saw her emerge and tossed a wink or a lech her way as they shuffled plastic chips around their tables. Victoria managed to catch Cora Oglesby's eye. The old hunter lifted her fingers to her brow as if tipping a hat that was no longer there. Victoria responded with a single, silent nod before slipping out through the batwing doors.
Standing on the sidewalk, Victoria took a moment to fill her lungs. The air was hot, dry, and dusty, but at least it didn't smell of whiskey and smoke. Behind her, she heard Cora's rasping shout as she called somebody out for cheating. It was almost sad, Victoria mused as she began walking back to her hotel. Here was a woman who could still do some good in the world, a veteran of wars few even knew existed, letting herself waste away in a small desert town. That both James Townsend and Father Baez thought so highly of her spoke of her skill and tenacity in the work she did for them. Why, then, would she suddenly decide to stop? Not age, surely. Cora Oglesby's days as a young woman were long past, but she still had some power in her; the dull ache in Victoria's cheek was proof enough of that.
A hot wind kicked up, sending dust flying in swirling clouds through the streets. Victoria winced against the grit blowing into her face. Peering through one half-open eye, she watched the other people on the street pulling down hats and pulling up bandanas. Unrefined though they were, the citizens of Albuquerque were well-suited to life here, much more so than she was. All she could do was flinch and duck, her eyes watering as bits of sand slid through her defenses. Grains nuzzled into her bodice and whipped around her ankles, itching more fiercely with every step she took. She picked up her pace, thinking only of a hot bath and a warm bed.
Victoria stared out the window, seeing more of her reflection than the town below. A few lights lay at anchor in the sea of darkness outside, lamps and lanterns lit by the townsfolk against the night. Moonlight filled the street with its bluish light. She marveled at the power of it. Even a town as rough and rustic as this could be beautiful at night, bathed in soft luminescence and blanketed by an endless field of stars.
A sudden impulse to immerse herself in such beauty took hold of her, and she picked up her overcoat from where it lay on the bed. Wrapping it around herself, she eased the door open and stepped out into the hall. Her bare feet padded down the hotel's rear steps. She stepped out into the night through a side door, the planks rough beneath her feet. Cool air kissed her face and ran its fingers through her hair, making her shiver. At night, the smells of the city faded, and the air beneath them was almost sweet. Her blue eyes glittered as she stared up at the stars. She never knew there could be so many.
Victoria smiled to herself, half in wonder at the night and half in wonder at herself. How could she feel so peaceful and safe here, in the middle of a lawless frontier town? Why did she decide to leave the safety of her room in only her dressing gown and overcoat? Maybe some of the wildness of this place was creeping into her blood, making her do things that seemed outright mad.
Somewhere in the distance, a dog began barking. Victoria turned her head toward the sound, peering down the empty street after it. Once or twice, she heard the cries of another animal, high-pitched and wild. They echoed in the night air like the cries of witches gleefully planning mischief. She shivered again and pulled her overcoat closed.
A shadow darted across the road in front of her, and she started. It paused, turning its head to look at her. Pointed ears stood erect above dark, intelligent eyes. A bushy tail sloped downward from its back, hovering just above the street. It looked like the foxes her father loved to hunt on holidays, but its coat was the same greyish hue as the ground beneath it rather than the fiery red of her father's game. The animal regarded her for a moment before losing interest and padding around the hotel's side and out of sight.
Rubbing her hands on her arms, she took a deep breath and blinked.