Villain's Second Heart: Trapped in A Fantasy Novel (BL)-Chapter 97: Night on the Town 3

A few more drinks, and they spilled into the busy road. Ezra followed them like a responsible chaperone. He checked a nearby clock set outside one of the busy Ferin shops.

Ezra narrowed his eyes. Tomorrow was to be the start of their greatest challenge yet.

"Almost nine-thirty. We should get some rest."

Rav and Oberyn looked first to each other, and then both turned simultaneously to Ezra.

"Whaat? The night is young!" Rav cried.

"We can stay a little longer," Oberyn slurred.

Rav cracked his fan and struck a dramatic pose in the middle of the street. "I am the great Sage of Clouds! And I think we should go dancing at the Trinity! They love me there! I’m a celebrity!"

"Absolutely not," Ezra groaned. He’d decided long ago that he wouldn’t be doing any ’dancing’ - not only was it not his vibe, but he didn’t feel fully comfortable in a Ferin culture that was not much welcoming to humans.

"Sure," Oberyn said.

Ezra blinked. "What do you mean, ’sure’?" He looked from Rav to Oberyn. This was a bad idea.

Oberyn frowned. "I’m going to go dance with Rav. It sounds fun. Don’t worry. I’ll meet you back at the inn, and I won’t stay up too late."

Ezra paused to say something, but his shoulders faltered as he locked eyes with Ezra and saw the shining glimmer of desire in his eyes.

Ezra and Oberyn had one too many disagreements the past few days - Ezra decided to let it slide.

"Just..." Ezra leaned in to whisper: "If he tries to give you any white powder or make you smoke or snort anything, please don’t."

"Yeah, yeah," Oberyn said, still smiling.

Before he could peel away, Ezra grabbed his arm for one final comment.

"And MAYBE you can get a little physical with Rav, but not with some random Ferin, you got it?"

"You’re so jealous," Oberyn whispered back, his breath making the hairs on the back of Ezra’s neck stand. "Don’t you worry one bit. The only man I’ll be thinking about tonight is you, Ez."

Oberyn drummed his fingers against Ezra’s arm before disengaging, following the ever-eager Rav deeper into the crowds.

They skittered off, leaving Ezra alone in the sea of Ferin.

The human had rarely wandered the village solo - just for a short time, when they gathered information on the Magician of Thorns. It felt more like a city sometimes, the Ferin population so large. He was invisible here. Everyone a stranger. And he, a stranger to them.

The familiar streets seemed foreign. For a moment, panic clutched him - could he even remember where the inn was?

He breathed. Northeast side. Quiet neighborhood. Fewer distractions. He’d find a landmark soon.

Ezra turned toward the inn. Funny. He’d wanted to be alone earlier. And now that people surrounded him, he felt truly alone. A great irony of being in this world in this way. It reminded him of his first life. A dark city, millions of people...and nearly all of them strangers.

He ducked down a side street - a shortcut to the inn. This part of town was dead at night, far from the hustle and bustle of the shops and clubs that dominated the nightlife of the village.

It was a quaint residential district. Quiet. All he heard were his boots on cobblestone. The rustle of his jacket. The distant market noise had faded, but the orange glow of lanternlight could still be seen even from afar.

He felt a churning in the corner of his mind as Alcor made his presence known. It was as if he were about to speak, but deciding what to say. But for Ezra, no words needed to be heard.

He could sense it. A chill as the winds grew silent and stale.

He turned his head, and his glowing violet eyes met with the person following him.

"It was dark, and he couldn’t make out the details very well. But he could see sure enough that it was a human woman tailing him - not a Ferin at all.

"You must be the Magician of Thorns I’ve heard so much about."

Ezra spoke confidently, carefully. The woman who lurked in the shadows radiated an intense magical presence not unlike what he can sense from Oberyn or Rav. There was no doubt she was a Magician.

"Heard about me, have you?"

Her voice was softer and sweeter than he expected it to be - the image of the Magician of Thorns in his head was one of an older and crueler woman.

She stepped forward slightly, into a pale beam of moonlight that streaked across her face. It revealed her bushy, strawberry blonde hair that stretched all the way down to her lower back, and stoic green eyes that were beautiful and malevolent at the same time.

"It just so happens I’ve heard about you, too. Alcor Star, the Harbinger."

He narrowed his eyes. "If you’ve come for my Second Heart, I’m afraid you’re too late. It belongs to someone else, now."

"Is that right?" she said passively, rolling her hands together. Earthy energy in a long tendril sprouted from her palm. Her magic took the form of a long strand like a vine, coiled into the shape of a whip riddled with thorns. "No matter. The owner of your heart wouldn’t happen to be a certain Nephilim, would it? He’s on my list, too. At the very top."

She stretched her fingers around her newly created whip and pulled it taut, threateningly.

"Allow me to introduce myself properly, and on behalf of the Kingdom of Asteria. My name is Leona Pursante, and I hold the title of Magician of Thorns. My duty is to ensnare the enemies of Asteria. And you, Harbinger, are an enemy unlike any other. You will elevate me. I shall rip the Apocalypse Engine from your broken body and be made a hero."

She sounded just like Oberyn when Ezra first met him. But unlike that time - he was prepared. Nobody would be ripping anything from him. Not that day.

"Then allow me to introduce myself properly as well. I’m Ezra. I’m not a Harbinger, and I’m sure as hell not Alcor. But you hurt people, Leona Pursante - and for that, I’m going to bring justice on behalf of all the Ferin and Dark Elves you’ve killed!"