Chapter 26
Despite the King’s murder and the84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXc0WgleIXc
man hunt taking over the city, the Orange Fox was still as popular as ever, if84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsb2DSGxdi5
not more so. With all that was going on in their lives, more and more people84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8yp2p7Xt8f
needed an outlet for their angst and despair. Some of the people Vander had84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2HLcRikCkk
noticed, who had never been here before, were now here every night gambling or84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt20b9n34yU
drinking their problems away. It made Ross happier than he had been in a long84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiW1e1SCGy5
time, which made him thirst for even more riches.
Vander and Shea stopped at the84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIWKr39bEAC
door that led into the man’s suite. Left was nowhere to be found, probably back84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlPGith8yhz
outside with Right. Everyone knew you didn’t mess with the proprietor of this84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSwoXBSBqxC
establishment if you didn’t want your darkest secrets to come to light.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE705AdgLXx
However, there would probably come a time when he would meet someone who had84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPQYluDrtmK
nothing left to lose and would come knocking so he hoped Ross knew how to84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIrOHoRyez8
fight.
There were noises coming from84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1KitM3G53V
behind the door. Based on the sweaty smell and the grunting sounds coming from84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWfHMsH7dIy
within, the two of them decided to wait until it was done before entering.
“I can feel you hovering!” Ross84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZPVlVvhN6B
called out. “Come on in, don’t worry, I’m decent.” Vander and Shea exchanged84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuzjA9VqZ63
glances, but they pushed the door open anyway to head inside.
True to Ross’s word, he was84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Kz5h6Q9er
decent. He was sitting behind his desk with his robe open showing off his84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcHru36YlLL
heavily muscled frame. In his hand was a glass of amber colored liquid that84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGY9WX7yyrQ
smelled heavily like whiskey. However, the show was happening on the couch that84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFMpuo6oHzi
Vander would have to walk past to talk to his patron. Two people, a man and a84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc0v4QIk1z6
woman, were in the middle of some passionate sex. He was inside her, while84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu1L7OT1yek
playing with her breast, and thrusting like he would die tonight. Vander could84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbeR3LUwegV
feel his lust start to creep out, but he closed his eyes to center himself.
“Interesting, isn’t it?” Ross’s84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxZAuS30rub
voice brought him out of his stupor. “How much you can learn by watching.”
“I wouldn’t know.” Vander took the84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG70cktS2mH
chair across from him making sure he could block the sight from his vision, but84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO1N44Emkbd
he could still hear them going at it. “Why have you called me here? Certainly,84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqxBErv2J3H
it wasn’t to watch two of your workers fuck each other.”
“No, that’s for me.” Ross84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOS4vRssKto
chuckled. “I called you here to see if you remember the terms of our84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRei6lHgy1Z
arrangement.” He wondered when the day would come Ross would ask about that. It84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5BX0EBiSVI
meant that he had something in mind, something he wouldn’t enjoy.
“I do.” Vander nodded. Ross84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqZUKECUzNq
prompted him to continue. Sighing, he said: “In exchange for your protection84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLzUSH8mR0S
and anything I need, you wanted me to fight down in the cage for the guest’s84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuYRFIINYyX
entertainment.”
“Correct.” Ross put down his84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpuEkrkjqk6
glass. “I have given you three months, generous of me, I know.” Vander rolled84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvUvQw3flng
his eyes. “But I’m calling in debt tonight. I can’t treat you as a champion,84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoLpDEDHWLp
you must work your way up the ranks before fighting the bear.”
“I will not kill anyone.” Vander84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡShpzTuSdkQ
warned. “That was part of our deal, remember?”
“Of course,” Ross dismissed it84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡajorXveVxg
with a wave of his hand. “It’s not often our duels end in deaths, just against84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ49ih4U3RvM
the bear.” He got up from the desk while removing his robe. Vander averted his84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKJpV3lTaU1
gaze as the naked man walked past him to join the two on the couch. “Your first84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ3pLF9x30c
fight is tomorrow night. I have sent some things to your room to help you84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8fanFuskzj
relax. Right will come get you when it’s time.” Vander waited for the84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUc2zoC8II1
dismissal, but it never came. When he left Ross was biting the other man’s neck84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXHx0AZPvXL
while stroking him.
Shea asked him what the meeting84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHcK7aQDBkg
was about, so Vander explained it to her. She voiced her anger the entire walk84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRDF2MRsqHi
back to their bedroom. She wasn’t happy with the deal they had made with Ross84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvj5GO2yhhi
in the first place, but she didn’t think he would force Vander to fight like he84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7oNfiVHXwN
said he would. He was just glad Ross gave him as much time as he did to get84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Hd1TXqpCS
over what had happened.
