“Later,” Rene said. There was no point in notching her ear anymore, but he wasn’t going to admit that.
“Okay. When you do it, do it to the other side. I should start balancing them out. Or just put them where you want them since we’re a mated pair now,” Irini said, taking a deep breath and then letting it out. “Whew. That was great. Really great.”
Rene shook his head, then reached over with his left hand and patted Irini on the shoulder.
Almost instantly, the Alis curled partially toward him, getting his hand to pet her back instead.
Maybe she felt neglected and that’s why she attacked?
Like a house cat?
Like a house cat.
“How are you going to investigate Carden, Rrrrrene? Tail him, maybe? See if he does anything interesting?” the Alis asked, a soft purr edging his name as he started to pet her.
“I’m not going to do that, that’s for sure,” Rene disagreed, shaking his head. “After Ronder, it’s likely Carden is going to dive down deep. Hide anything and everything and make sure he looks as clean as possible.”
“Oh,” Irini said, sounding disappointed. “That makes sense. We should just kill him then. Can I do it?”
“Let’s make sure he’s a target first. I mean, I’m pretty sure, but I’d rather not unless we have a guarantee on it,” Rene said.
“Then I can kill him? That’d be a great test of my skills,” Irini muttered, her fingers flexing open and closed now, as Rene ran his hand up and down her back. “Just watching you, I know I’ve already gotten better.”
Yeah. Just like a house cat. Attention, hunting, and reaffirmation.
But not too much or they—
Irini’s face moved forward suddenly and her mask pressed to his knee. There was some force behind it, but it ended up as the mask just pressing to his pant leg.
He got the impression she’d just tried to bite him, though.
“Guh, stupid mask,” Irini grumbled then rolled over away from him. Getting onto her hands and knees, she stretched herself out one way, and then the other, sticking her rear end up in the air.
Ooookay then. Time to go.
“I’ll just go visit a few people and see who they tell me to stay away from,” Rene said getting to his feet. “More often than not, people are right about who to avoid.”
Irini grunted at that, then flopped onto her side and yawned behind her mask.
That being done, she rolled herself into a partial fetal position and seemed to go to sleep.
House cat.
***
Once again, the Delacroix house was in full action long before Rene had managed to get out of the carriage.
The door was open, servants were running around, and the house seemed to be moving at warp speed.
Shit. It’s even busier than last time.
As he walked up to the door, he was met by two maids who curtsied at him.
“Master Anatolis, would you please allow us to escort you to the main study?” asked one of them.
“Of course, please, lead the way,” Rene answered with a nod of his head.
The two women nodded their heads in return. One entered the house and the other waited for him.
Going to bracket me as I go in. This is very different.
It’ll probably happen after the intersection. So we’ll go just before it.
Take the one in front of me first. A knife just under the last rib on her right side.
She’ll go down that way and curl over it.
If there’s no one in the intersection, we bolt left into the nearby hallway. We can take that line straight out to the side window and go through it.
Or crouch and go deeper into the house and lie low. See what they do.
How about we do nothing?
Huh?
Rene was extremely confused by the fact that the Monster didn’t want to do anything at all.
They’re maids. Not trained killers. They don’t even have a weapon between the two of them.
You’re about to slaughter some innocent maid for no good reason.
I… uh… what?
The Monster ignored him, and Rene ended up walking right past the point he’d been nervous about. Without even realizing it.
“Do please have a seat. The master and young lady have both been notified of your arrival, of course,” said the maid in front of him. She was holding a hand out toward the couch.
“Thank you,” Rene murmured sheepishly to the woman he would have likely just murdered.
Sitting down, he adjusted his vest. He’d gone without a coat today simply due to the heat.
It’s because things are going well. You’re expecting everything to go wrong.
And how would you know? You’re the one who ruined most of it.
I’m aware. And while I feel your regret and sorrow for those losses, I can’t feel anything beyond that.
I are you, you are me. We are we.
Shut up. Shut up!
“Ah, back so soon?” Geoffrey asked walking into the room.
“I’m afraid so. Did I come at a bad time?” Rene asked, standing up and holding his hand out to the older man.
“Not at all, not at all,” Geoffrey said shaking his hand. “Just surprised. I know Odelia ran off without saying much, but I didn’t realize it had unnerved you that much.”
“I uh…” Rene observed with the utmost extreme intelligence.
“I’m sure it—”
Geoffrey paused, his head turned slightly toward a spot behind Rene.
Turning around, he found Odelia standing near the entry way.
“Ah… hello,” she murmured. Both of her hands were fluttering together in front of her bosom. They clearly wanted to move up toward the necklace she was wearing.
The massive gold, diamond, and sapphire necklace that covered her neck, and would dip straight down between her breasts at the lowest point.
It was hard to look anywhere but at the necklace.
And Odelia’s chest.
“Oh,” Geoffrey muttered. “Oh… I… oh.”
“I’m just going to… get straight to the point here,” Odelia said, then reached up to set a finger to a massive sapphire that would likely hang just above where her cleavage would be if she wasn’t wearing something so modest right now. “There is no way I can wear this in public, Rene, to show off my courting.
