CHAPTER1
MILLIE
That starry, inky evening, RaanaDyaanwas bustling with activity. As I bobbed and weaved through the growing crowd in the common room, my arm was beginning to wobble under the weight of the heavy goblets perched on the even heavier black steel tray.
“Millicent,” Lesana said, touching my shoulder when I passed her in the main entrance hall with the Drovos wine for the group of Kylorr in the lounge. Her tone was slightly distracted, a serene smile pasted onto her full, gray lips. “Tassa. Did you take it tonight? They’re smokinglorein the lounge.”
“Already took a vial,” I told her, flashing her a small, reassuring grin even as the tray began to shake. “Don’t worry. I need to get these to them before the wine ends up all over your new rug.”
Lesana had had it imported from Dumera, the crafters’ colony. And it was exquisite. A deep bloodred with threads of silver and gold woven into an intricate, swirling pattern. It reminded me of tattoos I’d seen inked onto Dakkari males. Or of the tapestries I’d seen hanging on the walls of Bartutians’ extravagant atriums, meant to impress their guests.
“Go,” she ordered, waving me off, her eyes already landing on the next client who’d just entered the darkened establishment. “Ah, Jaan—welcome, my friend. What would you like tonight?”
“Quick feed. Is Bryna here?” Jaan of House Nu replied, shaking off her wings in the entry, sending drizzly little drops onto the walls from the rain. “I need to get back to my son. My mate is away in Laras for a barter and…”
But I didn’t stay to listen. Repositioning my grip on the tray, I continued into the quietest room, the lounge, which was right off the main entrance hall. Behind paneled steel doors, the large, elegant space was lit by Halo orbs swirling overhead, casting a gentle, golden light on the—mostly horned and winged—patrons below.
The silver smoke oflorefloated gently in the dim lighting. ThetassaI’d taken earlier ensured I didn’t have any,ahem, adverse reactions, as were common of humans, but out of the corner of my eye, I still caught a pointed stare, a lazy smirk from a dark-horned Kylorr male drinking and eating alone in the corner. Waiting for the expectedenthusiasticresponse from a human? I adverted my gaze, striding forward to the group of four Kylorr and one Keriv’i male, chatting and ribbing among themselves.
One of the Kylorr I recognized. He was a regular of RaanaDyaanand was Lesana’s own cousin.
“Still working in this hovel, are we, Millicent?” the male in question asked, a wide grin stretched over his face, exposing sharp incisors that poked into his dark gray bottom lip.
“Well, you’re still coming here, aren’t you, Hanno?” I teased, sweet relief spreading through my arms when I set the tray down on their table. “Can’t be that bad of a place for your discerning tastes.”
Thedyaanwas a blood establishment. A place for Kylorr to come and feed from a wide array of willing blood givers.
RaanaDyaanwas well known as one of the most exclusive and select establishments not only in the province of Erzos but throughout the entirety of the Kaalium—for its upscale ambience dripping in quiet extravagance; for its location so close to Erzos Keep; for the attentive, meticulous service. Lesana demanded the best from her workers and only gave the best to her patrons.
Two months prior, she had employed me, though not as a blood giver. For now, I was cleaning after prime hours and serving food and wine to patrons to go along with their blood givers’ necks and wrists, in my pristine and pressed uniform, not a speck of dirt or dust on my face.
Had I ever thought that when Father and I had landed on Krynn that I would be working in adyaan, alone with no one else in the entire universe, in difficult financial straits?
Never.
But Father’s body was on Horrin. In the First Quadrant. And it would take many, many credits to bring him back to Krynn. Credits I didn’t have. Not yet, at least.
And so I pasted on smile after smile at wealthy patrons who frequented RaanaDyaan. Though I’d broached the topic of being a blood giver with Lesana last week, she hadn’t given me her answer yet. Being a blood giver paid more credits per night, my own personal reservations about it be damned. Gifts were not unheard of from the wealthier patrons if they liked the way you tasted. Gifts I could sell to further pad my savings.
Did I like this woman I’d become?
No.
But as I deposited the Drovos wine goblets in a neat circle around the table, I couldn’t stop thinking that in two months, my father’s uncollected body would burn and his ashes would be spread among the stars. I couldn’t allow that to happen.
Two months.
I was running out of time.
To the group of males, I grinned, though it felt too widely stretched across my skull, and said, “Are you here to feed as well? Would you like me to have Lesana make arrangements for you?”
The Keriv’i at the table, with his gray-blue skin, took a swift drink from his goblet.
“I’ll be the only one who needs to feed tonight,” Hanno said. “I have a long journey to Salaire in the morning.”
“Of course,” I said, placing a hand on his shoulder and giving it a brief squeeze. “I’ll let Lesana know. Enjoy your wine.”
Before I left, Hanno asked, “Can you have the cook prepare those tarts we had last time? The ones with thekannospice?”
