Chapter 26
Despite the King’s murder and the30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLNBI9emx1o
man hunt taking over the city, the Orange Fox was still as popular as ever, if30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwQFIILO2wx
not more so. With all that was going on in their lives, more and more people30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG7Ow6HS5tw
needed an outlet for their angst and despair. Some of the people Vander had30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ88krGTxinW
noticed, who had never been here before, were now here every night gambling or30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH3BQrG5c4u
drinking their problems away. It made Ross happier than he had been in a long30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk3IYPaCxwM
time, which made him thirst for even more riches.
Vander and Shea stopped at the30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3W6tATDz4M
door that led into the man’s suite. Left was nowhere to be found, probably back30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNjQQxqXBIQ
outside with Right. Everyone knew you didn’t mess with the proprietor of this30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtStcqAGeJc
establishment if you didn’t want your darkest secrets to come to light.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ4xSgeAwOj
However, there would probably come a time when he would meet someone who had30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjzCqZCjVZW
nothing left to lose and would come knocking so he hoped Ross knew how to30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ZHOzJe6Jh
fight.
There were noises coming from30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0k7BIrrbHc
behind the door. Based on the sweaty smell and the grunting sounds coming from30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjDzoLAMqlq
within, the two of them decided to wait until it was done before entering.
“I can feel you hovering!” Ross30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ63hx7bynCJ
called out. “Come on in, don’t worry, I’m decent.” Vander and Shea exchanged30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeIAQe5mDBk
glances, but they pushed the door open anyway to head inside.
True to Ross’s word, he was30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlWOH0GjgXo
decent. He was sitting behind his desk with his robe open showing off his30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGPtreAXyUZ
heavily muscled frame. In his hand was a glass of amber colored liquid that30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVHYRSHmBsE
smelled heavily like whiskey. However, the show was happening on the couch that30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvJ6wrwkqZ8
Vander would have to walk past to talk to his patron. Two people, a man and a30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2MMhy6R7RO
woman, were in the middle of some passionate sex. He was inside her, while30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWWAPLkDGN2
playing with her breast, and thrusting like he would die tonight. Vander could30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb3Sgmh1SZV
feel his lust start to creep out, but he closed his eyes to center himself.
“Interesting, isn’t it?” Ross’s30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlF0eLyllPk
voice brought him out of his stupor. “How much you can learn by watching.”
“I wouldn’t know.” Vander took the30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcyTCZk2OLy
chair across from him making sure he could block the sight from his vision, but30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHODlaILpih
he could still hear them going at it. “Why have you called me here? Certainly,30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8iSbG03q8h
it wasn’t to watch two of your workers fuck each other.”
“No, that’s for me.” Ross30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIxcdizPmHM
chuckled. “I called you here to see if you remember the terms of our30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsIGuxYjR7O
arrangement.” He wondered when the day would come Ross would ask about that. It30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqPvrlHLYzP
meant that he had something in mind, something he wouldn’t enjoy.
“I do.” Vander nodded. Ross30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡukuWgZxaMP
prompted him to continue. Sighing, he said: “In exchange for your protection30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyjDzYL3vWj
and anything I need, you wanted me to fight down in the cage for the guest’s30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMRFLUgVLh8
entertainment.”
“Correct.” Ross put down his30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaogAyzBYwo
glass. “I have given you three months, generous of me, I know.” Vander rolled30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡweTFYGelpS
his eyes. “But I’m calling in debt tonight. I can’t treat you as a champion,30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWSQvWl9Ptf
you must work your way up the ranks before fighting the bear.”
“I will not kill anyone.” Vander30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWl5MaKuU5n
warned. “That was part of our deal, remember?”
“Of course,” Ross dismissed it30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Mdcq8tbB0
with a wave of his hand. “It’s not often our duels end in deaths, just against30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNq0dcRNi6I
the bear.” He got up from the desk while removing his robe. Vander averted his30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSKsUifSVSJ
gaze as the naked man walked past him to join the two on the couch. “Your first30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9thou8uuU0
fight is tomorrow night. I have sent some things to your room to help you30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWK6Ab2LuwF
relax. Right will come get you when it’s time.” Vander waited for the30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt16IQWpQ3M
dismissal, but it never came. When he left Ross was biting the other man’s neck30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzsZhnuQBNT
while stroking him.
Shea asked him what the meeting30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGLJbfGCDQa
was about, so Vander explained it to her. She voiced her anger the entire walk30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡllH6A8UeKE
back to their bedroom. She wasn’t happy with the deal they had made with Ross30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBZaWU7W1qQ
in the first place, but she didn’t think he would force Vander to fight like he30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFgHiOgY55p
said he would. He was just glad Ross gave him as much time as he did to get30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsPlEnupHEm
over what had happened.
When two of them arrived back at30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3l17evV6KQ
the room, both were on instant alert. They could hear giggling of two women30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbRIf6zQVp7
behind the door, so they relaxed. He knew the scent of one of them as the30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡANJyYiCf4X
bartender he had met the last time he was here. The second woman was new. He30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHteBLF1OvH
heard that Ross had hired a new server just this morning, so it might have been30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEkRqGuG5iQ
her. He wouldn’t know until he opened the door.
“I’m going to stay out here and30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡddlZtf4mJO
guard the door.” He could feel Shea’s judgement through their bond. It30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRA8zrxKgH9
embarrassed him, but both knew that he wouldn’t be able to relax until the30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd29WuuodEH
demon was satisfied in all ways. It was the animalistic urge that filled him.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYN6kwNu8C1
This was one of the few ways to sate that thirst. Ross knew what he was doing30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAiw1QletZC
when he invited Vander to witness the display in his office. It had made him30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBBFzVferLP
hungry.
