A Drop Of Haunted Blood [REMOVING FOR PUBLICATION DEC 1] [WATTYS WINNTER 2023]

Chapter Nineteen: Interrogation

After taking one look at the motel's breakfast of burnt eggs and undercooked pancakes, Felix and the others resorted to buying snacks from the vending machine outside the building.

As Felix slid the last of his quarters into the machine, he glanced at Arisa. "Hey, you know how you animated the net last night?"

Arisa broke off a piece of her chocolate bar. "Yeah?"

"Do you think you can animate a rug and turn it into a flying carpet?"

"Why would I do that?"

"To help me fulfill a childhood dream?" Felix punched in the code for a bag of chips.

Mason folded his arms. "Remember what she said about obeying the laws of physics?"

"Mostly obeying the laws of physics," Arisa corrected. "This is magic we're talking about. But a flying carpet would take a lot of energy. Might be too much for the counterbalance." She popped the piece of chocolate into her mouth.

The door to Sebastian's room opened. He leaned against the door frame and folded his arms. "Ready to talk to the wolf?" he called to them.

"Hang on!" Felix turned back to the vending machine. "My chips are stuck."

"Just buy another bag," Mason said.

Felix slid a hand into his pocket. "I'm out of money."

"Hold on." Sebastian walked over to them, pulling out his wallet. He slid a bill into the machine and typed in the code for the chips. The four of them watched as a second bag slid forward and failed to knock down the first.

"It's fine. I'll just starve," Felix said.

Sebastian pushed his sleeves up to his elbows and grabbed the sides of the machine. "Not on my watch."

"Be careful," Arisa said. "Vending machines kill more people than sharks."

"I think you're thinking of coconuts," Felix told her.

"No, I'm definitely thinking of vending machines."

"Pretty sure you're both right," Mason muttered.

Sebastian rocked the machine back and forth a couple of times. When that failed to dislodge the chips, he took a step back and slammed his foot into the front of the machine. A crack ran up the front of the glass. Bags of food and bottled drinks rained down inside the machine.

"Yeah!" Arisa cheered and pumped a fist in the air. Felix eagerly dove forward to collect his chips. Mason pulled the hood of his sweatshirt over his face and backed away from them.

Sebastian grabbed everything else that had fallen, somehow managing to balance it all with one arm.

"We don't need all of that," Mason said.

"Never leave evidence at a crime scene." Sebastian held up a bag and shook it. "You sure you don't want any of this?"

Mason reluctantly moved closer. After eyeing his options for a few moments, he snatched a few bags of candy and a bottle of soda.

Arisa lifted an eyebrow. "That's a lot of sugar."

"It's one of the few things that still tastes good," Mason said. Claws extended from the tips of his fingers as he tore open a bag of caramels.

"Well, we should get started." Sebastian turned around. "I think we've kept our wolf waiting long enough."

The four filed into the motel room. The werewolf was still wrapped up in the silver net, but he'd transformed into a tall, muscled man with messy dark hair hanging around his face. Welts cut across his pale skin where the net had touched it.