Kingdom of Venom, page 17
Lola followed with curiosity as Nico led them to a seedy dockside tavern.
“I think myself and my little companion should wait out here.” Lyra spoke up and motioned to her purse.
Lola nodded. “Good idea.”
They went inside, and Callon’s hand on her lower back radiated protectiveness as he eyed the raucous patrons. Lola gave what she hoped was a reassuring smile.
The Chaos Shaman bellied up to the bar beside a grizzled, weathered man nursing a beer. Nico gestured discreetly for Lola to join them. Shooting Nico a quelling look, because she still thought this was a bad idea, she reluctantly moved to his side. Callon pressed against her back. She looked up and over her shoulder and saw that he was facing the room, his large frame keeping her hidden from prying eyes. And, no doubt, trying to keep himself under control.
Up close, she could see the customer was strongly built beneath his ragged clothes, with calculating blue eyes that sharpened with interest at her approach. Lola shifted under his frank appraisal, but Nico gave her an encouraging nod. Gritting her teeth, she turned to the stranger.
“Please excuse my friend’s manners,” Lola began politely. “We don’t mean to bother you, but we were hoping…”
The man slammed his drink down with a bang, leering at her crudely. “Well, lookie here, boys! Seems the pretty lady’s going begging.” He crowded closer to Lola as voices called out encouragement. “What services you offering, darlin’?”
Lola opened her mouth to unleash a scathing retort, but before she could speak, Callon was there. With a snarling roar, he grabbed the man by the front of his grimy shirt and slammed him back against the bar. His head cracked against the wood, and his leering bravado evaporated instantly. Primal fury was etched on Callon’s face.
The rest of the seedy tavern fell deathly silent. Out of the corner of her eye, Lola saw the man’s cronies half-rise from their seats, hands clenched into fists. But they froze as Callon turned his blazing golden gaze on them. Power and violence rolled off him in suffocating waves, daring any to approach.
Callon’s lips peeled back and showed the hint of a fang, a clear warning. The men exchanged uneasy glances, hands drifting away from makeshift weapons. One by one, they settled slowly back onto their stools. She quickly placed a discreet hand on his back and tried to push some sort of comfort to him through the bond they shared. He couldn’t lose his cool, at least not completely, because of the challenge issued by Lyra. Wisely, the man’s friends dropped their eyes and left Lola’s mate to handle their offending friend.
Satisfied no one would interfere, Callon snapped his focus back to the man still pinned helplessly in his grip. His face had gone chalky, his eyes round with primal fear at the predator restraining him. He seemed to realize just how close he was to death.
In the fraught silence, Raphael glided casually up to the bar. Turning a placid smile on Callon’s wide-eyed prisoner, he said mildly, “I believe the lady is owed an apology.” When the man just gaped at him, Raphael’s eyes turned from violet to red in a blink and back to violet again. For a brief moment, he actually appeared like the demon he was instead of an inhumanly handsome poser. “Her husband seems rather insistent on the matter.”
The man’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he stared into Callon’s piercing gaze. “Meant no offense,” he rasped out. Clearing his throat, he added gruffly, “My most humble apologies for the misunderstanding, Mrs.”
Callon studied him a moment longer before releasing his hold. Lola sighed in relief as the tension slowly eased from the charged room. Wrapping a protective arm around her, Callon guided them back outside to rejoin their group.
“Well, that was fruitful,” Lola offered.
Nico winced at their stern looks. “Perhaps not my most well-thought-out idea.” Before Callon could lay into him, the shaman quickly added, “But it did prove one thing—our drunk friend in there is made of tough stuff. He didn’t pee on himself when Callon picked him up as if he were as light as a feather. Reckon he’s our best bet to handle whatever the bayou throws our way.”
Lola exchanged a surprised look with Callon. As unorthodox as his methods were, Nico had a point. The unflappable man had potential. But winning him over would require a delicate touch after that disastrous first impression.
