by Sarah Hawke
“No, but the Senosi Huntress who was leading the bandits did,” I corrected. “If I had to guess, I would bet that cargo is on its way to Vorsalos right now. The Grand Inquisitrix has wanted to expand her reach inland for a while now.”
Rethon grit his teeth and glanced back to the knights for a moment. “You encountered a Senosi Huntress?”
“Briefly.”
“And yet somehow the two of you survived. You must be quite skilled.”
“Mostly just lucky,” I said, smiling thinly.
“Luck doesn’t being to cover it,” Rethon sneered, reaching into his belt pouch and producing a palm-sized gemstone brimming with Aetheric energy. A moment later a translucent, illusory projection of a twenty-something human male with short hair and dark eyes materialized in the air above the device. I recognized the person instantly.
It was me.
“Jorem Farr, renegade sorcerer and fugitive,” Rethon said. “Wanted by the Grand Inquisitrix for a dozen crimes, if I’m not mistaken.”
I grimaced despite myself, and I saw Kaseya’s muscles coil in preparation to strike. This had the potential to escalate quickly and disastrously. I needed to think on my feet…
“Sorcery isn’t illegal in Highwind,” I managed, not bothering to concoct a bullshit story. As bad as this was, I had dealt with men like Rethon plenty of times in my life. He would have already tossed manacles on my wrists if he actually had the authority to do so.
“Being a sorcerer is not illegal, but unsanctioned Aetheric channeling is,” Rethon said. “Though I’m sure you’ve been quite careful during your time here in the city thus far.”
I smiled again. “I’m not the one you should be worried about. The Grand Inquisitrix has a legion of elite, fanatical followers at her command, and if her minions are already roaming the countryside…well, then you have a problem on your hands.”
“If I were you, I wouldn’t be so glib. The Archmage takes a dim view of sorcery—as does the Council. You need to watch yourself…and I suggest you avoid participating in any more ‘bounties’ on behalf of smugglers.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” I murmured.
Rethon scowled at me for another moment before he deactivated the gemstone and glanced over at Kaseya. “And what about you? We don’t see many of your kind here on the mainland.”
“I am Jorem’s protector and bodyguard,” she said flatly.
Rethon snorted. “An amazon bodyguard…how much is he paying you for that privilege?”
“Nothing. He is my Maskari .”
“Your what?”
“We were going to split the contract fifty-fifty, but I guess we’re out of luck,” I interjected before she said anything incriminating. “Now if you don’t mind, we’ll be our way.”
Rethon scoffed in disgust as he gestured towards the door with his chin. I took Kaseya’s arm and gently dragged her along behind me. We didn’t stop until we reached the Knight’s Lantern , the inn we had stayed at the last time we were in the city. I was tempted to charm the owner into giving us the suite again, but I settled for a quiet corner room on the second floor. The price was low enough that we would be able to stay most of the week before we were broke.
“Well, that could have gone better,” I said, sighing and rubbing at my temples once we were safely inside.
“Rethon is a dishonorable man,” Kaseya said. “Are all of these ‘wizards’ complete fools?”
“No, but enough of them are that it’s a real problem.” I bit my lip and slumped down onto the room’s only bed. “Still, at least that conversation wasn’t a total waste. The Mage’s Guild has no idea what’s really going on here.”
She cocked an eyebrow at me. “What do you mean?”
“Rethon was surprised when I mentioned that the Senosi were involved,” I explained. “He thought Dieran was intentionally smuggling cargo for someone—probably the Black Mistress—and he assumed that the bandits were just normal thieves. He also assumed that the old man had just hired us on the side to try and quietly clean up his mess.”
I paused and took a deep breath. “If I had to wager, I’d bet that the Highwind Council has no idea what the Inquisitrix is up to. They’ve been completely focused on shutting down the Black Mistress and trying to clean up the underworld.”
Kaseya shrugged. “Do we know what the Inquisitrix is up to?”
