Chapter 204 - In The Dead Of Night

I didn't need to think too hard to put two and two together. Vampires, mist, vampires that turn into mist. That all took me about half a second to realise, after which I did a very undignified thing and shrieked on top of my lungs.

The mist jerked, and next to me, JJ stirred. Next second, he was already up. Before he could ask, I wordlessly pointed in the mist's direction, who now was entirely in the room, and pulled the covers up to protect my modesty.

At this point, I could tell that the aura of the mist was familiar. I knew I met this vampire before, and there were only so many vampires I've met. I was sure this wasn't Avarice, Christina was dead and buried, and that left the only other option.

"Desmond! What the hell are you doing here?"

When the mist solidified into a person, even though I couldn't see more of him than a silhouette with my eyes, I knew I was right. "I should be asking you this question, Diana. What a scandal… A witch sleeping with a vampire. Rarity even for our days. Or did you grow bored lifting skirts off human girls and decided to raise your antes, Dragonslayer?"

If there was anything worse than being attacked—personally and physically, and I was pretty sure a physical attack was in plans here too—it was being attacked when you were sleeping in the embrace of your lover with both of you stark naked because you just had to have a round of sex for good dreams. And, if there was anything worse than THAT, it was Desmond being the one to attack us. This asshole. Whatever respect I felt for his investigative skills and his help in finding out the demon's origins just turned into a pumpkin. A rotten pumpkin.

"Hold your tongue, Desmond. Just intrusion wasn't enough for you, you have to throw insults in as well? I guess I shouldn't expect any less from a viper like you," JJ said in a biting-cold tone. In my aura-vision, the only thing that let me orient in the dark, I saw him stand between me and Desmond, as tall and proud as if he was dressed. "I assume you came to kill one or both of us."

"You'd be wrong. I'd much prefer you both alive." The dark glee in his voice was audible. "I wish I brought a camera with me. This sort of photos would be nice to look at… for everyone I know."

"Good thing you didn't, then," I snarled at him. Damn, my amulet was in my purse, and my purse was on my table, and my table was on the other side of the room. I had to get to it and maybe cast a spell—

"I will still have my photos of you, Diana, when I have you. This… is truly once in a lifetime opportunity, you should know. To snatch an arch-witch when she's still young and knows next to nothing about magic! I wonder how long it would take for you to even start weaving a spell… of course, you'd never actually hit with it, even with your lover protecting you."

"She wouldn't even need to if I kill you by myself," JJ noted before I could protect my offended pride. "What makes you think you are stronger, Desmond? We've met briefly at Dragon's Circle, didn't we? You weren't stronger than me then."

While they talked, I reached down for the Earth's aura. One interesting thing I learnt from Ghost—vampires turned into stone didn't become indestructible stone golems, they just died because they couldn't live with petrified blood and heart. At night, it was the best way I could deal with one, but I had to be slow and careful to not create an avalanche of power as the last time I used the planet's aspects.

"I rose in power since then… And we could fight, sure, and trash this pretty little place—would be a pity, with all the expensive items." Desmond's eyes flashed in the dark. "Instead, why won't we have a mental duel instead?"

"Oh?" JJ sounded curious. "I didn't know you were good enough to challenge others on that."

I hoped they would continue to talk until I gather enough power, but I was only half done.

"You don't know a lot, Dragonslayer. I wonder where you disappeared for an entire century."

Next moment, absolutely without warning, Desmond moved, throwing several something in my direction. Like a blur, JJ moved, catching the projectiles out of the air, except for a couple that missed me by a wide margin.

It didn't more than give me a bad scare, but it was enough to break my concentration of the spell, and the best I could do was letting the stored in my well energy out into my bed in a relatively controlled stream, turning it into stone by pieces.

"Did you try to petrify me? Don't do it again," Desmond said, as if nothing happened. "So, Dragonslayer?"

"I accept." JJ shook off the projectiles on the ground from where they stuck in my flesh.

"Wait, what's the mental duel even is? Can you tell me before you go do it?"

"It's very simple, ma chèrie. We will try to out-hypnotise each other. It will be very traumatic for the mind of the loser, forcing him into sleep for an unknown amount of time."

Well, if it was hypnosis, then I knew JJ was the best. My racing heart settled down a little. As for my spell, I would just have to start with it again. I was sure that Desmond's warning was preemptive—he didn't reach out with a feeler towards me, so how he'd know if I was doing anything magical? Unless it was written on my face.

"Which will be very convenient for me," Desmond added. "And thanks to the show you two made, no one will speak a word if I were to deal with you.. Well then, let's not waste any more time."