'This is truly amazing,' I exclaim, unable to contain my delight.
The wind fae giggles softly. 'It's just faerywine,' she reveals.
'Well, it's the best faerywine I've ever tasted,' I reply with a smile.
'You're quite peculiar. Faerywine is made with the same ingredients throughout Felderia. I'm curious to know where you've tasted it differently,' she says, intrigued by my comment.
I feel Xander's piercing gaze burning through me, his arms are crossed, and from what I see out of my peripheral vision, he looks ready to hex me with a spell. 'Oh, well... erm,' I stumble over my words, desperately searching for an explanation. 'My mother makes it and sometimes adds a different fruit to the ingredients.'
'Hmm, I see. Your mother must be quite unusual. I've never heard of such a variation when the drink is magically crafted to perfection,' she remarks.
'Yes, my mother is quite... unique,' I reply, attempting to divert the conversation.
She nods understandingly and glides away to attend to another table, leaving me with Xander's impending wrath.
Seeking to defuse the tension, I turn to Imogen and Janie, a casual smile on my face. 'How are your drinks?' I ask, trying to shift the focus away from my previous blunder.
I can practically hear Xander gritting his teeth.
Janie and Imogen play along, sipping their wines and sharing their thoughts. 'Oh, this tastes absolutely divine,' Janie exclaims.
'It's like a lively bowl of fizzy fruit salad dancing on my tongue,' Imogen laughs.
Leaning forward, Xander's eyes still burn into mine, 'Next time, Wolf, only tell them what you want to eat or drink, otherwise keep your snout shut before you give us away,' he says
I can sense the collective breath being held by Imogen and Janie.
'Or what?' I retort, my defiance rising to the surface.
A dangerous glint enters Xander's eyes. 'Or I'll leave you in the Witching Woods, where you wouldn't last an hour alone,' he threatens.
'Whatever,' I mutter under my breath. 'I'd probably have more fun alone in the Witching Woods than following around a pompous toad like you all day and night,' I mutter audaciously.
'What did you say?' Xander demands, his voice laced with a mix of anger and disbelief.
Smiling sweetly, I raise the glass of faerywine to my lips. 'I said, this faerywine truly is something,' I reply, taking another sip, relishing in the flavourful distraction.
As the moon casts its glow over the tavern, Mister Kal materialises in a burst of magical energy, appearing beside Janie on the long wooden bench seat. The room is full of enchanting melodies as one of the armoured bear folk gracefully plays a tune on the piano. Imogen's eyes light up with delight as three impeccably dressed figures, donning tuxedos that accentuate their allure, enter the tavern. Among them, the long-haired blond vampire catches her attention, but their gazes quickly avert when they notice Xander's sour stare. They retreat to a far corner of the establishment.
'You scared them away,' Imogen groans, disappointment evident in her voice.
'It's for your own good,' Xander asserts.
Unbeknownst to Xander. The brown eyes of the blonde vampire became crimson as he turned from Xander’s dire gaze.
Janie reaches out to touch Xander's hand gently. 'I might retire to our room. I want to take a bath before bed to save time in the morning,' she says with warmth and affection.
Xander nods in agreement. 'You both should do the same,' he suggests.
'Can we stay up a little longer, please?' I request, hoping to extend our evening.
'Half an hour, and that's the limit. And remember, you mustn't leave each other's side. You can observe everything you want to, right here, from this table. I will return in thirty minutes,' Xander warns, setting clear boundaries.
'Okay,' we reply in unison, our smiles reflecting our understanding.
We watch as Janie and Xander ascend the stairs, their hands intertwined in a display of affection.
'Finally, he's gone,' I mutter under my breath, only to realise that Imogen has already made her way to the table where the alluring vampires sit.
'By spells and hexes,' I curse softly, realising the predicament. I hastily stand up, my grip tightening on the front of my cloak to ensure my hood conceals my distinctive wolf ears. Mister Kal faithfully follows, standing by my side as we approach Imogen and the captivating vampires.
'Imogen,' the alluring long-haired vampire with blonde locks speaks in a refined accent. 'It's a pleasure to meet you. We couldn't help but detect your delectable aroma. It's unlike anything we've ever encountered, with no pointed ears, wings, or a familiar. I can't fathom what creature you might be,' he says, his gaze fixed on her.
'I'm a witch. I haven’t chosen my familiar yet,' Imogen responds confidently.
The vampires exchange glances, and it becomes apparent to me that they are communicating through telepathy.
'That's odd,' he remarks with a curious smile. His fascination of Imogen can be seen in the depths of his red irises, as he seems completely smitten by the woman in front of him.
He gently takes Imogen’s wrist, she subtly winces as his thumb touches her wrist, and a strange sword-like symbol appears like a tattoo, and his eyes turn brown. The burn from his thumb is swiftly forgotten as he pulls Imogen playfully onto his lap. She giggles, and his nose nestles into her neck as he inhales her scent. 'Because you don't smell like a witch,' he whispers. Imogen quickly glances at me over her shoulder with alarm.
Surprisingly, the vampires don't expose her lie. Instead, the handsome blond vampire spins Imogen on his lap to face him, extending his hand towards hers. Imogen looks back at me over her shoulder, uncertain what to do, but curiosity, fascination and lust seem to win over as she locks eyes with him and smiles. Imogen takes his hand, and they shake.
'My name is Orelious Sinclair,' he introduces himself, his lips planting a series of kisses on the back of Imogen's hand, the new mark on her wrist and along her arm. His nose again dips into her neck, savouring her scent to which he appears utterly addicted—Imogen gasps, overwhelmed by the sensation.
'Orelious,' she utters his name in awe and wonder. His eyes darken, revealing a lustful hunger within.
Imogen blinks a few times, regaining her composure. 'And who might your handsome friends be?' she teases, diverting the attention from her own vulnerability.
I cringe. Oh, Imogen, you're toying with a vampire of all creatures. If only she could hear my silent warnings.
'Frederick and Reed, but pay them no mind, my sweet. Your eyes are meant only for me,' he asserts, lifting Imogen off his lap. Taking her hand, Orelious places his other hand on her waist, drawing her closer, and leads her into a dance while the piano fills the room with melodic tunes. They move gracefully, twirling elegantly as if they were born to dance together. It's evident that Orelious has had his fair share of practice. Their eyes remain locked, maintaining an intense connection throughout the dance.
Orelious lowers his head, whispering into Imogen's ear, his voice laced with desire. 'Your scent has led me on quite the hunt to find you here. I first caught its faint trace when I arrived at the Whimsywick tavern, but it disappeared. However, the irresistible allure of your blood compelled me to follow your scent all the way here, and now, I have found you,' he confesses, unable to resist any longer. He sinks his teeth into her neck, indulging in her life-giving essence.
A shriek escapes my lips, and I instinctively lunge forward to rescue Imogen, but strong hands seize my shoulders, preventing me from reaching her. I gaze towards Frederick and Reed, holding me firmly in place. I lock eyes with Imogen, worried, but she runs her fingers through Orelious's hair, emitting sounds of pleasure.
Mister Kal hisses at Orelious and then directs his gaze towards me. 'I'll fetch help,' Mister Kal communicates telepathically before vanishing into thin air with a puff.
'What is he doing to her?' I demand Frederick and Reed, my voice full of desperation. They exchange confused glances before turning their attention back to me.
'It's obvious, Orelious is claiming his bloodflame,' Reed says.
'Bloodflame? What are you talking about? Let me go!' I shout, struggling against their grasp.