Chapter 51 The Creature
THE CREATURE
The next town bustled with the same liveliness as any other working-class town.
Wagons full of goods passed us in every direction as we rode.
There was cheery chatter as we passed, particularly when we went by several taverns.
The ground crunched under the hooves of our draft as we approached the middle of a town, where a stately, simple steeple watched over the domain.
To think that all of these people were Vipera made me more comfortable than I was in the last town. It was nice to be around familiar species until I remembered who I was traveling with.
She was sitting beside me in the wagon, her head sloped against my shoulder as my arm wrapped around her.
She must be exhausted. Injured, traveling, and Eve’s curse was visiting her this week.
It admittedly drove me nuts, her scent making my teeth ache.
I wanted to tear into something, preferably not her.
We stopped in front of the inn. It wasn’t very fancy, but it was the fanciest one this town could afford. I was told the nicest bar was here, which often hosted the man we were looking for.
“Alina.” I nudged her, gently touching her cheek to wake her.
“Hm?” She didn’t open her eyes.
“We are here; let me help you dismount.” I slid off the wagon and held my arms out to her. She gingerly lifted her leg, and I helped her down by her waist. She was a bit pale for my liking; I needed to make sure she ate some meat at least.
“Go on inside, I’ll bring the horse to the stable. Take the bags in,” I instructed, handing them to her before she trudged up to the front door.
Out here, everyone did everything themselves, no need for any sense of hospitality. I didn’t expect much from a place like this, but I didn’t mind the work either. The horse let out a huff of breath as I led him, jolting his head up and nearly yanking the reins from my hand.
“Whoa, calm.” The beast strained out of the corner of his eye before letting me lead him forward.
What a fussy thing.
I brought the horse to the stable, leading him to an empty stall. The tack was dismounted, and I hung it outside his door. The big, burly horse was happy to be idle, even happier when I threw a few flakes of hay into the small box. Though I think it only seemed small because of his sheer size.
I brushed him off and covered him with a blanket for the night. While I didn’t prefer drafts, I could appreciate a hearty beast. My own horse was quite flighty, not quite built for travel like this.
“Goodnight, beastly thing.” I gave him a firm pat on his neck before heading inside.
I stepped in through the back entrance, stamping my boots off on the carpet before trudging in.
I saw many faces huddled around tables on the first floor.
There were two small fireplaces on either side of the common area, cabin-like with exposed beams and taxidermy decor.
The bar was by the back door to the left with a barman busy cleaning glasses—he doubled as the innkeeper.
On one of the many couches, there was a crowd, and in the middle, Alina.
Couldn’t you have negated attention for a few more minutes?
As I approached, they all listened to the damsel intensely.
“And then when they can put it on the nightstand, no one would ever know it was poison, as it just looks like perfume,” she explained.
“Do you only make one kind? Was your clientele via word of mouth?” asked one of the men.
“Yes, and it was easy since all the wives do is talk and spend money, so it was rather good for business,” she laughed tiredly.
“What profession are you in now?”
She paused and grinned. “Pharmaceuticals, naturally. Traded poison for poison in some ways. Which has created a demand for my second profession that I am training for.”
“What would that be?”
“An undertaker.”
The men had a round of laughter. I suppose she knew how to work a room. I cleared my throat, and they quieted.
Alina smiled sheepishly. “This is my . . . travel partner I was speaking of earlier.” She introduced me.
“Ah, this is the man we were waiting for,” one spoke from the chair next to her. “How kind of you to join us.”
The man next to her had the complexion of finished wood from a walnut tree and hair blacker than the coals that rested in the pit of the fire.
His eyes were dark as well, reflecting the amber light.
Most of the men around us shared a similar complexion, except for a few here and there.
I was happy Alina showed up first, because I had a feeling my presence was not the most appreciated in a small town like this.
“Silas,” Alina started, looking at me before turning to the man, “this is Cormac McCallister. This is his town.”
I stepped forward and held my hand out to him. “Silas Forbes, pleasant to meet your acquaintance.”
He stood to grasp my hand, shaking it firmly.
