Page 49 of I Am the Wild
"Prohibere!" he says, freezing the memory.
"What is it?" I ask.
He points to the image, which show a pair of feet in expensive shoes. "We've seen Mary's, Leonard's and Dracula's feet so far. These feet don't belong to any of them."
Upon closer inspection I see that he's right, though I hadn't noticed it before. "Then who's feet are they?" I ask.
"I recognize the shoes," Sebastian says, turning his head toward me. "They belong to Liam."
The Confrontation
He that shuts love out, in turn shall be shut out from love, and on her threshold lie, howling in the darkness. ~ Alfred Lord Tennyson
I assumewe're heading back to the castle, but Sebastian has Lily stop at a pub on the corner with a wooden sign hanging outside that reads "The Naked Dwarf." He opens the door for me and I step into a smoke-filled dark din full of raucous laughter.
The pub itself is decorated in dark wood-paneled walls and black onyx flooring with dim red lighting giving it an eerie vibe. Sebastian finds us a seat in the back corner near the large fire pit that does a decent job of keeping the place warm despite the slightly damp and mildew-smelling seats. It is as private as we can be in such a place.
"I assumed you might be hungry," he says, as he slides into the booth.
I sit across from him, enjoying the warmth and the smell of freshly baked bread coming from the kitchen. My stomach rumbles and he smiles at the confirmation.
A man comes by to take our order and I have to school my face to not drop my jaw. He's human from the waist up, but from the waist down he's all horse. As I live and breathe, it's a centaur.
"What can I get the two of you?" He eyes Sebastian a moment and says, "Blood?"
Sebastian nods, then they both look to me.
We never got menus, though, and I have no idea what they serve. "Um, what do you suggest?" I ask.
"The stew is good. Vegetable or meat. With fresh bread."
I'm about to order the meat, but Sebastian shakes his head. "Get the vegetable," he says.
"Okay, I'll take the vegetable stew and bread, and some water, please."
"Not water. We'll both have a glass of Elf Juice," Sebastian says, causing the centaur to raise an eyebrow and smile.
"Coming right up."
When he leaves, I face Sebastian. "Why not the meat?" I ask.
"They often use meat sources that humans would find unfavorable," he says.
"Oh. Um. Okay. Such as?"
"All manner of animal. As long as it doesn't talk or shift, it's fair game," he says. "Cats, dogs, horses, pigs, goats, cows, chicken. They're all the same here."
My stomach turns and that delicious smell now inspires a wave of vomit to climb up into my throat. "In theory, I get it. Pigs are smarter than dogs. So why do we eat one and not the other? But in practice, it's too ingrained. I can't."
He nods. "You humans become quite attached to your domesticated animals. But inconsistently so."
"It's true. Looks like I'm becoming vegetarian while we're here."
The centaur returns with bread and two blue fizzy drinks.
"What's Elf Juice?" I ask, studying my glass goblet.
"An incredible and rare concoction made by the Woodland Elves from a hard-to-grow berry found in the highest mountains. This is the only tavern in town that's allowed to serve it," he says.