Page 17 of Sugar Plum Fae

"Of all the places I thought I'd find you, this was not one of them," Roderick said, raising an eyebrow.

Ben looked up, his red eyes gleaming in the darkness. "Well, if it isn't the lord of nightmares himself. What brings you here?"

"Looking for you." Roderick leaned against the well beside the vampire. "What are you doing here? Making a wish?"

"Considering it," Ben admitted.

"Trying to cheat fate?"

"No, but I wouldn’t mind hurrying it along a bit."

“What were you going to wish for? To stop being a vampire?"

Ben laughed, a rich, deep sound that echoed through the night air. "Hardly. I love being a vampire. No, my wish is for something else entirely." He looked as if he was about to reveal his secret when rustling sounds came from the nearby forest.

A small group of townspeople emerged, their eyes alight with excitement as they approached the wishing well. Their whispered chatter filled the air, and Roderick could sense each of their desires—some selfish, others more altruistic, but all seeking to change their lives in some way.

"Seems you have competition for the well tonight," Roderick remarked dryly.

"Perhaps," Ben mused. "But I can wait. After all, eternity is on my side."

Roderick turned to Ben. "Do me a favor and send them away. Candace and I need time to recharge if we're going to keep granting these wishes."

"Why put yourselves through it if it's draining you?"

"Candace and I have a little wager. For every kind, selfless wish, she gets a point. For every selfish, trivial one, I get the point. Whoever has the most points at the end of Yule wins control of Whitlock."

Ben frowned. “Well, as a vampire, I'm not exactly thrilled about the idea of a sunsidhe overseeing my town. But I believe she'll win. I know these people. They're not a greedy lot."

"Agree to disagree."

"A few new rules should help with keeping things in line and conserving your energies." Ben nodded toward the townspeople, who had nearly reached the wishing well. "But I'd better deal with this little gathering before you have to listen to their wishes."

"By all means," Roderick said, stepping back to watch.

Ben held up a hand, halting the excited chatter of the group. "The wishing well is temporarily out of commission.” He steppedforward, the moonlight casting an ethereal glow on his pale skin as he addressed the crowd with a calm authority that had nothing to do with his supernatural heritage. "The wishing well will resume granting desires at noon tomorrow.”

Disappointment swept through the crowd like a ripple, but most of the townspeople nodded reluctantly and began to turn away. Roderick smirked, wondering if maybe Ben had been right about their selflessness—or perhaps they just didn't want to incur the wrath of their vampire mayor.

However, one figure remained—a ghoul named Kletus, who was known around town for his generally amiable demeanor. But today, something seemed off. His eyes were wild, and his hands trembled with barely contained rage.

Kletus, with his gaunt frame and eyes burning a feverish yellow, lurched toward Ben, his mouth twisted in a snarl that would've frozen a lesser being's blood. Roderick's lips twitched, a morbid curiosity piqued as the ghoul lunged toward Ben with surprising speed.

"You can't do this," Kletus snarled, spittle flying from his lips. "I need my wish!"

He swung a clawed hand toward Ben. But Ben was faster. With a graceful sidestep, he evaded Kletus's attack. With a flick of his wrist, Ben immobilized Kletus, suspending him in midair as he thrashed against invisible bonds.

"Attacking the mayor? That's disturbing the peace where I come from," Ben said. He snapped his fingers, and Kletus floated back to earth, his eyes vacant and half rolled up into his head. “You will go back into town and turn yourself in to the chief of police.”

"Not greedy, you say? That one seemed quite desperate for his wish." Roderick watched the retreating figure of the ghoul, who now walked with the stiff gait of one compelled by magic rather than desire.

Ben's brow furrowed. "Yes, something's off. That's not like Kletus at all."

Roderick shrugged. "I couldn't discern his intent. My powers are still weakened."

"Go rest. I'll look into it."

Roderick turned away, feeling the pull of his own dark realm where nightmares were spun from the threads of reality.