“Edward, come back to bed.”
“Nothing would make me happier, dear. Can you do me a small favor first?”
“If that is what it takes to get you back in here.”
“Can you leave a message with Mr. Cane that I would like to see him at his earliest convenience tomorrow?”
That seemed to wake her up. “What shall I tell him it’s about?”
“That will be between me and him. Just let him know I have need of his services, and that it should be lucrative for both of us.”
“I’ll leave him the message right now, and then meet you back in the bedroom.”
I got up and started to walk out of the office. Maria reached out and grabbed my arm. “You owe me for this.”
“Make the call and then hurry back. I fully intend to repay you.” I reached out and slapped her ass. Stripping off my shirt as I walked away from her and back into the bedroom I could think of nothing else except the end to my pain. Well that wasn’t completely true, I was thinking about something else. Really great, melts the socks off of your feet sex. Oh, the things we do for love.
When Cane entered the home the entire atmosphere changed immediately. The joviality and warmth I had created simply vanished in an instant, and everyone did their best to not be in his direct line of sight. I tried to ease that burden from them by walking directly towards him and saying. “It is good to see you.”
“I wish that I could say the same. Why am I here?”
“There is much for us to discuss, please follow me into the study.”
“I don’t have time to stand on pomp, speak your mind and quickly.”
The anger was quick to come but I needed this man so I choked it down mercilessly. I was already firmly in this man’s debt, maybe I didn’t have as much room to negotiate as I thought I did. There was nothing left to do but to plow ahead. “I have further need of your services. There is a potion that may possibly heal my shoulder and I need your help to secure the ingredients.”
“Tell me why your shoulder should be my concern. I have already done all that has been asked of me. I have provided you with shelter, food, and companionship. Why should I even think about helping you further?”
“Ah, that is where you are wrong. I have some holdings in Europe that I would like to bring here. There should be enough for what I need to do and to compensate you for your generosity.” Cane nodded his head indicating for me to continue. “I need to fix my shoulder to have a fair chance at beating Adam. Either way this ends in my death and when it does the remaining funds are yours. I have the papers here that outline my holdings in Europe, all they require is your signature.”
Cane accepted the bundle that I passed to him without a word. After a quick examination he said, “This should be sufficient to cover your debt to me, but not much else. Tell me again why I should care?”
“The money there is more than enough to cover it and you know it. The real estate alone would cover my stay here and then some. If that wasn’t enough just think of the joy you will feel to have me out of your hair forever. With my shoulder healed I will do what I came here to do.”
“Now that is some good news!” he said with a smirk and a harsh bit of laughter. “Now let me see this list of ingredients.”
A slight whistle escaped his lips as he looked at the list. I knew they were going to cost but I hadn’t expected the cost to be as high as that whistle indicated. The Warlock’s eyes rolled back into his head as he conversed with the demon inside of him. When his eyes rolled back to look at me they still glowed red.
“You are in luck. It seems you have more than a few friends down below. I will help you secure what you ask for. I have sent a message to have my personal line of credit made available to you. Understand that doesn’t mean you will find everything that you need, or that I want you to overpay. I will mark the list with the price I expect you to be able to pay for each item. See that you do not disappoint me.”
“I will do my best.”
“Come with me, I have much to do and no time to waste today.”
Cane dropped me off at the entrance to the market; he spoke briefly with the guard at the door and walked back over to me.
“Ok everything should be set. You have full access to the market. The magistrate has been notified. This is my personal mark.” He slipped a red coin with a snarling dragon’s face on it into my hand. “This should get you whatever you need, also make sure you keep to the prices that I gave you, otherwise you will have more than your shoulder to worry about on your return home. When you are done tell one of the guards and he will find someone to escort you home.”
I reached out my hand towards Cane and he shook it. “Thank you again for all your help.”
He walked away from me and said, “Trust me when I tell you, I didn’t do it for you.”
Smiling, I walked into the market, it was nice to know exactly where you stood with someone. All too often you didn’t find out what people really thought of you until it was too late. I knew exactly where I stood with Cane; if the Demons stopped favoring my cause he would kill me in a second.
Passing through the large double-sealed door was like walking into another world. The calm of the sewer side entrance was replaced with a cacophony of sound. The merchants shouted towards potential customers, highlighting their wares. Customers shouted back towards the merchants and haggled, sometimes even as they walked past their stalls. It was an amazing sight; the pure amount of things being offered for sale surprised me greatly. Slave traders, flesh peddlers, weapons, magical concoctions, and the smell of every type of food you could ever want tickled your nose.
I could see why Cane took such pride in this place. Outside of the market generating a substantial income for him, it also gave him access to things that wouldn’t normally be found in a city controlled by the Ascendancy. Outside of London’s famous underground market this was the largest one I had seen in all of my travels. It was on a scale that rivaled London’s but I was sure that my homeland would be able to beat it on the quality of magical goods offered.
