Chapter 26
Despite the King’s murder and the16Please respect copyright.PENANAq67E6Egxek
man hunt taking over the city, the Orange Fox was still as popular as ever, if16Please respect copyright.PENANAZFIS3bGwru
not more so. With all that was going on in their lives, more and more people16Please respect copyright.PENANAvjthTcOPCc
needed an outlet for their angst and despair. Some of the people Vander had16Please respect copyright.PENANAXeY1UdIpcG
noticed, who had never been here before, were now here every night gambling or16Please respect copyright.PENANAz7eid0AzW3
drinking their problems away. It made Ross happier than he had been in a long16Please respect copyright.PENANAGbwilDuQ7g
time, which made him thirst for even more riches.
Vander and Shea stopped at the16Please respect copyright.PENANAYeaXwgKNMF
door that led into the man’s suite. Left was nowhere to be found, probably back16Please respect copyright.PENANAiX57W63iiI
outside with Right. Everyone knew you didn’t mess with the proprietor of this16Please respect copyright.PENANAlfuL1JqCjP
establishment if you didn’t want your darkest secrets to come to light.16Please respect copyright.PENANA4I23lvHxwu
However, there would probably come a time when he would meet someone who had16Please respect copyright.PENANAGQGFNVU9te
nothing left to lose and would come knocking so he hoped Ross knew how to16Please respect copyright.PENANA4nNsHPkqiU
fight.
There were noises coming from16Please respect copyright.PENANAXDH9GWV9us
behind the door. Based on the sweaty smell and the grunting sounds coming from16Please respect copyright.PENANAzZbfcWTlQ4
within, the two of them decided to wait until it was done before entering.
“I can feel you hovering!” Ross16Please respect copyright.PENANAxIi0pWxaGA
called out. “Come on in, don’t worry, I’m decent.” Vander and Shea exchanged16Please respect copyright.PENANA7F5K7yVgAk
glances, but they pushed the door open anyway to head inside.
True to Ross’s word, he was16Please respect copyright.PENANAg7WBPhNrbJ
decent. He was sitting behind his desk with his robe open showing off his16Please respect copyright.PENANA2oGXvssDPr
heavily muscled frame. In his hand was a glass of amber colored liquid that16Please respect copyright.PENANAtX9g3ry9Yi
smelled heavily like whiskey. However, the show was happening on the couch that16Please respect copyright.PENANA46iXkKAAVy
Vander would have to walk past to talk to his patron. Two people, a man and a16Please respect copyright.PENANA6lCy0xtuUD
woman, were in the middle of some passionate sex. He was inside her, while16Please respect copyright.PENANAtYEKtRDiuC
playing with her breast, and thrusting like he would die tonight. Vander could16Please respect copyright.PENANAXyYyFe9QPg
feel his lust start to creep out, but he closed his eyes to center himself.
“Interesting, isn’t it?” Ross’s16Please respect copyright.PENANALoIQ27mlyU
voice brought him out of his stupor. “How much you can learn by watching.”
“I wouldn’t know.” Vander took the16Please respect copyright.PENANAp4zoyY6He2
chair across from him making sure he could block the sight from his vision, but16Please respect copyright.PENANA8wXwDsukxB
he could still hear them going at it. “Why have you called me here? Certainly,16Please respect copyright.PENANABY3ueC8ixN
it wasn’t to watch two of your workers fuck each other.”
“No, that’s for me.” Ross16Please respect copyright.PENANA3BBExAR5Mt
chuckled. “I called you here to see if you remember the terms of our16Please respect copyright.PENANAOACstQCmCB
arrangement.” He wondered when the day would come Ross would ask about that. It16Please respect copyright.PENANASwZw1qF3pa
meant that he had something in mind, something he wouldn’t enjoy.
“I do.” Vander nodded. Ross16Please respect copyright.PENANAqRLOztWtxQ
prompted him to continue. Sighing, he said: “In exchange for your protection16Please respect copyright.PENANAyKPu6sdP0U
and anything I need, you wanted me to fight down in the cage for the guest’s16Please respect copyright.PENANA1JKelHMnzH
entertainment.”
