"I can confirm that Sophia was not a date and was in fact a work acquaintance. Her design team at Paxus was the driving force behind the exceptional branding of SinCorp's newest club, Sincere," Eli said, his hands clasped behind his back.

"But why wait so long to make an announcement?" the reporter asked.

"Because I saw it as a non-issue. A work matter to be addressed in work hours, not on my day off."

"So for the hopefully ladies out there, you can confirm that you're still an eligible bachelor?"

Eli looked directly at the camera and smiled. "Very much so."

Soph stopped the video and pulled her headphones out. After an absolute media frenzy on Sunday - during which her identity was revealed by none other than Rhonda - Eli had finally addressed the press that morning. Things in the clear, Soph still felt nervous as to the reception she would receive when she went into work. There was nothing for it, though. She had to pretend that her Saturday night had been a non-issue for her as well.

"Soph," Bradley said before she even reached her desk. "My office, now, please."

"Sure," she replied, dropping her bag on her desk. She ignored the smug look that Rhonda gave her as she followed her boss. Bradley closed the door behind them. A bad sign. "Look Bradley," she said before he could start on her. "I'm sorry I didn't clear it with you first. It was a very last minute invitation by Eli, who I've previously had an acquaintance with and I so badly wanted to see Sincere up in lights."

Bradley pursed his lips, then shook his head. "It would have been nice to be prepared for the media, Soph, plus you should have declared your potential conflict of interest with Mr Damiani."

"I'm sorry," she said again. "It really is just an acquaintance, and I thought since all our proposals were being submitted without attributes that it wouldn't matter."

"And in the greater scheme of things, it doesn't." Bradley suddenly grinned. "The moment your name got out there, I started getting calls. Calls from big players. They want to work with us, Soph. They want to work with you!"

"Really?" she was stunned. Through the entire whirlwind of the weekend - the pleasure, the guilt, the fear of retribution - she hadn't once considered that being connected with Eli might open up new networks for her company.

"I've already sent a note over to SinCorp to suggest that perhaps we have a team on hand for the openings of Sinners and Sinister to anticipate this sort of response. Perhaps you can attend those openings too? Of course, we've lost the element of surprise by you already accompanying Mr Damiani. But the press liked you. I don't think it would be unrealistic for you to attend the functions alone. I know a PR guy who can help you with your messaging."

Soph nodded, swallowing to work away the lump in her throat. She had banked on getting back to work and being able to hide behind her superiors when it came to dealing with SinCorp. If she attended the openings of the next two clubs, she'd have to see Eli again. She couldn't decide if the churning of her stomach was due to anticipation or dismay.

Bradley told her about the new clients looking to sign on with them and about his plans to expand the team. When she finally got back to her desk, she checked her phone and found that she had a text message.

"Did you get fired?" Rhonda asked gleefully.

"No, Rhonda," Soph replied dryly. She opened the text. It was from Marco. "I didn't get fired."

- Dinner at El Pasco on Friday night?

Soph set the phone on the desk in front of her as the guilty churn of her stomach returned. Had Marco seen any of the news? Would he know that she'd bounced from her night with him straight into Eli's arms? If he had and it bothered him, he wouldn't text her though, right? And it's not like they were officially dating or anything. She hesitated a second longer then picked the phone back up to reply.

- I love tapas. Sign me up x

***

- Have been meaning to text. Saw you at the opening of Sincere. Congrats! I know you've been working hard for it. Sierra.

Soph read the text as she walked down the street towards El Pasco. Despite Eli's statement that their appearance together had been a work engagement, Soph had remained under the scrutiny of the media throughout the week. Commentators pulled apart her appearance. They talked about her dress - now in the bin after Eli's attack on it - and some loved it, some hated it. They talked about her job, and how it was 'great' to see a down-to-earth woman out on the socialite scene.

At work, Bradley had her sit in on every new client meeting so they could see her face and make the connection between Paxus and the success of Sincere. Every text she got from Luie was accompanied with photos of magazines and newspaper clippings that held a picture of her face. She couldn't get away from it.

The one blessing she did receive was that Eli kept his distance. He didn't call or text. He didn't look at her across the street and smile. Effectively, he returned to the way he had been before he'd burst into her apartment with vampires on his tail, and for that she was grateful.