As the others tossed around ideas, Lola reached a decision. “I’ll try talking to him alone. Without distractions.” She shot Nico a quelling glare. “Just two people having a conversation.”
“No.” Callon’s immediate protest wasn’t a surprise to her, and she was prepared for it.
“Callon.” Lola started to lay her hand on his arm, but he pulled back before she could touch him.
“I said no.”
He looked her dead in the eyes, his golden orbs filled with emotions that Lola didn’t fully understand. How could she? It’s not like they’d been a couple for longer than a week. She was still learning to process her own emotions toward Callon. How could she possibly filter through his?
“I heard what you said.” Lola attempted to maintain a calm manner, not wanting to provoke the beast inside him. Though not because she feared him. Lola knew with every fiber of her being that he would never hurt her. But she couldn’t say the same for the rest of the world. She attempted to lay her hand on his arm again, and again, he stepped out of her reach. She narrowed her eyes at him. “Why do you keep backing away from me?” Lola wasn’t about to admit that it hurt her feelings that he was avoiding her touch.
The look in his eyes suddenly softened. He’d obviously picked up on her emotions. Callon’s demeanor changed completely. In two strides, he had his arms around her and his mouth right next to her ear.
“I’m not rejecting you.” He growled, his voice dangerously low. Lola could feel the underlying anger in his words, even though they were spoken softly enough for only her to hear.
“Then why?” she demanded. Lola knew he could see the hurt and confusion in her eyes.
“Your touch affects my beast in ways I can’t control,” he spat out, his grip on her tightening like a vice. “It made me feel like you’re trying to manipulate us.”
She struggled against his hold, wanting to break free from his accusations. “How could you even think that? I would never—”
“I know,” he interrupted, his voice now filled with remorse. “Forgive me for doubting you.”
Lola was angry with him. How dare he question her intentions? How dare he assume she would manipulate him for some unknown gain? But she couldn’t stay mad at him for long, not when she saw the pain etched on his face.
“I can feel the anger radiating off of you,” Callon murmured, his eyes pleading for her to open up to him. “Talk to me. How can I make this right?”
“You aren’t my parent, Callon. You can’t just tell me ‘no’ and expect me to obey.”
He pulled back his hands quickly, moving to cup her face before she could step away. Callon pressed his forehead to hers and took several deep breaths. “You’re right. I’m not your parent,” he said finally. “But I am your mate, and my opinion should carry some weight with you.”
“Of course it does,” she practically growled. “Just as my opinion should with you. I realize I haven’t been part of your world for very long, but I’m used to dealing with all types of people. I’m a New Yorker, for goodness’ sake. The likes of that man”—she pointed back to the tavern—“are what I dealt with on an hourly basis at NNP.”
“Fair enough,” Callon conceded. “But what are you going to tell him? You can’t go with the complete truth because he’d think you’re crazy.”
“I mated you,” Lola muttered. “I’m beginning to think that solidified my ‘crazy’ status.”
“Lola not going,” a small but angry voice said.
Lola rolled her eyes. Seriously? She was already dealing with one overprotective male. She didn’t need a second.
“Otto, go back to sleep,” she told him. Her face was still in Callon’s hands, so she was unable to look around him at the little lizard.
“Lola,” Lyra spoke up. “Otto and Callon are right. You’re not going to go speak with that man.”
“I’m not?” Her voice sounded small even to herself. She managed to dislodge Callon’s hold, only because he let her, and stepped around him so she could see the rest of their group.
“I am the Prima of the Pride, and you are mated to my son. That puts you under the sovereignty of myself and Taras. This is all new to you, and while I don’t doubt your courage, you are but a babe in our world.”
“Otto tries to tell that, but listen? Nope.” He was half hanging out of Lyra’s bag, looking ridiculous with his face resting in his hands.
Lyra patted his head. “Yes. We know. Now hush.”
Lola pressed her lips together to keep from laughing at the affronted look on Otto’s face.
“Taras and I will address the matter with the male,” Lyra continued. “Raphael, you will join us. You have some persuasive ability that we might need. The rest of you will wait here.”