“Not specifically,” I admitted. “But whatever it is, I guarantee it’s not good. I’m more convinced than ever that we need to ingratiate ourselves to this Black Mistress. The Mage’s Guild will never be our allies, but sooner or later we’re going to need help from someone just to survive here.”
“What about your friend, Valuri?” Kaseya asked. “I thought you were intent upon rescuing her?”
I sighed and attempted to swallow the sudden lump rising in my throat. “I am, but the two of us can’t just break into the Inquisitrix’s dungeon on our own. We’re going to need help.”
“You and I are more formidable than you realize. And the more our bond strengthens, the more powerful we will become.”
I grunted and smiled despite myself. Kaseya would have gladly attacked the Senosi Temple all by herself if I’d ordered her to do so. I could imagine it right now: a single amazon warrior charging straight at a hundred Huntresses, the sun glinting off her golden shield. It would have made for a great story.
Sadly, here in the real world such an assault would have been suicidal. A hundred Knights of the Silver Fist wouldn’t be able to penetrate the temple’s defenses, not without their magic. The Huntresses had taken over Vorsalos precisely because they could turn everyone’s greatest strength against them.
“There has to be a way to get in contact with the Black Mistress,” I said, glancing out the window at the night sky. “We just need to ask the right questions in the right places.”
“Do you know where those places are?” Kaseya asked.
“No,” I admitted. “But I intend to find out.”
2
Four hours and several dozen hushed conversations later, Kaseya and I found ourselves standing outside the Silken Rose , a festive bordello catering to the wealthy noblemen of the Redwater District on the northwestern side of the city. Ostensibly, one of the “dancers” inside was something of an information broker working on behalf of the Black Mistress. I had encountered plenty of similar operatives in Vorsalos, and thanks to a few well-placed charm spells I was reasonably convinced that this lead would actually get us somewhere.
The problem, as usual, was that we still didn’t have much coin. I was already relying on my magic more than I wanted to, but unfortunately I didn’t see any other options. Maybe I would get lucky and my trail of illegal channeling would ingratiate me to the Black Mistress and her allies…
“Males come here to exchange coin for coitus?” Kaseya asked.
“Some women do too, though not nearly as many,” I said. “Not everyone is lucky enough to have their own loyal amazon.”
“Mm,” she murmured. “Perhaps I should relieve you before we enter. Otherwise you may find it difficult to focus on the task at hand.”
I snorted when I imagined her dragging me into the nearest alley and tugging me to a quick climax. There were times when I was convinced she viewed me more like a cow in need of regular milking than a man with an overactive libido.
“I’ll be fine,” I assured her. “They may have a problem with your weapons, though. They’ll ask you to leave them at the door.”
“They can ask all they like,” Kaseya said.
I pursed my lips. “We can’t afford to cause a scene. Perhaps you should wait outside.”
“I do not wish to leave you unprotected in such a dark place. Unless you would prefer to meet with the whores alone...?”
“You don’t have to worry about that,” I said, grinning at the subtle hint of jealousy in her voice. “I’m not here for the girls.”
“You misunderstand me. I am concerned for you safety. You are free to take as
many lovers as you wish, Maskari . The male stem craves variety.”
My mouth went dry. “You’re serious?”
“Of course,” she said as if it were obvious. “If you do take another lover, however, I should be present during your copulation. In the event that she is incompetent, I will ensure that you are properly relieved.”
“That’s good to know,” I murmured. Every once in a while I needed to remind myself just how insane our relationship was—and how thankful I was for it. Kaseya still seemed too perfect to be true sometimes. My natural cynicism warned me that sooner or later all of this was going to blow up in my face.
Shaking away the thought, I led her up to the entrance where an attractive greeter and a decidedly unattractive bouncer were waiting for us. The former smiled at me; the latter scowled at Kaseya.
“Good evening, my lord,” the greeter said. “Tonight’s entry fee is ten gold pieces. I am afraid your guardian will need to wait outside. We do not allow weapons or armor inside the Silken Rose .”
