by K. N. Banet
“No response?” He seemed surprised I didn’t have a quick comeback.
“Wealth is easy come, easy go in our world,” I said, trying to put my thoughts into words. “The Tribunal pays me about a million a year, which is chump change to many, but I can support my lifestyle with it most of the time. I supplement with bounties that are legal and easy. I work hard for it, so why shouldn’t I use it?”
“So, everyone like you lives like this?” He seemed impressed, and I almost considered telling him he could get the job if he reached out to the Tribunal. They loved the strange ones, like me, as their Executioners.
Then I remembered his Catholic guilt complex.
“No,” I answered honestly, going back to his question. “I have a large inheritance that lets me live a bit better than most. The nagas have always had a considerable amount of wealth to our species, and over the centuries, as families have died out, it’s been pooled to those who remain. I’m the last of my family. If I die, it’ll all go to one of the surviving nagas to help them further their own protection.”
Or to you.
“I’m sorry,” he said suddenly, looking away again.
I pulled into The Jackalope’s parking lot, parked, then turned to him fully.
“There’s nothing to be sorry for. At some point, the nagas have made enemies who have committed to seeing our kind become extinct. We’re also one of the biggest victims of supernatural black market trading. It’s just a fact of life, and none of it is your fault.” I didn’t want his pity or sympathy. If anything, focusing on his problems was giving me a chance to hide from my own and gave me much needed space from the whole ‘nagas are going extinct’ issue.
“What do you mean, black market trading?” He was frowning as I got out of the car.
“Everyone thinks it’s cute to own a snakeskin bag that’s special,” I explained, watching his eyes go wide as he rose out of the BMW and stared in horror across the hood. “It’s just the world we live in, Raphael. There're good guys and bad guys. Just a warning, The Jackalope tends to have some bad guys in it. None I need to worry about professionally, but a lot of people who live in the grey area come here for a good time when they’re passing through Phoenix. Shouldn’t be anyone you need to worry about now, either.”
“Okay.” He seemed a little green but nodded.
I led the way to the door and walked in, looking around the bar I hadn’t visited in months, longer than normal. I was still feeling guilty about Paden. People looked up and seemed shocked to see me. I could taste vampires in the air as I licked my lips. They wouldn’t be happy to see me, but I hoped they wouldn’t give me any trouble tonight. There were also fae and werewolves, even a single odd werecat. That last one troubled me. I looked around the room cautiously, wondering what werecat could be roaming through my city, but didn’t catch a glimpse of the scent’s owner. There was a chance the werecat was already gone. Beyond that, I didn’t see Glenn at the bar upstairs. There was a new face, making me a little curious.
“So, upstairs or downstairs?” I asked Raphael, hovering behind my right shoulder. I couldn’t dwell all night on the other supernaturals in the bar. Standing at the door like we were wasn’t a smart decision.
“Downstairs. I know it has more…unsavory people, but up here feels…”
“Exposed?” I finished for him. He nodded, and I understood his problem. He’d spent years and years hiding from everyone and everything. The idea of sitting in a bar and having a drink was a good one, but he wasn’t as comfortable as he probably hoped he would be. “It is. This is where normal people drink and have a good time in an ugly bar.” There was no point keeping my voice down because everything in the room had better-than-human hearing. I led Raphael to the stairs down to the basement, the really fun place in The Jackalope.
“Kaliya, it’s been a while.” Deacon smiled as I came closer. He was a big, burly fae who always stood guard on the door to the downstairs half of the bar, where all the real players drank and talked.
“It has. Deacon, this is Raphael. Raphael, this is Deacon.” I waved a hand between them, pleased when they shook without much trouble.
“Good to meet you,” Deacon smirked. He touched his ear and talked into his mic. “Letting Kaliya down with a plus one. Gird your loins.”
He opened the door and I went in first, knowing if I didn’t show my face before Raphael, there could be a little trouble. I was halfway down the steps when Paden came into view. I stopped, unsure of his reaction to my presence.
“Well, if it isn’t my favorite bounty hunter,” he said softly, opening his arms in greeting.