Nico started to speak, but Lyra shot him a sharp look. The shaman’s mouth snapped closed.
Taras rested his hand on his mate’s lower back and steered her toward the tavern, Raphael on their heels.
“Your mom is a badass.” Lola watched the trio walk away.
“That she is.”
She could feel Callon’s eyes on her and could sense frustration coming through their bond loud and clear.
Finally, Lola sighed and turned to face him. “We have things we need to discuss.”
“Yes, when this is all said and done. We will deal with relationship expectations. Realistic and unrealistic.”
Lola nodded. She wasn’t looking forward to that conversation.
Chapter Thirteen
A Snake Without Its Den.
“There’s an emptiness in all of us that longs to be filled. We don’t know what with, but we do a darn good job of attempting to fill it with everything and anything that brings happiness, no matter how fleeting. For most of us, it takes hitting rock bottom to realize that the emptiness we come into the world with is actually our own soul crying out for companionship. We weren’t designed to be alone, to be islands in a massive ocean. We have been created for fellowship, to enrich the lives of others, and to be enriched. And when we live out that task, we have something so much more than happiness. We have joy. Joy is everlasting. It sticks with us even when fickle happiness has fled.” ~Katy
Katy stared around at the neon chaos of the Las Vegas strip in awe. Her nose wrinkled at the overload of smells and sounds bombarding her heightened senses. After the quiet of nature, the city was utterly overwhelming.
Beside her, Gage’s large hand engulfed her own, keeping her anchored amidst the teeming crowds flowing past them. Now that they were mates, she could pierce the glamour magic concealing the Damarians around them. And what a bizarre array they were. She wanted to take pictures and send them to Lola and Maddie to see if they saw what she did. But then she remembered that Gage had said he didn’t want anyone knowing what they were up to. Katy hoped her friends were safe. She wasn’t sure if she wanted their quest to be successful because that would put them in the path of Azure and his witch. She thought of Otto, and though she worried for him, too, he was capable of protecting himself, or else he surely wouldn’t have lived as long as he had. Another strange person, or whatever, walked by, and Katy tried hard not to stare at the legs, which belonged to some animal with hooves rather than a human.
Most had only the barest of animal characteristics, a set of horns here, a lion’s tail there. Others seemed an impossible mishmash, blending feline, canine, or even insectile and reptilian features. Katy shook her head, still struggling to process this new supernatural reality in which she found herself immersed. “Uh, Gage? What’s up with the locals here?” She gestured discreetly at a couple strolling by. The man’s arms were furry and had claws while the woman sported patches of feathers amidst her wild curls.
“The Kingdom of Chaos,” Gage rumbled close to her ear as he followed her gaze, unperturbed. “Chaos members cannot fully change into their animal natures. As you might notice, some of them seem like splices of several different species. They can use glamour enough to fool humans. But they can’t hide their true selves from other supernatural creatures. That now includes you.”
He steered them confidently through the garishly lit streets. Katy kept pace, studying the jumbled beings around her curiously. Her eyes bounced between the odd Damarians and the overwhelming spectacle of the Strip. Who could ever have imagined such diversity existed right under the human’s noses? Lola. Her friend and those supernatural books she read; she could have imagined it. Not to mention every author that wrote books about such species. Wouldn’t they love to know they were right all along, or at least on the right track?
After several blocks, Gage led the way down a shadowy side street. They stopped before a grimy building sporting a battered “CLOSED” sign. To Katy’s eyes, the place appeared completely abandoned. Katy made a face. “Seriously? This place is where you think we will find Zeena?” The windows were blacked out with age and filth. Weeds pushed up through cracked concrete. It did not look like a place the Queen of Snakes would frequent.
Gage shook his head as he pushed the door open, ushering her inside. Her nose wrinkled at the powerful smells of beer, sweat, and other less pleasant odors. Raucous laughter and the clink of glasses rang out from a room down a dingy hallway.
“A chaos watering hole,” Gage explained in an undertone. “I’m sure we won’t find Zeena here, but we will probably find loose tongues.”
