A Werewolf, A Vampire, and A Fae Walk Into A Bar (Book 1 of The Last Witch Series) novel Chapter 25

“The different races dictated the Fate’s words in their own way,” Rune says, dismissing my attitude. “Werewolves maintained the story orally, speaking it to pups.”

“Singing,” Zev corrects. “We pass on our history through song.”

I make a mental note to start a karaoke night at Morgan’s and force Zev to sing this prophecy in wolf form.

“Very well,” Rune says, “sung by the wolves. Fae, as Zev mentioned, wrote fastidious notes, and the vampires tasked a group of immortals to preserve the story. Aside from a slight discrepancy here or there, each of the three races maintains a similar version of the Fates’ original decree.”

“So, wait…” I’m now invested in the story and want to parse out some details. “What about witches? We’ve got three races invented by witches. Did the Fates forget to, you know, have babies or something?”

Rune shifts in his seat, brow furrowed as he thinks of the best way to answer me. Zev laughs again, and I swear he does this in the sexiest way possible, like he’s rehearsed sexy laughs in the mirror so much that it now seems totally natural. But there’s nothing natural about his level of sexiness. Nothing.

“The Fates did indeed spawn more witches,” Zev says. “For many ages they were the most powerful race, then they stood on an equal plane for centuries as the other races grew and eventually began to outnumber the witches. Then…”

He drifts off, his gaze shifting toward the increasingly uncomfortable Rune.

“Until what?” I ask, my eyes spending way too much time on Zev in the rearview mirror and not enough time on the road.

Rune takes his cue from Zev and picks up the story, though it clearly pains him to do so.

“A feud began between the fae and the witches, over the rights to some of nature’s gifts.”

“The fae began killing witches for their land and the magical materials they cultivated,” Zev says, clearly annoyed at Rune’s milder retelling.

“Which led to the vampires taking advantage of a weakened race,” Rune says, “and enjoying the powerful blood of witches fleeing the war. And, unless I’m mistaken, many a wolf helped the vampires with their tracking during that era.”

Now it’s Zev who’s looking out the window, unhappy with the truth that’s just been leveled at him. I feel like they’re both too close to the story and need a third party’s summation.

“So… you shit-birds killed all the witches?”

“Not all,” Rune quickly explains. “Once the vampires began to attack, a great many witches came to Earth, taking human form as we have done, and beginning new lives amongst your kind. They came to this very continent, around the same time as the Europeans, hoping to find a new world of their own.”