“Correct.” Ross put down his16Please respect copyright.PENANACv8dOP5AxT
glass. “I have given you three months, generous of me, I know.” Vander rolled16Please respect copyright.PENANADbDrKQFpsW
his eyes. “But I’m calling in debt tonight. I can’t treat you as a champion,16Please respect copyright.PENANA5y32PMszIS
you must work your way up the ranks before fighting the bear.”
“I will not kill anyone.” Vander16Please respect copyright.PENANA8XMn7VQJsN
warned. “That was part of our deal, remember?”
“Of course,” Ross dismissed it16Please respect copyright.PENANA9RkhQOPyU9
with a wave of his hand. “It’s not often our duels end in deaths, just against16Please respect copyright.PENANAPLtbrDlwaU
the bear.” He got up from the desk while removing his robe. Vander averted his16Please respect copyright.PENANAIACoUzYWAn
gaze as the naked man walked past him to join the two on the couch. “Your first16Please respect copyright.PENANASliGfY15kr
fight is tomorrow night. I have sent some things to your room to help you16Please respect copyright.PENANAefrwfWZNGw
relax. Right will come get you when it’s time.” Vander waited for the16Please respect copyright.PENANAduyaXrkkp6
dismissal, but it never came. When he left Ross was biting the other man’s neck16Please respect copyright.PENANAyWZDXBq8oD
while stroking him.
Shea asked him what the meeting16Please respect copyright.PENANApoklNFBAFJ
was about, so Vander explained it to her. She voiced her anger the entire walk16Please respect copyright.PENANAE9NcyWsCWF
back to their bedroom. She wasn’t happy with the deal they had made with Ross16Please respect copyright.PENANAkW07phpaSZ
in the first place, but she didn’t think he would force Vander to fight like he16Please respect copyright.PENANAP3BMX4c7W2
said he would. He was just glad Ross gave him as much time as he did to get16Please respect copyright.PENANAJorOL3csGC
over what had happened.
When two of them arrived back at16Please respect copyright.PENANABu1jzDWQ0K
the room, both were on instant alert. They could hear giggling of two women16Please respect copyright.PENANAEmtZc9vr7i
behind the door, so they relaxed. He knew the scent of one of them as the16Please respect copyright.PENANAs27by6KkDU
bartender he had met the last time he was here. The second woman was new. He16Please respect copyright.PENANAopCufkIsXp
heard that Ross had hired a new server just this morning, so it might have been16Please respect copyright.PENANAh3JHyuUzGa
her. He wouldn’t know until he opened the door.
“I’m going to stay out here and16Please respect copyright.PENANAEgQq26RRvW
guard the door.” He could feel Shea’s judgement through their bond. It16Please respect copyright.PENANA68xCLQHDA5
embarrassed him, but both knew that he wouldn’t be able to relax until the16Please respect copyright.PENANALQXx9fINyK
demon was satisfied in all ways. It was the animalistic urge that filled him.16Please respect copyright.PENANAwomomtFE3e
This was one of the few ways to sate that thirst. Ross knew what he was doing16Please respect copyright.PENANARKSR0uGrRm
when he invited Vander to witness the display in his office. It had made him16Please respect copyright.PENANACE2racB8qt
hungry.
He stepped into the room to see16Please respect copyright.PENANAeqLbm2uWg6
two beautiful women sitting on his bed. The blonde bartender waved at him16Please respect copyright.PENANA7tM8hoiS6G
before giving him a coy wink. The second he didn’t recognize, however she16Please respect copyright.PENANAS55dHPQ0mk
seemed familiar. He must have seen her around the warehouse the past couple of16Please respect copyright.PENANAzG3aGPYPrl
days but didn’t think much of it. The two women got up from the bed, pulling16Please respect copyright.PENANAPXKR06jeac
him over to them. The blonde placed her mouth on his while the brunet started16Please respect copyright.PENANAIYcwHGV9Ek
pulling off his shirt. For once he and the demon were of mind. They didn’t want16Please respect copyright.PENANAziBD0X7Rtk
to leave here until it was time for the fight.
