Chapter 20
ADRYEL
This underground area wasn’t like what Adryel was used to. For sure. Undergrounds usually weren’t, uh, actually in caves. It was dim and it smelled musty from water that had to be standing somewhere.
And the smell of humanoids who were nervous and hiding things.
That seemed to be a universal smell. No matter where she wound up, she recognized the smell. The only big difference was that here, there was an overall organic smell that melded with the humanoid smell.
A chill in the air as well added to the ambience. Not like a cold that she’d need a jacket for, but more of a soothing cool, like she was walking into someplace forbidden.
That was the point, of course. This was where they went when they wanted things that were hidden and secret.
She watched through the hood that Baba had given her.
It kept her face obscured by fabric, but it allowed her to see her surroundings.
If Stron knew that it was transparent on the inside, he didn’t let on.
Baba said it was one of her favorite cloaks to wear. No doubt, so she could see what she wasn’t supposed to see.
Adryel liked her, and if she wound up staying here, she might have to occasionally visit Baba.
If only because it would annoy Stron.
She stayed near Stron, but kept watching all around. The further they walked, the more she recognized familiar behaviors that she’d seen back in the darker areas of Kerde.
Kantenans had that same posture as they moved through the tunnels as any other humanoid she’d ever seen when they were someplace forbidden. They kept their heads down and moved with purpose.
No slow shopping here.
And no eye contact.
Except for the ones that were following them. Whoever had sent the other big burly red dudes to watch them should have taught them a little more tact.
She’d spotted them pretty quickly.
And from the way that Stron kept his arm around her, she guessed he’d seen them as well.
Whether he was the giveaway or if it was her, she didn’t know. He had dressed down before they left, but he’d still worn that necklace of his. Whatever it meant, it was important to him. Even Baba asked him to take it off, but he wouldn’t.
So whether they spotted him or noticed him walking with a much shorter person, she didn’t know yet.
While Stron seemed to be a taller Kantenan, not many were as short as she was.
Regardless, they were here, and she hoped it wasn’t much farther.
The cave started to veer off, with two branches splitting the tunnel they were in.
Vendors seemed to start to thin out, but there were still shops tucked into nooks that were carved into the rock.
As they walked by, she glanced inside and realized many were much bigger in than she would have expected from the main entrance.
And many entrances had some kind of bouncer standing by the door. Large, intimidating.
And much less polished than Stron and his friends were.
The type that looked very capable of cracking some heads without much thought, if necessary.
Even the vibrant glow of the lights from before that painted the cave in a wash of colors had faded.
This wasn’t as frequented of an area.
And of course, Stron directed her to the darkest side.
She wrinkled her nose. Something cut through the damp stone and the smell of close bodies — faint, there and then not. Vetiver. Maybe. She told herself it was the cave. Old mineral deposits smelled like all kinds of things down here. She kept walking. But her grip on the wine tightened.
She continued to cling to him, but not because she was scared, her grip on the wine tight. She knew if she had to, she’d break that wine bottle over someone’s head.
She’d be sad about it later, but hey.
If it’s between her and the wine, she’s going to pick herself.
“I can carry the wine,” he said.
“I’m not going to object.” She handed him the bag.
“You might.”
She gripped his arm. “I’m not going to get to drink any of that, am I?”
“No.”
She sighed, but clung to his arm. Mostly because she wanted all the eyes that looked her way to know that she was with him. If there was any doubt. Any roving male attention needed to be squashed.
“Are we almost there?” The thinner crowds were starting to make her more nervous. She didn’t like being down here. Before, where the market was, it felt more like what she was used to. This felt darker. Not just with the lightings but there was an angst in the air that nagged at her.
“Just here,” he said.
They came to the arched stone entrance to another cave, but this one didn’t have a bouncer type at the door. Instead, the flicker of laser lights marked the entrance. Red beams danced back and forth across the entrance.
Scanners.
Stron stepped inside in front of her. Red scanners ran over him and the wine, no alerts sounded, and he entered the space.
Adryel hesitated.
She wasn’t Kantenan.
The scanners would go off immediately. They would declare her as someone who didn’t belong, and then their whole stealth would be blown.
And what would that do for their mission?
Stron paused and turned. “Come through.” He reached out his hand, through the scanner.
