Page 25 of Cursed Shadows

“I am?” I ask, but that vamp just give me a real annoyed look. Well, fuck you, too, cum-muncher!

“All of you need to leave this realm,” the vamp finishes.

“Aren’t you coming with us?” the angel ask him.

“We need your help,” the elf king start, but the vamp interrupt him.

“I’m not the man you once knew,” he say. “I’m no king. I have no stake in your battle.”

“Ya know, I gotta say, I agrees with him,” I tell them, ‘cause I wanna lose this bloodsucker, like, yesterday. “He ain’t the man y’all once knew an’ he ain’t no king, an’ you all are kings, know what I’m sayin’? We should probly find someone else fer our battle.”

The vamp frown but he don’t have no response to that. It’s probly ‘cause I made a good point. ‘Bout time someone started makin’ some sense ‘round here.

“You’re after the same thing we are,” the elf king say. “Defeating Variant.”

The vamp nod. “But not for the same reasons. I don’t care about balance. All I care about is revenge. And I will get my revenge, with or without you.”

“We would be stronger with you,” the elf king goes on. “Youwould be stronger with us.”

“I work alone.”

“No,” the angel say. Her voice sound stronger now. An’ her face look better. Not that it looked bad before or nothin’, but she looked real tired-like. Now she look like she got more life in ‘er. An’ judgin’ by the way Dragan be lookin’ at her, he thinkin’ ‘bout puttin’ somethin’ else in ‘er, too.

“We need to stay together,” she say. “All of us… together.”

“And if you say no, they’ll knock you out and take you anyway,” the elf king grumble, like he rememberin’ the time Dragan did ‘xactly the same to him. I laugh, but I don’t think no one hear me. Or maybe they just don’t give no shits.

Dicks.

Dragan speak up now. “They’re right. It’ll take all of us to bring down Variant.”

“I work alone,” Vamp Bat repeat.

“Not for the immediate future,” Dragan say. “We have to make up for the past, Baron. We have to restore the balance that existed before, and we can’t do it without you.”

“My name isn’t Baron,” Baron argue.

I make a joke ‘bout it but no one even looks at me. But I’m used to that. When you be small, everyone discount you an’ yer opinions. Anyways, they’re all too busy starin’ at each other. I’ve never been one for long, dramatic pauses so’s I speak up. “Well, where we goin’, then?” I ask the elf an’ the gargoyle. Fuck the vamp an’ his bloodsuckin’ ways.

“Our first priority,” declares the elf, “is restoring Eilish and Baron’s memories. I can create a Transmutation Stone to try to accomplish that, but I need tools.”

“What kind of tools?” ask Dragan

“Minerals, supplies, things I can only get in the Fae Realm.”

“You wanna go back to the Fae Realm?” I holler at him. “That’s the first place Anona gonna look for us! Goin’ back there be the dumbest shit you said all night!”

Oh, these asses.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I agree with the sprite,” say the gargoyle. “Returning to the Fae Realm now is a suicide mission. You know Variant’s men are waiting for us.”

The angel’s eyes are wide, an’ she turn to the elf king. “You know of something that can restore my memories?”

“Are you even listenin’, doll face? We ain’t goin’ back there, so don’t go gettin’ yer hopes up,” I say, ‘cause I don’t want her sidin’ with no prissy-ass elves.

“Would someone please shut him the fuck up?” asks the elf, an’ I decide right here an’ now that I ain’t likin’ him one bit. Nope, not even a speck. Then, he talk to the angel. “I can’t be sure it will work. We still don’t know what’s blocking your memories. But I can try.” Finally, he turn to Dragan. “Nowhere is safe. Variant will be searching all three realms for us. We have to keep moving.”

“Eilish isn’t strong enough yet,” say Dragan. “She needs rest.”

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