“This is probably the worst possible courting gift you could have given me. The worst.”
Wincing at that, Rene now understood the whole “it should be something you can wear” bit of what she had said.
“But, I understand your intent, and that you probably didn’t even realize the true extent of the gift,” Odelia said smiling at him. It managed to pull his eyes away from her necklace. “So… I’m so deeply flattered that I’m actually embarrassed, but unless we’re dining with nobility where I’m trying to catch everyone’s eye, I shan’t be wearing this.
“We’ll go shopping later and you can get me something much more reasonable. Okay?”
“Okay,” Rene said, nodding his head.
“You do look lovely in it, dear,” Geoffrey mumbled.
“Oh, I know I do. It’s an amazing piece. It’s stunning. And it looks wonderful on me,” Odelia said, shifting from one side then to the other, as if to show it off at different angles. “I just can’t wear it as openly as I’d like to. This is more something you’d give to your wife of thirty years and you’re the city regent, Rene.”
“Got it,” said Rene.
“Ha, well, I think I definitely understand now,” Geoffrey said with a laugh. “Goodness that really is… big.”
“Mmhmm,” Odelia said with a radiant smile. She tilted herself to one side and stuck her arms out. Then slowly turned around and tilted the other way. “And it hangs so very well. It’s amazing and beautiful.”
Okay. She… likes it. A lot.
In fact, I’d say she loves it.
Uh huh.
Rene felt
better.
Significantly.
He hadn’t realized how nervous he’d been about Odelia’s reaction.
Maybe I’m not the one who should spark our worry; you’re losing all your wits in quite the hurry.
Reaching up, Rene lightly scratched at his cheek. The Monster wasn’t wrong.
He was internalizing again. Letting everything build up and slowly chew away at his psyche.
At him, personally.
“I’m glad,” Rene said before he could think about the words. “I was honestly… nervous.”
Odelia clicked her tongue and came over to him with a wide smile.
Placing a hand on his cheek, she gave him a peck on the lips and then a slightly more lingering kiss on his cheek.
“I’m sorry, I just didn’t know how to respond. It took me a little time to think on it and figure it out,” Odelia murmured. “You just don’t think like normal people do, that’s all. Don’t you worry about it, I’m learning.”
Geoffrey cleared his throat and then sat down in a chair.
“Well, you’re welcome to stay and chat, though I’d understand if you wanted to retreat now that your thoughts are settled,” Geoffrey said.
“I… ah… actually, I’ll stay. And given everything that’s happening, I’m truly settling in,” Rene said taking a seat. Odelia sat down next to him and set a hand on his forearm in a possessive way. “Growing roots. Expanding and… consolidating.”
“I’ve heard, I’ve seen. In fact, I received a letter from your father,” Geoffrey said, looking rather smug.
Uh… he what?
Thinking on it, Rene immediately realized what’d happened. Gideon was acting as a spy for his father.
He’d likely reported on all of Rene’s activities to his father.
We’re going to get a letter real soon.
Yes. Yes, we are.
“For what it’s worth, and you didn’t hear me say this, it was full of nothing but praise for you,” Geoffrey said. “He was quite concerned that you’d never shown any interest in any of the young ladies he’d put in front of you. Apparently, that fear is quite dead now. It would seem you’re determined to stay here for quite a while.”
I imagine so… damn. Damn, damn.
“So it would seem,” Rene said with a smile. “Though I must confess, I don’t know as much as I should. Could you tell me who to stay away from in the noble and merchant citizens of the city?”
Geoffrey blinked at that, then sighed heavily.
“Yes, I could definitely see a young man of your stature needing to know that,” Geoffrey muttered. “Else you’ll likely end up falling in with people worse than the late Master Junk. Well, let’s see…”
Odelia gave Rene’s arm a squeeze and leaned into him, as her father kept talking.
Father might send a letter to Geoffrey about Aurora.
Or… vice versa.
Yeah. I know. We’ll need to prepare.
This could get real bad.
***
Geoffrey had given him three names. Names of men he had no need to do business with and should avoid at all costs.
Andel Florian, a merchant who couldn’t seem to make a good deal if it fell from the sky and hit him in the face. Yet he continued to live a lavish lifestyle that ran counter to him losing money.
The word was that he was involved with a large amount of smuggled goods, and that most of his deals failed because they didn’t need to succeed. If he made money on them, that was just a lovely by-product.
The second man wasn’t in town at the moment, but he was a local mercenary captain named Benjamin Davidge.
He took any contract and often had to leave the city when his business got him in trouble with the local law.
Last, was a noble by the name of Coran Riselle. He’d gotten his wealth through murdering his wife and her parents.
Now he lived a life of outright debauchery on her blood money.
The choice between the three was very simple however. Rene needed to know who would be aware of who to bribe.
And that left Andel Florian.
To meet this man, Rene had decided to take the exact same approach he had with Rondel.
