Across town and underground, Nieema admired lofty stacks. She’d been in the castle’s library for a minute, reading shorts to kill time before her guests’ arrival. Not in a particularly romantic mood, she went for comedy. Slapstick, irreverent, or absurd. She wanted to laugh without thinking much.
Nieema didn’t like staying in the subterranean castle for long. It trudge up an unsavory batch of memories. Those darkened by the past and present. Nah, she would rather not dwell within these stone walls.
Though it wasn’t an ideal meeting place, she loved the grand, three-story library. It’d been her haven as a child and a stressed adult. She’d called it home once and had even fallen asleep on the same sofa she lounged upon now. Lemon wax, citrus oils, and parchment made her feel safe. It provided a hefty dose of nostalgia as well. Nieema smiled, recalling the early, adolescent years.
Her mother would read to her for hours. It was a fleeting time she remembered fondly.
Nieema settled with another book and relaxed on tufted velvet. She cracked the spine the moment her brother spoke.
“Come on down here, Your Grace.” Monroe beckoned, and she slapped the hardback shut. “I know you up there.”
“Don’t rush me, boy.”
Tossing the book, Nieema took her favorite form. She exploded into a chattering, squealing colony of bats. Her magic hummed, and psyche split. Twenty sets of eyes and ears. She saw all and heard every motha fucking thing going on in the castle.
The keep, kitchens, and chambers. To the dining hall and courtyard. Nothing was a secret when she grew wings and clawed feet.
Not only was this the quickest way to travel, but it tended to scare the shit out of everyone. Including the beady-eyed mayor who shrank and yelped.
Nieema circled him and swelled; she undulated. Swirling around the man until he cowered in his seat.
“Stop playing with the poor soul, Queen.”
She snickered and dropped into her full form. “Mayor Gloomfhut. It’s so nice you could be with us today.”
Preston Gloomfhut was a fifth-generation ghoul. Which meant he liked raw meat and looked like a god damn dead fish. He was the type who lived up to his name. A thin-lipped, sharp smile was enough. Nieema noted them shiny shoes and the gold signet ring on his sixth finger.
“I am sorry about that,” he said, crossing his legs. “The mayor’s job is never done, Your Majesty.”
Nieema unbuttoned her suit jacket and sat, adjacent to the uptight, sneaky ghoul.
“I know, but we needed to talk.” She gestured to the waiting fixin’s. “I had a little something prepared for you. Some raw cubes, aged cheeses, and dipping sauces. There’s also spiced blood. I know y’all can live without it, but I think it’s a fine treat.”
“No, no. I will not turn down a chance to have some premium blood.”
Monroe was more of a listener than a talker. Especially during times of political strain. This talk wasn’t a big hoopla, but he remained stoic, swirling his full glass.
He stood near the wet bar and sipped.
“Good god,” Gloomfhut rasped. “This is divine, Your Majesty. I can’t say I’ve ever had Moores Wind port. Can I uh, well, may I take a picture of the bottle?”
“Be my guest.”
Preston grinned, fishing his phone from his breast pocket. Those fingernails had seen better days. Blackened and chipped, Nieema grimaced at the filth. He was put together, but his complexion was off, and he hadn’t bathed in some time. Whatever the Mayor was into had him cracking and peeling on the surface.
Ghouls had come a ways thanks to human intervention. Yeah, they fucked humans, and so what? That wasn’t the problem at hand. And while his shook while taking the photo, Nieema clocked the threadbare scent of decay.
“Splendid,” Mayor Gloomfhut drawled, stashing his device. “Now, what is this about? I asked Monroe, but he was light on the details.”
“How well do you know the Voaremont’s?”
The ghoul canted his head and glanced at her brother. He crossed his legs once more and tugged cuffs. The question unsettled him. Nieema was shit outta luck reading his pulse, ghouls didn’t have a heartbeat.
They had working parts and a magic in their veins, but lacked a fully functioning heart.
“Of course, everyone knows them. They’re one of the wealthiest families on the planet.”
Nieema wasn’t about to play in this man’s face. She snapped up a glass of blood and swigged.
“Glad to see you think so highly of them,” Monroe added.
“What is this about?” Mayor Gloomfhut asked.
Nieema slammed her glass onto a rose gold platter. “What does my decree say about hunting?”
“It’s forbidden.”
“No.”
“It’s against the law.”
“Continue.”
“If anyone is caught hunting or conspiring with hunters, then the punishment is death.”
“Public execution,” Monroe corrected.
Nieema exhaled and smirked, but she was unamused. “Someone is hunting in my fucking city. Misthill. The one you are in charge of protecting and providing for. So, tell me, Mayor, how has this slipped by you?”
Bloodfhut stammered and hiked up. He shook his head vehemently. “Your Majesty, I would never—“
“Don’t fix yourself to lie up in here.” Nieema scooted forward, resting elbows on her knees. She peered into the man’s unnatural, averting gaze.