“That’s unfortunate,” I said, flashing my warmest smile. “My friend and I have been looking forward to spending some of our hard-earned coin.”
“I wish there were something I could do, but I’m afraid our rules are quite clear.”
The bouncer took a menacing step forward in an attempt to intimidate Kaseya. She wasn’t impressed.
“I’m sure you can make one little exception,” I said, reaching out through the Aether and touching the woman’s mind. “In fact, you’re so happy to serve us that you’re not even going to charge an entry fee.”
The woman’s brow creased ever so slightly before her smile returned. “Of course,” she said. “Please, go on in and enjoy yourselves.”
The bouncer turned to face her, confused, before I reached out and clouded his thoughts as well. Neither of them proved particularly resistant to my magic—considering the heavy presence of the Mage’s Guild, I doubted they had to deal with renegade channelers very often. The proprietor probably had a magical advisor somewhere inside, however, so I knew I needed to be careful.
“Don’t worry: we won’t cause any trouble,” I assured them with a smile. I risked a quick glance back over my shoulder to make certain no one was watching us, then touched Kaseya’s arms and nudged her inside.
The brothel was louder, darker, and smokier than I had expected, but at least the current bard was good. The vast majority of the patrons were nobles or wealthy merchants—nearly all male—and at least half the tables seemed to have private dancers. The main stage was currently empty aside from the bard, though several servants were scrambling around to prepare it for another show.
I led Kaseya to an empty table as quickly as I could, mostly to lower the chance of anyone noticing her weapons. Her bow and shield weren’t nearly as obvious when propped up against the wall and cloaked in the room’s long shadows. One of the serving wenches—a voluptuous young woman with freckled cheeks—came over to greet us almost immediately.
“Welcome to the Rose , darlin’,” she said, clearly talking to me but just as clearly transfixed by Kaseya. “Can I get you and your friend anythin’?”
“We’re actually looking for Silhouette,” I said, desperately hoping that the man who had dropped her name wasn’t full of shit. “We’d like a private dance, if possible.”
“You and about ten other guys, darlin’. She’s only around a couple of times a week these days. You might have to make an appointment.”
I smiled. “I’m willing to pay double.”
The wench eyed me up and down. “I’m sure that will move you up the list a little. Assuming I remember to give her the message…”
“Why would you forget such a thing?” Kaseya asked. “It is a simple message to deliver.”
I almost slapped my forehead. For all her virtues, she was as subtle as a brick to the face sometimes.
The wench grinned. “I have a lot on my mind, darlin’. I just need a little incentive to remember.”
I repressed a sigh. I didn’t have the coin for a bribe, but I really didn’t want to get in the habit of charming every person we came across. Every time I channeled I made myself more of a potential target, and the unpredictable nature of sorcery something could always go seriously wrong…
“Perhaps I can provide a different incentive,” Kaseya said. “If you do not deliver Jorem’s message, I will break one of your fingers. Is that sufficient?”
The wench’s eyes shot open, and she belatedly noticed the weapons propped up behind our table. But before she could do anything, I reached into her mind and wove another charm spell.
“Please, just tell Silhouette that we need to have a few words with her,” I suggested. “It won’t take long.”
The woman blinked a few times as the Aether twisted her mind and thoughts. I had just started to worry that I might have hurt her when she abruptly nodded and scurried off.
“I doubt your magic was required,” Kaseya told me. “She took my threat of violence seriously.”
“I know—that’s the problem.” I sighed and ran a hand back through my hair. “Remember what I said about causing a scene? We really can’t afford to draw attention to ourselves. Perhaps you should just let me do all the talking.”
She studied me in silence for a moment. “You are displeased with me.”
“No, I’m just—” I paused and sighed again. “I’ve spent a lot more time dealing with these type of people than you have. It requires a certain amount of…finesse .”
“I am sorry, Jorem,” Kaseya said. “I will defer to your judgment.”
