Page 49 of Nexus
She waited for me to climb into my hatchback before waving a final time and closing the door. I gulped down the lump in my throat at the thought that I might never see her again, then I drove home.
Ruen didn’t call and I didn’t feel like going out. I gamed until the wee hours of the morning, then caught a few hours of sleep.
I had the day free and spent it mowing down electronic zombies with the latest car I’d appropriated in the game. My heart wasn’t really in it. Not even smashing the undead to pieces with the doors was enough to lift my spirits. An impending sense of doom was growing inside me. I instinctively knew that I’d be leaving my world tonight.
Right on cue, Ruen called me an hour after nightfall. “Lord Gilden wants to see us in his office,” the vampire said, tone even grumpier than usual. “I’ll pick you up in ten minutes.”
“I’ll be waiting,” I said grimly and we hung up.
My intuition had been right, so I was glad I was already geared up and ready to go. Since I was embarking on an interdimensional journey, I’d worn appropriate hunting clothing.
“Really?” Ruen said when I climbed into his car ten minutes later. His face was screwed up in disapproval. “That’s what you’re wearing to the underworld?” Instead of a black suit, he was wearing casual clothing. I’d never seen him in jeans and a t-shirt before, so it was a bit of a shock.
“What’s wrong with my clothes?” I asked with a frown, looking down at my black leather bustier and leather pants. “I’m wearing boots with a flat heel this time, just in case we have to do any running.”
He shook his head and pinched his lips shut because he knew he couldn’t talk me into changing my outfit. I was a badass bounty hunter and I had a reputation to uphold. It wasn’t like I could wear a tailored suit to another dimension where everything we encountered was likely to try to kill us.
I sang along with the radio to keep my spirits up as he drove to the dragon’s lair with maddening slowness.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
MY ASTONISHMENT AT seeing Ruen in casual clothing increased when we reached Lord Gilden’s building. “Are you wearing sneakers?” I asked, staring at his feet in disbelief after we climbed out of his car.
“We will be traversing through rough, rocky territory,” he reminded me. “I highly doubt there will be cars or roads in the underworld. Sneakers will be far more suitable than wearing shoes with slick soles.”
“You don’t have to be so snotty about it,” I muttered, rethinking my outfit now that he’d pointed that out. Leather tended to sweat after wearing it for a while. “I should have brought a couple of changes of clothes. We don’t even know how long we’ll be in the underworld.”
“I packed a bag,” he said smugly. “Unlike you, I possess the ability to think ahead.”
Scowling at his back, I followed him into the elevator. Lord Gilden wasn’t alone when we reached his office. A pair of werelions were with him. “Right on time,” Drake said when we stepped out. He swept his eyes from my head to my feet, then back up again. “I see you’ll need to stop off at your apartment to get changed before my men can escort you to the gate.”
“I’ll need to pack a bag,” I said sheepishly. “I just realized we could be there for a while.”
“You won’t be able to take anything with mechanical parts, like watches, electronic equipment or guns,” he advised us.
“I can’t take my twins?” I asked in dismay. He knew I was talking about my beloved guns.
“I’ve heard some items vanish when they’re transported through the gates and are never seen again,” he replied.
“What about knives and bows? Can I take them with me?”
“I wouldn’t take anything that you wouldn’t want to lose,” he suggested.
I’d intended to gear up heavily before we left. Now I’d have to rethink that plan. “Yeah, I definitely need to visit my apartment before we leave. I’ll need to take some of my backup weapons along.”
“I’ve compiled a letter addressed to the overlord of the realm you’ll be visiting,” the dragon said and ambled over to his desk to pick it up. He handed it to one of his guards rather than to me. “Make sure Ms. Sterling receives this before she steps through the gate,” he ordered.
“Yes, my lord,” the shifter replied, then tucked the envelope into an inner pocket of his jacket. Both men wore suits, but they were far less expensive than Drake’s.
“If anyone questions you about why you’re in the underworld, show them the seal on the back of the envelope,” Lord Gilden said. “Tell them you’re my envoys and that I wish to discuss trade options with the overlord. They should let you pass without interference.”
“What if they don’t let us pass?” Ruen asked a touch too eagerly.
“Then you’ll have to take necessary steps to stop them from hindering you.”
Ruen read between the lines and smiled grimly. “I’m sure that won’t be a problem.”
A frown flickered across Drake’s face, then was gone before I could be sure I’d seen it. My curiosity about why the vampire was indebted to the dragon increased even more. Maybe my questions would be answered during our strange mission.