by J C Kang
It was unlike anything a man should do during a bedding. No, even the most fervent of men would just lie there and be taken care of. Cassius, however… His lips brushed down her neck, stopping to peck every few inches before settling in the divot between her collarbones. Every nerve lit up, zipping down her spine like an Energist’s lightning bolt. As his hands reached under her dress and swept across her bare skin, heat bloomed inside of her like a fireblast.
✽ ✽ ✽
Brehane stared up at the smooth white ceiling as she lay alone, drowning in the cloud-like bed and her own failure. She might’ve been faking fatigue from Makeda’s sleep spell before, but now she was exhausted from trying to get Cassius to spill his seed inside her. Never before had she failed to bring a man to climax in a few minutes, let alone a half hour. She’d mounted him so poorly, he’d even tried to rock his hips and set a rhythm. How humiliating.
He must’ve been equally disappointed. How could he not be? He’d left, maybe to try his luck with Makeda, leaving Brehane to wallow in self-loathing.
And for what? He didn’t climax, so she couldn’t Biomance whatever real magic he had. She was no closer to completing the mission, no closer to becoming an Initiate, no closer to rediscovering the higher levels of Biomancy.
This voyage was an utter failure so far. Except…she reached for her travelling dress, unceremoniously crumpled up to the side. He’d actually tried to undress her, but she’d removed it herself. She now pulled Kirala’s Dragonstones book out and opened it.
The new illustration depicted Tatiana’s Heart, which sat atop the pyramid. With countless facets and tapered toward the top, it looked exactly the same as Makeda’s Tear back home.
While fascinating, it didn’t help her in the quest to find Melas, or contribute to the revival of Biomancy. With a sigh, she rose out of bed and gazed at her naked form in an actual mirror that was taller than her. She was beautiful, with better curves than even the statue in the foyer. How could she have failed with Cassius? How—
What was the mark on her neck? She bent closer to the mirror to find a dark splotch on her skin. She brought her hand up to the discoloration. Right, that was where his lips had sucked, like an Aeromancer slurping up energy from the air. As strange as it was, it had felt good. By Makeda’s Eye, it had felt better than good.
But he’d left a mark, like a Summoner etching a ward into a demon’s flesh. How dare he? Power cackled in her fingers. It was time to punish the cretin.
Chapter 8:
Shades of the Enemy
As they left the whorehouse, Sameer growled at the impertinent little half-elf. “Mute? And you picked my pockets, didn’t you?”
The shadows cast from the light-bauble lamps hanging above the streets made her grin look demonic. “Had you done the talking, we wouldn’t have found anything out. Sometimes a little silver goes further than black and blue. Or red. Now come along.” She waved back toward Master Anish, who hovered at the edge of the district.
His expression was inscrutable, and he showed no sign of crossing the street. That calm was everything a Paladin should be.
What Sameer should be. He unclenched his fists, unaware of having clenched them in the first place. Jie was right, of course. His heart sank into his stomach. Earlier, he’d slain three men in anger, almost killed a fourth. Even with the honor of being apprenticed to Elder Gitika, he’d failed to live up to the most basic principles of Paladinhood. The forfeiture of his sword had been well-deserved.
Still, it felt like he’d lost an arm.
“Perk up,” Jie said. “We’ll find your friend.”
Right, Sohini. Squaring his shoulders, he took long strides in the direction the prostitutes had indicated. Drunken revelers made way for him. Most glared or made snide comments about his jammies—whatever jammies were—as he passed. They had to be close now.
“Wait, Sameer.” Jie struggled to keep up with him. “Let’s do it my way.”
Her way entailed picking pockets, cavorting with prostitutes, and buying lamb gyros. Still, she’d done even better than the supposedly best Diviner in the Estomar in finding leads on Sohini.
“Fine, but hurry.” Sameer loosened his fists again. Sohini had grown up in a brothel, and would’ve suffered her mother’s fate had she not been discovered by the Paladin scouts. If this De Lucca held her as a sex slave, he’d better hope Sameer didn’t have his sword back by the time they met.
He gritted his teeth. No, he couldn’t think like that. Revenge wasn’t the Paladin way.
