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“Yep.”

Sprig’s face slowly scrunched up. “Why don’t I trust you, pirate?”

“Because you are smarter than you look.” Cooper patted him on the head. “Come on, we need to find shelter for the night.” His attention flickered to AB, making us remember we had real issues and problems. Her energy was already back down to zero. Between cancer, being shot, and the fae doors, the girl was barely standing.

“Yeah.” Croygen cleared his throat, stomping ahead, getting farther from me.

We had no idea where we were going or if there were any places here, but we knew we needed to get off the streets.

The deeper we went in, the more my skin shivered. Everything about this city felt off, like it was on the precipice of falling. There were a handful of stores, businesses, restaurants, bars, and even a theater still operating, the outside glowing with a handful of firebulbs, the names of the actors scrolled on the marque. As if they were still pretending life was normal, and if they ignored the slow decline, the hundreds gathering in homeless camps around them by the day, they could get through unscathed. Not wanting to confront the fact it was harder and harder to get food and supplies. Living in wait, holding out hope that life would resume. But I sensed the shine of hope coming off and reality sinking in. Soon their last bits of optimism would snap.

And darkness would devour this city whole.

Chapter11

Croygen

My head swung left and right, my teeth on edge as we made our way through the city. When despair set in, things turned to violence. Desperation made people feral, cutthroat, and cruel.

In my time, I had seen empires fall and fascism rise. The words ‘rise and fall’ made it seem as if it happened fast. It just ended or changed in one day. That’s not how it worked. It was a slow process, a gradual one that people let happen by staying silent and accepting the small changes with little fight. It wasn’t until later you found out you had gradually been boiled alive, never jumping out to save yourself. To fight back.

That’s what Budapest felt like. Being slowly cooked alive, sinking further into despair, too busy trying to survive to see how bad it was getting, especially if it still hadn’t quite affected you yet. One by one, the businesses that didn’t offer necessities or an escape from life would disappear.

Drugs, drink, sex, and food were always the things that persevered. That never changed.

And I could see it happening. Handfuls of women and a few young men were strolling the corners at this late hour, some seemingly comfortable doing it and some looking terrified and ready to bolt, like they had no choice but to turn to prostitution.

Another thing that never changed: prostitutes were the most knowledgeable about everything going on.

“Give me some cash,” I muttered to Cooper.

He followed my gaze, his forehead lifting.

“I’m not trying to get laid.” I rolled my eyes.

“Good thing, because I think you’d have claw marks from a cat carving your dick into shreds.”

“For information.”

Cooper scoffed, slamming a few bills in my hand. “We don’t have much left.”

Cueing up a roughish smile, I sauntered over to one, her eyes raking down my frame, desire blushing a smile over her face as she stood up straighter. “What can Idofor you tonight?”

“Not here for sex.” Disappointment shrunk her shoulders instantly, her smile dropping away. “Though you are lovely.” I winked. “I’m here for information.”

Her defenses went up, along with her attitude. Information was harder to get than sex on the streets. People didn’t like talking to strangers. Snitches didn’t get stitches. They got murdered.

“Just need to find some lodging.” I moved in closer, letting her take in my flirty smile and cheeky wink. She was a young, cute, dark-haired, dark-eyed human, who sadly looked like the oldest one here at only twenty-five or so.

Yet all I sensed was the person behind me, a petite figure with a huge presence, which seemed to consume me all the time now. I could feel Katrina rubbing against my skin, her nails dragging down my back.

I shivered, peering back, about to tell her to knock it off, like she was actually doing those things. Fuck, I was losing it.

“And you look like someone whoknowsthis city, knows every nook and cranny of it. Like the fae leader.”

She tipped her head, studying me for a moment. “What do you want to know about him?” She spoke English, but her Hungarian accent was thick.

“Anything.”