Nightshade: A SimLit | Chapter 116: A Deal with the Devil

 

"President Boucher, someone is here to see you."

Portia looked up from her desk at the words of her employee, shooting him an irritated look for the interruption. "No one comes to see me. Whoever they are, they shouldn't be here. Send them on their way."

"I tried to," he said, "but she demanded to speak with you personally."

Her brows furrowed. "Then throw 'her' out."

"She said she has information you need. Said something about making a deal, too."

"And what would that information be?"

"She didn't say. But... she did say she's a vampire, ma'am."

Portia cocked an eyebrow, pushing her glasses higher up on the bridge of her nose. "...interesting."

The man glanced at the doorway behind him. "Shall we... dispose of her?"

"No," she said thoughtfully. "Let it in. I'm curious to hear what this vampire has to say."

With a curt nod, he left the room, leaving Portia to ponder in silence. What kind of deal could a vampire possibly offer her? What information would one possibly willingly offer her? She couldn't trust a creature of its kind, but...

The door opened, and the clack of heels against the floor snapped her attention up to her unwanted guest. The vampire was certainly not being subtle, the white glint of its fangs contrasting with its all-black ensemble as it grinned an unsettling grin, one devoid of any actual positivity. "Ms. President," the creature began, voice disgustingly upbeat and sing-song, "it is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance. My name is Tiffany, and I'm here to make an offer you can't resist."

For a moment, Portia could only stare in stunned silence. "...spare me the formalities and get on with this proposition of yours."

"With pleasure," Tiffany said, the empty grin still plastered across her face. "You see, as a vampire, I have access to certain... information... that you do not."

"Information such as?"

"The whereabouts of the Realm of Magic... and how to get there."

"Yes, I'm sure you all possess that knowledge," Portia replied. "What good does that do me?"

"I'm willing to divulge this secret and help you achieve your goal," she continued.

The president leaned forward in her chair, gaze burning into Tiffany's. "Why?"

"Because you and I are the same," Tiffany said, pacing a few steps closer to the desk. "We want the same thing. Power, control..."

"Why would you betray your own kind? What could you possibly stand to gain?"

"Revenge." Tiffany's face fell, her semblance of cheerfulness disappearing in an instant. "You're right about Supernatural creatures, President Boucher. We are monsters. I wasn't born a vampire, I was turned when I was young. I've lived among them for the majority of my life, and I've made nothing but enemies. Now... I just want to watch my enemies burn."

The corner of Portia's mouth upturned in a subtle smirk. "Then what, exactly, is your offer?"

"My offer is to turn you into a vampire. A powerful vampire."

"Excuse me? I will not become—"

"Let me finish," Tiffany interrupted. "Once you become a vampire, you can turn your minions into an entire army of them. This will allow you all to see and enter the Realm of Magic, which I'll help you get to. When you arrive, you can launch an unexpected attack on the Sages. The goal is to get the Glimmerstone. Each of us has a smaller, personal one, but the main one is in the possession of the Sages. You can use it to send a broadcast to every Supernatural's personal Glimmerstone, summoning them to meet in the magic realm."

Portia's anger turned slowly to interest. "...then what?"

"Then," Tiffany said, "you kill the Sages."

"What is the purpose of that? Now I have every Supernatural creature in the world there to stop me."

She laughed. "No, you don't understand. The Sages' magic is the only thing that keeps the Realm in existence. The moment they die, it will die. It will self-destruct with everyone in it. All you have to do is get out before it does. After you've safely escaped, we'll rendezvous, where I'll be waiting with the cure for vampirism. We drink, we become human again... and that's it. All I ask for in return is immunity. Like I said, I'll gladly take the cure and return to human life."

Portia pursed her lips, considering. How could she refuse an offer like this? If the plan worked, she would finally achieve the goal she'd been working toward for decades — all in exchange for granting one measly vampire immunity, with the clause she agrees to become human again? 

"Do we have a deal?"

Hesitantly, the president stood from her seat, approaching the vampire in front of her. "What if your plan fails?"

"It won't. You and I both know it."

Portia scowled, but slowly extended her arm, their gazes meeting at the same time as their hands. "...deal."