“It is always a pleasure having fresh meat in my town.” His hands were rough, calloused despite his young appearance.
“As lovely as your missus is, I have to ask respectfully what your business is here,” he stated, giving a cautious survey of my appearance.
I sat down in one of the chairs, and he returned to his seat next to Alina. The air became a bit thicker, tense. Most of the men stayed put.
“Our visit is purely out of curiosity. We have had disturbances—” I began.
“So it must have come from a town of mangy, brutish, forest dwellers. Correct?”
“No, that’s not—”
“What Silas meant to say,” Alina cut me off, “is that we come seeking advice.”
Cormac paused, and he turned his attention to Alina. “What kind?”
“We keep getting more and more feral corrupted showing up down in Buffalo—we can’t figure out where they are coming from. We thought it would be wise to ask an established Vipera colony.”
Cormac stared at her for a moment longer than I was comfortable with.
I was itching to move over to her, but I had to remind myself that she could hold her own. She was much better at diplomacy than I; the only one better than her would be Phoebe.
“How many?” Cormac leaned forward in his chair.
“In the past few months, possibly twenty—three of whom killed one of my girls.”
“My deepest condolences.” He frowned, bowing his head slightly out of respect. A couple removed their hats. “I take it you have a congregation.”
“A community of Hosts and Vipera. It is my job to keep them safe, and I’ve failed. Forgive us for coming on such short notice, there is nothing else we know to do.”
“Well, if you were wondering if they came from us, we haven’t had any new humans in some time.
Most just pass straight through. We have our own community of Hosts, so we have no need to hunt passing travelers.
” Cormac reclined in his chair and picked up his whiskey glass.
“We actually had one instance of a corrupted, but it came from your direction.”
“From Buffalo? Do you think it’s possible it came from elsewhere?” She knit her brows together, chewing her lip anxiously.
“I am afraid so, or at least they aren’t coming from us.” He shrugged.
“I see.” An unmistakable weight of defeat hung in her words.
“I wish I had a better answer for you. I do wish you luck in finding the source of your disturbances.” He rose from his chair.
“It is about time to return to my own home, though you two should stop by the bonfire later tonight. It is the perfect night for stargazing.” He turned to Alina and took her hand.
“Goodnight, if I do not see you this evening.” He kissed her knuckle before turning to me, nodding.
“And goodnight to you, as well. Thank you for letting your missus entertain us with her stories.”
I nodded in return, figuring it was more modest not to speak in this instance.
With that, he left, sliding his glass to the bartender before gathering his coat, leaving with most of the men who had surrounded us before.
I watched Alina from across the seating area.
She watched the fire. The hospitable expression she held before vanished without proof it was ever there at all. As upsetting as the new information was, I understood the frustration. I suppose it was good to do something other than sulk tonight.
“Are you sure you want to go?” I asked her as we approached a field, an almighty, blazing fire lighting the way.
“I’m not tired; I want to see.” She gripped my hand as we approached the giant flames.
The heat stretched across the snow, melting it as we got closer to expose the dried grass.
Many people put down blankets as they drank cider and beer.
Food was brought in carts for sale. Women and children danced around the fire joyously as a small group played odd, haphazard instruments that were full of playful folk tunes.
Alina’s face was so bright, so curious about the entire endeavor. There were a few bales of hay stacked in random spots on the ground for sitting.
“I didn’t think a fire could get this big; it’s blinding.”
I glanced over at her. She was doe-eyed, taking in the scene and the warmth of it all. Some color had returned to her face, or perhaps it was simply from the heat of the fire.
A group of children ran past us, giggling. One of them stopped and stared at Alina, seeming surprised at the unfamiliar face. He shouted something at his friends in a language I didn’t know, but then he took her hand.
She looked unsure before the little boy dragged her away.
They wanted her to dance for them. The children led her closer to the fire, jumping excitedly and twirling, trying to show her what to do.
She was painfully awkward, unsure of what they were saying, but with a few gestures from the children showing her how to dance, she followed along. It seemed to be some sort of folk dance consisting of simple steps and twirls that went along with the high-energy music.