Chapter 26
Despite the King’s murder and the104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOhWlSC9XoJ
man hunt taking over the city, the Orange Fox was still as popular as ever, if104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfiis7Y2CGh
not more so. With all that was going on in their lives, more and more people104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡucca91UUxh
needed an outlet for their angst and despair. Some of the people Vander had104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnKdz8Ezpsf
noticed, who had never been here before, were now here every night gambling or104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1G1WdxX5eT
drinking their problems away. It made Ross happier than he had been in a long104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJWaoOIdGK9
time, which made him thirst for even more riches.
Vander and Shea stopped at the104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN6bydYvupX
door that led into the man’s suite. Left was nowhere to be found, probably back104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTQRBw5d1P1
outside with Right. Everyone knew you didn’t mess with the proprietor of this104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBWNj6JU6HS
establishment if you didn’t want your darkest secrets to come to light.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhzukvScie4
However, there would probably come a time when he would meet someone who had104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWu6rke64uj
nothing left to lose and would come knocking so he hoped Ross knew how to104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdl8XWbxHRj
fight.
There were noises coming from104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwyu4eViHcI
behind the door. Based on the sweaty smell and the grunting sounds coming from104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡitB69DBAUJ
within, the two of them decided to wait until it was done before entering.
“I can feel you hovering!” Ross104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcdTWlhgKGH
called out. “Come on in, don’t worry, I’m decent.” Vander and Shea exchanged104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVwEXDws5S9
glances, but they pushed the door open anyway to head inside.
True to Ross’s word, he was104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5MjQKSOcRF
decent. He was sitting behind his desk with his robe open showing off his104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3OMrRA2YEo
heavily muscled frame. In his hand was a glass of amber colored liquid that104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGTmpU80Vcd
smelled heavily like whiskey. However, the show was happening on the couch that104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpHVfrxlZxN
Vander would have to walk past to talk to his patron. Two people, a man and a104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Ti9ORsa1J
woman, were in the middle of some passionate sex. He was inside her, while104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcciziE2Bun
playing with her breast, and thrusting like he would die tonight. Vander could104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpb0p93SvAg
feel his lust start to creep out, but he closed his eyes to center himself.
“Interesting, isn’t it?” Ross’s104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSYFKsqck44
voice brought him out of his stupor. “How much you can learn by watching.”
“I wouldn’t know.” Vander took the104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCj3cEIuQfr
chair across from him making sure he could block the sight from his vision, but104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaUEXRieyqw
he could still hear them going at it. “Why have you called me here? Certainly,104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2apXBwsFfj
it wasn’t to watch two of your workers fuck each other.”
“No, that’s for me.” Ross104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZLTWhtIEo9
chuckled. “I called you here to see if you remember the terms of our104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTKZ2s5Bp0E
arrangement.” He wondered when the day would come Ross would ask about that. It104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq9q2fjiAxE
meant that he had something in mind, something he wouldn’t enjoy.
“I do.” Vander nodded. Ross104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSiibC8tyug
prompted him to continue. Sighing, he said: “In exchange for your protection104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcuN6Qtrmc3
and anything I need, you wanted me to fight down in the cage for the guest’s104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3XE3QrNdDT
entertainment.”
“Correct.” Ross put down his104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBozbUkPPRV
glass. “I have given you three months, generous of me, I know.” Vander rolled104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDD1QxZMYHh
his eyes. “But I’m calling in debt tonight. I can’t treat you as a champion,104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvxs5WHDo3Y
you must work your way up the ranks before fighting the bear.”
“I will not kill anyone.” Vander104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKlS96KzQuX
warned. “That was part of our deal, remember?”
“Of course,” Ross dismissed it104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOaxSh517RS
with a wave of his hand. “It’s not often our duels end in deaths, just against104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3VdEdY8m9E
the bear.” He got up from the desk while removing his robe. Vander averted his104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvl97HhybO3
gaze as the naked man walked past him to join the two on the couch. “Your first104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBCLav14X4i
fight is tomorrow night. I have sent some things to your room to help you104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYT1XBO95zi
relax. Right will come get you when it’s time.” Vander waited for the104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4SvWf84v72
dismissal, but it never came. When he left Ross was biting the other man’s neck104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1eZ3ULYHz9
while stroking him.
