Page 50 of Vicious Princess (The Trials of Death and Honor #1)

CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT

W ith each step I take closer to that red door at the end of the alley, my heart beats harder against my ribs.

What if the bouncer at the door is the same fae who let me and Daegel in the other night? What if he recognizes my face?

Our cover will be blown, and whoever runs this place will be alerted about Ezkai presence.

Shit.

No, no, no. I try to soothe myself, taking a deep breath. These bouncers see so many faces every single damn day, they will definitely not remember me.

Sure as fuck is easy to remember a human in a place no humans should visit.

I still dip my chin lower and pull my hood tighter around my face when Roman raps his knuckles on the door.

My heart is threatening to escape my chest while we wait for it to open.

When it does and a different bouncer appears in front us, I want to kiss him from the relief and joy that soars through me like a dragon through clear skies.

The bouncer eyes us with narrowed eyes. “What business?”

Roman and I exchange a glance. Oh, shit. Daegel knocked in a weird pattern last time, which I completely forgot. What if we can’t get inside without a secret code word or something?

Roman flashes the fae a bright smile and pulls out a pouch heavy with frade from the pocket of his linen vest. He shakes it well so that the bouncer can hear just how much money he carries.

“We’re here to spend some easily stolen money, handsome,” he says.

Damn, he’s good.

The bouncer looks us up and down again, then extends a palm facing upwards to Roman. Without hesitation, Roman tosses a couple of frade, and the bouncer steps aside so we can enter.

“Put that thing away,” I whisper-yell at Roman as the two of us go through the dark corridor that leads to the main area. “You don’t want to draw unnecessary attention to yourself. Not here.”

Tsk-tsking, he shoves the money back into his pocket. “Relax, princess. We’re highly trained?—”

Roman doesn’t get to finish the sentence because the moment we set foot into the main area, a fist flies at his jaw. With a curse, Roman stumbles sideways.

I brace for a fight, but when I turn to Roman’s attacker, all I find are two fae brawling with each other.

“Give me my money back!” one shouts.

“Fuck you! It’s my money now! I won it from you,” the other growls, right before a punch lands in his stomach.

I turn to Roman. “Are you okay?”

Roman checks his jaw. “Yeah, all good.”

I bite the inside of my cheek to stop the smile from spreading, but I can’t help it. I burst into laughter.

“We’re highly trained soldiers,” I say mockingly, imitating Roman’s voice.

“Fuck you.”

I pat his shoulder. “Make sure you look where you go, buddy . Before someone else runs you over by accident.”

Roman scoffs, and we make our way forwards.

Everything looks exactly the same as it did when I last visited here with Daegel. The gambling tables scattered around the place are packed. The lodge above has shadowed figures seated, watching over their domain like they rule the place.

Maybe they do.

Farther in the crowd, a familiar face flashes in my periphery.

Ezkai Xander sits at one of the gambling tables, together with Fern.

They play a game of dice, fully blending into the crowd.

Even Fern—along with her Ezkai leathers, she has lost all the nobility about her as she frantically gestures and shouts at the man across from her at the table, the one who just won the round.

She’ll make a great spy.

As we make our way between tightly packed gambling tables, my eyes scan the surroundings.

Ahead of us, there’s a makeshift bar. Tall shelves made from metal scrap line the whole wall of the warehouse, full of bottled alcohol.

One of the bartenders is perched high on a slim, long ladder, reaching for a dark blue bottle, while the other is leaning against the bar, flirting with Catalina.

Julian and Bloom are right next to her, downing shots with two fae. The strangers’ arms and necks bear no marks of Caligos.

“Everyone seems to be fitting in well,” I murmur to Roman and jerk my chin at the bar.

Roman’s gaze follows mine, and when he notices our crew, he smirks. “We do know how to party in Ekios, wouldn’t you say?”

He looks eager to join them. But before he can, I place my hand on his forearm and dig my fingers hard enough to draw his attention back to me.

“We’re supposed to split up for a reason,” I say in a low voice. “If we gather in groups that are too big, we’ll draw attention. The wrong kind of attention.”

“Right, right,” Roman says.

I jerk my chin at the tall iron fence that cuts the warehouse in half. “That’s where the competitions are being held. Let’s find out which one of us will have to go in.”

