Page 43 of Outrun The Devil
"They say curiosity killed the cat, detective," his voice was a silk-veiled challenge, a reminder of the games they were playing. His words were a dance, his body a canvas of unreadable gestures.
Olivia's frustration simmered beneath her skin, a boiling concoction of determination and exasperation. Her jaw set in a firm line, her eyes blazing with a fire that refused to be extinguished.
"Can I meet one of these witches, then? Maybe they have answers about what I am... If there are others like me." Her words were a plea, a desperate desire to pierce through the veils that surrounded her own identity.
Xavier's smile held a glint of amusement, the culmination of their conversation dancing on his lips. His silence stretched, a tightrope of suspense that Olivia was forced to navigate.
"Ah, detective," his voice held a measured pause, his tone a symphony of smugness. "Curiosity truly is your defining trait, isn't it?"
The penthouse felt like a stage, each question and response a choreographed ballet of shadows and light. And as Olivia's gaze held Xavier's, she knew that the dance was far from over.
The shrill buzz of her phone shattered the hushed stillness and Olivia fumbled for it. It was four in the morning which could only mean one thing.
“Collins,” she answered, eyes flicking to Xavier before she turned her back to the vampire.
“They found the body of the missing girl.”
Dread clawed at Olivia's chest, a heavy weight settling over her heart as the words reached her ears. Once again, the harsh reality of another victim's life extinguished and another family left in ruins sent a chilling shiver down her spine.
She looked back at Xavier, who was leaning casually against the wall. Despite her reservations, she knew he had information that could help her. She turned to him and spoke with a resigned tone, “I need your help.”
Xavier raised an eyebrow. “You need my help?”
Olivia nodded. “I need to find this wolf before he kills again. And I need to know everything you know.”
Xavier gave her a sly smile. “I knew you would come around eventually. But in return for my help, I have a condition.”
Olivia tensed. “What condition?”
“You have to let me feed from you again,” Xavier said, his voice low and seductive. “Just once more.”
Olivia hesitated, her mind racing. She knew it was dangerous to let a vampire feed on her, but she also knew she needed his help. Finally, she nodded. “Fine. But it's the last time.”
Xavier stepped forward, his eyes glinting with hunger. Olivia closed her eyes as he sank his teeth into her neck, the sharp pain quickly turning into a dizzying pleasure. She gasped as he drank from her, her body tingling with a strange energy.
After what felt like an eternity, Xavier pulled away from her with a satisfied sigh. Olivia's head was spinning, but she managed to steady herself and look at him expectantly.
“Tell me everything,” she said.
Olivia wanted to know everything she could about vampires and werewolves, anything that could explain what she could do. More importantly, how she could control her visions.
Xavier leaned against the wall, his eyes glazed over as he began to recount stories of the supernatural world. He spoke of ancient vampires and powerful werewolf packs, of witches and warlocks who could control the elements, and of dark spirits that could possess a human body.
As he spoke, Olivia listened with rapt attention, her mind whirling with new information. She had always suspected that there was more to the world than what met the eye, but she had never imagined anything like this.
“So what am I?” she asked, interrupting his story.
Xavier cocked his head, studying her curiously. “You truly don't know?”
Olivia shook her head, why would she? She’d only learned of the supernatural world moments ago. “I have these visions, but I don't know what they mean or how to control them.”
Xavier had a knowing look on his face. “You’re a seer,” he said. “A rare gift among humans, but not unheard of in the supernatural world.”
Olivia was taken aback. “A seer? What does that mean?”
“It means you can see the future or the past,” Xavier explained. “Or at least, glimpses of it. Your visions are a manifestation of that power.”
Olivia's mind raced as she tried to process this new information. “So you’re saying that I can see what’s going to happen and not just what has happened?”