Charlie

Contention

Isaac sniffed the air as he joined the crowd. He needed another Ascendant and he could smell one on the wind. Canon vampires such as himself could enter any territory other than a Regent's without issue. His thoughts drifted to the current king of vampires, the one who murdered his wife. His fists trembled and he took a sharp inhale to keep his fangs from unsheathing. Isaac's plan for revenge was already underway. A Regent would unceremoniously slaughter a Canon but a powerful Ascendant could possibly kill him. He'd run into a few hiccups but the Ascendant he was looking for was a powerful one. The strong, sweet scent of blood he was following came from one point.

Isaac glanced up. He didn't see any figures lurking from the buildings above him so he kept walking. Every now and then he'd feel eyes on him and make out another Canon watching him but they kept their distance. Good. He was strong for a Canon but that meant nothing to an Ascendant, especially not this one. He stopped when he realized he was directly in the city's square. This Ascendant's scent flowed in every direction.

Isaac swore. He didn't have time for this, but he needed to remain calm.  He looked at a taxi driver leaning against his vehicle and picking at his fingernails. Isaac chuckled and glided towards him. The taxi driver looked up the moment Isaac started moving in his direction but didn't move. He held Isaac's gaze until the two Canons were inches from each other. A heavy odor of dust and smoke hid the scent of blood that lingered on the taxi driver's dirty jeans and aviator jacket. For a moment, neither of them moved.

"Do we have a problem?" the taxi driver suddenly asked.

"That depends," Isaac responded. "Can you point me towards the Ascendant? I'm in a hurry."

The taxi driver tilted his head. "Why?"

"Why does it matter?"

"Canons don't offer nothing to Ascendants," he shrugged. "We keep to ourselves, take just enough blood to survive, and don't cause any ruckus."

Isaac nodded to keep himself from trembling. His earlier assumption was right–this Ascendant would be a tough one. There wasn't any other explanation for such submissive vampires.

"'Take just enough to survive'" Isaac repeated. "You don't sound happy about the arrangement."

The taxi driver lifted his hand as if to cover Isaac's mouth but stopped himself.

"Be quiet!" he hissed. "He can hear you."

Isaac shrugged. "Let him." Then he said loudly, "I have a proposition for you."

Isaac got strange looks from a few pedestrians but nothing else happened. The taxi driver licked his teeth in a way that let Isaac see his fangs.

"Why do you want to see him?" the taxi driver asked more firmly.

"I have a proposition," Isaac repeated. "For him. Now, kindly point me in his direction or I'll tear your throat out."

The taxi driver chuckled then opened the car door. "I'll do you one better. Get in and I'll watch him swallow your heart."

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The taxi driver dropped Isaac off at the entrance of a country club. The main mansion reminded Isaac of a home he and Ava had in Spain–white with red tiles on the roof and a brick entryway. Sconces and lanterns lit the wooden window frames and showed off how large the building actually was. Domes, balconies and chimneys dotted the roof. Despite being well into the night, the pop of a club hitting a golf ball frequently broke the silence.