Chapter 8 #2
Elysia’s gaze flicked dangerously to her sister’s. Taking a breath, she reminded herself that wrestling Beatriz in the middle of the street wouldn’t help with not being noticed. Silently, she stuck out a foot, smiling as Beatriz almost ate shit on the vomit- and piss-scented street.
“Oops.”
Beatriz righted herself with a glare. “Be nice to me or I’ll slip something in your drink, and you’ll wish you had stayed in the death realm.”
Elysia drew back, sniffing. “You wouldn’t.”
Beatriz threw open the door to the Salty Rim, sauntering in like it was a palace instead of the shittiest dive bar you could find this side of Relaclave.
Slamming the door shut with a backward kick of her booted foot, Triz turned to Elysia.
“The woman does realize that the name of her bar is disgusting, right?”
Elysia’s brow quirked as she looked around the empty bar. Must have been near closing time. Beatriz just cocked her head and waited for it to click.
“Oh my gods. You are disgusting. Don’t you dare say that to Jessa.”
“Say what to Jessa, dead girl?”
Elysia’s gaze shot over to the owner of the Salty Rim, who stood staunchly behind the bar. A rugged beauty with a bite like a snake, Jessa wasn’t someone Elysia enjoyed pissing off.
“Do not call me that. I called Aidan ‘dead boy,’” she grumbled.
Beatriz plonked onto a bar stool and grabbed the drink that was clearly Jessa’s. Swallowing a mouthful of gin, she considered the nickname. “Dead girl. Death’s bitch. There’s potential there.”
Elysia took a seat while staring daggers at them both. Why in all the realms did she come to see these two? She was likely to be fed to whatever demons Aidan kept for defying his orders, and what did she get out of it? These two idiots.
Jessa stared at the dog pawing at Elysia’s leg. “I’ve told the prince and I’ll tell you—there are no animals allowed in this godsdamned bar.”
Elysia threw up her hands. “She’s Aidan’s. If you can get rid of her, then be my guest. Also, how is Larky?” Guilt rose in her. She wished she could take her cat to the death realm, but that wasn’t fair. It was better for Larkspur to live with Jessa now.
“Good. He’s gotten fatter. Sits in the window all day and cops an attitude like you wouldn’t believe about his breakfast.”
Beatriz grabbed the bottle of Sap and poured out three healthy glasses. “You really are this death god’s bitch. Babysitting his dog and everything.”
Elysia rubbed her temples, but Beatriz pressed an icy cold finger to her lips to shush her. “You almost got your head chopped off, cracked out into thin air, and now you’re here, right as rain and on dog duty. Explain.”
She choked down a little gin, knowing it was going to hurt to say aloud. Telling these two would be the grimmest form of reality check. Gripping her drink, she forced it out. “I met with the priestesses of the Bone Temple in Ryspur tonight. There were some unmentioned details to the deal.”
Her mouth thinned as she paused, and Beatriz motioned for her to elaborate.
“Historically, the god of the dead is required to have a mortal co-ruler…who becomes immortal. There’s this death voyage where you earn the talisman. I guess the fates are involved.”
She took a much larger swallow of gin, carefully watching their faces to see if they thought she was insane yet.
Jessa surprised her, laughing so hard she snorted and choked. “Oh, that’s amazing. At least you thought he was hot, right?”
Glaring, Elysia bit down on the inside of her cheek. “It’s not funny.”
Beatriz whipped out a handkerchief, rolled it up, and tied it off in a circle. Dropping it onto Elysia’s head with a flourish, she dipped her chin mockingly. “Once a throne hunter, always a throne hunter.”
Throwing the handkerchief aside, Elysia shoved a hand into her hair, frustration hardening her words. “I’m in over my head. I have no idea how to earn or find the talisman, and I don’t want to be a god.”
Neither woman said anything to that, which only made her feel worse.
Elysia smiled bleakly at her sister. “Maybe you were right. Kava’s a shithole and will die a shithole because I don’t think I can do this.” She stared into her disgusting glass of Sap, wishing it could be literally anyone else responsible for this.
Beatriz started coughing, swiping at her tossed-aside handkerchief, but the force of her cough had her bent over and grasping, unable to find the cloth. Tiny black specks dampened her fingers and flew through the air.