Well, if they were going to declare that there were other species on this planet, then they might as well do it together, she thought as she stepped through.
The scanners ran their angry red beams over her.
She held her breath. Waiting for the alert to sound.
Instead, the beams shut off.
“Come,” Stron said, tugging her through.
She glanced back at the door where the scanning lights didn’t show any sign of alert or any sort of alarm that a foreigner had come through the entrance.
From the shadows, another Kantenan came forward.
Dressed in a polished black suit, he reminded Adryel of a Rhysgarrd. He had that gangster look to him. Polished, but also dangerous.
Stron didn’t seem the slightest bit intimidated. “Knobb.”
Naturally, this was who they were meeting.
Can she just not get away from the criminal underbelly?
“Stron,” Knobb replied, though his gaze shifted to Adryel. “And who do we have here?”
Stron waved his hand. “She’s not important.”
“Ah, but a female is always important here,” Knobb replied, his gaze making Adryel uncomfortable.
She moved closer to Stron.
“This is Lee,” he replied. “She’s a guest.”
The lie rolled smoothly off Stron’s lips, and heck, she believed there for a second that her name was Lee too.
“Well, Lee, welcome. Take off that silly hood so we can see you.” He leaned in a little. “Because I know you’re not Kantenan.”
She glanced at Stron, and imperceptibly, he nodded.
At least that’s what she thought she saw. She pushed the hood back, revealing her face and the two piles of hair on her head to make a more believable Kantenan silhouette.
“Pretty little thing, aren’t you?” Knobb said.
Adryel didn’t respond.
“Your guest seems rather shy.”
“She’s had a hard last few days.”
“I heard some Kantenan guests had some difficulties,” Knobb replied and headed toward a chair out of sight of the doorway. “Please, come take a seat.”
Stron followed, and the space that Knobb entered had several chairs surrounding a low table. Drinks had been placed on it, a large decanter in the center with the empty glasses around it. It had a vibe that this was a private lounge, somewhere where deals were made and secrets shared.
Adryel wasn’t a huge fan of the space.
“Here,” Stron said, handing over the bag of wine.
Knobb smirked. “Trying to buy my affection, Stron? I’m surprised.”
“Bring a gift to the host,” Stron said.
Knobb pulled out the bottle. “Ahh. This is nice. Nevillian wine. Treviss.” His gaze darted to Stron. “I was not aware you were such a connoisseur of drink.”
“A gift from Lee,” he said, gesturing to Adryel.
“From the female? How kind.” Knobb looked her up and down. Knobb was likely in his fiftieth standard year, if not older, but he absolutely looked like he would put up a fight if he had to.
Again, he made her think of the Rhysgarrds.
She wouldn’t be surprised if they were friends.
“It was the best I could do on short notice,” she said dryly.
“Well, I thank you.” He glanced at Stron. “She’ll bring you some new veins, I expect.”
“That I do not doubt.” Stron replied, glancing at her with a smile. “She absolutely surprises me at every turn.”
“Like all good veins of ore,” Knobb said. He raised his hand and a female Kantenan came over and delivered a device.
She didn’t look any older than Adryel, and she seemed tired.
Circles sunk under her eyes, and her hands trembled.
The fear, Adryel immediately empathized with.
She wanted to put her arm around her and tell her that she could get out of there.
That she could run. Find someplace else to be.
That she didn’t have to stay there. There were other places she could go.
Help the girl.
Surely they had other cities. Other colonies, even. After all, the Kantenans were miners. They had to have mining operations all over the place. Surely she could—
Stron put his hand on the small of her back again, and it felt so natural.
Safe.
Stron felt safe, even here, in this underworld.
The other female disappeared into a door, and Adryel made herself re-center her thoughts back to this meeting at hand.
Focus on Knobb opening the wine with practiced ease. He poured himself a drink, and then poured two more, one for each of them, leaving them on the table.
And then he proceeded to smell the wine. “A delicate aroma worth savoring.”
Stron picked up his own glass, and handed Adryel hers.
She lifted the glass to her nose, mimicking the way Stron held the glass. It didn’t smell that different to her, but she could play the part.
“Very nice,” she said.
Knobb sipped the drink. “Yes. Very.” His gaze darted from Stron back to Adryel, and she leaned into him more, not liking being appraised by Knobb at all.
“What do you need from me, Stron?”