Chapter Five Hot House
"A bird born in a cage thinks that flying is an illness."
Osho cleaned her up and demanded that she stay at the Sicarii for the night.
She refused. Adam had no intention of Osho mothering her.
He only let her go when she agreed to a night out with him in a few days.
The location he mentioned was a new club that she had been keen to attend.
Who better than with Osho? They could talk and catch up, and she could fully explain why she was arriving at the guild half burnt to a crisp.
Not to mention, she could dance and find some unsuspecting male that might not recognize her.
Take him to the nearest both or the livery and bang his brains out.
She needed to visit the Forge soon too, she reminded herself.
Even if Adam didn't want Osho hovering, she was still not at her full strength. The following day, Adan spent it hiding in her room and devouring a whole trilogy of romance novels featuring a particularly devilish shifter. It was a nice short-term form of escapism from her harsh reality.
That peace was broken at the sound of a fist on her door. A note written in perfect, elegant script from Lord Lennox Hollow. Even his handwriting was pompous.
"Fire in the harbour, early this morning. Meet me in the Meat Quarter at eight. Don't be late
-LH'
The Meat Quarter was located in Storm territory, and It's head of house was none other than Prince Darius Dreadmore.
Storm House is made up of Fae, Wolves, Nymphs, and Changelings.
Adan tries to stay away from that part of town, even if it is her own house.
Assassins tend to avoid people altogether—unless spilling blood is involved.
The Storm quarter is wildly regarded as the dark underbelly of the City of Bones.
A place of drugs and gambling and truly awful people—to say the least.
In truth, all of Lymia could boast such a thing.
Later that night Adan, washed and dressed with not a shred of ash on her person, she sat at a patio table.
A glass of red wine in front of her and five cards in her hand while she glanced casually over at the other players.
The male across from her tossed a note down into the already over flowing pot.
"Raise." Adan carelessly tossed down an excessive amount of money.
He dropped his cards to show the straight flush, all hearts. He grinned, reaching for the pile. Her hand snapped out, stopping him. Dropping her cards to show hers, a royal flush. He paled, slumping back in his chair. Adan scooped the pile up in her manicured hands.
Black dress pants came into her side and she lifted her head to the brown belt, and then the crisp white shirt. He was wearing a dinner jacket of lush black. His hair was slicked back, but those pale green eyes were not on Adan.
Lennox Hollow out right glared at that men sitting around her. The look would wither even the strongest of flowers. Like chips of green ice, his piercing gaze promised violence. Adan shivered.
"Leave." He commanded in his dark, raspy voice. The men looked up, as realization hit their faces at who was standing before them—they bolted. Hollow was obviously used to people listening to him. Obeying his every whim and command. Adan only rolled her eyes at the display of domination.
Pushy overbearing prat. "I wasn't done taking their money yet." She dropped her eyes to the notes in her hand as she organized and counted her winnings.
Hollow sat down in the recently vacated chair across from her.
For a man of his size, he was surprisingly graceful.
He played with the cuff links on his wrist.
"Hello, love." Hollows ice-cold gaze cracked like a glacier in spring and he smiled brightly.
Adan couldn't help but physically bristle, and he smirked at the obvious irritation.
"I'm surprised you showed, seeing as you weren't at the dock this morning."
She had been, only she was a few hours before their meeting time.
Not that he or anyone needed to know that.
The burning of the docks worked in her favour.
Helping to hide her tracks. She had been more or less confined to her bed after the visit with Osho.
It had slipped her mind that she should have kept her appointment with Hollow— if only to deign ignorance of the fire.
Regardless, he no doubt assumed that Adam was just being rebellious.
Seeing how far she could push him—testing how far her new master's leash went.
"I'm unpredictable." Lie. "What happened?" Even if she already knew, she played into this hand.
"The guard on watch told me that the Captain Jax's ship caught fire."
He shrugged, waving to a waitress, and pointed at Adan's glass and raised two fingers.
She didn't miss that he winked at her too, and the waitress's face burned red before running off to grab his order.
This man obviously had an effect on everyone. It grated on Adan's nerves.
Pompous rake.
"Well now he can't go anywhere. Not without a ship." Adan drawled. Finishing off the wine in her glass. The waitress arriving with another for her, and one for the lord.
"Thank you." He said to the tongue-tied girl stumbled on her unsaid words while bowing before running off again. "Wanted papers are already being posted around the Loch."