When two of them arrived back at84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ47x7bFvJeZ
the room, both were on instant alert. They could hear giggling of two women84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6UJjtytTVa
behind the door, so they relaxed. He knew the scent of one of them as the84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvk5zeKd923
bartender he had met the last time he was here. The second woman was new. He84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcMFT0mW3zg
heard that Ross had hired a new server just this morning, so it might have been84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ65LMNgVtDD
her. He wouldn’t know until he opened the door.
“I’m going to stay out here and84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC4UELi8Nfh
guard the door.” He could feel Shea’s judgement through their bond. It84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ66Bxdew1ao
embarrassed him, but both knew that he wouldn’t be able to relax until the84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtvMw3ZgEaa
demon was satisfied in all ways. It was the animalistic urge that filled him.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeZYB6sgDAT
This was one of the few ways to sate that thirst. Ross knew what he was doing84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1dky56U4we
when he invited Vander to witness the display in his office. It had made him84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdENbRx9sfy
hungry.
He stepped into the room to see84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjrDxhg8Vgv
two beautiful women sitting on his bed. The blonde bartender waved at him84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYVGWvqo6Pp
before giving him a coy wink. The second he didn’t recognize, however she84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZYLmIZmidT
seemed familiar. He must have seen her around the warehouse the past couple of84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd2kiEOx62l
days but didn’t think much of it. The two women got up from the bed, pulling84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvy3cnQJxih
him over to them. The blonde placed her mouth on his while the brunet started84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡggB1O0eGPe
pulling off his shirt. For once he and the demon were of mind. They didn’t want84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIHZLEpgCtp
to leave here until it was time for the fight.
…
Vander snoozed in his bed84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTN5bBr4WJ5
completely drained. Despite what he wanted, he was only able to for an hour or84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdxDHGXsl6k
so before the events from the night before caught up to him. Hopefully he left84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTmRY5fIppO
the two women feeling satisfied, but he knew it had more to do with what they84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvLM49iWLve
did for each other than he did, but it was still fun, so he had no complaints.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAUI1Z9ND8G
Shea refused to sleep on the bed until it was cleaned and the stench from his84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyfMJ2QU8FK
two visitors was completely wiped away. So, she slept on the floor by his side84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOOVNI4nIBE
of the bed as he rested.
Ever since the night of Malcolm’s84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYCmX2Elos8
murder, the gods had been quiet. He no longer received strange dreams from84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡewufnFCTB4
either Veyar or Unna, which concerned him greatly. He couldn’t remember the84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ8hth4tfm9
last time he hadn’t had a visit, but he knew that he should enjoy it while it84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGFauyjb4nz
lasted.
He rested until about midmorning84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpUKtu6aGts
when the sun was up, and he could hear the cleaners tidying up after the events84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7pHFjvp1EG
from last night. He walked over to the bathroom to take a quick shower. He made84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbiu5UlfnHC
sure that his hair dye hadn’t slipped while it was wet before getting dressed.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcJdLTOMZlj
He chose a pair of brown trousers, a white shirt, and his boots. As far as84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpU5p3ka5n1
disguises went, it wasn’t much, but that was exactly the point. He would be84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSoryKwdkF1
able to blend in with the crowds.
“Where are you going?” Shea84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1mgpmyPncH
asked. He could tell that she was tired because her eyes were drooping.
“I want to go to the safe house84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm4YKNCmUIF
and see if anything happened while I was here.” Vander explained. He strapped a84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK5XCuCaHb2
sword, a different sword than his Blade weapon, to his back before throwing a84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡedRIyNeQGT
messenger bag strap over his shoulder. “If the guards were paying attention84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrgVC5PjUeU
they would notice the carnage. I want to see who else shows up.”
“Are you sure that’s wise?” Shea84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB5SVmz0z0D
asked. “What if someone recognizes you?”
“In the unlikely event of that84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ8D3LZLU2J
happening, I can lose them.” Vander promised. She wasn’t entirely convinced it84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr3ZhHa9p6b
was safe, especially if she couldn’t go with him. However, they both knew that84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnAs6QuxsNo
was the only choice they could make. If they wanted to get back to their home,84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR4pmedOj6L
they would have to take risks. Vander kissed her on the top of her head84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFb3gXt2tbY
promising to return soon before slipping out the door.
He greeted all the workers as he84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqanc0hVvBf
left, blowing a quick kiss to the blonde as she cleaned up the bar. Right and84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQG1hlrjuxV
Left rolled their eyes but let him leave without stopping him. If he wanted to84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEnqj5SsXwN
get caught that was his problem, not the bouncers.
