Page 66 of Whisper Woods

Once the small being is settled, they stab their finger in my direction and continue. “Is it true that vampires keep humans and lesser beings as pets to feed on?”

It’s my own fault for drinking, really. I choke in shock at the question, spluttering my drink all over the cream linen sleeveless shirt and pants Rafe had given me to wear today. Thankfully, they seem to have some sort of glamour over them because despite wearing the clothes all day; they aren’t stained. But still, I look like a dick.

Ain slaps my back while I gasp and choke, trying to recover my breath. Through narrowed, damp eyes I can see Rafe snickering into his glass.

“Really, Jeddy, don’t be rude! You know the Munish aren’t like us. You can’t shock them like that.” I hear someone scold the questioning being. Because that’s the other thing I’ve learnt about Tathissians. They are kind of elitist when it comes to the Mundane and the beings there. Let alone the humans and the vampires.

Brydon explained that they don’t have vampires here in Tathys, because they were banished when Tathys was sealed from the world. Over the centuries they had developed a scary, legendary status used to scare Tathissian children into behaving.

And humans? From what I’ve gathered, they kind of think of humans as being somewhat smarter than the dumbest creatures, despite the Tavishers’ best efforts to dispel the beliefs on both fronts.

If this reunification thing goes through, both sides are gonna be in for asteeplearning curve. Because I don’t know if the Mundane is ready for the type of power the beings of Tathys wield. Case in point, the way my drink is refilled without Vansh having batted an eyelid.

Magic justisin Tathys.

I manage to get a hold of myself, wiping the tears from my face with my freehand.

“No. They don’t do that. Like, at all.”

I pause for a second, tipping my head from side to side, actually thinking about it. “Well, not in Carconnois at least. And I’ve never heard of them doing that anywhere else. Not as, like, common practice anyway. I mean, they might do it for fun or whatever but that’s like, a choice. You know?”

“What do you mean?” A being yells from in the crowd. I can’t see them. But before I can answer, another being pipes up.

“He means a sex thing, you idiot!” A rumble ripples through the crowd as people join the dots together. The alcohol must be really getting to me, because a furious blush heats my cheeks.

“Have you ever fucked a vampire?” The little being asks, still perched on the bigger being's shoulder. A blue-grey hand on his thigh keeps him steady, the extra long fingers stroking casually. The pair seem to be together, and my brain skips a beat trying to imagine what that looks like.

“Falyuk, Jeddy.” A being with red, almost translucent skin and a strangely disembodied voice shakes her head, rubbing her temples.

Falyook. That’s another one of the words. There’s another,vilooshkevaor something—Rafe says it a lot, too. Andkooshinavya. I don’t know what it means, but I really fucking like the way it feels when Rafe says it to me.

“You cannot justaskthat.”

Jeddy rolls their eyes, stroking the bald head of the blue-grey being, and mutters something under their breath.

I think it was a spell or something because the red being jumps and sparks a brighter red, obviously furious and ready togo. I watch the exchange with a lot more anxiety than the Tathissians, who take the magic pinging through the air in their stride. It doesn’t even seem to phase them.

Red glows brighter and brighter and I shoot a worried look at Rafe. His glass is covering most of his face, but I can see the flicker of amusement in his eyes. He fuckinglovesshowing me this, I can see it.

With a subtle movement he tips his head back towards Vansh at the bar. She’s stopped wiping down various items, and is glaring at our group. She coughs, andit’s so quiet I don’t know how anyone can hear it over the noise of the packed bar. But they do. Everything becomes deathly silent, even the magic free-floating in the air seems to drop to the ground. All eyes in the bar turn to Vansh. She doesn’t show a scrap of emotion as she locks eyes on Jeddy and Red, reaching behind her broad shoulders to touch one of the blades strapped there.

One dark eyebrow arches, her black lips pursed together.Do we have a problem? She asks wordlessly.

“Shit, sorry Vansh. We’ll be good. Promise.” Jeddy holds their hands up in surrender and Red rushes out the same promises, her glowing light dimming rapidly. Her disturbing voice sounds enough like Marieth’s that it makes the muscles around my spine clench uncomfortably.

Vansh nods and the moment passes, the bar returning to its same chaotic energy. As soon as the noise picks up, Jeddy looks at me, leaning so far forward they almost fall off their perch.

“Well?” They ask and the group groans. Even though I know what he means, I decide to play dumb—the lure of the spotlight too much to resist.

“Have you fucked a vampire?” Jeddy almost screeches in frustration.

I run my hand through my hair, and then hook my thumb into the waistband of my pants, letting a hint of skin flash. Big dumb himbo is a role I was born to play, and I know my audience. They gobble it up, everyone waiting for my answer. Even Red. Because at the end of the day, beings, humans, creatures, animals, sex is one of the things that connects us all.

Just not like, literally, or whatever.

Rafe’s white knuckle grip on his glass doesn’t escape my notice. It makes me hesitate and indecision punches into my guts. Our past and our present blur together for a moment. Despite the intensity of how I feel about him now, how intensely I have always felt about him, we’ve never been exclusive. How could we, when our meetings have been random, fantastic occurrences like they have been? But just because it’s been that way… It doesn't mean I want to give Rafe the impression that I want to go on like that. And bragging about fucking around might give him the wrong impression.

Rafe sees my anxiety, with the same spirit-penetrating sight he’s always had.He says that white eye isn’t magically enhanced or whatever, but I swear it is. How else can he see through me like he does?

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