Time froze and Elysia’s brain went completely silent.
Delicately, she picked up her sister’s hand. Dark soot-riddled droplets stood out in contrast to her light skin. Elysia dropped her hand, nodding silently with her eyes open, but unseeing. She made to stand, but Beatriz clamped a hand onto her shoulder and shoved her back down.
Her sister was Fallen now. Nothing escaped the soot in Kava, not even its people, and once it was inside you, there was no future outside death.
Voice rough, she towered over Elysia. “Don’t you dare look at me like that. You never once pitied me as I drank and smoked and wrecked my life every way I possibly could, and you sure as the realms aren’t going to now. Do you understand me?”
“Because that was your choice!” Elysia shouted back into her sister’s face, tears blurring her vision.
Beatriz lifted her chin, mouth tight. “It’s going to be fine. So just calm down and forget about it.”
“How long?”
“Can we not do this? There are more important things for us to discuss.”
“I said, how long?”
“She’s already held on for over six months. Stubborn shit.” Jessa crossed her arms, ignoring Beatriz’s irritation.
Elysia swallowed this information, but her fast words and high pitch gave her away. “Okay, okay, so we just need to work harder. Find the talisman. Aidan gets his magic. He fixes Kava, and you’ll be fine. Yeah, it’ll be fine.”
Hot tears threatened to break free now, and Beatriz swore.
Slapping her hands firmly to the sides of Elysia’s face, she gave no room for argument.
“Look at me, dollface, it’s okay. I was never supposed to live this long, anyway.
And trust me, I’m doing everything I can, but you’re not responsible for this. ”
The tears rolled, but Elysia nodded, clutching onto Beatriz’s wrists. “You can’t die, Triz. I won’t let you.”
“Want me to piss you off?”
“You can try,” Elysia hiccuped.
“You’re how the Nightshade Market started.”
Jessa took a gulp of gin. “Here we go.”
“How could I have possibly started the Nightshade Market?”
Beatriz removed herself from Elysia’s death grip and grinned tauntingly. “Father wasn’t the only one who realized you were a magnet for finding magic.”
Elysia’s already heightened emotions turned volatile, storming through her, ready to attack if her sister answered wrong. “You knew.” It wasn’t even a question. Her hands clenched.
Beatriz held up a finger. “I didn’t know about the realm traveling. Which is what you told me about that first night! So, before you even say it, I wasn’t lying when I was surprised. I thought you had things under control.”
“As if that’s the point! Did you know about Father then, too? Just couldn’t be bothered to care that I was being exploited when you were doing the same thing?”
Red crept up Beatriz’s neck onto her face.
“Do not compare me to him. I knew he was a pain in your ass, but I didn’t know the extent of it until you told me.
Maybe I should have asked, but you’re not exactly the most forthcoming person.
You wouldn’t have told me shit even if I’d tried to suddenly swoop in and play the part of big sister.
So yes, I saw an opportunity and I took it, okay?
The Nightshade Market allows people to make money from their magic and for people to get things they need that don’t exist here anymore unless they’re imported at astronomical costs, and I’m not going to apologize for that.
Even if I die, the Nightshade Market is a good thing, and I did that! ”
Tears brimmed once more in Elysia’s eyes. “Fuck you, Beatriz. Fuck you for being a shit sister and fuck you for trying to die.”
Sharp as glass, Beatriz pulled her sister into her arms where all her edges couldn’t cut her. “I know.”
Elysia breathed in her familiar mixture of smoke and something crisp yet earthy. “I’ll find the talisman, okay?”
Jessa pushed their glasses at them. “I didn’t realize this was going to be a Parker family sob fest.”
Both Parkers glared now, but Elysia wiped her eyes. “Anything else anyone needs to share?”
A guilty look flashed across Beatriz’s face, and Elysia gaped. “Are you serious? There’s more?”
Jessa leaned back against the bar and crossed her ankles. “Ask her to tell you more about the Market.”
“Beatriz,” Elysia said warningly. Her magic was already stretching, though.
Cloaking itself around Beatriz, attempting in vain to suss out all her secrets without a tenth of the power she needed to do so.
Even so, a few telling images flashed through her mind.
