“Quiet, you red bitch,” Fargus snapped.
Orelia peeked around Vade to see the golden man’s hands were balled into fists.
Batalins appeared from the shadows. “Is there a problem here?” one of them asked in a voice almost too deep to sound real.
Orelia pressed herself to Vade’s back. He reached a hand around and rested it on her hip, guarding her from the side.
“No problem. Isn’t that right, Fargus?” Vade asked, arrogance lacing each word.
After a few seconds of silence, Fargus retrieved what little money he’d won off the table, snapped his fingers at the blonde he came with, and the two left the gambling den.
“Lovely time as always,” Riata said flatly, gathering her chips.
Viktor and Egan did the same, grimacing at the obscenely large pile of chips in front of Vade’s place.
Riata tipped her drink to him. “Congratulations. It was nice to see someone beat that asshole, even if it did mean taking my money with it.”
Vade gave her a weak acknowledgement. The dealer tossed him a large purse, and he filled the bag with his winnings. When he was finished, and the others had done the same, they were ushered past another curtain and led into a narrow hallway.
Orelia stuck to Vade’s side as he let the others pass, keeping his focus on Egan. They came to the end of the hall and were greeted with a steel door with a pair of eyes peeking out a small window.
“Drop it in the slot,” a mysterious voice from behind the door said.
The other players and their companions talked amongst themselves as their chips were exchanged for coin, with Orelia and Vade being the last in line. She wasn’t sure if she still needed to play the part, but she sidled up to Vade and wrapped an arm around his waist.
He didn’t pull away, and to her surprise, he swept her hair over her shoulder with a gentle touch.
Vade noted the hitch in her breathing, eyes dancing over her face, landing on her lips. He quickly turned his attention to Egan who made for a side door with his companion.
“Take this. I can’t lose him.” Vade handed Orelia his purse, slipped out of her grip, and discreetly worked his way down the hall and out of sight.
Orelia waited in line, chewing on the inside of her lip, counting down the seconds until he returned.
After Riata collected her winnings, Orelia stepped toward the steel door, and Vade reappeared by her side. She checked him over for any sign of injury, thankful when she didn’t find any.
He took the purse and dropped his chips into the slot in the wall. A few seconds later, a tray slid out. Vade grabbed the new purse, counted the money inside, then placed his hand on the small of her back and led her out through the same side door Egan had used.
The cool night was a breath of fresh air, and Orelia inhaled deeply, not realizing how restricting the smoky atmosphere had been.
Fargus’s furious voice carried down the nearby alley. “I’m telling you, she did something!”
“Don’t move.” Vade said. “I’ll be right back.” He slunk off and disappeared down the street.
The one-horned batalin that had let them into the den stared at her, a serpentine smile spreading as he looked her up and down.
Unsettled, Orelia made her way to the opposite corner of the building, her heels clicking across the cobblestones. She’d still be able to see Vade return, and no one stared at her on this side, so she waited patiently under the unlit street lantern.
A few people stumbled out of a tavern across the way, and laughter rang out from both ends of the street. The wind carried a chill, and Orelia rubbed her arms. The dress had done its job, and now she wished for a warmer tunic and pants.
The sounds of a scuffle happening near the adjacent building pulled her attention around the corner. The shadow of a man was slammed against the wall, and an even darker shadow had him by the throat. Orelia tucked herself out of sight, listening blindly.
“I should have killed you in Bellstown when I first saw you.” The unmistakable timbre of Vade’s deep voice hit her with a welcome familiarity.
Fargus grunted. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
“What you do is despicable, and that’s coming from me. And you have no idea how many despicable things I’ve done in my life.”
“Let go of—” Fargus groaned, clearly in pain.