“I’m gonna need you to speak your next words with care. We brought you here, to this library because it is charmed. If you twist your tongue to lie to me, it’ll be the last thing you ever do.”
Mayor Gloomfhut screwed his eyes shut and coughed. His knuckles turned white as he gripped dark, Chellian wood.
“I can’t.”
“You can’t what?”
“You don’t understand.”
“Make me.”
“Your Majesty, the Voaremonts will kill me. I can’t—I can’t. You must know that it was never my intention. I trieeeed to stop them. I swear to the Greats, I did. But—but their father, the patriarch.”
Mayor Bloodfhut snapped his head up and stuttered. “He’s—he’s—honestly, I don’t know what he is, but I don’t think he’s human. And—AND—they’d kill me if—I ain’t saying they’re doing it. But I am not saying they aren’t.”
“You know why they’re doing it?”
“I have no idea.”
Nieema huffed. He hadn’t melted yet. This told her one thing: the mayor wasn’t lying yet. Though he’d chosen to omit.
“You not talking?” Nieema whispered, anger flaring.
“I can’t rat!”
“Okay, but you’ll be staying with us until you sing, Preston.”
“Your Majesty, if I could do any—“
“Speak.”
His head dropped, and his spine loosened. Gloomfhut sagged and blubbered.
“He’s got eyes on my whole family and me. If he finds out—maybe he already knows I’m here.” Preston coughed and wiped his mouth with a trembling hand. “Do whatever you want, but I can’t risk it.”
“Hank.”
Her knight appeared as a swirling mist and solidified behind Gloomfhut. “Let’s go, son.”
“How long have you been digging?” Nieema asked.
The mayor lacked a proper nose, but he scrunched it nonetheless. After threading waxy, four-knuckled fingers through his greasy hair, he sighed. “Four months.”
“You’ll get a year for grave robbing.”
“Fine. It was only for a while anyway. I’m so god damneed stressed. The Crack Mage Gang is fucking up the city and the Voaremont’s—whatever.”
“Take him,” Nieema demanded.
Hank was gentle with the slouched ghoul. Their limbs were prone to pop off like a scared gheko. After the duo vacated the library, Monroe cussed and jacked to his feet.
“This some buuuuullll shit I wasn’t prepared for, sis. You gotta give a god damn minute. Shit.”
Her brother headed for the bar and chuckled. “He don’t wanna rat, but he is one.”
“That’s fucked up, Roe. Come on now, they hate being called rats.”
“Well…”
Nieema plucked a few cubes of aged Gouda and smoked goat. Chewing and thinking, she only grew frustrated.
“I figured him involved, but not like this. The Voaremont’s aren’t taking authority seriously, even going so far as to threaten them. Hunting in my kingdom will not be tolerated!”
Nieema kicked the coffee table, knocking allat shit over. She wasn’t about to let this slide. Trevor had hurt Jasper. In ways Nieema couldn’t fix, and his entire family was running amok, hunting in Ravensguard.
“I don’t need Preston to tell me shit.” Nieema stared at stained glass panes and snarled. Blood-boiling rage caused her fangs to lengthen. “I know what they doing cause I believe Jasper. And if Trevor is at it, then I know his brothers are too; the only question is, who are they giving these parts to?”
“If they not keeping them as trophies.”
“Motha fucka,” Nieema muttered. On her feet, she adjusted her jacket and buttoned it. “I think it might be time to meet with the wealthy Voaremont brothers. And Roe, I want Peaches and Mookie on deck when we do it.”
“Understood.”
“Ain’t this a bitch.” Nieema headed for the exit and grumbled. “There are hunters living and breathing in my town. Never thought I’d see the night.”

Happyyyyy Monday, and good evening, y’all. I hope everyone had a great weekend! You’re in recovery mode now, I know. Fourteen hot dogs and a barrel’s worth of soda’ll fuck you up good in your late thirties. Annnyhoo, here we are! Nieema has confronted the mayor, and I tell you what, she ain’t happy. The Voaremonts’ are a hunting family, and she knows this. Most of the world knows this, but they have their hands in everything. She didn’t need a gravedigging ghoul to tell her, but his omission was enough. So! We shall see where this takes us in the coming chapters. Remider, you and me find shit out TOGETHER! I am a proud panster and love a challenge.
I have been struggling, though, y’all. Keeping this light and easy has been rough. I’m trying not to be heavyhanded with darker themes (I LOVE DARKNESS). That’s not what Patchwork is about, and I will keep it as such until the very end of season one. I do have an ending in mind, but who knows if it’ll go my way. HEAs are a vow, but how do we get there? Who knows.
Soooo, with this week done, I want to bid you farewell, bookie. Until next time, stay hydrated, stay cool, and stay outta folks’ business. Thank you so much for stopping by. You’re a grand human. Byyyyyeee.