- Thanks x

She text back to Sierra before stopping outside El Pasco to look through the front window. She couldn't see Marco yet. Her phone buzzed, and she glanced down at it.

- What are you doing tonight?

- I have a date with Marco.

- Oh lucky. What are you doing after?

Soph thought about it. Last week, she'd left her date with Marco and had ended up with Eli. She wasn't going to get drunk tonight, though. She couldn't foresee any... altercations coming up again.

- Not a lot, why?

- The Night Queens are getting together for some drinks at Grimshollow park. You should come.

-Yeah okay. Pick me up from El Pasco in about three hours.

"Hi, Soph." she looked up to find Marco before her, his hands in his pockets and a smile on his face as he waited for her to finish her text.

"Hi," she replied, leaning up to kiss his cheek in greeting. At the last moment he turned his head so that his lips met hers.

The kiss was brief but sweet and when he pulled away, she was gripping both his arms.

"Doesn't that usually happen at the end of the date?" she teased, breathless. He looped his arm through hers and escorted her into the restaurant.

"Considering our last date was cut short by your drunk cousin, I didn't want to take my chances."

"Welcome to El Pasco," the waitress greeted them. "Would you like a booth or a table?"

"Booth," Marco said. "A private one please."

***

"No, no, no," Soph laughed as Marco poured her another sangria. "You've been out of the game too long. Advertising is not just about sales. It's about making people feel things. It's about connecting with their deepest desires and saying, 'hey, I get you'."

"That's an interesting way of putting it," Marco agreed. Soph had been leaning on him, his arm over her shoulder as they sat together in the booth. At his words, though, she sat up so she could look at his face.

"Take Sincere, for example," she explained. "She is honest. You know what you're going to get when you go there; good drinks, a good time. An opportunity to be a little promiscuous. Sinners is all about adult entertainment. There are boys there for the girls, and girls there for the boys. You can indulge your fantasies and sin until your heart's content. See, it's all in the name. When you see it, it speaks to you. You know you'll get what you deserve when you go there."

"Get what you deserve?" Marco raised his eyebrows and laughed. "That's taking it a bit far, isn't it?"

Soph didn't think so, but then, she'd got exactly what she'd wanted out of her night at Sincere.

"What about Sinister?" Marco prompted.

Soph smiled coyly. "Ah well, I can't tell you about Sinister yet. All will be unveiled." her phone buzzed on the table and Sierra's name flashed onto the screen. Soph groaned. She'd been enjoying her date with Marco so much that she'd forgotten that Sierra was picking her up.

"I'll tell her that I can't make it," she said, letting the call go to voicemail before picking the phone up to start a text.

"No, don't do that," Marco said. "I should be going anyway, I have an early start tomorrow."

"Are you sure?"

He smiled, then pulled her in and kissed her. "As much as I want to continue this, I really do have to go."

"I'll set up the next date," Soph assured him and kissed him back.

Marco settled the bill, and they left the restaurant. After a last kiss goodbye, Marco headed off down the street and Soph climbed into Sierra's waiting car.

"That's Marco?" Sierra asked. Soph nodded, her fingers finding her lips where they still tingled from his kiss. "He's hot!" she gave Soph a sly sideways look. "Between Damiani and Marco, you're bringing all the boys to the yard."

"Har har," Soph responded dryly. "Let's get going."

***

Soph could see them at the edge of the clearing, where the trees cast eerie shadows across the grass. There were about twenty of them and they weren't sat in a traditional wiccan circle, rather they were sprawled in little groups, sitting either on the grass or on picnic rugs.

She could hear them talking too; the cheerful chatter of women who knew each other. Despite the sangria she'd drunk, Soph felt nervous.

"I should have brought something," she said to Sierra as the two of them traipsed over the grass towards the group. "A bag of chips or a bottle of wine."

"No need," Sierra informed her. "Adriana likes to provide for the group."

They came to a halt at the edge of the gathering and Adriana, who had been standing close to the trees with Darcel, waved to them. Sierra and Soph waved back, then Sierra motioned that they should sit down.

"We're all here, my beautiful Night Queens," Adriana began, and the chatter died away. Soph pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms over them. Adriana moved through the group, smiling down at women as she passed. "It's with the Founders' Blessing that find ourselves here, able to share our passion for magic together. Let's take a moment."