Jie grabbed his arm again, just before they turned the corner.
His reflexes should’ve sensed it. So intent was he on rescuing Sohini, and reprimanding himself, he’d lost his focus. He’d never become a full-fledged Paladin, let alone a great master like Elder Gitika, if he kept failing at every aspect of Paladinhood. He took a deep breath and held an image of her in his mind. Patient. Dignified. His fists loosened. Again.
Jie peeked around the corner, then turned back. “A Bovyan is standing guard by the door. After your little escapade earlier, I would wager he already knows about you.”
The gears in his head whirred like a dwarf steam engine. “Wait. The Bovyans we fought before worked for the Mafia. This one works for a signore. I thought they were enemies.”
Jie nodded. “You’re smarter than you’ve acted. The gyro merchant said both sides are hiring them.”
“De Lucca is conspiring with the Mafia, then.”
Jie sucked on her lower lip. “Hmmm. We can’t count out that possibility. Maybe he’s positioning himself for if the Mafia take over the city. As a dealer in flesh, he’s closer to them than legitimate businesses like…fortune telling.” Sarcasm hung in her voice on the last words, and she smirked.
“Signore Larusso was an honorable man,” Sameer said.
“Sure.” Jie shrugged. “What I don’t understand is the Bovyans. Unless their coffers are dwindling, the Teleri Empire wouldn’t just rent its warriors out. They want something bigger.”
“Let’s find out.” He started toward De Lucca’s whorehouse.
“Wait.” Grabbing him, she lifted her chin back the way they’d come. “There’s an alley. I’m going to see if there’s a way in through the back. You wait here and watch the front door while I take a look around. In the very unlikely event that a commotion breaks out, get your master and come help me.”
Sameer sighed. Relegated to a lookout. Maybe that was for the better. A voice in his head that sounded suspiciously like Elder Gitika advised patience. Setting his fingers into the mudra for wisdom, he closed his eyes and pictured her in his mind. So stately and calm. The vibrations of the world percolated through him, settling his nerves. Yes, this way—her way, the way of the Paladin—would yield better results than rushing headlong into a whorehouse.
He opened his eyes and watched as the impertinent half-elf slunk back and ducked into the alley. Had he not tracked her the whole time—and had she not been wearing the frilly pink dress—he might have lost her wispy figure, the way she moved through night’s shadows. There was more to this little pickpocket than met the eye. She certainly had the skillset for her stated goal of solving mysteries, but it was doubtful her goals were as noble as finding missing people. For now, those objectives might intersect with his, but for all he knew, she could be just as mercenary as the Bovyans…or even the Paladin order’s deadliest enemy: the Golden Scorpions.
He turned back to the corner and looked. The line of two-story concrete row houses looked elegant compared to the rest of the district, their architecture reminiscent of old pictures of the Arkothi Empire. The second building boasted columns supporting a triangular roof. Purple banners, each with a rearing golden lion, hung from the roofline down to the first story. A Bovyan in a dark surcoat stood by a heavy-looking front door. Four tall windows with actual glass flanked both sides of the door. Each framed a comely young woman, sensuously dancing in a revealing dress.
Setting his fingers in a mudra for modesty, Sameer
shielded his eyes from the inappropriate behavior.
Maybe not so inappropriate. Sohini had excelled at belly dancing, learned in her childhood at a brothel, and she claimed it helped her sword-fighting skills. Considering she was one of the best warriors, perhaps it had merit. He snuck a peek.
A fellow with a sleeveless, embroidered longcoat and green stockings approached the guard. With his delicate hands and elegant manner, he looked out of place among the boisterous revelers. Unlike the other men in the streets, who whistled and jeered, he ignored the women, and tipped a hat adorned with a bright red feather to the guard.
With a thump of a fist on his chest, the Bovyan stepped aside and held the door open.
Sameer clenched his fists. The man hadn’t so much as peeked at the dancing women, and the guard just let him in. He wasn’t here for a tumble in the sheets. It had to be Signore De Lucca, who’d probably hired the Bovyans to kidnap Sohini and force her into this horrible life. The voice in his head, which again sounded like Master Gitika, urged patience.