“I’m a Tribunal Executioner, you know that,” I nearly whispered. When I reached him at the bottom of the stairs, he took my hand and squeezed it.
“You didn’t need to stay away for so long, and you know it. I took my thumps from Sinclair’s people, and they’re all dead now. No harm, no foul.” He pulled me into the open, where everyone could see me, and led me to the bar. “Wife was a little pissed, but she knows I get into some dangerous business. Not the first time I’ve been knocked around and tortured a little.”
I looked at his hands as he talked, glad to see there seemed to be no lasting effects of that torture. They had broken his hands to keep him from calling me until he had healed enough. It had given them a lot of time to get to me and Raphael.
He stopped at the bar, pointing at Henley.
“Give her whatever she wants,” he ordered his bartender before turning back on me. “And you need to tell me if this man is who I think he is.”
“Raphael in the flesh.” I smiled as Paden and Raphael stared at each other. “You know, the one you sent me to look for, and it led to all sorts of bad things.”
“I should have never mentioned it to you,” Paden muttered, reaching out to shake Raphael’s hand. “Are the rumors true? You’re not human, but nobody knows what you are.”
“Paden deals in information, using his bar as an easy cover,” I quickly told Raphael before he answered. If he decided to offer confirmation to the rumors, it would be knowing everything I could tell him.
“It’s true,” Raphael answered. “I heard you cater to…the not-so-good of the supernatural world.”
“Just in this little area of the world,” Paden said, chuckling. “I know everything about the people who work in Phoenix and the surrounding area. Las Vegas just opened up to me as well.” He directed that last part to me. “I’m thinking of opening a branch of The Jackalope over there and getting a foot in the door, now that Sinclair doesn’t run the city. The power vacuum needs to settle first, though. I want the city to go clean before I move in. Proper vampire nest, real pack, the works.”
“And here I felt bad for the beating you took. You’re going to go play games in Vegas, the city of sin where the baddies like to live—like that place is ever going to clean up its act,” I said, rolling my eyes at him. I should have figured. Paden had been looking to expand his operation for years, and Vegas was close enough to be an easy expansion.
“It’s better information than say Los Angeles or San Diego, where all the rich people live,” he retorted. “Now…” he trailed off, his eyes going a little blank, then frowned. “Did you really invite Cassius here?” he asked, the frown gaining a hefty amount of confusion mixed in.
“I did, him and Sorcha.” Paden paled a little, but I couldn’t begin to understand why. I knew I was going to have to ask him about it later. “Henley, I’ll take a whiskey. I don’t know what Cassius and Sorcha like to drink, but don’t let Cassius anywhere near tequila.”
“I’ll have a beer. Don’t care what type,” Raphael said quietly, following my lead. “Should we find a place to sit down?”
“Sure, but let’s wait on these two.” I turned back to the stairs as Paden mumbled obscenities while he walked over to the dark stairwell.
“Lord Cassius and Lady Sorcha. It’s an honor to have you visit my humble establishment.” Paden’s fake excitement was the epitome
of bad acting and fooled no one. He needed to follow the rules of hospitality, though. Cassius’ tight smile when he came into view told me he wasn’t comfortable with the visit, either. Neither of them was very interesting, though, once Sorcha came into view.
I nearly caught my breath. It was her posture, the look in her eyes, the way she tilted her head in curiosity at the underground bar that made me realize something I didn’t expect.
She’s been in places like this before. Lady Sorcha has secrets. How fucking interesting. I wonder if Cassius knows.
The Lady’s eyes lit up with happiness when they found me and Raphael. She waved aside Paden and walked around her husband.
“Kaliya! Raphael! How wonderful it is to see both of you,” she exclaimed.
I chuckled and hugged her, even if the contact made me uncomfortable. I didn’t know the woman well, but she was charming, and Cassius loved her. Normally, that didn’t make me uncomfortable, but what I had just seen on her face had told me there was much more to Sorcha than she’d let on. In Cassius’ mansion, I always got the impression she was your standard-if more daring than most-fae. She understood how to host guests, throw a party, and earn herself political renown that netted her one of the most prized fae bachelors.
