Page 72 of Vampire's Cupcake
When he'd scraped up the last of it and went to wash the bowl, Tuur closed the book with a thud."Thano has room for a garden.No one lives near here."
Eli glanced at him over his shoulder."No?"It had taken a good fifteen minutes to walk from Romeo's to here.He guessed it wasn't anything that bothered the others, but a human living a fifteen-minute walk away from their closest neighbor was unheard of.There weren't those kinds of spaces in the settlements.Maybe somewhere like Fisherman's Lake.He didn't know how far apart the farms were.
Tuur shook his head.
"Where does everyone else live then?"
"In their dens."
Eli smiled."But not near Thano?"
"Best keep your distance from the vampires."
Eli tried to determine if he was joking or not.Did shifters fear vampires?
"Ready to go?"Tuur grabbed his bags, and at first, Eli was about to protest, but Tuur was several times stronger than he was.If he offered to carry the bags, Eli should let him.There would be carrying in his future soon enough.
"I'm ready."He wasn't, and where the fuck was Thano?He glanced around the room one last time, hoping he'd materialize.
Reluctantly, Eli left the windmill behind and trudged after Tuur through the forest toward Romeo's house.There was a gnawing sensation in his gut.What was he doing?
Crows followed them.Some stayed in the air the entire time while some hopped from branch to branch to keep pace with them.Eli glanced around.Was Byrd there?He'd been a friend, sort of, but now he wouldn't be allowed into Last Hope again.
The trees grew sparser, and Eli stepped out onto a lawn.The decrepit cabins came into view, and he heard a laugh.Romeo's.Ciar stood next to him, a smile playing on his lips, and another sort of pang shot through Eli.They looked happy.Both of them.Carefree.
A shadow fell over him, then the biggest bird he'd ever seen dropped to the ground.Draven shifted into human shape, and despite Eli having seen it once before, he couldn't help but gape.It was amazing.Though startling to stand face to face with a naked man who didn't give a damn about lacking clothes.
“You're leaving?"Draven narrowed his eyes.
“Yes, I have to look after the shop."
Draven nodded.“Since we aren't allowed into Last Hope anymore, we won't make the meat deliveries."
Right.Fuck.“No, I guess...makes sense."He wouldn't have any meat, or only meat on occasion.He'd have to talk to Joshua.Maybe there would be meat to be had from Fisherman's Lake, and maybe he could get fish more regularly from Finn Pretty.Maybe.
Draven shrugged.“I liked having money, but Ciar says Romeo can't go to the bank now, so what's the point?I guess we'll hunt for Romeo.Everyone else can get their own food."
Tuur was walking again, apparently having lost interest in what Draven had to say.He walked up to the car, opened the trunk, and put the bags inside.
“Take care, Eli.Too bad you couldn't stay for story night."Then feathers formed over his body and he shrank.Eli watched him.It was hard not to.When else in life would he be standing next to an eagle-owl?
Tuur got into the car, and Eli hurried over to the passenger door.He waved at Romeo and Ciar before he got in.Was it the last time he saw them?He shook his head and fastened the seatbelt.“Ready."
Tuur grunted and started the car.They drove in silence, Eli looking out the window.There were crows in the trees, but he didn't know if they were supernatural crows or ordinary crows.“When will you have the meeting?"
“When I get back, I suspect."
“And what will you talk about?"
Tuur shrugged.“I suspect Thano will forbid everyone to go into Last Hope.Word has already gone out, but he'll demand all leaders make sure their people follow the rules."
Eli tried not to feel, but it hurt his soul to think there would be no others in Last Hope.People feared them, and they should, but Last Hope was a small settlement surrounded by wild country.It wasn't like the bigger settlements where people could pretend the others didn't exist.Where humans could go their entire lives without knowingly looking at a supernatural.
Others had been present in Last Hope for as long as Eli could remember, it was part of the settlement's makeup.
“Is Thano a good leader?"
Tuur looked away from the road for a second to study him.“Yes."
