Brooks looked back to Nyx and the sour expression plastered on her face and decided he didn’t want to be there with her either. What had she done to make Xia so angry?
She is a moody child and you’ll gain nothing by asking her.
“I don’t think Xia wants to talk to us right now. I’ll start with Nyx. If she lies, you can eat her soul.”
That’s the best news I’ve heard all damn day.
He sat on a rickety barstool beside her. Brittle and torn vinyl pricked his thighs. This place had definitely seen better days.
“Cheers, asshole.” Nyx put her drink into the air before tossing back just as she did the first.
“How many of those have you had?”
“Lost track at five.”
“Don’t you think you’re too small and underfed to drink that much ambrosia?”
“Don’t you think you’re too stupid to make that assessment? And it’s not ambrosia. We can’t afford that here. It’s whatever fruit doesn’t get used in the kitchen and is stuck in a bucket until it goes so bad it melts and then fucks with your brain. So piss off and let me drink in peace.”
Brooks nodded as he tapped a finger against the scuffed bar. Names and profanity were etched into every surface, some worn down over years of sliding glasses and resting elbows while others were so fresh that the color of new wood hadn’t been taken over by grime.
“What did you say to her, Nyx?”
Another full glass was placed in her hand, but she paused before downing it like the rest. Her hand came away before she circled the rim with a finger.
“What makes you think I said anything to her?”
“I’ve never seen her look like that before.”
“Well if I’m hearing things correctly and, trust me, I am, you’ve only known her just as long as I have.”
“I’ve known her longer than you have,” Brooks argued.
“That’s not what it looked like on that beach.”
“We’ve known each other for a while. We just… We hadn’t ever met in person.”
“That’s disgusting. You two are way too attached to not have met less than a week ago.”
“That’s not the fucking point Nyx. I want to know what you said to her in the alley.” Brooks grabbed her shoulder, spinning her chair to face him.
Nyx slapped his hand and leaned back, her reddened eyes struggling to focus. “Don’t you touch me. I am done being touched by the two of you for a lifetime.”
“What. Did. You. Say?” he ground out.
“I just told her that she couldn’t trust anyone but herself, okay? And I meant it. Relying on others gets you killed. Their weakness becomes your weakness, and I’ve got too much on the line to take on someone else’s baggage.”
Chaos growled, That doesn’t make any sense. She’s hiding something.
“No way that would make her lose her shit like that,” Brooks threw back at Nyx.
“Well, I don’t know what to tell you, buddy. That’s all we talked about. Now, if you don’t mind.” Nyx stood and waved the daemon serving drinks over again. “I need two rooms. One for me, one for my friend.”
“Joining?” the man asked.
“Fuck no,” Nyx hiccuped. “Far ‘way as you can get us.” Another hiccup followed as he slipped two keys from under the bar and into her hands. Nyx slammed one of them down in front of him and patted his shoulder. “You and that one are sharing a room ‘cuz I need some time alone.” Her words slurred as she stumbled, but it didn’t stop her from navigating through the tables full of daemon and up the steps.
“Room number’s on the key,” the barkeep said as he wiped down a clean glass. “Clean sheets and towels are free, food and drink’s not.” He nodded and walked to serve a daemon hanging over the bartop reaching for a bottle of gods knew what.