The southern district looked a lot84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkjwOtCqnsU
different in the light of day than the dark of night. The homeless scrounged84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg1iPbnJgvA
around for food that was left behind during the night or robbing the drunks who84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLxyjl46NLZ
hadn’t been able to make it home before passing out in the alleys. Vander kept84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4K0I10f9fe
his nose to the ground unwilling to look any of them in the eye. Sometimes they84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp8Resz32Jg
saw it as a challenge and on multiple occasions he had been attacked. It was84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwUAJTQBlhl
over quickly, but it drew too much attention so he did what he could to not84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd1t53X5adR
appear threatening.
Once he got to the gate separating84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvY0bNq1MJV
the districts, the two guards on duty stopped him. They told him about a house84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG7YcgkkZH0
that had been broken into and the occupants had all been killed. They were84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoZ0BHDGs4F
given orders to question everybody coming in or out of the district. They asked84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwWzLSDnodm
for his name, of which he gave a fake one, then asked why he was coming into84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpy8vT8zSd2
the eastern district that day. He explained that he was on his way to picking84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY3XrE4sA5A
up some packages from the market then delivering them to several different84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRQvhJLDiGH
people. Runners were quite common in the city, so the guards didn’t seem phased84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzfZOSL2lAq
by his explanation. When questioned about the sword, Vander laughed. He told84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgEW06rocFF
them that they would also have a weapon on them if they knew where he was84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiJlwgxaD9Z
going. Once they patted him down, they sent him on his way.
Vander expected some manner of84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Y8aYtVw0h
traffic due to what he did the previous night, but he didn’t expect so many84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcYBTWjlDPA
guards. He even caught a couple of teal uniforms talking to some of them. So,84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXbeomZeuhk
the Blades were aware of what was going on, but the fact that the guards didn’t84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLmeCm1eHFW
know meant that they were keeping the identities of the dead a secret. That84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9mNzRdzn9C
didn’t bode too well for him, he had to make sure that his disguise was perfect84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIRCc9kPfK4
to avoid suspicion.
He kept to the edge of the crowd,84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIdLPpogk0f
carefully making sure not to bump the people in front of him. However, the84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkGm7MDWG0R
crowd was so thick that he couldn’t see over anyone. Annoyed with himself, he84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiayeinUmxj
did the only thing he could do. He snuck off to a dark alley, positioned some84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWfVueFgVjU
stuff in front of him so he couldn’t be seen, then bent down.
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuITNk3gYki
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK7fUKfSPXy
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzaIYof7075
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ABLbyYqjU
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGrGbOgrpBb
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnvHx6u4qZX
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPBlLCYrFXp
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9oHTRbECHn
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHQCwUXmH4E
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI1s9LG3bWO
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ09L3hMVekR
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYGFsWTT6du
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpjbE3y3vGP
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1fsiim1pFi
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD1oSDu4vis
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM30XjeyPGM
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA1lgzoos39
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT92T5rcKWC
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI0BLfjSlLc
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHmVVFZMqcm
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHdldlJOVSv
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3mpVgd8Sqe
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPk1sWGYrYV
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1aftOpzIkj
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQqSUE6CO8g
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCXSj0vhKd5
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6LoHA7d0DA
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZWez9MGzPC
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLRcQtKCULt
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf1zj3fmotM
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv8ZDPX3iHQ
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1tJVLGPXoz
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiTnW8PFrmv
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwEHVvYg10I
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡclxFP51VW4
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXsUk4VjeWa
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNDfqhe23HN
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8D6G48Q5JM
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3gSXdn8Py5
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSCEqrte1Nm
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4dBorKEYGS
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd3eIgCyBup
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf9rCVgbdU7
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡurfnoSR6pp
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡII2uv7DyI0
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9pzPiEnyvk
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3NOKX35DMF
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPqwXlu5lvd
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYUwZAC5SBA
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT0ElT2fO7M
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5P821gWqSr
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5GkaBKBYVB
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfbNvlsPg0N
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyY6N0yapik
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuMeddqpVgr
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU1wve0fva7
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiCCUFk27H8
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS5rTU4xQVj
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoEdVJcXq3h
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoU9PJEMeaf
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiiM4HLpLbi
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAzVweT2S8T
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCHUB14NFzQ
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmbYg7XBaEW
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1bzaXZp70R
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkcKEI1NjtK
He reached deep inside of him,84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJlLeqvl2O0
touching the shard that was embedded into his body. It buckled in fought him,84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXQ282ElxW4
but he twisted the powers to suit his own needs. He could feel many different84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡixOej8a8ku
creatures around him, but the one he homed in on was the raven on the roof top84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuTXj7n8Mnm
above him. He pushed his consciousness inside and when he opened his eyes once again,84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZuitYsjgX8
he could see above the crowd and his own unconscious form down below. With a84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu27hl6meF4
loud cry he beat his wings and flew.