Yes, patience.
No—Jie had no way of knowing De Lucca was here, which could get her into serious trouble.
Or he was just rationalizing. Well, at the very least, he’d have to create a diversion. Sameer wriggled his fingers. Even without a weapon, he had the Vibrations to draw upon. They were stronger in this city, where a pyramid still stood, than around the ruins of the pyramid on Ayudra Island where he’d trained. A single Bovyan, armed or not, would be no match.
Squinting back, he found Master Anish in the same spot outside the district. Sameer motioned toward the whorehouse. When the master didn’t explicitly gesture for him to stay put, Sameer turned the corner, marched past a few drunken sailors, and approached the guard. “I want to speak with Signore De Lucca.”
With a smirk, the Bovyan crossed his arms and stepped in front of the door. He towered over Sameer. “The signore is not here. If you are not here to share a woman’s company for the night, begone.”
Elder Gitika might use a Paladin Command to influence the guard, but Sameer’s own proficiency at the skill was poor. It would also leave him exhausted, whether or not it worked. He reached for the door. His martial reflexes kicked in just as the Bovyan raised a fist. To his perception, the punch hung in the air for eternity. It travelled so slowly that Sameer caught it, twisted his hips, and sent the brute tumbling to the ground. A swift heel to the temple knocked him out.
Time lurched back to normal. The women in the windows stopped dancing. A few pointed, while others covered their mouths. On the street, passersby paused and gawked.
Let them. Sameer pushed open the door and stomped into an airy foyer. It took up the entire front of the building. The ceiling vaulted high above, likely reaching the roof, like the audience chamber of a maharaja’s villa. The women in the windows all fled up the staircases on either side of the foyer to a mezzanine. His feet sunk into the plush wool carpet, which undoubtedly came from his homeland in Vadara, given the gold-and-blue symbols.
Beneath the mezzanine, another Bovyan emerged from an archway. Gaze locking on Sameer, he drew a longsword. “If you know what is good for you, you will turn around and leave.”
Sameer held up a hand. “I don’t want any trouble, I’m just—”
The Bovyan’s eyes locked on the front doors. The ones Sameer had left open, providing a view of the guard he’d knocked out.
The world slowed as the blade glided toward his outstretched hand. Sameer lowered his arm, out of the weapon’s path. As the Bovyan trudged toward him with a sluggish backstroke to the neck, Sameer stepped in close. He drove his shoulder into the brute’s elbow while catching his wrist. A pivot on his foot dislocated the man’s elbow.
Time resumed to normal as the sword plunked onto the carpet and the Bovyan fell face-first. Grunting, he rolled over and cradled his elbow.
A female scream pierced the air.
Sameer turned.
By the archway stood a pretty woman in her thirties. Her lips trembled, but with a deep breath, she found her voice. “Good evening, kind sir. I am Elisa. Are you here to make a reservation for Prince Dhananad?”
How could she think he was associated with the leader of the Paladin’s archenemies, the Golden Scorpions! Sameer glared. “I am a Paladin. I do not work for the Madurans.”
She curtsied. “My apologies, kind sir. His Scorpion bodyguards have been making arrangements for the prince’s…pleasure.”
Steam might have been coming out of Sameer’s ears, his head was so hot. The prince was here? With Scorpions? Had they used their powers to negate Sohini’s, and captured her for their degenerate prince’s pleasure? “The Scorpions are deserters to our order. They hide behind masks.”
She curtsied again. “Again, my sincerest apologies. I just saw how skilled a fighter you were…”
By Vanya’s sword, he’d let his passions get the better of him. Just like those vile traitors. Of course she’d mistake him for one of them. Conjuring a dignified image of Elder Gitika in his head, he bowed his head and set his hands into the mudra for apology. “De Lucca. Please tell him I am here to see him.”
Lines formed across her forehead. “He’s not here.”
“I saw—”
Colors flashed from the mezzanine. Sameer looked up. De Lucca looked back at him, eyes wide. Sameer sidestepped the hostess. In three strides, he reached the steps. He darted up. De Lucca turned and ran toward the closest room as fast as the clopping wood soles of his platforms could take him.
