Chapter 13 #2
Somehow I don’t think Abe is directing those words of warning to me, or Isra for that matter. Roe’s eyes soften for the briefest of glimpses, then it’s gone. So she does have a heart under those murderous little layers.
“We’ll be fine,” Roe says, and I share a look with Isra. “If I can take this brute down in hand-to-hand, a few cronies aren’t a concern.”
Abe snorts and sips his ale. “I don’t doubt it. Alright, finish up and I’ll take you downstairs.”
We drain our glasses and return them to the ever-scowling bartender, leaving a few stipen on the bar for him.
The patrons divide as we cross and start down another narrow corridor of spiderwebs and mouse shit.
My skin crawls as I step over a petrified rodent skeleton, decayed enough to know a washed floor is long overdue.
Sweat beads on my brow, and we descend a spiraling stairwell to the lowest level of the bar. When I said back rooms, I didn’t mean a godsdamned dungeon, but here we are.
The landing is coated in icy dust, and my breath fogs the air as we approach two adjacent doors—both closed, both uninviting as fuck. Gnarled, knotted wood peeks from under a layer of green paint.
My fingers fidget over my empty sheathe as Abe knocks on the one to my left with three succinct thrums. Jace and his companions don’t trust me enough to return my weapons, and they shouldn’t, but entering this grungy shithole without even a dagger feels wrong.
“It’s just me, thought I’d check if you needed anything, Tanner,” he says, turning the tarnished handle. The door creaks as it swings open. Tobacco smoke pours from the room’s entrance in heavy, saturated tendrils, and we follow Abe’s lead.
“Abe, good man, you brought the entertainment?” A reptilian man washes his eyes over me with a greasy grin spreading over his lips.
He’s flanked by two mountains of sheer muscle and insecure masculinity.
The clean-shaven brute with green eyes to Tanner’s left, grunts in delight as he too inspects us.
“We’re not here to entertain you,” Roe hisses, her fingers dancing over the dagger concealed on her hip. “We’ve got some questions.”
Tanner’s expression goes sour. “I don’t pay Abe here for interrogations. Now, get out. I’m very busy.”
The beastly man to Tanner’s right cracks his thick knuckles. I almost slip out a laugh at just how absurd these three idiots are. Maybe I didn’t need a blade after all, none of them look like they’re trained in advanced combat maneuvers.
“So quick to run your mouth, but the minute we come calling you get all quiet.” Roe closes the distance between us and the table, laid with various empty bottles and cigarette ash.
“Did you really think Jace Ashborne wouldn’t know the second you crossed over his border?
Come on now…we have a few questions then we’ll be on our way. ”
A glass shatters somewhere above.
“Ah fuck, that was probably Janisburn. I should make sure he’s not about to torch the place again. We just finished the repairs. Isra you mind being backup?” Abe asks, and the two disappear through the doorway. Again? How rowdy does this place get?
The brief distraction has given Roe an opportunity to unsheathe her dagger. I turn back toward Tanner and my shoulders tense. The green-eyed brute has his blade pointed toward her, his companion’s toward me.
“Pull a blade on me like that again and I’ll take a finger,” Roe seethes, keeping her dagger raised and ready.
“We just want to ask you some questions,” I say. My attempt at cooling the volatile fire, so easily sparked, is met with a warning glare from Roe.
“Such vile words from those pouty lips of yours, darling. I’m not answering a fucking thing,” Pyris sniffs, lacing his hands behind his back. The candles flicker around us with an ever growing tension, thick enough to tingle my fingertips.
“Roe…” I hiss. She’s so quick to jump into violence, but I’ve dealt with criminals like this enough times to know my way around an interrogation—calculated ego-stroking and blade drawn only as a last resort, but Roe jumped right in. We’re so fucked.
She again throws me a death glare. “Alright Pyris, I’ll give you one more chance. Sheathe your blade and sit the fuck down.”
“Hmm.” Pyris strokes his chin. “How about not.”
“Roe…” I try again. She glances at me, and in the briefest of moments, Pyris is left unattended.
“Drop the knife, princess,” Tanner says.
Roe’s eyes widen. “Wha-what did you just call me?”
For as slimy the bastard is, he’s got impressive speed. He pulls a concealed pocketknife from his tunic and lets it fly. It impales right on target—just at the crook of Roe’s shoulder, and her blade scatters to the floor.
“Fuck.” She scowls, bracing the wound. It’s nowhere near lethal, but shit, it probably hurts like a bitch. She grimaces and yanks the knife from her flesh, blood oozing from the wound.
“Roe!”
She grits her teeth. “I’m fine, courier, but now all three of you fuckers have really pissed me off.”
“Why don’t we all just sit? Before this gets any messier,” I say, raising my palms.
“Shut up, Nova.” Roe’s nostrils flare as she speaks, but the group of us lower to the seats left forgotten.
“Now, as far as I know, Shadow is still a sanctuary state. I have every right to be here just as any citizen of the faction does. So why does your king send his dogs barking?” Tanner wags an index finger between the pair of us. “I’ve broken no laws…well, within Shadow of course.”
“Like I said, we’re only here to ask you some questions,” Roe says, groaning as she adjusts her posture.
“For starters, you’re wanted in Storm for a calamity of indiscretions.
Most notably, a certain merchant reported a significant amount of his wealth seemingly disappeared in the night.
Want to tell us about that?” Her canines bite into her lip as she speaks, and I just know she’ll spring on these guys for even the slightest hint of another strike.
“Not particularly.” Tanner snorts.
Barstools squeal against the floor overhead and a heavy set of footsteps thuds a frantic dance.
“Stop squirming, Janisburn!” The boom of Isra’s voice shudders the ceiling, disturbing dust and cobwebs.
“Gods, sounds like quite the brawl up there. I’m guessing they won’t be back for a while. How unfortunate.” Tanner wets his lips and offers a revolting, rotten smile.