level of the Catacombs was relatively tame. It wasn’t till you descended farther into the labyrinth that the danger for outsiders grew.
We received a number of looks, but nobody approached us as we neared shop 223—Wager Chance’s place of business. As Herne opened the door, standing back to let me enter first, I felt a sense of relief. I hadn’t realized that the Catacombs made me feel that tense, but apparently they did.
The walls of Wager’s shop were painted in a pale cream and muted sage. There were three rooms to the suite, and we found ourselves in the reception room. A bell on the desk instructed clients to ring it when they entered. Herne did so, and one of the other doors immediately opened.
Wager Chance stepped out. He was around five-eight, with hair as black as mine, and eyes as green as mine, but his skin was a rich golden hue, and he was wearing a pair of jeans, a sportscoat, and a lightweight sweater beneath the coat. Wager was half Dark Fae and half magic-born, and like me, he was considered a tralaeth.
“Herne, Ember, Yutani, welcome to my humble shop.” He looked relieved to see us. “Eldris is waiting for you.”
I frowned, starting to roll my eyes, but Herne squeezed my elbow and I plastered a smile on my face. “Hey, Wager. Thank you.”
“You can use my office. I’ll just wait out here.” He seemed more than eager to avoid joining our discussion.
We filed into his office, and sure enough, there was Eldris. He looked every inch as handsome as he had the last time we had met. Long blond hair flowed down his shoulders, his blue eyes so sharp that it felt like they could look right through you, and his lips were full, showing just the tips of his fangs. He had a trim but athletic body, and he wore the same outfit I had remembered: leather pants, no shirt, a tangle of gold chains around his neck, and a salacious grin on top of everything.
“Ember, you’re looking lovely,” he said, making it sound as dirty as anyone possibly could. He arched his eyebrows and grinned.
As he held out his hand to me, totally ignoring Herne and Yutani, my stomach lurched as his glamour hit me full force. I forced myself to stand still—I wanted to squirm—and accepted his handshake, pulling my hand back as quickly as I could without being rude. He held my gaze for a moment, then turned to Herne.
“So, you are the illustrious Herne I’ve read so much about?” Again, he reached out, though this time, I noticed his handshake looked firm and professional. Damn him, he really was trying to make me as uncomfortable as possible.
“Eldris, thank you for meeting with us.” Herne’s voice took on a hard edge, and I knew he was responding to what he saw Eldris doing to me. “You know Yutani?”
“Yes, we’ve met. This time, you’re not holding Ember’s leash, are you?” Eldris said, sliding his gaze back to me. “I notice a piece of jewelry I didn’t see before,” he added, pointing to my finger. “Who’s the lucky man…or woman?”
Eldris knew perfectly well that I was Herne’s girlfriend, but he was still pushing the boundaries.
“You know perfectly well that Herne and I are together. And yes, Herne’s my fiancé.”
“Congratulations,” he said, laughing. “Well, then, you’re here to see Dormant Reins. I’ll take you to meet with him in a moment. First, I must examine you all to make certain you are carrying no weapons, no silver.”
We agreed, and he subjected us to a pat down, though Herne glowered the entire time Eldris had his hands on me.
Then, when Eldris stood back, suddenly the lecher was gone and he was all business.
“The do-nots, first. Do not move quickly around the regent. Do not address him as anything but ‘Regent Reins.’ Do not speak first—wait for him to speak. Do not threaten him. And an extra piece of advice that I’ll throw in free, and you would do well to heed my words—even you, Lord of the Hunt,” Eldris said.
“And what would that be?” Herne asked.
“Be cautious asking favors of the regent. There’s always a price, and usually a steep one, and once a bargain is struck, it’s expected that you will fulfill your part.” Eldris looked at me. “Also, as much as I enjoy toying with you, Ember, for me it’s a game. But the regent entertains little regard for women. I advise you to let