Page 70 of The Queen’s Shadow

“I’m not a Lord, and no. I would prefer to wait alone.”

Her smile did not falter at my curt tone. I was sure she was used to being treated like shit. She likely even expected it.

“Follow me.” She said and led me into the brothel towards a bar that lined the eastern wall. “If you and your friends change your minds about company, entertainment in the common area is seventy-five shards per hour. We can also discuss rates for private rooms and premium escorts if you’re looking for more of a … customized experience.”

Customized experience.

My gaze shot to her, and it took everything in me not to ask her what the fuck that meant. I thought of Kasha’s ability to change her appearance into anything, or anyone. It didn’t get much more customized than that. I inhaled again through my nose, filtering through the musky scent of sex and various other bodily fluids to see if I could catch even the smallest hint of catnip. But there was nothing… she wasn’t here.

This slave knew I was Raven’s bonded, meaning she likely also knew Kasha was a person of interest for us. I couldn’t risk asking if the chameleon was here. It would give away too much.

My guide left me with a few menus, and I settled down into a seat at the bar. The bartender floated up to me. She was an equally pretty slave, dressed in a skin tight black dress, with dark, sad eyes. I ordered a whiskey and waited.

Interpersonal reconnaissance was not my favorite part of the job, but it was sometimes necessary. Typically, I avoided befriending my prey, but in instances like this, it was not possible to identify the target without mingling with the filth.

The Dominion didn’t have a police system I could hack, cameras I could watch or phones I could tap. I was going to have to do this the old-fashioned way.

Thankfully, I didn’t have to wait long before more males began to filter in. Some of them stopped at the bar before heading back to the private rooms, others came for a drink in between their sessions in the common areas. I nursed my whiskey and observed. I listened for their names as they joked with each other.

After an hour and a half, I finally heard a name I recognized from Kasha’s book, and to my delight, he came to sit at the bar for a drink before going upstairs. I flagged down the bartender and gestured to the daemon named Koliath.

“Whatever he is having, put it on my tab.” I said, catching him by surprise. Koliath glanced over at me, raising a thick, dark eyebrow.

He had a nose that was too large for his face, and a weak jaw. His thin, black hair was coiffed in such a way that I was almost certain he hadn’t done it himself. I wasn’t familiar with daemon fashion, but his clothing resembled the suits humans so often wore and was clearly expensive. He had several golden rings on his left hand, and a matching chain around his neck. There was a sapphire blue mating stone hanging from the chain. He was mated… and he was here, raping slaves.

Fucking prick.

I felt his aura rush over me, and I watched the expression on his face change as he realized I was a shifter. He narrowed his eyes at me.

“You’re the False Queen’s bonded.” He said, and I nearly sighed. It was going to be difficult to lay low if I was literally the only damned shifter in the entire Dominion. Ah well. I was nothing if not adaptable.

“Sure am.” I nodded with a smirk, taking a sip from my drink.

“I am loyal to our true Queen; I have no interest in interacting with the likes of you. In fact, I have half a mind to report you to Princess Vespara right now.”

I smiled at him easily and shrugged.

“The Princess already knows we’re here, don’t waste your time,” I lied. “And what makes you think I’m not loyal to our true Queen as well? I have as much if not more reason to hate the False Queen than you do. She bound me to her against my will.”

I watched him use his tiny brain to try to make sense of what I had just said, before continuing. “Not sure if you’re up to date on your gossip, but I betrayed her, and hand delivered her to Kieran a few months ago. It’s not my fault those mages, Marcus and Maria, were stupid enough to let her escape.” I held my breath, hoping that Ash Nevra hadn’t publicly announced the details around her failure to keep Raven contained. I had betrayed her and handed her to Kieran, but I had also played a role in rescuing her as well.

Koliath mulled this over, his brows pinching together. “I had heard that she had been captured, I didn’t realize it was because of you. We had all just assumed you were aligned with her mission.”

“Fuck no. The second I can free myself of this bond I plan on killing her my damn self. Do you know how annoying it is to be toted around like some child’s pet?” I snarled into my drink. Koliath moved closer to me, sitting on the stool to my right.

“I’ll have what he’s having,” he said to the bartender, who nodded obediently and fetched him a whiskey.

“I could possibly help with that,” he said. I searched his words for a lie, and there was none. He believed he could help sever the bond. I waited to feel excited at the possibility, but it didn’t come. My desire to kill this fucker was stronger than my desire to be free.

This realization shocked me.

If I had thought there was even a slim chance of being free of Raven less than two months ago, I would have jumped at it. Now, all I could think about, was that this daemon’s blood on my hands would be more satisfying than any type of freedom he could offer me.

“Oh?” I asked, “How is that?”

“Well, I don’t know for sure, of course, but I have connections. Maybe we could work out some sort of deal. If I can find a way to sever your bond, and you kill the False Queen, we would both be rewarded handsomely by Queen Ash Nevra.”

I could see his greedy little eyes dance with the promise of a reward. I smiled at him, flashing my canines.