As we make our way towards the fence, a group gathered around one of the tables springs to their feet with a roar.

One of the fae with a grey beard swings a punch at the fae next to him, and blood sprays everywhere. The pair gets into a brawl, turning the gambling table upside down. The dice and gold coins scatter all over the dirty floor.

Without pausing, I step over the mess and continue forwards. Roman looks at them with wide eyes full of awe.

He doesn’t have to say it. I can tell he’s fascinated with this place.

I don’t blame him. The energy here is wild. No laws exist. Money and violence are the only rulers.

There’s a certain freedom in that.

Once we finally reach the fence, there’s nothing behind it yet. A couple of Caligos scurry around, and one petite fae with white-as-snow hair that reaches the middle of her back barks orders.

“We made it in time. They’re just setting the stage,” I say to Roman, eyes on the white-haired fae.

She looks barely older than fourteen.

“Perfect,” Roman says. He glances around. “You know where to sign up?”

I shake my head.

“Ah, I see,” Roman says, pointing a finger at a man standing farther away, right where the stairs to the hovering platform are. He holds an open leather book in his hand, scribbling something in it with a piece of chalk. “He looks like he knows what he’s doing.”

“Let’s see if you’re right.”

We stalk over to the man.

He wears a crisp white shirt and a bloodred vest over it.

He’s definitely a Caligos—I can see the art covering his chest through the opening at the top of his shirt.

He’s bald, but as we approach, he glances up at us and I’m startled by the long, thin eyebrows that curl at the ends and are the color of the rainbow.

My heart skips a beat right before I open my mouth to speak. “Who are we betting on today?”

The bald fae gives me a look up and down as I have grown accustomed to getting here in Ekios and then arches one of those peculiar eyebrows at me. “On whoever you desire, sweetheart. Today’s the archery show.”

Of course it is. Just my luck.

“We want in,” Roman says, and the bald fae glances at him. “Not betting, but participating.”

The bald fae looks back at me. Not me precisely, but at the bow secured to my back. “It’s good to want things. Don’t mean you always get what you want,” the bald fae says and returns his attention to the journal.

Roman and I exchange a glance.

He has that look on his face. One that screams trouble .

“We can make you a lot of money,” I say.

The bookie’s gaze flicks back up, a corner of his mouth curling. “I hear that a lot, believe it or not.”

Roman slithers closer to the guy and places his large palm over his shoulder. “You may hear that a lot, but how many fae deliver on the promise? My friend right here, though… You don’t wanna miss out on that.”

“I’ll pass.” The bald fae jerks his chin at me. “Look at her. Her bow is half her size. Unless people bet on a little human woman making fun of herself in the ring, I won’t make any money on that one.”

My temper rises like a storm in the sea, fast and vicious. I bite the inside of my cheek and count to ten.

Not the right place nor time to lose my shit.

Roman flashes his most dazzling smile. “She may look harmless. But that only adds to the appeal.” His voice changes.

If I didn’t know him, I wouldn’t have noticed.

Immediately, I open up my senses. Roman’s working his way into the complex emotional network of this bald fae.

“Imagine how much frade will line your pockets when everyone bets on the other participants and my friend right there annihilates them in the blink of an eye. Nobody will see it coming from a little human woman. You can use that to your advantage and encourage higher bets on others.”

Want, desire, greed… It’s dense, heady, and clings to you like the hands of an obsessed lover who’s afraid to lose you.

A shiver runs down my spine. The bald fae watches Roman, still guarded, but his eyes twinkle.

All he needs is a little push.

Carefully, I connect with Roman’s pathway to strengthen the grip he has on the bald fae. I’ve never done this before, so the first instance of my senses merging with Roman’s makes the base of my spine tingle.

“Come on now, you’re a smart businessman. How much profit will she make if, let’s say, people bet double on all the other four contestants and they lose?”

We have him in an ironclad grip. His desire and greed are so thick, it makes me dizzy with my own darkest, deepest needs.

The bald fae blinks, then looks at me with newfound confidence.

“You want to make some money for me and you, honey? You better get ready to give the folks a good show.” He pinches the corner of my cloak that’s wrapped tightly around my frame with two fingers, tugging on it.

“And shed the clothes. Some of the freaks here will lose their minds at seeing a human chick in the cage. We don’t get the likes of you often. ”

Just like that, I’m in.