Disbelief colored her voice. “Drugs, alcohol, gambling—those are one thing. You’re dealing in magical weapons?
Who would you even sell them to? And what for? ”
As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she tensed in knowing, leveling her sister with a parental stare. She’d literally introduced Beatriz to Gage. The heir to a sprawling criminal empire who was the only one of his family forced to maintain his reign without magic.
“Figured it out, didn’t you? It’s all for the cause though. Almost. Some of it’s just for money.” Beatriz shrugged as if they couldn’t all be saints.
Elysia took a deep breath, mumbling at the floor. “I regret coming here. I thought it would help and it didn’t. It really didn’t.”
Beatriz polished off the rest of her drink. “Personally, I feel great. So fresh, so open.”
Jessa made a disgruntled noise and pointed a dish towel at her. “We need to up our weapons supply.”
“Need more money for that.”
Elysia cast her gaze between them. “You’re supplying rebels with weapons.”
Jessa narrowed her eyes at Beatriz. “She’s stingy enough about it.”
“I’ve told you—I can’t just be giving everything away for free. I have a business to maintain!”
“People don’t need downers and make-believe trips! They need healing tinctures and a way to defend themselves!”
“Those drugs are what’s funding your bullshit ragtag crew of misfits, so maybe we don’t bite the hand that feeds us, huh?”
Sarcasm fell heavily from Elysia’s mouth. “There’s nothing like your friends running an entire illegal operation behind your back for the gods know how long.”
Jessa didn’t bother to look chastised. “You had enough to deal with. The partnership is still new—we just used to buy from her.”
“What she means to say is they’d be lost without me.” Beatriz looked down at Jessa pompously.
An easy smile touched Jessa’s full lips. “Have I ever mentioned what my gift is?”
“No.” Beatriz made a face like she didn’t give a fuck and rattled her glass.
Jessa leaned across the bar, her fingers tiptoeing up Triz’s chest. “I can control pressure. Have you ever seen a human explode?”
Beatriz turned an unpleasant shade of white and leaned away, her voice faint. “Understood.”
Elysia was both impressed and aghast. “Even here in Kava?”
“Magic here is so touchy. I never know if I’m going to give someone a nice, threatening squeeze or blow their lungs apart.”
Both sisters went silent, taking this in. No wonder people were so scared of Jessa. Forget her studded plank, she’d likely blown someone up and everyone was too terrified to ever mention it again.
Suddenly, the door flew open, and a man staggered in, leering at all three of them. “How much?”
Jessa immediately grabbed her plank. “Bar’s closed.”
His leer only grew. “I wasn’t asking for a drink.”
Beatriz made a face of disgust. “As if one of us would even look at your shriveled, smelly—”
“Please don’t finish that sentence.” Elysia watched the man stumble closer, his hand reaching for what was likely a dagger.
Jessa clambered over the bar, plank ready, as Elysia whipped out her own knife, but before either of them could do a damn thing, Crusher vibrated as she leapt to her feet.
The snarling animal guarding their front was no longer a pint-sized lap dog, but a creature large enough to swallow a man whole.
Her glorious black and copper fur gleamed as her lips peeled back, revealing sharp, terrifying teeth.
Drunk and without any sense of self-preservation, the man took another step. Crusher lunged and tore off a sizable chunk from the man’s ass.
Jessa spoke in a restrained hush. “Elysia, you need to call it off.”
Eyes on the enormous beast, her voice trembled. “Crusher, come here.”
She turned her head and looked at Elysia with baleful dark brown eyes.
“You can’t eat him.” Thanks to the shake in her voice, her statement sounded far too much like a question, but nonetheless, the dog lowered its head and forcefully nudged the now profusely bleeding man toward the door.
With one final ram of her head, the interloper was flung outside.
There were a few mutters about crazy bitches, and then he staggered away into the night, bleeding and moaning.
“If you shrink down, I’ll go back.” She didn’t need anyone else seeing a dog bigger than a horse in Jessa’s bar. One person rambling about it was just drunk nonsense. More than that meant executions.
Crusher heaved a great sigh as she returned to her previous form. Totting back over to Elysia, she looked up expectantly as if she should get a treat.
Jessa’s voice quivered as she roared. “Get out of my bar. All of you!”