Shea asked him what the meeting104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ35brjKWu5e
was about, so Vander explained it to her. She voiced her anger the entire walk104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr8zvC4ozKd
back to their bedroom. She wasn’t happy with the deal they had made with Ross104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmwjKpCok2I
in the first place, but she didn’t think he would force Vander to fight like he104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEy8VYiqpHn
said he would. He was just glad Ross gave him as much time as he did to get104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtb0ByGsWHN
over what had happened.
When two of them arrived back at104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMXGiF0szlS
the room, both were on instant alert. They could hear giggling of two women104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDxeFbxtBO4
behind the door, so they relaxed. He knew the scent of one of them as the104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBI2jrMLDoD
bartender he had met the last time he was here. The second woman was new. He104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfNxMZCUF2M
heard that Ross had hired a new server just this morning, so it might have been104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk3wccw0dCj
her. He wouldn’t know until he opened the door.
“I’m going to stay out here and104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiHaXOVliR1
guard the door.” He could feel Shea’s judgement through their bond. It104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmV7yYG3DJZ
embarrassed him, but both knew that he wouldn’t be able to relax until the104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpqRew6LZGN
demon was satisfied in all ways. It was the animalistic urge that filled him.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9U7vmHPFDs
This was one of the few ways to sate that thirst. Ross knew what he was doing104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGJLDbEbLWU
when he invited Vander to witness the display in his office. It had made him104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn4oxvW5FQX
hungry.
He stepped into the room to see104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ZuK5c2cu3
two beautiful women sitting on his bed. The blonde bartender waved at him104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1bgfmLrLOr
before giving him a coy wink. The second he didn’t recognize, however she104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMX0Rtwg45F
seemed familiar. He must have seen her around the warehouse the past couple of104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUDHexDhL4p
days but didn’t think much of it. The two women got up from the bed, pulling104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡszAoaPvpNL
him over to them. The blonde placed her mouth on his while the brunet started104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUH5UEldPeo
pulling off his shirt. For once he and the demon were of mind. They didn’t want104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsqFOMTdO7f
to leave here until it was time for the fight.
…
Vander snoozed in his bed104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXpowBARops
completely drained. Despite what he wanted, he was only able to for an hour or104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTj00vbvAcl
so before the events from the night before caught up to him. Hopefully he left104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnmnmdzLN3l
the two women feeling satisfied, but he knew it had more to do with what they104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGYpge57wEF
did for each other than he did, but it was still fun, so he had no complaints.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtlzmzw4cuO
Shea refused to sleep on the bed until it was cleaned and the stench from his104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRfOeylLWTA
two visitors was completely wiped away. So, she slept on the floor by his side104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUjIF4IG5MI
of the bed as he rested.
Ever since the night of Malcolm’s104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLuXwpXmTuR
murder, the gods had been quiet. He no longer received strange dreams from104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡve5q4UwtO1
either Veyar or Unna, which concerned him greatly. He couldn’t remember the104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡudFrFGf4Br
last time he hadn’t had a visit, but he knew that he should enjoy it while it104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxAiFcUgZM2
lasted.
He rested until about midmorning104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgFhwqCKrjh
when the sun was up, and he could hear the cleaners tidying up after the events104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl8JQ1hC1hm
from last night. He walked over to the bathroom to take a quick shower. He made104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4h0hXkin1r
sure that his hair dye hadn’t slipped while it was wet before getting dressed.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlliqzzhWR6
He chose a pair of brown trousers, a white shirt, and his boots. As far as104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVqS7R0e7q5
disguises went, it wasn’t much, but that was exactly the point. He would be104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmpgRDvpE5k
able to blend in with the crowds.
“Where are you going?” Shea104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeff4RN1Le2
asked. He could tell that she was tired because her eyes were drooping.
