Outfoxed (The Fox Witch #1) - R.J. Blain Page 0,91
know if you had anything in your packs you will miss. I do have your paperwork. He left that out, too.”
“If you see him back in the Alley, thank him for me.”
“I have the feeling you’ll have a chance to thank him yourself. A man who leaves a note like that isn’t ready to quit yet. I don’t know what he’s planning on doing, but I expect he’ll be in your future. When, where, or how? That I couldn’t tell you, but he’s not the quitting kind. I don’t know what game he’s playing, but don’t let yourself think he’s out of this yet.”
“He’s probably waiting to try to cut a deal with the contract holder post auction. He told me that could be done.”
“Then he has a lot more money than sense. You can’t just buy out an uncontested courtesan contract. It’s complicated.”
“So is he,” I complained.
Anna smiled. “So he is. We good?”
“We’re good. And anyway, I’d rather you get the money than Carlos any day of the week. The only thing I regret is that I didn’t get to break his nose twice.”
“Now that’s something I can get behind. He’s a jackass.”
That Carlos was. “Just watch your back, Anna. Someone wanted me dead over this, and I don’t want that to happen to you.”
“Worry about yourself this time, Jade. I can watch my back.”
So she could. “Albany, huh?”
“It doesn’t look like much on the map, but it’s the heart of the East’s black market trade, and it’s the home of the most exclusive auctions. Anything can be bought and sold in Albany, and you’d do well to remember that.”
I already knew; Albany, while it would never be a true contender in size compared to New York City, had established itself well enough and boosted its tourist trade by luring in people from all over the East who searched for exotic things, including people.
I’d just never thought I would end up on the auction block.
On the surface, it would appear as though I accepted what I couldn’t change, but given a single chance, I’d become the infection that killed from within, sneaking around on silent paws until it was far too late to prevent death.
Us toxin witches excelled at things like that, and I’d become something more than some mere vixen.
Getting mad would win me nothing, nor would getting even.
Only forging change would do.
Fourteen
You seem like the kind who prefers honesty.
Friday, May 15, 2043.
Albany, New York.
The East.
* * *
Anna took me to a posh hotel in the heart of Albany, checked into a room on the first floor, and revealed one of the entrances into the black market. As promised, she had Peace for me, which I carried. She handled the pack containing my medications and the books Sandro had given to me.
She felt the sword’s weight already pushed how much I could handle, considering the hole through me. I didn’t argue with her.
Peace might have weighed a thousand pounds, and I would still refuse to let her go.
While the hotel room had the expected bedroom and bathroom, it also had a door, which Anna unlocked with the keycard. The door beeped, and several moments later, it slid open to reveal an elevator.
“Play nice with the auctioneers. They’ll take care of you and see to your care. I understand your rebellious side, but now is not the time nor the place. Save that for when you’re not at risk of bleeding to death should you lift your arm too high.”
As her advice made a great deal of sense, I nodded. “I’ll be smart.”
“Good. I’d say I’m sorry, but I need the money. You seem like the kind who prefers honesty.”
I understood—and I did. “No hard feelings, Anna. As I said, I’d rather you have the money than Carlos, and since Sandro got his cut, it seems fair to make him share with you. Sharing something with anyone is probably a first for him.”
Anna chuckled. “While you have good reason to be upset with him, don’t judge him too harshly. However much it annoys me to admit it, he’s one of the good ones.”
“He could’ve let me bleed to death in some alley, so I’m just going to agree with you on this one.”
Taking the few steps forward hurt, and the jarring of the elevator lurching into motion and heading down made my eyes cross and a light sweat break out on my brow. My pride demanded I cling to Peace and stay on my feet, but I longed to