I moved around the market taking in the sights and sounds and negotiating for the items that I needed. Most of the merchants were happy to sell me the goods for the price Cane had mentioned. Upon seeing his seal for payment many of them lowered the price even further. With the extra coin secured and only one item left to get, I decided to grab a bite to eat and a drink before securing the last ingredient and heading home to brew the potion that would allow me to attempt to heal my shoulder.
There were several merchants selling food out in the market, but one large building against the side of the market called to me. The sign said Franklin’s Bar and Grill, and right next to it was a picture of naked woman. Food and a show sounded just about right. I headed in that direction and as I approached the bar I realized I had been slightly off about what the sign had indicated, outside of the bar were several women of different species locked in cages. I was wondering how a restaurant would have secured one of the largest buildings in the market. Selling slaves was obviously much more lucrative than selling food.
There was a time when I would have been sent to kill anyone running a business like that. Not only to kill them but to make it so horrific that it sent an example to anyone else that wanted to do the same. Every single man, woman and child would have been set free. Being a man of value had long ago passed me by.
When the council sentenced me for a crime I didn’t commit and Adam sat idly by. Because of him my wife died and my child thought I was dead. Working in the mining colony had greatly altered my perception of right and wrong. Only the strong survived, and the weak were only in existence by their will. Constantly having to fight for everything gave me a new perspective on the world. Making a deal with the Demon to secure my revenge seemed innocent enough compared to the cruelty of my daily existence.
Having a demon inside of you slowly shifts your moral compass. Things you once thought of as horrid become acceptable. Eventually th
ey become a way of life; yesterday’s horrors are today’s business opportunities. The smell of food wafted out through the open doorway. Just the thought of it made my mouth start to water. I walked past the slaves, dismissing their plight from my mind. I found a seat facing the entrance so I could keep an eye on the door and most of the room.
The waitress made her way over to my table bringing a menu with her. The waitress turned to leave but I called her back towards my table. “I’ll take a whiskey and whatever that is I smelled cooking before I came in.”
“You got it,” she said as she walked away.
The whiskey was as good as the food. I had no idea what kind of meat it was but it was tender and smoked just right. The side of mashed potatoes and macaroni filled me to the point of bursting. The waitress came back and I showed her Cane’s mark for payment. She snorted and turned away; I called her back again and slipped her a five dollar bill. You never leave someone in the service industry without a tip, especially when they have done a great job. I waddled out of the room. It was time to get back to the house with the ingredients for my potion. If all went well with the potion and ritual to follow then I would be sleeping whole for the first time in five months.
The last name on my list was Grant. He owned a stall back towards the entrance to the market. I headed in that direction deciding to make this quick. I had saved so much on my other goods I would start at full asking and go up from there. If this potion failed to work I’d be adding another name to my list.
I found Grant’s stall easily enough. The outer walls were covered with various plants in different states of being dried out. The shelves were littered with bottles; different jars were stuffed full of different herbs, and less savory appendages. I was surprised for a moment that so many things would be kept out in the open but then Grant walked around a curtain and headed towards me and I realized why no one would think about stealing from him.
He must have been half ogre, standing at over seven feet tall and built like he could carry a car on his back while carrying a horse under each arm. The man was massive, and when he moved his muscles rippled slightly like water disturbed in a still pond. I wondered just how many thieves he had ripped in half. I bet he could do it as easily as I could with a sheet of paper.
When he spoke I was surprised at the normal timber of his voice. I had expected it to be low and guttural. “What can I get for you today?”
I smiled up at the man, trying to stay calm. “I’m actually looking for a basilisk eye.”
“It’s your lucky day, friend. I happen to have a few in stock. They are going to be pricey though. I couldn’t part with it for, say, less than ten thousand dollars.”
During my purchases I hadn’t held back enough to cover that amount. Cane had written six thousand as the going rate for the eye. “I couldn’t possibly pay more than six thousand dollars for it.”
“That would have been the right price until I purchased every single eye available in this market. Now the going rate is ten thousand.”
Cane was going to hate me and I might run into some trouble with him but screw it. I needed it and I really didn’t want to chance an argument with Grant. “Fine, ten thousand it is.” He smiled as we shook on it. I showed him Cane’s mark and his smile vanished right away.
“I will only accept cash; his mark carries no weight with me.”
I was shocked, every other merchant had gone out of their way to accept Cane’s mark, many of them offering a discount on our already negotiated price. I didn’t have the cash and if what this ogre said was true then I also couldn’t go anywhere else to get one. “I’m not sure that I understood your position, are you refusing to accept Cane’s mark for payment?”
“Cash up front only. If you want the eye come back with real money.”
He turned and started to head back behind the curtain. “You do understand that this mark is from the man that controls this entire market, that you can only do business here at his discretion.”
“My deal with Cane pays for my spot in this market; I am not beholden to him for what I chose to accept for payment.”
