The Madman of the Woods | ONC 2024 Shortlist | Vampire Romantasy | Supernatural

7 Fighting for a Good Cause

Lailoken never liked sleeping. It was such a waste of valuable time that could be better spent on having fun. But when he was trapped indoors during the daytime with nothing else to do, he might as well get some rest in, so he'd be fully energized for the night ahead. The jungle suite, as unique as it was, held little entertainment for him. It wasn't like he was in an actual jungle and could sway from the vines or chase the monkeys. Staring at the plant replicas got boring quickly, which was why after washing his robes, he settled to take a nap in the bath.

He was roused awake by Josie. "Dude, why are you glowing blue?"

He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. His fog hovered around him protectively and the wallpaper had given it a bluish hue. He chuckled at it. "Look at that—I am."

"You never cease to amaze me," she muttered and lit the green light magic again, which came with the jungle sounds he'd grown partial to.

"I figured out how to activate and deactivate that magic too," he said smugly, recalling his earlier room explorations. "I'm practically a witch too. Is it evening already?" Ready to face the night, he rose from the tub, splashing water everywhere.

Josie at first looked him over, but when their eyes met, she looked away. His sensitive hearing picked up on her racing heart as she handed him a towel. "I have a pair of shoes for you."

He took the towel and said, "No."

"No what?"

"I'm not wearing shoes."

"You need to blend in. It's just flip-flops; it's practically walking barefoot. And we need to do something about your hair. It's like a beacon that screams Vampire. Get dressed. I rented us a van so we can get going now."

While drying himself off, he gently parted the window curtains and was surprised by a stream of light it let in. His vampire reflexes kicked in, and his fog reacted protectively, transporting him to the other side of the room.

Blinking the blindness away, he complained, "It's still daytime."

"Yes, Sherlock. These are pretty good curtains, huh?" She sighed. "It's not like you're going to melt in the sun. I got you something to protect your eyes. Sunglasses are practically the trademark of a modern vampire. Seriously. They even wear them indoors."

"I thought I'm supposed to blend in."

"Normies wear them too. See?" She put a pair of dark spectacles on, which reflected the green room like a mirror. "Sunglasses are your friends."

He wasn't convinced about her plan, but he took them from her, more out of curiosity than anything else. The lenses dimmed the lights in the room, making it look like a jungle at night.

"I'll need more than this," he said, walking away from her with the sunglasses on. His robes and undergarments were still damp but at least they were washed. After spending over a century in the woods, it was nice to start his new life fresh and clean.

"I have a plan for that too." Josie patiently waited for him to dress, watching him the entire time. He didn't mind her gaze. He certainly deserved to be admired. Fully dressed, he ran a hand through his hair to detangle it. It grew very long while he slept, reaching past his belt already.

"Come here," Josie said, pointing out a chair in front of her. "Let me do something about your hair."

He froze mid-stroke. "Don't you dare cut it. I'm warning you. I bite."

A corner of her mouth lifted. "I wouldn't. Trust me."

He looked her over. She had no sheers in her hands, but the dagger she always carried looked like it could be sharp.