…
Vander snoozed in his bed16Please respect copyright.PENANAxOUtwFNlMM
completely drained. Despite what he wanted, he was only able to for an hour or16Please respect copyright.PENANApZ69uCyyO8
so before the events from the night before caught up to him. Hopefully he left16Please respect copyright.PENANAssgj7UsMmi
the two women feeling satisfied, but he knew it had more to do with what they16Please respect copyright.PENANAVHhqwGXzPi
did for each other than he did, but it was still fun, so he had no complaints.16Please respect copyright.PENANAWs1VSZQR4L
Shea refused to sleep on the bed until it was cleaned and the stench from his16Please respect copyright.PENANAWijB9fbTRZ
two visitors was completely wiped away. So, she slept on the floor by his side16Please respect copyright.PENANAS0ajbXP0D4
of the bed as he rested.
Ever since the night of Malcolm’s16Please respect copyright.PENANA5Or5ohqMba
murder, the gods had been quiet. He no longer received strange dreams from16Please respect copyright.PENANAxpc0kmodr1
either Veyar or Unna, which concerned him greatly. He couldn’t remember the16Please respect copyright.PENANAa3uLa4eHG2
last time he hadn’t had a visit, but he knew that he should enjoy it while it16Please respect copyright.PENANALrLdVBIFUm
lasted.
He rested until about midmorning16Please respect copyright.PENANAjA4pYL7wYb
when the sun was up, and he could hear the cleaners tidying up after the events16Please respect copyright.PENANA9ESzD6yLa1
from last night. He walked over to the bathroom to take a quick shower. He made16Please respect copyright.PENANAApVFjOUgGC
sure that his hair dye hadn’t slipped while it was wet before getting dressed.16Please respect copyright.PENANAyYXUVjtCrg
He chose a pair of brown trousers, a white shirt, and his boots. As far as16Please respect copyright.PENANApgAyBLym3b
disguises went, it wasn’t much, but that was exactly the point. He would be16Please respect copyright.PENANAD81YgLwnGh
able to blend in with the crowds.
“Where are you going?” Shea16Please respect copyright.PENANA7joCVD8GmC
asked. He could tell that she was tired because her eyes were drooping.
“I want to go to the safe house16Please respect copyright.PENANAgIKO4sQ7lh
and see if anything happened while I was here.” Vander explained. He strapped a16Please respect copyright.PENANAgMJA5Njhnb
sword, a different sword than his Blade weapon, to his back before throwing a16Please respect copyright.PENANAIMzXym16UA
messenger bag strap over his shoulder. “If the guards were paying attention16Please respect copyright.PENANAN4mPoyEvTG
they would notice the carnage. I want to see who else shows up.”
“Are you sure that’s wise?” Shea16Please respect copyright.PENANAZ8cjFwnlsV
asked. “What if someone recognizes you?”
“In the unlikely event of that16Please respect copyright.PENANAIQN04GPJ0P
happening, I can lose them.” Vander promised. She wasn’t entirely convinced it16Please respect copyright.PENANA30OtIch844
was safe, especially if she couldn’t go with him. However, they both knew that16Please respect copyright.PENANAwYDvB8vLKA
was the only choice they could make. If they wanted to get back to their home,16Please respect copyright.PENANACoUyI3EXat
they would have to take risks. Vander kissed her on the top of her head16Please respect copyright.PENANADVuZnupMdM
promising to return soon before slipping out the door.
He greeted all the workers as he16Please respect copyright.PENANAPY5cwtO3bF
left, blowing a quick kiss to the blonde as she cleaned up the bar. Right and16Please respect copyright.PENANAd3lWzW6cSk
Left rolled their eyes but let him leave without stopping him. If he wanted to16Please respect copyright.PENANAJrkJtdYIlw
get caught that was his problem, not the bouncers.
