Page 16 of The Bones of the Cursed

I traverse through the quiet streets of the Upper Shrol. The once-bustling town now stands deserted for fear of the unfolding terror the realm is facing. Everything started to escalate a year ago: ghouls attacking towns and villages in greater numbers, lone Witches attacking civilians. Now we have people going missing daily. The entire realm has lost their damn mind for fear of the growing unknown.

So if I want information on errant Witches, who better to seek out than one of the largest covens in the realm?

I walk into the rundown bar in the back alleyway just behind the local brothel to meet with a witch from the Shadow Vale Coven. The Witch’s bright white hair is like a beacon in the dark, seedy bar, and I saunter towards her, amused when people scramble to part around her. She has full lips and sharp cheekbones, a nose ring sparkling in the candlelight in the dimness of the bar. Her piercing gray eyes take in the space around her. Maybe I can kill two birds with one stone, get the answers I seek and have some fun.

The instant I slide into the sticky booth tucked in the back corner of the bar, she pins me with a scathing stare and snaps, “Don’t even think about it.”

I plaster on my most charming smile. “I have no clue what you mean.”

She huffs. “Please. You have womanizer written all over your face and I want no part of it. Ask whatever questions you have so I can be gone from this place.”

Irritation replaces my smirk. Damn Witches, so introverted. Heaven forbid I ask one to enter civilization. She acts like it’s an inconvenience to spend time with the rest of us.

“What do you know about the rogue Witch attacks that keep happening?” I ask.

She takes a sip of her water, licking the droplets from her bottom lip. My mind flits to how those lips would look wrapped around me.

A foot stomps down on mine under the table and I curse. “What the hell?”

She shoots me a dirty look. “Knock it off.”

Rolling my eyes, I signal for the waitress and order a whiskey.

“I don’t know much,” she says at last. “Our matriarch has been keeping tabs on the attacks. They don’t seem to be tied to any coven. She assumes they are just lone Witches, the ones who want nothing to do with a coven. Some are not pleasant company. They tend to feed on animal blood. With the increase in humans in this realm, it makes sense they would be drawn to their blood as well, since it’s richer and provides nutrients that animal blood doesn’t. There is a good chance that some of them used to be part of the Nightblood Coven that disbanded nearly a century ago when their matriarch was sent to Hell, but that is speculation.”

I file that knowledge away for later. “What about the ghoul attacks? Do you know anything about that?”

She shakes her head. “No, just what you do most likely. It seems they are multiplying—and fast. Before, there were only a handful in the realm, and now there seems to be dozens, if not hundreds. They also aren’t behaving like normal. It is rare that a ghoul would travel into such populated towns, but these ones don’t seem to care. They move in packs larger than before; what used to be no more than four is now doubled and they don’t seem to cower away from heavily populated areas. If anything, they’re drawn to them.”

I swallow down the whiskey and stand. “Thank you for the help,” I say, throwing coins down on the table to pay for mydrink.

I’m heading for the door when a game of dice in the center the room catches my attention. I turn back, walking through the crowds, my boots squeaking on the sticky floor with each step I take. I slide into an empty chair at the table, throwing more coin down.

I’m always a sucker for a little game of dice.

And it seems it was a good idea, for a mention of ghouls from a nearby table instantly has my hair standing on end.

“Yeah,” says one male. “Said he saw a whole herd of ghouls.”

His friend laughs. “Sal is always dramatic. Probably saw one or two. Or is lying.”

Cashing out of my game, I sidle up next to the two older Fae, throwing my arm around the one with the big mouth.

“Any idea where I can find your friend Sal?”

The Fae’s face pales. “Uh…probably the pub in the Lower Shrol. Practically lives there.”

Throwing him a smile, I chuck a coin onto the table, watching as the two males fight over it.

Looks like I have a drunk to visit.

7

- ALANIS -

THE GHOUL

Hannah and I don’t linger during dinner. I head towards Kailu, pausing as I wait for his conversation to finish. When his emerald eyes latch onto mine, nerves skitter up my spine. I fiddle with my fingers, my face feeling warm.

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