I bit down on my lip. I felt like I had just scolded a puppy. It was a patronizing comparison, I knew, but her naivety could be a real problem sometimes. And it was only going to get worse if we actually started working with an underworld figure like this Black Mistress…
“You wanted to talk to me, honey?”
I turned, and my mouth almost immediately fell open. I had known that Silhouette was a young half-elf, and given her line of work I had assumed she would be at least passably attractive. But there was nothing remotely “passable” about her—she was jaw-droppingly, cock-hardeningly gorgeous.
Her body was the perfect amalgamation of her heritage, which was a fancy way of saying she was indistinguishable from a full-blooded elf aside from her plump, human-sized tits. Her straight silver hair was cut just above her shoulder blades, and her green eyes pierced through the darkness like tiny emerald beacons.
“Uh, yeah,” I managed, clearing my throat. “You’re Silhouette?”
“That’s right,” she said, gliding forward and perching on my knee. “Ana mentioned something about a private dance and a whole lot of coin.”
I licked at my suddenly parched lips and struggled to pull my eyes off her black, thigh-high stockings and impossibly short skirt. When I finally succeeded, they just locked onto the thin silken bra cradling her breasts instead.
“Yes,” I replied even though I had already forgotten what she’d said.
“I charge a hundred gold an hour, honey, though if your friend wants to watch I’ll knock off ten,” Silhouette said, her voice a velvet purr. “If she wants to help out, I’ll knock off another twenty.”
“That is a very generous discount,” Kaseya said. “Jorem desperately wishes to copulate with you.”
Blood rushed into my cheeks at nearly the same rate it was flowing into my cock. “You’ll, uh, have to forgive her,” I stuttered. “She’s new around here and doesn’t—”
“Honey, I can recognize an amazon when I see one,” Silhouette said with a giggle. “I’ve never met one in person before, though, and I’ve definitely never played with one. I always give discounts for new experiences.” She placed her hand on Kaseya’s leg. “I bet there are a lot of things you could teach me.”
“Possibly,” the amazon replied. “I would also enjoy the opportunity to learn from a professional. I’m certain you could instruct me a wide variety of techniques to better please m
y Maskari .”
My breath caught in my throat. What the hell had just happened? What had I just witnessed?
“Then I think we have a deal,” Silhouette said. “Though you will understand if I ask for payment before we head upstairs…”
I smiled, wishing more than ever that I was a wealthy man. I didn’t have a hundred gold coins—I didn’t have a hundred of any coins. And no matter how hard my cock was throbbing or how desperately my libido was begging me to charm this girl onto her knees, I wasn’t actually here for sex. I needed information, and she might have been the only one capable of providing it.
“On second thought, let’s forget the coin for now,” Silhouette said unexpectedly. “Why don’t we head upstairs where we can discuss the details?”
She slid off my lap and held out her arm for me. I stood without even thinking about it, and before I knew what was happening we were halfway up the nearby staircase. Kaseya was walking right alongside us, her eyes vacant. She had also left her weapons behind, which was extremely out of character…
It was only then, in a flash of panic, that I realized I had been right before—the proprietor did have a magical advisor on staff. And apparently that advisor just happened to be his most coveted whore.
You fucking idiot, what have you gotten yourself into now?
I closed my eyes and tried to fight against the charm spell Silhouette had so subtly woven over us. Now that I was conscious of what she had done, it was easier for me to feel the Aetheric currents flowing between us. Unfortunately, sensing them and stopping them were completely different things. Even when I ordered my legs to stop moving they refused to obey.
“What…” I croaked. “What are you…?”
“We’re almost there, honey,” Silhouette cooed. “Then we can have some fun without any distractions.”
We entered one of the private suites a few seconds later, and the instant the door closed Silhouette’s eyes flashed with Aetheric power. Kaseya’s body abruptly stiffened as she snapped out of the spell clouding her thoughts. She drew the dagger concealed in her boot, lunged forward…