Page 69 of The Queen’s Shadow

The inn itself was actually rather large. They had a lower level filled with card tables that seemed to be full at all hours. There was a pool out back. Though it was slightly run down, some patrons still seemed to frequent it. There was also a quiet rooftop patio, which would be perfect for practicing multiple shifts, when I was able to find the time.

I was sitting in one of the salmon pink upholstered armchairs in Raven’s room, watching her unpack when Jeremy and Cerenah walked in.

“So, what’s the plan?” Jeremy asked. He looked tired, and so did Cerenah.

We all were.

Outside of Raven’s nap, before she went ballistic, none of us had slept. I wasn’t sure how time zones worked in The Dominion of Sin, but I knew The Court of Greed was quite a bit west of The Court of Pride. West enough that it had been daylight here when it was nighttime in the northern half of The Dominion.

“I think you all should get some sleep.” I said, “You look like shit.”

Jeremy snorted. “You’re looking pretty run down yourself.” He snapped. Raven just chuckled.

“I think we should all get some sleep, then head out at nighttime.”

I shook my head. “It’s going to be busier here at night than during the day. It will be easier to keep a low-profile during daylight hours. “You guys rest, I’ll go out now.”

“Rycon, you’re not going to be helpful to anyone if you’re dead on your feet. You need to rest too. Plus, if I’m being honest, you’re bitchy enough as it is. I don’t want to deal with you when you’re sleep deprived. Please, just take a nap then we can go together.” Raven snapped.

I narrowed my eyes at her.

“Fine.”

She slit her eyes right back.

“Don’t lie to me, dick. You’re just going to go out anyway.”

I got up and shrugged.

“Yeah, I am. I’ll come get you at nightfall.” I said over my shoulder, not giving them the opportunity to follow me.

They would just slow me down.

Rycon

Ilearned quickly that though the locals called it ‘The Boulevard,’ it was actually an entire district. Sinner’s Boulevard wrapped around Greed’s Gauntlet in a thick cluster of commercial neighbourhoods made up of brothels, casinos, taverns and speakeasies.

For search and recovery missions, I wanted to be fast and efficient, but I also needed to be thorough. It was going to take me more than a few days to totally search the district from end to end. I learned it wasn’t just the brothels that held sex slaves. Many of the casinos had private card rooms and high roller tables where bets were traded in flesh instead of gold.

For the first hour, I just walked. Sniffing the air as I went, doing my best to see if I could catch Kasha’s scent. After several miles of nothing, I resolved that if I was going to be in this miserable fucking place, I might as well kill two birds with one stone.

Literally.

Kasha’s notebook was tucked in the inside of my armor, against my chest, burning a hole in my heart. The longer I walked without finding even the tiniest lead, the more I found myself needing to kill someone.

It was late afternoon when I walked into the first brothel. I was sure it would be busier at night, but it was busy enough now. The female at the front greeted me with a saccharine grin, her eyes lighting up as she took me in. Her eyes slid over my armor, and she eyed the guns in such a way that told me she knew what they were but wasn’t concerned. Looking at some of the other patrons in the brothel, I could see that I wasn’t the only armed and dangerous individual who had walked through these doors today. Many other guests sported blades and armor of their own.

“Welcome,” she purred, leaning forward to give me a view of her supple chest while she batted her eyelashes at me. “We had heard that the False Queen walked our streets. We did not think her bonded would grace us with his presence.”

Well fuck.

So much for keeping a low profile. I raised an eyebrow at her and jerked my head to the interior of the brothel. It was an open concept with several raised dais’ occupied by naked, dancing slaves. Couches and comfortable chairs were crowded around the platforms. Several of the seats were filled with males who were either watching the dancing slaves, or actively participating in public sex with females who had been unlucky enough to be chosen.

“We have never had a shifter visit us before,” she continued, eyeing me up and down with a suggestive look. “I have heard rumors that your kind can shift and change the size of different body parts at will. Is that true?”

I rolled my eyes, ignoring her question. “I’m here to meet up with some friends. Do you have a bar I can wait at?”

She beamed at me. “Of course, my Lord, would you like some company while you wait?”