“All I know is that folklore says vampires can't be out in the sunlight, but it seems folklore did me dirty, because they’re fine here,” I say, waving a hand toward Kael, and Ocean laughs. A giggle resonates in my chest too as I smile along with her.
“In the real world, they need the aid of a witch to walk in the daylight. So the folklore isn't quite wrong, but here in The Vale, a world created purely for Supernaturals, they’re perfectly fine to roam as they please.”
“So they really are little blood-sucking assholes,” I mutter, and her eyes crinkle at the corners.
“I think you've seen that for yourself,” she states, recalling the phenomenal interaction I had with Tiran when he feasted on me instead of attacking Ocean like he had intended.
“Yeah, I definitely felt that.” I clear my throat, focusing on my steps as I consider what else I might be able to learn. Maybe something a little lighter. “What about the wolves?” I ask, aware that I've also been attacked by one of them, their claws scraping across my flesh like a knife through butter. My face tingles, as if the mark is there once again.
My gaze instinctively tracks her among the crowd, finding the wolf in question behind us. There’s a little distance still, but if we don’t up our speed, she’s going to be beside us sooner than I would like. I increase my pace and Ocean keeps at my side without questioning it.
“What do you know about them already?” she asks, peering at me, and I bite back a grimace.
“Apart from the sharpness of their claws?” I mutter, and she winces.
“Yeah, apart from that.”
I try to recall any of the different facts I know, but it’s easy to realize all that I think I know comes from different television series and movies that I would watch with Walker back home. Regardless, I offer what I have. “I don't get a general sense of a pack,” I blurt, comparing my current surroundings to the movies. My cheeks heat as Ocean hums.
“That is pretty accurate, to be fair, but a lot of these wolves aren't here for a good time; they’re here as punishment. Especially if they're in Institute Thirteen like us,” she divulges, making my stomach clench at another reminder of our destiny,combined with the fact that we’re all freaking murderers.
I shudder at the weight of the word as I desperately try to focus on the lighter facts. “What was that you said before about their mates?” I murmur, and she smiles.
“And spit out fur balls?” she says with a chuckle, and I let the sweet sound settle into my bones, easing the tension twisting inside of me.
Tilting my head at her, I clear my throat. “What happens when they shift back from being a wolf? Where do their clothes go? No one's ever shown me that in the movies. That's the part I'm interested in the most,” I ramble, the lilt of laughter still carrying my words.
“That's what you want to know?” Ocean clarifies with a smirk, blindly pointing over her shoulder. “I can holler for Rion to show you if you want?” she offers, and I quickly shake my head.
“I’d rather you didn’t,” I insist, making her smile spread wider.
“The glint in your eyes is calling you a liar,” she states, and I swiftly look away, pressing my lips together in a thin line to hide whatever else she might see.
“Maybe talking about shadow fae might be asafer topic,” I mutter, folding my arms over my chest as I continue to avoid her gaze.
“Well, they're elusive as hell, and no longer in existence, apart from Thorne, of course,” she asserts, and I nod.
“Apart from Thorne,” I repeat, my gaze cutting across the field, spotting him immediately. His dark-brown curls fall across his face, over his eyebrows, hiding his deep eyes from view. His posture has an air of superiority to it with every step he takes, but the tension in his shoulders is noticeable, even from here.
“He looks like he carries the weight of the world,” I admit, earning another hum of acknowledgement from Ocean, which cuts my gaze to her.
“The loss of his kind will forever be inked in history.”
I recoil. “That bad?”
She shakes her head. “Worse.” My eyebrows rise in surprise as she clears her throat. “What they did to his sister…” she starts, unable to finish the sentence, but it’s enough to make my heart race with fear.
“Who?” I push, and she shrugs.
“We don't know.”
“What do you mean, you don't know?” I blurt, a little angrier than necessary.
“I mean, it was never declared. There were rumors about The Obsidian Circle and a few other rebellions, but nothing has ever been publicly confirmed. They were all formed with the same cause, to tear down The Sanctum, but there are too many people wanting to consolidate the power under one leadership.”
Pausing, I reach for her arm to steady myself. “Wait, you're telling me someone or something overtook an entire supernatural species and no one took ownership of that?”
If that were a fight down at the trailer park back home, people who weren't even present would be claiming victory just for the bragging rights. It doesn't make any sense.
