Ivy stood on the second floor walkway in the warehouse, eyes fixated on the entrance, waiting for the couple outside to enter. The taller of the two pushed open the rolling dock door, alerting every rat that danger was incoming. They slipped through the narrow void and shut it. Moonlight from the upper windows sourced enough light to make it possible for them to walk through the empty building. Ivy remained hidden in the shadows.

“This place is amazing!” the female’s voice echoed. Black leather pants glued to her skin, which forced a rigid posture that only worsened from the stilhettos clicking against the concrete floor. The man that commpanied her smiled.

“It’s the perfect location for the bar - right on the line of both cities. Of course we’ll have a little bit of construction, but it’s ours to mold.”

Ivy tilted her head. Theirs? She scoffed and sauntered down the walkway, fingers trailing along the bannister. Banter between the lovebirds continued below, but Ivy stopped listening. The weight of her boots coming down the metal steps caught the couple’s attention.

“What was that?” the girl asked.

Ivy’s delicate voice floated across the room, “Just me.”

The stranger clutched her tiny purse and snapped her head from side to side, trying to locate the origin of the voice. Ivy appeared behind them, arms resting behind her back like she had a present hidden.

“Who are you?” The man leaned into the question with his chest until he looked down and saw Ivy. “It’s dangerous at night here, are you lost? How did you get in here?”

Ivy smiled at the idea that she was the one in the wrong place. She’d spent the last two centuries roaming Earth in search of a permanent home.

A place with perfect weather.

This town had a mild version of each of the four seasons.

“The weather’s taken a turn for the worse,” Ivy pointed toward the metal ceiling, raindrops crashing onto the roof grew louder. “So I decided to take shelter in the nearest spot.”

A place close to a ley line.

Like the man stated, it was the perfect location. Directly below them was a ley line, which would be easy access for a source of magick should she ever run low. Ivy circled the couple, her eyes shifting up and down, inspecting the fiery energy each had dancing around their body.

One more collection wouldn’t hurt. Afterall, they were under the assumption this place wasn’t already claimed.

“Well, it’s private property - you’re trespassing. Call an Uber and get out,” the man said.

Ivy watched the man guide the woman towards what looked like an old office from the previous tenants. Halfway there, he noted that Ivy hadn’t moved an inch and instead remained completely still in the center of the warehouse.

“I told you to…”

“Jay?” The female turned around to see Ivy standing in the center of the warehouse like a statue. She scanned the area, but there was no sign of her partner. “Jay, where’d ya go?”

Darkness descended on the warehouse, blinding the woman until Ivy appeared in front of her with a devilish smile. She placed a manicured finger under the woman’s chin and paused at the sight of a magickal mark hidden under her left ear; a black cat head, fangs exposed, on a purple and silver shield. The family crest of the Blackburns.

The woman stood completely still under Ivy’s spell, her eyes exposing the terror her body would express if left to her own free will. Ivy let go of the woman.

“It’s unfortunate, but at least you’re a Blackburn. Might want to tidy yourself up.” Ivy pointed at the garb fit for an escort and lifted her nose.

“What are you talking about? Who are you? Where’s Jay?” The woman backed away from Ivy as fear took over.

“Stop.” Ivy held a palm up, freezing the woman in place. “Consider yourself lucky today. As for Jay, forget about him and your knowledge of this place. Leave now.”

The fear in the woman’s eyes dimmed and she nodded in a daze. She wandered to the nearest emergency exit and left without another word. Ivy turned around and studied the building. Cracking her knuckles, she smiled and created a magickal barrier around her new home.