With a snort, the bartender swiped up the money. “Zeena might rule the vipers, but she don’t run with our kind. Too good for the likes of us twisted beasts.” He spat on the floor in disgust.
Katy’s shoulders slumped. But Gage pressed on. “When was she last seen in your territory? Any whispers at all?”
The bull-man scratched his chin, considering. Then his eyes lit up. “Actually, now that you mention it, some of the lower viper lackeys have been sniffing around more than usual for the past month or so. Could be they’re watching her back while she lies low.”
Gage’s gaze was steady. “Any particular place that they would hang around?”
The bartender grabbed a toothpick and slipped it between his lips as he thought. He picked up several dirty glasses that had been left by patrons on the bar, his eyes taking on a faraway look. A few moments later, he snapped his fingers and nearly spit outhis toothpick as he spoke. “It was on the tip of my tongue, but I just couldn’t catch it, you know? But now I’ve got it. The Chaos members with reptilian attributes tend to keep to themselves. They hang out at the older part of the Strip.”
Katy perked up at this potential lead, exchanging an eager glance with Gage. His hand squeezed her waist gently before turning back to the bartender.
“You mean Fremont Street?”
The bull-man shook his head. “Nah, that place has become a tourist trap. Near there, but just out of the limelight. It’s maybe ten blocks that away.” He waved a burly arm vaguely northward. “You’ll know you found it when all the neon and glitz fade away. Just seedy bars and dilapidated motels that are barely standing anymore.”
“We appreciate the tip.” Gage slid another roll of bills across the bar. “And your discretion.”
With a snort, the bartender swept up the money. “We don’t get many snakes or wolves in here. And if anyone asks, I haven’t seen either one in quite some time.” He gave Gage a sly wink. “Good luck finding what you seek.”
Katy breathed a soft sigh of relief as they headed back outside, the pulsing music fading behind them. Their first genuine lead, and they’d only been in Vegas less than a day. If they could locate the dregs of Azure’s kingdom haunting this rundown area, those snakes might point the way to their fallen queen.
Katy brushed her arm against Gage’s muscular one as they navigated the ostentatious lights of the main strip. “Do you think we’ll actually find Zeena in that area?”
Gage considered. “The Zeena I’ve known over the years? Not a chance. But the Creator made it clear that she’s not the same as she once was. And if she’s trying to lie low, then it’s probably a good place to hide.” His sharp gaze scanned the crowds passingby. “The vipers were cast out when Talbot claimed the throne. Those still loyal to Azure have nothing left to lose.”
Katy chewed her bottom lip thoughtfully. She couldn’t imagine turning on her own people as some in the splintered Venom Kingdom had. But then again, she didn’t have centuries of alliances and grudges between supernatural factions to contend with. They were wading into a quagmire generations in the making.
Gage drew them down a quieter side street. As they walked, the neon lights began to fade behind them. The crowds became progressively thinner the farther they went. Soon, only vagrants and shadowy figures remained, eyeing them suspiciously before scurrying away. The air held a rancid tinge of decay that made Katy wrinkle her nose.
They walked nearly fifteen blocks before Gage paused, his head cocked as if listening. Then he abruptly turned down a dingy alley crammed between two dilapidated buildings. Katy hurried to keep pace as he wound through the refuse with sure steps.
“We’re close,” he murmured. “I smell serpent.”
Katy swallowed thickly. Her nerves jangled now that the moment of truth loomed. If Zeena refused to help, their quest ended here. She sent up a silent prayer as they emerged from the alley onto a street lined with crumbling motels and unsavory hole-in-the-wall bars. Their dilapidated signs flickered erratically.
Several rough figures lingered in doorways or slouched against dirty walls, making the shadows seem to writhe with ill intent. Katy stayed close to Gage’s side as they crept down the street, taking in their surroundings. She wished Otto was with her so he could threaten to bite anyone who got too close. She jumped when a raspy voice spoke from the shadows.
“You look lost, friends. Can Ol’ Joel be of service?”
A hunched figure detached itself from a sagging doorway and shuffled toward them. Though stooped with age, the man had a sinewy build. His deeply lined face was obscured by a scraggly gray beard and mane of tangled hair. Intelligent, black eyes gleamed from sunken sockets as his gaze fixed unblinkingly upon them.
The old man was dressed in faded layers of clothing, smelling strongly of body odor, cigarette smoke, and other less pleasant scents. His gnarled hands were stained and dirty, with grime caked under cracked fingernails. But the cunning in his expression warned against dismissing him as just another vagrant. Katy sensed sharp wits beneath the disheveled exterior.
The old man came to a stop a few paces away, swaying slightly on bare, calloused feet. His piercing stare moved between them. Katy didn’t miss the slitted eyes when they fell upon her, or the shadow of scales that covered one side of his neck. His mouth curved up in a gap-toothed grin. When he spoke, his gravelly voice was at odds with his frail appearance, hinting at a deeper cunning.
“We’ve come seeking information.” Gage’s tone was stern. It was the voice he used with everyone except Katy.
Perhaps the man recognized Gage’s voice, or maybe he simply got a better look at them when he stepped a smidge closer, but his eyes widened. “Well now, what brings the great wolf and his mate to these parts?” The yellow grin widened, displaying more missing teeth. “It’s not every day that one gets to lay eyes on theone andonlyDire.” He slapped his thigh as he continued. “And I get to meet the female who’s caused such a stir in our world.”
The statement confused Katy. “Why on earth would I be any sort of stir-causing news? And how do you know I’m his mate?”
The man stuck his hands in his worn-out pants pockets and rocked back on his heels. “Because the Dire hasn’t been seenwith a woman.” He paused then leaned forward and whispered, “Ever.” He pulled back, and his shoulders sagged forward a bit. “And no male acts like this”—he nodded toward Gage, who was still trying to shield her—“unless he’s mated to the female. So you see, you’re big news. Things are changing. I can feel it in the air, and gliding across my scales.” He nodded and said more slowly, “Things are changing. Well, you’ve officially piqued my curiosity now, though information does, of course, come at a price.” He waggled a finger at them. “Dire or not, I don’t do handouts.”
Gage’s body language remained relaxed, but Katy sensed his wariness. Her own nerves hummed being pinned under the vagrant’s scrutiny. But they needed information, so she said nothing as Gage carefully replied. The sooner they parted ways with this Joel character, the better she would feel.
“We seek rumors of a snake without its den,” he answered cryptically.
The old man cackled. “Ah, the fallen queen. Yes, whispers abound of her presence in chaos lands.” He held out a gnarled hand. “But whispers aren’t free.”
