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

9 The City

Was being old really that big of a deal? Lailoken didn't feel old. He was eternally youthful not just on the outside but on the inside. What difference did it make whether he was born in the fifth century or the fifteenth? He remembered neither, but he was pretty sure he looked and felt just as young as he did in the twenty-first.

However, there was something about his age that freaked out Josie. Perhaps she wasn't used to how old vampires could be. Perhaps her human mind couldn't comprehend age in four digits. Lailoken didn't know, so he stood by and waited for her to calm down.

The buildings surrounding them were huge, each one was taller than the tallest tower he'd ever seen. And there were magical lights everywhere. Except, they couldn't all be magical, could they? Not if it was a human city.

Humans were everywhere and in great variety. Different ages, skin colors, and attire. The modern world was vivid and diverse. What the city lacked though was trees and animals. There was hardly space for a blade of grass among the man-made structures, and the air smelled wrong, unclean.

When he checked back on Josie, he found her watching him. There was something different in how she looked at him, as if it were the first time she'd found out he was a vampire.

"It's just a number. I might be younger than you in looks," he said, hoping that would help.

She snorted. "Very funny. Oh, Lai. I don't know what to do."

"I thought we were going to your coven."

She shook her head. "Change of plans. We can't go there."

"Why?"

She grimaced. "It's not safe for you."

"Then why were you taking me there?"

She bit her lip. "Listen, I didn't realize it's like that. The normal rules shouldn't apply to you. You're not just anyone, but the council... I'm afraid that they won't hear you out if you're there on your own. You need an advocate, someone who will represent you in front of the council."

"What are you talking about?"

She mumbled to herself, "And I can't just let you walk around killing people just because you don't know better. Maybe you could get away with that back... whenever. Right now, that is very much not okay. Someone needs to teach you how to be a modern vampire."

"What's so different about being a vampire in this century?"

She nodded to herself, ignoring his question. "I know what we need. We need to find other vampires."

Lailoken grimaced. "I don't want to."

"Suck it up, buttercup. It's your best bet. You're under their jurisdiction." She pulled out a strange small object from her pocket and was fully focused on it.

"Buttercup?" he asked, bewildered.

She repeatedly tapped her peculiar magical device. Its surface changed colors and tiny writing appeared out of nowhere. "Modern magic is so strange," he whispered, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with her. "I never see you cast any spells, but you keep doing these amazing tricks."

She glanced at him and opened her mouth, then shook her head. "You have a lot to learn about modern times."

"I do. But I'd rather learn it from you."

"Aha! Got it." She smirked victoriously. "This must be it. Only vampires would be so bold to call their club The Red Den. It's got everything. Exclusivity—people complain they can't get in. Open all night. Even their logo looks like a drop of blood." She glanced at him. "Your kind really likes to flaunt bloodlust."