It seemed to be a cue. As Soph watched, the women fell utterly silent, then closed their eyes. A breeze flushed across the clearing, lifting the hair from her neck. Her skin tingled, as if her blood was singing to the energy of the others around her. For a few heartbeats, she knew all the women there; sisters, mothers and daughters. All with unique stories, but all inherently the same. This is what she'd been missing out on by being a lone witch. These women were kindred spirits and she could feel them calling to her from the very depth of her soul.

Slowly the feeling lessened, and the breeze died away. There was a single moment of stillness and serenity, then Adriana smiled and raised her arms. Wind whipped in and around the woman, creating a whirlwind of leaves that almost encased her. Soph held her hair out of her face and watched Adriana's spell in amazement. She'd never seen such advanced use of magic, except from Nona who could make a room dark with indignation alone.

Adriana let the spell go with a flourish and the other witches applauded, Soph along with them. Adriana laughed and waved to Darcel, who opened a picnic hamper, extracting bottles of wine and plastic cups.

"Now." Adriana continued her walk among the witches. The wine made its way to the back of the pack and Soph poured herself and Sierra a glass. Sierra sipped it and sighed contentedly.

"I needed this," she whispered. Soph sipped her own, then looked into the glass. It tasted a bit odd, as if it weren't quite mature enough, but also overly sweet. No one else seemed bothered by it so she put it down to her palate needing to readjust from the sangria earlier.

"Tonight I want to talk about vampires," Adriana continued and Soph started. Vampires? Seriously? "I know it's often a topic of discussion for us. We talk about how to protect ourselves from them, about how to identify their powers, but tonight I'm going to get specific. Walk with me."

The women before them stood. Soph drained her wine and followed suit. She got to her feet and a flash of heat passed over her, crawling down her shoulders and along her arms, creeping up the back of her neck and over her scalp. She blinked the sensation away and followed the witches before her as they started into the forest among the trees. Ahead, she could hear Adriana's voice.

"There is one vampire," her words drifted back, "who has gone against the harmony of the Founders. He is unknown to us but he is close, you can smell him."

And Soph suddenly could; a luring scent that both enticed her, yet made her blood boil. She wanted to find it and destroy it. Adriana continued.

"He has defiled the Founders by taking what is not rightfully his. He was gifted one power, but by force took three! The Founders want their powers back! It is our duties as witches who serve the Founders to find this vampire and kill him!"

The words echoed in Soph's head, and she reeled. Her skin was on fire, but she couldn't stop her forward momentum, weaving through the dark trees, following the shadows of the witches before her. The scent of the vampire with the stolen powers led the way.

"Si," she groaned at one point. "I feel sick." But Sierra was no longer at her side. For a moment she blacked out.

When she came to, she was moving at an impossible speed; the trees whipping past in a blur and her feet barely touching the ground, yet she could see everything in sharp clarity. She still felt hot, but the wind dried the sweat before it could fully bead on her skin. She could hear others running with her - the other witches - and ahead the smell of the vampire with the stolen powers was stronger than ever. She had to find him and kill him so she could get the Founders' powers back. Maybe it would stop the burning of her skin.

Another witch got up close beside her and Soph turned her head, a snarl of warning ripping from her throat. The witch backed off. Ahead, through the trees, there was movement. A man's back, dodging between the trunks as he fled towards Grimshollow peak.

Soph needed to get him. With a guttural shriek, she surged forward, faster than the other witches, leaving them behind. She dogged the vampire through the trees. The speed at which she moved was incredible. Everything around her faded and only her prey mattered. She gained on him, close enough that she could hear his footfalls and his heavy breathing.

He reached the edge of the trees where the rocky bluff began, then he swung around. His abrupt halt took her by surprise and she hurtled into him, feeling like she'd run headlong into a brick wall. Didn't matter. She still wanted him dead.

She screamed at him, trying to get her arms around his neck. In her persistence for murder, she barely noticed that they were tumbling in a wild fray of limbs back down the hill. They slammed into a tree and came to a halt. He was on top.

They scrabbled together for a second, each trying to get the other's throat, then he managed to pin her down.

"Soph?" he said incredulously, and for an uncertain moment, Soph stopped fighting. His eyes were blazing red and his fangs were bared, but still she recognised him.

Her voice was hoarse as it left her lips, and in it she could feel her irrational hatred of him warring with the fear she felt. "Eli? What's happened to me?"