CHAPTER 17 #2
“That’s... an interesting theory.” Azelf rubbed the back of his neck. “Can’t say I’ve ever seen a Lucyn-raven before. Besides, I don’t think there’s any Lucyn around here. They rarely hang around pack territories.”
Werewolves rarely sneak into a city either, Lenore thought. “I see. There’s still a lot I don’t know.”
“If they were Lucyn-ravens... why would they attack you? It’s not something I’d… expect.” He stopped and faced her. Those unreadable eyes of his regarded her intently. “... Was anything else there?”
The light sprite wiggled in her pocket. Lenore turned slightly away, pulse quickening.
“No,” she said. “Only me.”
Azelf’s eyes stayed on her. “Really?” His fingers twitched—a small crack in his calm. “I did hear you talking out loud.”
Lenore stiffened up. She forced herself to speak calmly. “I was alone and, um, between you and me, I’m still terrified of the dark.” She pressed her fingers together, shooting him a nervous smile.
Azelf laughed quietly. “Is that so? I thought I heard you say ‘we’?”
Much to her relief, she never had the chance to respond.
Laughter and running paws cut their conversation short.
Both turned as other wolves ran by. One of them, Nox, stopped to grin at them, and shifted into his human form.
His green eyes peeked through unruly dirty-blonde bangs.
A touch of boyish charm softened the sharp line of his jaw.
“Hey! Someone said you were gonna go fetch some more wine! Where is it?”
Azelf’s eyes widened, then he grinned. “Oh, crescent moon. Forgot.”
“Wolf... did you already have too much to drink?” Nox raised an eyebrow. “I’m off duty but I’m still obligated to tell ya not to overdo it.”
“Very funny. I went and got Lenore—” Azelf gestured at her, and Lenore gave a small wave. “And we had a long conversation about the wonderful facts about a mithrial, which made me forget.”
“Right. Yes.” Lenore nodded quickly. “Mithrial blood is very expensive in Arkhaven.”
From the corner of her eye, she saw a fleeting shadow cross Azelf’s face. Her lips pursed, puzzled by his reaction.
A sharp, singular clap from Nox tore her attention away.
“About that! We didn’t get even a single drop of mithrial blood this time!
It’s been decided that all of it is being stored away for the Caernith and for any future sicknesses.
” He fell to the ground dramatically. “What the helllll! You know how hard it was to chase that beast?”
“... All of it?” Azelf didn’t look at Nox, his gaze turning distant. “When was that ordered? When I left the party, I heard they were still looking for the moonwrought tools to do a proper blessing.”
“Well, that’s the thing. Arisa rushed in, saying she got an order from Auden to quickly let out the blood.
Since it was a rush… some of the blood degraded on the spot because it didn’t get extracted properly.
” Nox shook his head, bemoaning the loss.
“My old man apparently suggested the idea to Auden. He thinks the blood will enhance the strength of the medicine he’s making.
All of the glorious buckets of the remaining blood were taken away after,” Nox grumbled.
“Arisa and Hesper went to supervise it.”
“Thalryn Beren did?” Azelf murmured. His brow twitched before he smiled brightly. “It was a good idea! Besides, your honorable sacrifice means another drop for our Caernith,” he joked. “I’d say that earns you another meat skewer.”
“But it would’ve been better soaked in blood,” Nox whined. “There’s no way Auden needs to chug all that himself! Edmund agreed—”
“I’m guessing he wasn’t there when that all happened. Did he find the tools?”
“Well, no—so he was extra pissed when he got back. I tried to get him to start a revolt, but he ignored me.”
“Riiight. Because a revolt is exactly what we need right now.” Azelf scratched the back of his head, sighing. “Anyway, as fun as it is watching you grumble on the ground, I don’t think that’s the best impression for our new Nyven to have at a party.”
“My suffering needs to be noticed. Imagine, Lenore, your first treat here could’ve been mithrial blood—”
Lenore raised a hand. “I’m good,” she replied, her expression deadpan.
Azelf laughed. “That’s that, then. I’ll mourn over the idea of blood-soaked skewers with you in solidarity.”
Nox turned on his side, letting out a loud groan. “We haven’t had mithrial blood in ages.”
Lenore offered a sympathetic smile as she crouched low beside him. “If it’ll help you feel better, I brought some ingredients from where I lived. Maybe they’ll be a different kind of interesting for you?”
Nox lifted his head. “Stuff from the city?” His face lit up with intrigue. “Mm, not my first pick but not my last pick either. I’ll hold you to it then.”
Lenore’s smile turned warm. “I’ll bring it next time I see you.”
“Don’t cheap out on me—bring everything!” Nox winked, shifting back into a wolf. “You just made my day!”
“I thought you were suffering,” Azelf said.
“But nothing beats free things!” Nox’s tail wagged. “That includes all the food I just ate! You guys better go before it’s all gone. Last I checked, the pack already finished off the kelpie meat!” He let out a friendly yip before running off to join the others that were with him.
Lenore stood up, turning to follow Azelf as they resumed their walking pace. The remembrance of their unfinished conversation lingered in the back of her mind.
“It was nice of you,” Azelf commented. “You should know he’s all theatrics.”
“Maybe,” Lenore chuckled quietly. “But it’s hard to just leave someone like that.”
“Already caring for your fellow pack members? That’s the werewolf spirit.” The calm, mellow smile appeared on his face again.
As the party’s ambience grew to its peak, Azelf stopped just before a well-lit clearing. A mix of humans and wolves crowded the area. More wolves ran past them, barking and howling without a care in the world.
“Gotta go get the wine,” Azelf announced breezily. He looked at Lenore, but his eyes were distant. The twitch in his fingers returned. “Will you be alright now?”
“Well... I think I’ll manage.”
A light breeze fluttered through Lenore’s hair as a large wolf replaced the human beside her. The light caught in Azelf’s eyes, deepening their black depths with an unsettling edge.
Lenore kept her smile in place. “Thank you for all the help. Hopefully... we can talk again soon.”
“Of course. We’re accomplices now, aren’t we?” His lips pulled back into a wolfish grin. “See ya, partner.”
He sprinted away without waiting for a response. The jubilant cheer of the party drowned out his fading steps. Slowly, Lenore’s fingers brushed her dress’s pocket. A small wriggle answered her, and a gentle pulse of comfort travelled through her body.
For now, she had a pocket-sized version of the very embodiment of light with her. And that was enough to walk into the unknown ahead.