She had just shown me she wasn’t only those things.
“It’s good to see you, too,” I said, pulling away first. Her moon grey eyes studied me, and I wondered how I missed how cunning they were when I first met her. She realized I had seen something.
“Why don’t we find a table?” Cassius said as he walked up and wrapped an arm around Sorcha’s waist. He was looking around, anxious. This wasn’t his type of place, but it was fun to see him there. At least, to me, it was.
“I like that idea,” Raphael said. “There’s a little booth open in the corner. Let’s go.”
“I’ll order our drinks,” Sorcha whispered as Cassius started to walk away. He nodded, looking between his wife and me.
Once the men were gone, I looked at Sorcha and raised an eyebrow. Paden walked up, more tentative than I had ever seen him.
“I’m going to trust you two to stay out of trouble,” the bar owner whispered.
“Why would we get into trouble?” Sorcha asked with a warm smile. “I got out of the trouble-making business, Paden. Don’t worry.”
“Yeah…” Paden sighed. “If I had known it was you marrying Cassius, I would have packed my bags and left town, like every other smart fae probably would have.”
“I’m obviously missing something,” I said, shaking my head in confusion, hoping they would back up. “Sorcha is famous, and I’ve never heard a damn thing bad about her. What am I missing? And why did you walk in here as if you own it?” I turned that last question on her, getting to the root of the strangeness.
“I’m the only fae who works with iron. That might make me famous to other supernatural species, but it makes me infamous among the fae. I used to do a lot of business in places like this. I didn’t grow up with a title or a high-class family, I had to earn it. In the end, most people will tell you I bought it. I was too rich and too outspoken for the fae nobility to ignore, so they gave me a title to make me respectable. There are fae who dislike me for that and for my particular skills.” Sorcha shrugged nonchalantly. “I never planned on marrying a man like Cassius. I can already see the questions swirling in your eyes. Of course, he knows my past. When you invited us here, I had to remind him I’m used to places like this.”
“She’s making that sound much simpler than it really is,” Paden said, eyeing her. “Lady Sorcha was once a silver worker. That was the power of her clan. They fell more into the light side of the fae, being a clan of Oberon, but her father wasn’t very talented, and he fell in love with a fae from the clans of Titania. She’s both, but not really either.”
“And being both gave me the power to work with iron, not just silver,” she finished, her little smile never leaving. I got the distinct feeling she was very proud of her accomplishments, but from the way Paden was acting, those accomplishments were covered in blood. I also knew the story wasn’t nearly as simple as it sounded. There were plenty of weak clan fae who could trace their lineage back to both Titania and Oberon.
Cassius, you have a type, and one day, I’m going to call you out for it. For such a stick in the mud, you sure love dangerous women.
“I’m obviously still missing some of this story, but you know what? I’m here to drink whiskey and get Raphael out of the house, not stick my nose in fae politics.” Nodding once, I turned to Henley, who pointed at the two drinks he left on the counter next to me. I picked up my whiskey as the other disappeared with a wave of Paden’s hand. I checked the booth to see the beer appear in front of Raphael.
“I’ll take a martini, and Cassius will have a…hmmm. Do you have any wine?” Sorcha went up on her toes and looked over the bar.
“I’ll see what I have in the back for him,” Paden said stiffly, walking away.
“So, I’m never inviting you here again,” I declared quietly, catching Sorcha’s eyes. “I lived with you for nearly two months, and no one thought to tell me you had a past.”
“As you said, it’s fae politics,” she replied kindly. “I haven’t gotten into any trouble in over twenty years. It was a long time ago for me, and I’m just grateful that Cassius saw through all of it and accepted me. I love him, you know. It’s not about the power. I could have married anyone for power. I’ve rejected fae who would have been more advantageous than him, but Cassius…”
“He’s something,” I agreed. “I’m not saying you’re bad for him, or I think you used him. I was just a little caught off guard. Me? I was bad for him.”
