to the kitchen and pull out two cans of soup and a pot. I open the soups and dump them in before turning on the heat. It's a fae friendly vegetable medley meaning it's basically just vegetables and water. No salt, no spices, no nothing. When it's sufficiently heated I divide it between two bowls and carry them back to the couch. I set one down in front of the man and one down in front of me. Then, I double back towards the kitchen to grab myself salt. Just because he has to eat bland food doesn't mean I do. When my back is turned I hear a shuffling. I turn back just in time to see the man is switching the bowls.

"Do you think I poisoned it or something?" I ask, "I literally just vowed to keep you safe. Shouldn't you trust me now?"

"You can be drugged and perfectly safe. The two are not mutually exclusive."

I come back with my salt and sprinkle a bit into the soup, stirring to dissolve it. The man watches me with intense eyes as I bring the spoon to my lips and taste. Satisfied, I pick up my bowl and start eating. He continues to watch me, not touching his own.

I roll my eyes. "Are you going to be a pain in the ass the entire time?" I ask as I lean over and slurp up a spoonful from his bowl.

Apparently satisfied that I'm really not trying to drug him, he picks it up and takes a small cautious sip himself. Then, he waits. When nothing happens he takes another sip. Then, another. Finally, he brings the bowl to his lips and drinks the whole thing down in a single gulp.

"Do you have anything else to eat?" He asks, holding out his bowl.

I grin. An appetite is a good sign.

I come back with an apple and a bowl of instant mashed potatoes that I made in the microwave. I make sure he watches me take a bit of each before setting them down in front of him. He attacks them. Within seconds they're both gone.

He lets out a contented sigh, smiling for the first time. "Ekonimos."

"What?" I ask, confused.

"My name," he replies with a yawn. "It's Ekonimos. But you can call me Eko."

"Nice to meet you, Eko. Now, how about I take a look at that back of yours and we can see what we're working with?"

He consents, turning around so I can examine his back. I unwrap the wounds.

They don't look good. They haven't healed at all and they're looking angry and puffy. Most likely infected from that dirty saw. Luckily I remembered to pick up some antibiotics on the way home. I had to use my stolen prescription pad but it got the job done.

I reach out again to test his magic. It should be at least a little bit returned by now but I still can't feel anything. That's not a good sign. I close my eyes and concentrate. If it's there, I'll find it. I dig deeper and deeper, searching. It seems hopeless and I'm just about to give up when I feel the faint tingling of magic. It's there, deep, deep inside. But something is blocking it. Okay, this is officially beyond my talent. Luckily. I know someone who might be able to help.

I give him one of the antibiotics from the bottle I picked up and watch him to make sure he swallows. It takes some convincing and a lot of promises that it'll help heal his back but he finally does it. Then, I head into my workroom and open my safe. It takes me a few minutes to remember which burner phone is the right one but when I do I power it on.

Me: 9-1-1

I set the phone down and continue to root around in my safe for the other thing I'm looking for. I find it in the back and pull it out. Bloodstone. Unsurprisingly, this is one of my highest selling charms. I'm almost always sold out but I like to keep a spare around just in case. I go and put it on the table next to Eko. It's not a substitute for magic but it'll do a pretty great job keeping the infection at bay and closing up the wound. Especially this one. It's one of the largest pieces of bloodstone I've ever worked with.

He examines it curiously, picking it up and turning it around in his hands.

"This is good work," he says approvingly. "Where did you get it?"

Now it's my turn not to answer. Just because he swore a blood oath doesn't mean he needs to know anything about me.

I head back into the office and check the burner phone.

Butcher: Tomorrow. 9am. Don't be late.

I turn off the phone and throw it back into the safe, locking it back up. Looks like Eko and I have a very important date tomorrow.