Page 69 of Vampire's Cupcake
The way Eli's eyes widened had Thano go through his words.Had he said something wrong?
"I can't move here."
"Of course, you can.You have."
"Nooo."He dragged it out."I've been here a few hours.My life is in Last Hope.I can't close the shop.People will starve."
"They'll find a way.There is the market every month, and this time of year, people have their gardens."
Eli scoffed.Didn't people have gardens?Thano never paid attention to what the humans did when he walked through town, but since food always was an issue, he assumed they had gardens like the one Romeo tried to build.He glanced out the window.He'd have to have a garden too now.If he was keeping Eli here, he had to grow as much food as he could.He stood.
"What are you doing?"Eli stared at him.
"I'll be right back."
A bewildered look overtook Eli's face."Where are you going?"
"Getting a thing from Romeo.Eat.I'll shadow walk, so I'll be back before you're done."Then he gathered the shadows.It wasn't until he was outside, he realized he wasn't dressed.It didn't matter.He'd get the garden book.
* * * *
Eli took a spoonful of unsalted oatmeal and grimaced.He was sick of oatmeal, but this was worse than normal.He sighed.He couldn't stay here.Could he?Part of him wanted to give it all up, but no, it wasn't right.What would the people in Last Hope eat if the shop wasn't there?
There was the market.And if Eli didn't have his shop, he was sure the people from Fisherman's Lake would bring grains and other things they only brought to Eli so people could buy it directly from them.But what would he do here?What did Romeo do all day?It was Ciar and Draven who hunted.
Eli ate another bite and looked out the window.The door opened, and Eli turned, expecting Thano, but it was Humbert.
"Can I let them out?"He was bouncing on his feet--his bear feet.
"Let who out?"
"We've built the chicken coop, and Romeo did a rabbit thing.He said we'd have to do better another day, but it would be enough for now.Can I let them out?"
Eli got to his feet, leaving the oatmeal where it was."Show me."
Humbert more or less danced out of the door, and Eli put his bare feet into his shoes and followed.The chicken coop wasn't pretty, but it was about the same size as the one he had back home.Romeo stood next to it."I let mine free range, but better keep them locked up for the first few days."He gestured at the chicken run."We didn't dig the netting into the ground, so it's not predator-safe, but I've never had any wild predators go near mine."He glanced at Humbert."There are too many other predators around."
Oh, that was neat."Birds of prey?"
"Crows and Draven.And Raven.I don't know if she'd engage with a bird of prey.She'd sound an alarm, though."
Eli nodded.
"We put the rabbits over here."Romeo walked toward the backside of the windmill."I don't know if it'll keep them in, but it was what we had to work with for now.Maybe we can get hold of better building material or maybe you can bring your pen from Last Hope."He shrugged.
"What do you do all day?"
Romeo widened his eyes."What do you mean?"
"If I don't go back to Last Hope, I don't have a job, no business to run."
A grin split Romeo's face."There are always things to do.I know it sounds insane, but I'm so glad to be in the wild country.Money isn't an issue.Everyone trades in favors.And sure, there are things you only can get in a town, but they are surprisingly good at getting their grabby claws on the things they want."
The cupcakes.They still hadn't managed to bake any, but it hadn't taken Thano long to get hold of baking powder once Eli said he couldn't get it.
"But I can't just..."Give up his life.He couldn't abandon everything in town.
"Is it Thano you're worrying about?I know they can be..."He scrunched his nose and shrugged."Acting in a way we're not used to, I guess.I was scared shitless of Ciar, then one night he slept on my bedroom floor in panther form, and the next he crawled into bed with me and told me I was his."He shrugged again."Go with the flow."