As they moved toward the noise, Katy spied a warped funhouse mirror on the wall, reflecting their forms back grotesquely misshapen. She grimaced. “Charming decor.”
Once they’d cleared the hallway, they stepped into a large room. Inside was a lively bar, music pumping as a mixed crowd drank and mingled beneath strings of novelty lights. And not a single fully human face among them that Katy could see.
She glanced at Gage with raised brows. He gave a slight nod to confirm what she was realizing—these strange patrons were all Chaos members like he’d described. Katy moved closer to Gage as they wound through the boisterous patrons toward the bar.
A burly man with a bull’s horns, snout, and hooves served up drinks with a bored expression. When he noticed Gage, he visibly perked up.
“Been awhile, Dire. What brings you to the land of misfit beasts?” The bartender’s beady eyes shifted to Katy in blatant curiosity.
Gage’s hand settled on Katy’s lower back possessively. “I’m looking for someone. Hoping you fine Chaos folk can point me in the right direction.”
The bull-man shrugged. “Can try. What’s it worth to you?”
Pulling out a roll of cash, Gage set it on the bar top. “A viper. Azure’s queen, to be precise.”
With a snort, the bartender swiped up the money. “Zeena might rule the vipers, but she don’t run with our kind. Too good for the likes of us twisted beasts.” He spat on the floor in disgust.
Katy’s shoulders slumped. But Gage pressed on. “When was she last seen in your territory? Any whispers at all?”
The bull-man scratched his chin, considering. Then his eyes lit up. “Actually, now that you mention it, some of the lower viper lackeys have been sniffing around more than usual for the past month or so. Could be they’re watching her back while she lies low.”
Gage’s gaze was steady. “Any particular place that they would hang around?”
The bartender grabbed a toothpick and slipped it between his lips as he thought. He picked up several dirty glasses that had been left by patrons on the bar, his eyes taking on a faraway look. A few moments later, he snapped his fingers and nearly spit out his toothpick as he spoke. “It was on the tip of my tongue, but I just couldn’t catch it, you know? But now I’ve got it. The Chaos members with reptilian attributes tend to keep to themselves. They hang out at the older part of the Strip.”
Katy perked up at this potential lead, exchanging an eager glance with Gage. His hand squeezed her waist gently before turning back to the bartender.
“You mean Fremont Street?”
The bull-man shook his head. “Nah, that place has become a tourist trap. Near there, but just out of the limelight. It’s maybe ten blocks that away.” He waved a burly arm vaguely northward. “You’ll know you found it when all the neon and glitz fade away. Just seedy bars and dilapidated motels that are barely standing anymore.”
“We appreciate the tip.” Gage slid another roll of bills across the bar. “And your discretion.”
With a snort, the bartender swept up the money. “We don’t get many snakes or wolves in here. And if anyone asks, I haven’t seen either one in quite some time.” He gave Gage a sly wink. “Good luck finding what you seek.”
Katy breathed a soft sigh of relief as they headed back outside, the pulsing music fading behind them. Their first genuine lead, and they’d only been in Vegas less than a day. If they could locate the dregs of Azure’s kingdom haunting this rundown area, those snakes might point the way to their fallen queen.
Katy brushed her arm against Gage’s muscular one as they navigated the ostentatious lights of the main strip. “Do you think we’ll actually find Zeena in that area?”
Gage considered. “The Zeena I’ve known over the years? Not a chance. But the Creator made it clear that she’s not the same as she once was. And if she’s trying to lie low, then it’s probably a good place to hide.” His sharp gaze scanned the crowds passing by. “The vipers were cast out when Talbot claimed the throne. Those still loyal to Azure have nothing left to lose.”
Katy chewed her bottom lip thoughtfully. She couldn’t imagine turning on her own people as some in the splintered Venom Kingdom had. But then again, she didn’t have centuries of alliances and grudges between supernatural factions to contend with. They were wading into a quagmire generations in the making.