He’d broken in, set himself up in the man’s living room, and was now waiting.
Drinking his wine, too.
Rene heard the heavy trod of boots stepping past the entry way.
Setting aside the goblet of very delicious wine, Rene pulled his mask back into place.
Florian stumbled into the room. He looked extremely “well-tousled,” and his pants might be on backwards.
Black hair had come free of a silken ribbon that’d tied it behind his head. His eyes were a dull brown, which matched his rather plain, boring face.
He also reeked of booze and very cheap perfume, which meant he’d likely visited one of Rene’s brothels.
“I do appreciate your patronage,” Rene said as soon as the man was fully in the room. “There’s always more women willing to work than there are men who would part with coin. Do tell your friends.”
“What?” Florian slurred, peering at Rene.
“The brothel,” Rene explained. “Thank you for being a paying customer.”
“Oh. Oh! Course. Whores need coin, I need cunt,” Florian slurred and then barked a laugh. He wasn’t just drunk, but blind stinking drunk. “You though… I know you. We haven’t done business. What do you want?”
“To pay you for your knowledge. In this case, I need to… well, do things. This would be in the upper echelon of society,” Rene said with a casual wave of a hand. “So, I need to know whose palm to grease. I figured you could tell me who that would be, for a price.”
“Ha, and why would I tell you that? I know you. You’re just a guild leader, right now. We wouldn’t even be talking if you were any less than that,” Florian said and then followed it up with a deep belch. “Goodness, that was a wet one. Ha. Oooh… my stomach.”
“Right, yes,” Rene murmured, shaking his head. “I’m going to be taking over the entirety of the underworld. All that remains in my way are the Snakes. The Ravens are being hunted down one at a time.
“That means that eventually, you’ll end up needing to work with me. You can name your price, or we can simply write it down as a favor for later.”
“No,” Florian said, then laughed. “That won’t work. Favors don’t work out when they come due.”
“Coin then?” Rene asked.
“No, I have coin,” Florian said scratching at his crotch. “Women. I want women. I hate leaving the house sometimes. I want women sent to my house instead.”
“I’m sure we could arrange something. House calls for the same price as if you’d gone to visit them?” Rene asked.
Florian looked like he was going to pass out right there.
“Uh… okay,” mumbled the man. “Carden. Go see him. Tell him I sent you. I think… I think I’m gonna—”
Florian bent over at the waist and promptly threw up an unending stream of alcohol.
Oh, god.
What the hell?
I can’t remember the last time we were that gone.
Rene nodded. Then he turned and exited through the window he’d entered from.
Florian wasn’t paying his servants or his guard very well. That or he was much more feared than Rene realized.
His house was a sitting duck waiting to be killed, plucked, and cooked.
Dropping down low, Rene moved up to the wall that encircled the large home and shot up over it.
He clambered up and over to the other side, then ghosted down into the street and started heading for Carden’s home.
He had his answer—now he just needed to confront Carden.
Aurora was going to end up getting killed just by being herself.
She’d claimed to have softened on her disposition. Rene could, in fact, attest to that. That her belief in the system was nearly irrevocably tarnished.
He didn’t quite believe she’d turned
the corner, though. It was more than likely that she’d end up getting herself killed, if it meant clearing the corruption out of the guard.
That meant Rene had to solve this sooner rather than later, if he wanted to see more of the former squad-leader.
You’re far softer than we’ve realized. She’s a weakness.
As is Odelia.
We should kill them, cut, and run.
Huh? Weren’t you just telling me I was overly paranoid?
Yes. I was.
What about it?
Now you’re advising something entirely different.
I am.
Are you really shocked that I’m mercurial at times?
My dear, sad little boy; have you forgotten that I’m not a toy?
No.
Just… I’m confused.
I know. So am I.
I are you, you are me. We are we.
We are confused, and unsure what to do.
Once again, we’re teenagers, and are angsty, too.
It could be worse though.
A sudden, sharp thought blew through his mind and smothered any bit of self-pity he’d been feeling.
He wasn’t Lori.
A little girl who’d just lost more or less everything in her life.
Reaching Carden’s home, Rene paused at the gates. It wasn’t a large home compared to Florian’s.
If he had to compare it, it was just a bit bigger than his own manse.
So the fact that it was swarming with guards seemed rather odd to him.
Very odd, in fact.
To the point that Rene wasn’t sure he wanted to go in there tonight.
Might be easier to catch him during the day in his office.
Indeed and agreed. Let’s head home and lay down the knife; and when we arrive let’s bother our Elf and treat her like a wife.
A good, long tumble and she won’t even grumble.
Shaking his head, Rene was starting to worry that his Monster’s appetite was swinging hard away from murder.
And straight into sex and desire.
Not our wife.
She’d bed us if you let us.
Rene couldn’t argue that fact, so he didn’t. He’d just pretend he hadn’t heard it.
Even though he believed it to be true. That it was absolutely true, and he was sorely missing out on not approaching her in exactly that manner. And that he wanted to do exactly that and see where it went.
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