Which wasn’t very fast.
Sameer clamped a hand down on the man’s shoulder and spun him around. “Where is Sohini?”
The man’s mouth was gaping in a silent scream, but now he closed it and chewed on his lips. He cocked his head. “So-Who?”
“Sohini! The Ayuri lady. What have you done with her?”
“I…I am here to see Maria. I don’t know any Ayuri whores.”
Whore? After her childhood, Sohini would never willingly sell herself. Sameer tightened his fist. It was all he could do not to punch De Lucca into oblivion.
Flinching, the man put his hands up.
“Stop!” The hostess climbed the steps. “That isn’t Signore De Lucca. He’s just Maria’s client.”
Sameer took a deep breath and drew on the Vibrations to calm his racing heart. A Paladin wasn’t supposed to fight in anger, only cool objectivity. His fist loosened. He’d almost punched an innocent—well, not exactly innocent—man. He would’ve let Elder Gitika down, yet again.
Maintaining eye contact, the mistress helped the man to his feet. “Your Ayuri friend came here several weeks ago, but she didn’t stay very long.”
Sameer blew out a sigh. Of course these people wouldn’t be able to restrain a Paladin, even an apprentice, for very long. Unless they drugged her with gooseweed. It didn’t grow in these lands, but its smell had hung in the air around the tavern district. “Do you know where she went?”
The woman shook her head. “I’m sorry, no. I just run this house.”
A dead end. Or maybe not. Apparently, De Lucca had many houses. Drawing on the Vibrations, he Commanded, “Tell me where I can find Signore De Lucca.” Energy drained from his arms and legs, so much that his knees wobbled. He fought to keep from collapsing. There had been too many syllables in the Command. He should’ve known better…had known better, when he’d confronted the Bovyan out front. It probably hadn’t even worked.
Her eyes glazed over. “He’s at a meeting over at Signore Larusso’s mansion tonight.”
“The fortune teller!” Sameer’s fists squeezed so tight, his nails might’ve drawn blood. No wonder Larusso had given them the runaround. He was in on the prostitution ring with De Lucca and the crime families. Limbs still recovering from his use of a Command, he trudged down the steps.
At the bottom, the Bovyan was unconscious and Jie was rummaging through his things. She looked up. “I talked to some of the women who work here. Your friend isn’t in this house, but t
hey think Signore De Lucca would know. He’s at—”
“Signore Larusso’s mansion.”
Jie’s eyes widened. “Yes. Perhaps you are smarter than you look.”
Or maybe not. He’d knocked out one man, dislocated another’s arm, threatened a third, been mistaken for a Golden Scorpion, and had to draw on Vibrations to accomplish the same thing the half-elf had through asking nicely. Still, she didn’t have to know. He forced a smile. “Let’s catch up with De Lucca at Signore Larusso’s villa.”
Jie held up a hand. “I doubt he will openly confess to kidnapping your friend. Let’s split up: you and Master Anish visit Signore Larusso. I will investigate his personal office.”
Sameer stroked his chin. It sounded like a good use of their limited resources. “Very well.”
Jie slipped out into the night. Sameer took a last look at the foyer, the site of yet another one of his failures as a Paladin, and followed her.
Though she couldn’t have been more than a few steps ahead of him, she was nowhere to be seen when he stepped out. He scanned the streets and found only groups of drunken men. With a shrug, he headed back to where he’d left Master Anish.
“Where is the half-elf?” the master’s eyebrows scrunched together.
“She went to investigate Signore De Lucca's office.”
Master Anish gave a slow nod. “Why?”
“We learned that Sohini stayed in one of Signore De Lucca’s brothels, but she has since disappeared.”
Master Anish’s lips tightened.
“Also, it appears that Madura’s Prince Dhananad is visiting Tokahia.”
“What?” The master’s eyebrows clashed in alarm.
“He frequents the brothel where Sohini was staying.” Sameer’s stomach churned. Prince Dhananad’s reputation for depravity was well-known throughout Ayuri lands. “De Lucca is at Signore Cassius’ villa. I would like to question him.”