“As a lover? Oh, yes.” Sorcha laughed as Henley put down her martini in front of her. “As a friend? I think you give him something no one else can. You keep him humble and on his toes. I met him once, long before you and him and me and him. He was rigid, and his father was still in power. He was an asshole, and I hated him. Two and a half years ago, he wasn’t that man. Hearing about you two and finally getting the chance to see you together made me realize it was somewhat because of you.”
“His father leaving the throne and abandoning the fae didn’t help,” I whispered, sipping my whiskey.
“No, it didn’t, but let’s talk about something else while we leave the boys to their own devices. How are you and Raphael?”
“Cassius told you, didn’t he?” I asked very softly.
“Told me what?” she asked brightly, but when I looked at her face, I knew she knew.
“We’re fine. Nothing’s going on. He works out. I work. He eats a lot.” I decided it wouldn’t be prudent to tell Sorcha any more than that, not that there was much to tell. I stared at Raphael a lot, and most of the time, I wanted to crawl up his furnace of a body and feel the heat in places I shouldn’t. Such was the way of being a naga exposed to a potential mate. My fangs ached painfully just thinking about it.
What killed me a little inside was he never noticed. I almost wanted him to. My brain didn’t. Oh no, I was too smart for my brain to be okay with the situation, but my sex drive had a mind of its own.
Sorcha’s smirk didn’t disappear, but she didn’t press for more. When Paden came back with a bottle, we walked to the table with him. Cassius gave Sorcha an annoyed look, then took the bottle of wine with an eye roll, something I didn’t expect from him.
“You aren’t funny,” he whispered to his wife.
“I’m hilarious,” she retorted. “Now, drink your wine like a good noble and keep your reputation untarnished while I get drunk with Kaliya.”
I snorted, covering my face before I spat out the whiskey in my mouth.
“What if I wanted to get drunk?” he asked, a small smile forming.
“You’re not allowed to get drunk with Kaliya,” she reminded him, leaning in to kiss him. “From the stories I’ve heard, you get in trouble when you drink with Kaliya, though…” Sorcha turned and winked at me. “If eith
er of you ever wants to revisit that relationship you once had, just let me know, and I’ll get the tequila out. Just let me be in the room.”
My face heated, something I wasn’t expecting. Raphael coughed beside me, and when I turned to him, his face gave away that his mind went to the same place mine did.
Sorcha had just invited me to a threesome.
Sorcha’s gaze followed mine. I tracked her through the corner of my eye, and when she looked at Raphael, something devious bloomed on her face.
“What about you, Raphael?” She swatted Cassius’ arm and smiled. “He’s handsome in that rough way, right? We don’t see it often among the fae. Everyone goes for the most ethereal looks and keep themselves so proper and clean, but you and I know how to appreciate that rough look.” Her glamour fell away as if she was using it to prove her point. Her ears lengthened into what humans would think of as elves. Her eyes were too big and her cheekbones were high and sharp. Her face was no longer soft in any way, looking angular like someone had carved her out of stone.
Cassius only gave his wife a bored look as if he was used to this and didn’t feel like playing along. Maybe it was because I knew him so well, but I was certain only Sorcha and I caught the amused glint in his eyes. Her glamour went back up as she batted her eyes innocently.
“Oh. Um. I’m not…no, thank you. I’m not looking to get involved in anything right now.” Raphael cast me a look that screamed for me to save him, but I knew there was no saving him. There was something else in his expression, but I didn’t understand what it was. I had never seen Sorcha act this bold before. I hadn’t known it was something she had in her.
“I can’t blame you,” she said with a husky chuckle. “If I lived with a hot thing like Kaliya, I wouldn’t be looking for anything, either. I’m amazed Cassius got away from her and ended up with me.”
“Now you’re just flattering me,” I said, quickly finishing my whiskey and lifting the empty glass for Henley or Paden to see. I was beginning to think inviting Sorcha out for drinks wasn’t the safest of ideas. I looked at Cassius, hoping he had some idea about how to control his wife, but he sipped his wine, looking mildly amused.
