She ran her hand up and down his arm.“I got your reg’lars.But I also got some … specials.”
“What kind of ‘specials?’”
“The kind that tailor to … more partic’lar tastes.”She wagged her brows suggestively.They were penciled on.
He affected his bestI’m unimpressedlook; he was very good at it.Still, the woman missed the messages.
She gestured to a boy and a girl, who shuffled over, their wide eyes flicking from their feet to Alobaz and back.The boy’s face was still smooth.The girl’s chest was dotted with the rosebuds of not-yet-developed breasts, pressed against her thin, gauzy dress.
“No,” Alobaz said.
“Then perhaps for your friends.”She looked pointedly at Félix, an elf with as much elegance as stealth; he was the designated thief of their group.“He seems like a man of … refined tastes.”
“He is.”
She glanced at Ed.“And she looks like an adventurous woman.”
“She is.Don’t see what any of that has to do with those two there.”He jerked his chin in the direction of the boy and girl.
“This is no place for them.”
The she-changeling’s smile froze on her face, grew brittle.“Sheis my niece.This is exac’ly where she belongs.With family to look out for her.This here’s a shit world and she gotta learn to survive it.I’m teachin’ her.”
Alobaz waggled his jaw to loosen its sudden tightness.“And the boy?”
She flicked a look at him.“He’s new.”
“How new?”
She jiggled her brows again.The smarmy grin was back.“All the way new.Never used.You’d get to break him in.Be the first ever.Though that privilege’ll cost you extra.It’s real special.Only get one shot at it.”
Alobaz’s teeth clenched so tightly they squeaked.“How much to buy him off you?”
“Buy ’im?”she asked, surprised, scratching absently at her neck.“You misunderstand.He’s not for sale.Rent only.But I can letchou have him for a few days.I’ll give you a fair price.With the special bonus extra as an add-on, of course.”
When Alobaz stood, so did Moncho and Aziza.“I’ll give you a ruby for the boy.”
“And you throw in a feeder for each of us too,” Lev said.“The usual.”
“A ruby, you say?”She licked her lips again.This time, they reminded Alobaz of glistening, sizzling sausage links.
“I’ll give youtwo rubies—for the boyandthe girlanda whole month with us for the rest.Allthe rest of them.Every one you got.”
The woman’s hand was in Alobaz’s so fast that Aziza drew and pointed her blade at her.
The woman yanked her hand back before Alobaz shook it.“Let me see the rubies, and then you’ll get your goods.”
Alobaz dragged the final two rubies in his possession from the very bottom of his deepest pocket, where no thief dared venture, and handed them—and some lint which he’d purposefully left—to her.
Her eyes glittered.Her mouth hung open, revealing blunt teeth.
It actually pained him to roll the rubies into her waiting palm.Immediately, she clenched her fingers around them like they’d have to be pried from her dead, stiff fingers.
Through gritted teeth, Alobaz asked, “What are the names of the boy and girl?”
The woman laughed with a kind of dark delight that sent shivers skittering along his skin.Those of his crew who weren’t already standing hastily drained their tankards and rose.
“Call ’em whatever you want.Do whatever you want with ’em … to ’em.You own ’em now.”
