her, and she jumped as she realized he’d been listening. “As you pointed out, she is not a child and he is a trustworthy male. They do exist.”
“I know you’re trustworthy.”
“And I am not the only one.”
She sighed and settled into step next to him as Baralt moved forward to talk to Saka. She was relieved to notice that Saka made no attempt to be seductive. She had been a little afraid that the other female would fall back into the only interaction she understood.
“You need to stop worrying about everyone else,” Varga said softly, and she shot him a rueful smile.
“I know. I don’t mean to be the managing sort.”
“You have a kind heart and you wish to take care of others. But sometimes, you have to let them go their own way. Isn’t that what you were trying to tell me?”
“Touché,” she muttered.
“I don’t understand.”
“It means you’re right. Dammit.”
He laughed and tucked her under his arm as they continued down the street. She snuggled closer, grateful for his warmth. The clothes Baralt had provided helped but the temperature was well below freezing. But it wasn’t cold enough to prevent her from looking around with interest.
Now that they were actually in the town, she realized it wasn’t quite as idyllic as it had appeared from the air. There were several interesting shops, but they were easily outnumbered by bars. And when they turned a corner, she realized they were also outnumbered by what appeared to be sex shops. It reminded her of pictures she had seen of the red-light district in Amsterdam, except the females—and males—occupying the windows were an astonishing array of species. The acts they were performing were equally as varied. Her footsteps ground to a halt as she stared.
“This is terrible. How can this possibly be legal?”
Varga sighed and urged her on. “There’s nothing illegal about sex, and for some of these workers, it’s an easy way to make a lot of credits.”
“Easy?” she asked incredulously.
“Compared to some of the alternatives, yes.”
“You mean they want to be here?”
“Some of them do.”
He hadn’t exactly answered her question, but as they continued down the street, she tried to focus on the faces rather than the actions of the sex workers. Most of them simply appeared to be bored. A few actually looked enthusiastic, or at least managed to fake it. She still wasn’t happy about it, but she was resigned, until they turned another corner.
This was a smaller, darker street. Colder as well, with few of the braziers that had heated the main road. She heard a sharp crack and turned in time to see a large furry male standing over an ivory-scaled female who was clutching her cheek. It was all too obvious that he had just hit her.
“I don’t care if you are cold. Attract a male to heat you up, you worthless bitch,” the male snarled.
Joan started forward with an outraged cry, but Varga clamped his hand over her mouth and pulled her back against him. When she started to struggle, he bent down and whispered in her ear, “Hush, little bird. Let Baralt take care of this.”
Baralt stepped forward, and she suddenly noticed that long black claws extended from his fingers.
“Under Imperial law, you are required to provide adequate heating for your slave.” Baralt’s voice was colder than the surrounding air, and she shivered as she realized just how intimidating he could be.
The male scowled at him and gestured at a small metal pot that had perhaps one ember glowing within it. “She’s got a heater.”
“It is inadequate. If you cannot afford additional fuel, then you must clothe her appropriately.”
“How am I gonna get a male to buy her if they can’t see what they’re getting?” The male sneered at the huddled female. “Not that she has much to offer even naked.”
“Fuel or clothing,” Baralt repeated.
“You can’t tell me what to do.”
“I am the law. The town was informed that we would be enforcing Imperial standards.”
The male spat on the ground, the glob freezing immediately. “I didn’t agree to that.”
“Then you’re quite free to leave Port Eyeja.”
The male’s fur turned a vivid shade of orange, clearly a sign of rage, and she felt Varga brace. But instead of attacking Baralt, the shop owner swore, grabbed the female roughly by her wrist and hauled her inside the building, slamming the window shut behind him.
“You can’t leave her with him,” she protested.
Baralt nodded grimly. “I will send an officer to investigate. It is clear that she