“I want to go to the safe house104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyO1Giys0xv
and see if anything happened while I was here.” Vander explained. He strapped a104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Jy873hnMs
sword, a different sword than his Blade weapon, to his back before throwing a104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhrRbbaRXML
messenger bag strap over his shoulder. “If the guards were paying attention104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRfhwuWIowU
they would notice the carnage. I want to see who else shows up.”
“Are you sure that’s wise?” Shea104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZLD8hw2Ky7
asked. “What if someone recognizes you?”
“In the unlikely event of that104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOZ88ApYPwV
happening, I can lose them.” Vander promised. She wasn’t entirely convinced it104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMGagp4f1Pb
was safe, especially if she couldn’t go with him. However, they both knew that104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxHM5sdMZpb
was the only choice they could make. If they wanted to get back to their home,104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwDq5KaxNZF
they would have to take risks. Vander kissed her on the top of her head104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7d65GkVQ8u
promising to return soon before slipping out the door.
He greeted all the workers as he104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPI8gU8GvEP
left, blowing a quick kiss to the blonde as she cleaned up the bar. Right and104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡur76VFuwXn
Left rolled their eyes but let him leave without stopping him. If he wanted to104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnifnIrLq6m
get caught that was his problem, not the bouncers.
The southern district looked a lot104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcNP8kBHZWe
different in the light of day than the dark of night. The homeless scrounged104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnsJN0kusyU
around for food that was left behind during the night or robbing the drunks who104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbNaKrdm14Q
hadn’t been able to make it home before passing out in the alleys. Vander kept104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcTnnscP3e9
his nose to the ground unwilling to look any of them in the eye. Sometimes they104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiDR1bZTGHn
saw it as a challenge and on multiple occasions he had been attacked. It was104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgnWLEC3lGv
over quickly, but it drew too much attention so he did what he could to not104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWa8mFJ7JEP
appear threatening.
Once he got to the gate separating104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡISI233dUZa
the districts, the two guards on duty stopped him. They told him about a house104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNPNcucCaTY
that had been broken into and the occupants had all been killed. They were104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡygrNPHRObQ
given orders to question everybody coming in or out of the district. They asked104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡer4swFw4oQ
for his name, of which he gave a fake one, then asked why he was coming into104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtqcTQ8J2j8
the eastern district that day. He explained that he was on his way to picking104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ366R8RXPUF
up some packages from the market then delivering them to several different104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpiM1Q9sM9z
people. Runners were quite common in the city, so the guards didn’t seem phased104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMPFP1t7SwO
by his explanation. When questioned about the sword, Vander laughed. He told104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeEfeOw1FrC
them that they would also have a weapon on them if they knew where he was104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOT1NxYJ2jx
going. Once they patted him down, they sent him on his way.
Vander expected some manner of104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl4pAmoabOA
traffic due to what he did the previous night, but he didn’t expect so many104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf6yE5MnBAd
guards. He even caught a couple of teal uniforms talking to some of them. So,104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmDJxnIMjyd
the Blades were aware of what was going on, but the fact that the guards didn’t104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9u3zcahToJ
know meant that they were keeping the identities of the dead a secret. That104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCsuQtr5mQk
didn’t bode too well for him, he had to make sure that his disguise was perfect104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPOJ9ANxDGm
to avoid suspicion.
He kept to the edge of the crowd,104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzoL3W9VK9G
carefully making sure not to bump the people in front of him. However, the104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ94wAQfYK8q
crowd was so thick that he couldn’t see over anyone. Annoyed with himself, he104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNszrlOgiQt
did the only thing he could do. He snuck off to a dark alley, positioned some104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ldAjNFDWJ
stuff in front of him so he couldn’t be seen, then bent down.
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He reached deep inside of him,104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDmicHhGUEr
touching the shard that was embedded into his body. It buckled in fought him,104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZCR1lpCUgR
but he twisted the powers to suit his own needs. He could feel many different104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ148pgHYhmU
creatures around him, but the one he homed in on was the raven on the roof top104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSkW89YUAid
above him. He pushed his consciousness inside and when he opened his eyes once again,104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgxRaZ0Awrw
he could see above the crowd and his own unconscious form down below. With a104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5J9JqtnfnC
loud cry he beat his wings and flew.