The huge man started to turn away again and I reached for his arm. As soon as I touched it I found myself flying backwards through the air. I called on my gift to cushion my fall and then again to spin the ogre towards me. The roar he let out shook his entire stall. I could swear I felt the ground quake under my feet. He started to charge and I prepared another attack. Right before I was about to strike a man landed in between us. He extended an arm out towards each of us. The ogre stopped running, and my magic fizzled out against his shield.
The man was impressively dressed in a corded wool coat that probably cost as much as my entire suit. He motioned for me to stay where I was before he turned to address the ogre. “Grant, what seems to be the problem today?”
It was obvious from his tone that he had settled many disputes with the beast. I wondered just how often the ogre ended up attacking someone.
When the ogre’s growls stopped enough for him to form intelligible words again I heard him say, “I refused his offer to pay with a mark and then he dared to lay a hand on me.”
“Now, Grant, we can’t have you ripping off the arms of everyone that tries to touch you, can we?”
“I guess not, but I still demand payment in cash.”
“Whose mark was he trying to pay with?”
“It makes no difference.”
“It does to me. I don’t want trouble here, and I’ve already removed several merchants that continue to make more trouble than they are worth.”
The man turned towards me. “Let me see the mark.”
I held it up to him. He took it in a glance and then turned back towards the ogre in a fury.
“You refused to accept Cane’s mark here! Are you out of your mind?”
“I am allowed to sell my goods in whatever currency I choose as long as I pay my dues. Cane has no power to force me to accept his mark.”
“No he doesn’t, but he can always refund your dues and sell this space to someone else, someone that will appreciate it more.”
“You would have to do that over my dead body.”
I watched as several people pushed their way through the gathering crowd and formed a rough semicircle around us. I assumed it was the rest of the overseer’s guards. They looked ready to enforce whatever action he requested of them.
“That could easily be arranged.”
The ogre let out a fearsome growl and beat his arms against his chest. I took an involuntary step back. If they decided to bring this giant down I wouldn’t be helping. Until I was at full strength my magic was limited. The man that had stopped us from fighting was fearless. He stepped towards the ogre and placed a calming hand on his chest. I was impressed at how bold he was.
“Now, Grant, I don’t think that will be necessary. We might not get along but there should be peace between us. How much does this man owe for the item in question?”
His words slobbered from his mouth, “Ten thousand.”
The man in front of me held a hand out and one of the guards rushed forward, placing a roll of bills in his hand. He pressed the roll of money into the ogre’s hand and closed his meaty fingers around it. “Here, and you have the item in question?”
To my surprise the ogre walked back towards his stall and retrieved the basilisk eye and handed it to him. “Thank you, Grant,” he said while giving the ogre’s arm one last pat.
It sounded to me like the ogre mumbled, “Piss off, Mathew,” before walking back towards his stall. The man then turned to me and placed the item in my hand. I quickly slid the jar into my bag. The crowd and guards around us quickly dissipated now that the brewing fight was over.
Mathew looked at me with just a little bit of disgust. “When you had an issue of payment you should have found me. If keeping this market in one piece wasn’t my job I would have let him beat you for a while first. Fortunately for you his beatings normally leave a wake of destruction t
hat I am tired of cleaning up.”
“I had no idea Cane’s mark wouldn’t be accepted, and this was the last item I needed. As for finding you, if I wanted to talk with another one of Cane’s lapdogs I would have found a prettier one.”
I sucked in air as his fist slammed into my belly. I wasn’t ready for that and there was going to be hell to pay for the insult. After I healed myself I would come back here before dealing with Adam. I stood and looked defiantly into Mathew’s eyes. “You’re going to pay for that.”
He hit me again, this time in the face. When I opened my eyes he was smiling down at me. When he spoke the words came out softly. “Then I might as well pay double.” He reached out and took Cane’s mark from my hand. “You are done here; hope you already purchased everything that you needed. Antonio, Glenn, get this bastard off of our property.”
I snarled as they grabbed me under each arm and started to drag me towards the market’s exit. Mathew followed behind us and laughing as he spoke to a few of the merchants. As we continued walking it became apparent that he had built relationships with many of the people here. When we made it to the door the two men carried me through. Mathew continued to follow. They spun me around and I felt the air rush out of me again as several more punches found my stomach. The two men dropped me and headed back inside.
Mathew looked down upon me with hate in his eyes. “Just remember this is my market now, if you ever come back here again, Cane’s mark or not, you will come directly to my office first. Is that understood?”
I started to laugh at his little bit of bluster. It was a good speech with just the right amount of violence, except he had no idea who he was delivering it to. I had heard worse, and been subjected to tortures this man couldn’t ever even dream of. I watched as his face turned from arrogance to scared, I thought my laughter had done the trick until he spoke again.
Ascendancy Origins Trilogy Page 39