Adan shook her head. "He wore a mask, it won't help. My description of him won't be enough."
"It's enough for him to know that the heat is on." Hollow grinned before bring the glass to his lush lips.
Silence stretched between them.
"Why did you want to meet here?" Adan asked, her nails drummed on her glass. The nervous habit already telling her she was ready to leave.
"It's your house territory, is it not?" He eyed her carefully, and she narrowed her eyes at him.
He shrugged, "I thought you might be more comfortable here."
She couldn't help but feel like that was a lie.
She leant back in her chair, and crossed her legs.
Technically, he was right, she should have felt comfortable in her own house's territory.
But she wasn't about to tell him that. She crossed her bare arms over her black top and waited.
"So what's your plan now that the trail has gone stale, love?" He tipped his head and lush dark hair fell, Adan's mis-matched eyes tracked the movement.
"Why should I tell you?" She raised a brow.
His jaw tensed, and he clicked his tongue. "Now, now, don't be difficult. We've been down that road."
"The people here like to talk while they drink and play poker. The man you rudely commanded to leave was just telling me that Jax has gone underground. The man was playing poker with one of Jax's crew a few nights ago.
He let slip that the Captain burned his own ship down and is hiding out until it's safe for him to leave the city."
"You got all that out of him?" He asked suspiciously. "Doesn't sound reliable— why would he burn his own ship?"
Adam ignored the second half of Hollows questioning. "I don't always need my blades to make people talk." She lifted her glass, and gave him a knowing look before sipping on her wine.
"A trait we share." Hollow smirked. Adan didn't like the idea of them sharing anything. This mission was more than enough.
"I'll check the local seedy spots that he could be hiding in." She eyed his expensive shoes. "Wouldn't want you to get your hands dirty, my lord." His eyes sparkled at those two syllables.
"In this city, no one's hands are clean." He glanced at her hands, and grinned as they curled into fists. He pulled the wine glass from her hand before she could shatter it. Placing it down on the table within her reach.
"Well, since Jax isn't here, then I think—" She was about to stand from the table and leave the dark lord with the tab. Adan had already tucked her winnings away.
"ADAN BYRD!" She and Lennox both snapped their heads towards the distinctly female shrieking. A tall black skinned woman with long braids and even longer legs was storming towards their table.
"Friend of yours?" Hollow smirked. He seemed to be enjoying the encounter far too much. Adan didn't have a chance to give him a glare. She was already up and out of her chair.
"I KNOW YOU'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS, BYRD!"
Adan lifted her hands to her head as the woman approached.
"Whatever happened between you and Osho is your business, Kara. It has nothing to do with me."
Kara's a wolf, and Adan had no intention of getting bitten.
Kara took a swing at her with those sharp nails and Adan managed to dodge them before Lennox was standing and grabbing Kara's wrist.
Fast-pompous prick.
He looked over his wide shoulder at Adan, "You should leave."
Lennox held Kara back with ease, and she nodded, taking off at a run.
Straight to the city centre, and only stopped when she found herself outside the Sicarii.
She slowed to a fast walk, searching for Osho Syms.
She found him almost instantly, his flawless dark brown skin glowed at the sight of Adan.
"Hey Adan!" He beamed, the dagger tattoo on his cheek crinkling. "You look much better!"
"Osho Syms, I could throttle you." His glowing smile dropped. "What the hell did you tell Kara? She sniffed me out at the Meat Quarter. I made a run for it because your ex is one crazy wolf. Besides, I knew you'd never forgive me if I gutted her for her fur." Osho knew she was joking— partly.
Osho's face dropped at the mention of his on-again-off-again girlfriend. "We broke up—"
"I figured that much." Adan stabbed her pointer finger on her friend's chest.
"She must think that there is something going on between us. Even if I have told her countless times, that would never happen."
"Well, tell her again before she bites my head off."
"Why were you even in the Meat Quarter? You hate the storm territory."
She scoffed and rolled her eyes, why was everyone so observant tonight. "I was meeting someone." Obviously.
"Meeting someone? Like a date?" His warm brown eyes light up with amusement and glee.
"Gods no. What do you know about Lennox Hollow?"
"That he's a hedonistic libertine. He's notorious for going through a woman faster than a kraken can take down a ship. Why were you meeting with him?"