Shades of Darkness (Guardians of Eternity #16) - Alexandra Ivy Page 0,38
black eyes.
“Tur warned me you were a feisty thing,” he purred. “I’m happy to discover he didn’t exaggerate.”
Spunky. Feisty. She sounded like a heroine from a fairy tale. A shame this place wasn’t filled with princes and funny dwarves instead of smelly orcs and weird-ass brownies.
“Why am I here?”
“It has come to my attention that you arrived in my quaint town without bothering to stop by and introduce yourself.”
Chaaya shrugged. “I was busy.”
Dabbler clicked his tongue. “Bad manners are never in fashion, my dear.”
She took a step backward. Could she get to Basq and drag him out of the palace before they were stopped by the guard? It seemed unlikely.
“We were planning to come today, but your goon squad attacked us,” she told the male.
“Were you?” The smile widened. “Ah, delightful news.”
“So if that’s all cleared up…” She continued to back away, hoping to reach Basq and at least get the silver net off him.
With a flick of his hand, Dabbler sent two guards to stand between her and the vampire.
“There is still the small matter of my tithe,” the chieftain reminded her.
Chaaya grimaced, returning her full attention to Dabbler. She was beginning to suspect that this male had gone to a lot of trouble to set up this encounter. But why?
Hiding her fear behind a mocking expression, she shrugged. “I’m afraid I don’t have my purse on me. Tell you what, I’ll drop a check in the mail.”
Dabbler rubbed his fingers over the ivory handle of his cane. “That won’t be necessary.”
Her smile remained even as her mouth dried. “It won’t?”
Dabbler glanced toward the orc. “Tur came to see me with a highly entertaining story.”
“Well, he’s a highly entertaining sort of dude,” Chaaya murmured.
“Indeed he is. Not particularly bright, but he has his uses.” Dabbler glanced back at her. “Shall I reveal what he told me?”
“I’m on pins and needles.”
“He told a tale of a slender woman who looked human but managed to overpower an entire horde of demons.”
Chaaya rolled her eyes. “An entire horde? Turd-head has a vivid imagination.”
“That’s what I thought, but then the whispers spread through the city. They spoke of a beautiful warrior.” The black, empty eyes drifted over her, leaving behind the sensation of being slathered in evil. “Of course I simply had to discover the truth for myself.”
She squashed her shiver. There was no way in hell she was going to give Dabbler the satisfaction of knowing how much he unnerved her.
“Discover what?” she asked.
Dabbler spread his arms. “If you fight as well as they claim.”
Chaaya blinked. “You want to fight me?”
“Oh, not me. I’m a businessman, not a warrior.” The male quickly destroyed her brief hope, pointing toward the orc. “I have another opponent in mind.”
Chaaya pulled her spear. She should have guessed that was the reason the orc and his leather-clad buddies were in the elegant palace. They certainly didn’t fit with the décor.
The question was whether it was just Tur or the backup band as well.
“I’ve already beat Dirty Turdy,” she said, deliberately goading the oversized lump of muscle. Orcs weren’t famous for their even temperament. “I don’t do encores.”
Tur’s eyes flashed a fiery crimson. “Not fair fight.”
“There, you see?” Dabbler said in regretful tones. “He says it wasn’t fair. I fear I must insist on a rematch.”
Chaaya watched the orc stomp forward. “And if I say no?”
“The vampire dies.” Dabbler’s cold eyes held no emotion. He would kill everyone in the room without the slightest remorse.
That made him far more dangerous than the orcs.
She stroked her fingers along the hilt of the spear, igniting the magic etched into the glyphs.
“What do I get if I agree?”
Dabbler looked surprised by the question. “You live.”
She shook her head. “Not good enough. I’m not fighting until you remove the net from my companion.”
“These aren’t negotiations,” he chided.
“Then find someone else to amuse you.”
The chieftain hesitated, as if stunned by her audacity. Obviously, he’d been the big cheese for so long he’d forgotten what it was like to have his orders questioned. Still, his affable manner remained firmly intact as he nodded toward the guards.
“Remove the net but keep a close eye on him. If he tries to escape, then stake him.”
Chaaya watched in silence as the guards warily untangled Basq from the net. In the bright light she could easily see the angry red wounds burned deep into his flesh, but it was the limp, boneless way he sprawled on the floor that clutched at her heart. How badly was he hurt?