3. Dark Magic (Luke POV)

Sitting in the dim light of my apartment, I heard the distinctive sound of a door closing from across the hall. A sinister smile crept over my face. Clay was leaving. I slid the glass door to my balcony open and peered down to see his black car pull out of the parking garage, heading north. He's going home, I thought, how convenient.

I returned inside, my fingers itching to pry open the book that lay on my coffee table. It wasn't any ordinary book—it was an old folklore tome filled with rituals, spells, and hidden amidst cryptic language, and dark magic.

Just as I prepared to delve into its pages, my phone dinged.

A F******k notification.

Curious, I opened the app and hesitated for a moment. Then, with a swift decision, I typed Lexi's name into the search bar. There she was, her face filling my screen. I sat back, a malevolent grin spreading on my face. I didn't even need dark magic; everything I wanted to know was right here in the palm of my hand.

I clicked on her profile, scrolling through her photos, stopping to watch her ballet videos. My eyes narrowed as I stumbled upon an old news report. She was the feature of one of those feel-good foster care stories. But I knew better; those stories rarely had a happy ending. But they focused so heavily on her love for ballet, that it inspired an idea. 

Setting my phone aside, I searched for ballet tickets online, purchasing front-row seats to a prestigious performance. I printed the tickets, laying them conspicuously on my counter. Then, I placed a food delivery order.

It took three more orders before her name finally popped up as the delivery person. Perfect. I snatched the printed tickets and walked downstairs, positioning myself near the mailboxes. If my suspicions were correct, she didn't need to be anywhere near his apartment, and his smell. 

When Lexi walked in, I greeted her with a warmth that bordered on saccharine. "Oh, I was just checking my mail," I said, waving at the mailboxes. "No need to go upstairs." I deliberately angled the ballet tickets so she could see them. It's just a calculated slip, but it worked immediately. 

"Wow, I didn't realize you were into ballet," Lexi said, her eyes widening at the sight of the tickets.

"To be honest," I began, laying it on thick, "while I find it mesmerizing, it's a bit odd for a guy like me to attend a ballet alone. I was gifted these two tickets, but haven't found anyone who'd appreciate it as much as I would."

I watched her eyes light up, a spark of interest I had hoped to see. "You know," I added, feigning modesty, "if you're free tomorrow night, would you like to go with me? I think I'm pretty good company myself, and I would hate for these tickets to go to waste."

She hesitated for a heartbeat, then smiled. "I'd love to. Let's meet at your apartment at 7?"

"Sounds like a plan," I said, my voice dripping with faux enthusiasm.

As she walked away, my thoughts churned viciously. Front-row tickets to a ballet she couldn't resist and a date she wouldn't forget. Everything was falling into place, but not for the reasons she'd believed. 

I returned to my apartment and focused on the other mission of the evening: making sure Lexi would find it impossible to resist me. As I walked back into my dim apartment, anticipation rolled through me.

I grinned, remembering how Lexi's fingers held the bag as she handed it to me.  Never underestimate the power of a simple touch; I was about to use it to my advantage.

I reached for an intricately carved, dark box I kept in an upper cabinet and set it down next to the bag and my book on werewolf folklore. Whispering incantations, I flicked my wrist to open the box. Inside was an assortment of mystical objects. Dried herbs, diminutive animal bones, and a vial of a dark, thick liquid.

Dipping my finger into the vial, I touched the spot on the bag where Lexi's hand had been. A jolt of dark energy surged through me, almost as if affirming the potency of the spell I was casting.

The incantations reached their peak, and I felt the fabric of dark magic weave an unseen yet indelible tether between Lexi and me. 

A smirk reached my lips; the enchantment was set, a hidden trap designed to subtly influence her feelings. She would be irresistibly drawn to me now. Everything was falling into place just as I had planned.

Oh, the world was a stage, and I was about to give the performance of a lifetime. 

Clay had yet to learn what he was up against.