The southern district looked a lot16Please respect copyright.PENANAu6HixHsJfM
different in the light of day than the dark of night. The homeless scrounged16Please respect copyright.PENANAsR2BfKw5Tz
around for food that was left behind during the night or robbing the drunks who16Please respect copyright.PENANACsqcpDiT1j
hadn’t been able to make it home before passing out in the alleys. Vander kept16Please respect copyright.PENANALKmym6JTwb
his nose to the ground unwilling to look any of them in the eye. Sometimes they16Please respect copyright.PENANAhKE6nZ3uTB
saw it as a challenge and on multiple occasions he had been attacked. It was16Please respect copyright.PENANAxHbChICcrl
over quickly, but it drew too much attention so he did what he could to not16Please respect copyright.PENANA8KB5ByPcO9
appear threatening.
Once he got to the gate separating16Please respect copyright.PENANA76zAjFPo1e
the districts, the two guards on duty stopped him. They told him about a house16Please respect copyright.PENANAvwrhteBHWN
that had been broken into and the occupants had all been killed. They were16Please respect copyright.PENANAwt1EyDuiBW
given orders to question everybody coming in or out of the district. They asked16Please respect copyright.PENANAtx8m6Ecz1V
for his name, of which he gave a fake one, then asked why he was coming into16Please respect copyright.PENANAvDC2SZQ9BE
the eastern district that day. He explained that he was on his way to picking16Please respect copyright.PENANA2Vwci5v1j4
up some packages from the market then delivering them to several different16Please respect copyright.PENANAWXHVB0iFU0
people. Runners were quite common in the city, so the guards didn’t seem phased16Please respect copyright.PENANA3gZccWbNpO
by his explanation. When questioned about the sword, Vander laughed. He told16Please respect copyright.PENANA4MOAqUqxuC
them that they would also have a weapon on them if they knew where he was16Please respect copyright.PENANAvggfWtqr84
going. Once they patted him down, they sent him on his way.
Vander expected some manner of16Please respect copyright.PENANA9aV4ydabbu
traffic due to what he did the previous night, but he didn’t expect so many16Please respect copyright.PENANAoAr8QrqeFg
guards. He even caught a couple of teal uniforms talking to some of them. So,16Please respect copyright.PENANAFPZyJYqh2q
the Blades were aware of what was going on, but the fact that the guards didn’t16Please respect copyright.PENANAP9t2k9gfXP
know meant that they were keeping the identities of the dead a secret. That16Please respect copyright.PENANA4eVwNuAkbJ
didn’t bode too well for him, he had to make sure that his disguise was perfect16Please respect copyright.PENANA4c1sIt15R8
to avoid suspicion.
He kept to the edge of the crowd,16Please respect copyright.PENANA8g7CvCY4ud
carefully making sure not to bump the people in front of him. However, the16Please respect copyright.PENANAIfT1GgcIny
crowd was so thick that he couldn’t see over anyone. Annoyed with himself, he16Please respect copyright.PENANACx5Kw6Vcab
did the only thing he could do. He snuck off to a dark alley, positioned some16Please respect copyright.PENANAP3JIbRSnpK
stuff in front of him so he couldn’t be seen, then bent down.
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He reached deep inside of him,16Please respect copyright.PENANANzjdyOmofX
touching the shard that was embedded into his body. It buckled in fought him,16Please respect copyright.PENANADZycwh0MEC
but he twisted the powers to suit his own needs. He could feel many different16Please respect copyright.PENANAaHLCcgG6Tz
creatures around him, but the one he homed in on was the raven on the roof top16Please respect copyright.PENANA60wq2aengL
above him. He pushed his consciousness inside and when he opened his eyes once again,16Please respect copyright.PENANAq5Yz1fBxsr
he could see above the crowd and his own unconscious form down below. With a16Please respect copyright.PENANAZamY1hUyvW
loud cry he beat his wings and flew.