Cursed Blood | REWRITING

3. Hunted like Prey

Woodsmoke wafted around Silas as they walked below flurries that veiled the town of Caverott in a thick, icy blanket of misery. Unlike Briarwood, they flourished with businesses that catered to tourists for the holidays. Many shops sold potions and enchanted charms with magic that wore off right after they stepped outside for the humans who wanted to tap into dangerous things that they shouldn't.

Few folks traversed the snowy sidewalks, and Silas's gaze hopped from one darkened window to the next of businesses closed from the cold. Though the people had retreated for warmth, the decorations remained in a festive display that calmed his heart as much as possible with his situation. Winter fairies danced on strings of lights, and snowmen statues waved at closed doors. Silas thought of waving back, but clenched his hand in his pocket as he remembered the fur on his fingers.

Delightful scents of winterberry mingled with pumpkin pie made him salivate, quite literally. He quickly wiped his mouth before Seraphina noticed. Probably an effect from all the drugs that the vampire doctor pumped him with. Surely that was all it was. Every sense heightened around him, especially the myriad of sweets and delicious meats. Even the blustering snow sounded and smelled different.

Seraphina suddenly reached out to yank his hood over his head. She offered an apologetic smile and said, "Your ears were very red. Don't want them to freeze off."

Silas blushed, nodding. "Thanks."

If only they could be wandering through Caverott together under different circumstances. Silas had always fancied her when they were kids, and though they'd grown apart after graduation, his feelings had never changed.

Seraphina matched her pace with him. Pink curls poked out from underneath her hood and the wind gave her cheeks a rosy shade. Being so close, Silas could actually hear the steady beat of her heart. Even her sweet scent, a mix of strawberry and frosted bergamot, captivated him.

"Isn't that thing creepy?" Seraphina bristled, pointing ahead.

A scarecrow with a pumpkin head nailed down to the pavement caught his eye. Despite the tumultuous winds and snow, flames coiled inside its carved mouth. Silas heard the old wives' tales of Jack, who was sent to Caverott many years ago to protect their land. Some suspected it was an angel disguised as something wicked while others deemed it a demon.

Whatever he was, the flames never went out. Not even the most powerful water wizards could snuff out the fire nor could the snow storms. Silas suspected it was enchanted with magical flames to never burn out many moons ago, before most of them were even born.

"Almost like he's watching us." Silas brushed his fingers along his wand in his pocket as they walked past the scarecrow.

It had been a while since Silas had visited Caverott, but he'd witnessed the scarecrow countless times over the years. What he hadn't noticed as a mere wizard was the tepid beat of a heart within. Hopefully, it was just a tool to mimic a heartbeat and not some hidden sentience of a creature that already creeped him out.

"How about there?" Seraphina's mood was merrier as she pointed to a tavern ahead.

Silas nodded. "Sounds good to me."

A mouthwatering medley of meats, cheeses, and baked sweets greeted them upon entering Dark Moon Delights. Amber lights cast a delicate glow across the booths. All along the walls, painted stars glowed amid the inky night sky. Overhead, a handcrafted mirage of a blood moon suspended mid-air, nearly touching the ceiling.

Chatter filled the restaurant as they were seated in a cozy booth in the back. Silas struggled to tune it all out, still assaulted by his newfound heightened senses. Perhaps he'd get used to it. The revelation of being a wolf walker had only just settled in, and he was trying his damndest not to acknowledge it. It was the only way he wouldn't drive himself insane.