He stepped into the room to see30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoA3TYki9l2
two beautiful women sitting on his bed. The blonde bartender waved at him30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9vtaUf22yi
before giving him a coy wink. The second he didn’t recognize, however she30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ21KR3w3djJ
seemed familiar. He must have seen her around the warehouse the past couple of30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIcWOmbFfaQ
days but didn’t think much of it. The two women got up from the bed, pulling30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRYjShe01mb
him over to them. The blonde placed her mouth on his while the brunet started30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeHn8PG6xpJ
pulling off his shirt. For once he and the demon were of mind. They didn’t want30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzFHwaTmZk7
to leave here until it was time for the fight.
…
Vander snoozed in his bed30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpciCeOLkYJ
completely drained. Despite what he wanted, he was only able to for an hour or30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4X4cnvpIKY
so before the events from the night before caught up to him. Hopefully he left30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaPeioaHkOo
the two women feeling satisfied, but he knew it had more to do with what they30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3o7wIA5gbH
did for each other than he did, but it was still fun, so he had no complaints.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWY8dfRkaid
Shea refused to sleep on the bed until it was cleaned and the stench from his30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrZQ68S4p36
two visitors was completely wiped away. So, she slept on the floor by his side30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHrrKd7nZLR
of the bed as he rested.
Ever since the night of Malcolm’s30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8OU263X4Xu
murder, the gods had been quiet. He no longer received strange dreams from30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgzDCYXxvx6
either Veyar or Unna, which concerned him greatly. He couldn’t remember the30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡokAikD1CKa
last time he hadn’t had a visit, but he knew that he should enjoy it while it30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7y6evL1LIq
lasted.
He rested until about midmorning30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUDCmvwR2I2
when the sun was up, and he could hear the cleaners tidying up after the events30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0IIZFQSYO7
from last night. He walked over to the bathroom to take a quick shower. He made30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOXDzwBhcoz
sure that his hair dye hadn’t slipped while it was wet before getting dressed.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdr2Upw5y39
He chose a pair of brown trousers, a white shirt, and his boots. As far as30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfHVM5H5aRW
disguises went, it wasn’t much, but that was exactly the point. He would be30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMZhoMq8Lic
able to blend in with the crowds.
“Where are you going?” Shea30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQWIPiFgKv1
asked. He could tell that she was tired because her eyes were drooping.
“I want to go to the safe house30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiSA1ELdhRn
and see if anything happened while I was here.” Vander explained. He strapped a30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqfQ3WghqnD
sword, a different sword than his Blade weapon, to his back before throwing a30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzMEElWlip6
messenger bag strap over his shoulder. “If the guards were paying attention30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL22rfecBki
they would notice the carnage. I want to see who else shows up.”
“Are you sure that’s wise?” Shea30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVPmjd2Bwxc
asked. “What if someone recognizes you?”
“In the unlikely event of that30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4LmryuCeWA
happening, I can lose them.” Vander promised. She wasn’t entirely convinced it30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl6U8WcVuP2
was safe, especially if she couldn’t go with him. However, they both knew that30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyqk6c4ntmg
was the only choice they could make. If they wanted to get back to their home,30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiAV1WjFVwM
they would have to take risks. Vander kissed her on the top of her head30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDPOZ69TXJk
promising to return soon before slipping out the door.
He greeted all the workers as he30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBwdO4F40ZK
left, blowing a quick kiss to the blonde as she cleaned up the bar. Right and30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkgI95hDjjM
Left rolled their eyes but let him leave without stopping him. If he wanted to30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbNWzVj2BJq
get caught that was his problem, not the bouncers.
The southern district looked a lot30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsoShjHKZ3N
different in the light of day than the dark of night. The homeless scrounged30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkufiRMlFku
around for food that was left behind during the night or robbing the drunks who30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmussPAK0hc
hadn’t been able to make it home before passing out in the alleys. Vander kept30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUpKyNEVhIX
his nose to the ground unwilling to look any of them in the eye. Sometimes they30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUwATtIkRAj
saw it as a challenge and on multiple occasions he had been attacked. It was30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsCsykqua8G
over quickly, but it drew too much attention so he did what he could to not30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhalNTf0cSl
appear threatening.
Once he got to the gate separating30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHOfMrjgYpN
the districts, the two guards on duty stopped him. They told him about a house30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLQd9y0QUqr
that had been broken into and the occupants had all been killed. They were30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb8IWFjg75K
given orders to question everybody coming in or out of the district. They asked30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy6eEpprzX1
for his name, of which he gave a fake one, then asked why he was coming into30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu7R0CeimR1
the eastern district that day. He explained that he was on his way to picking30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJf44DjZlC0
up some packages from the market then delivering them to several different30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLwAZ3ODkg0
people. Runners were quite common in the city, so the guards didn’t seem phased30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvwJU5c3cVZ
by his explanation. When questioned about the sword, Vander laughed. He told30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsUudVSZpf9
them that they would also have a weapon on them if they knew where he was30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu5gpA5Hpzm
going. Once they patted him down, they sent him on his way.
Vander expected some manner of30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ53EzxCfEad
traffic due to what he did the previous night, but he didn’t expect so many30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaHSn2bCqGo
guards. He even caught a couple of teal uniforms talking to some of them. So,30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPwgePpQSyE
the Blades were aware of what was going on, but the fact that the guards didn’t30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIjrmbJVpXz
know meant that they were keeping the identities of the dead a secret. That30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTPtLcwb3Ey
didn’t bode too well for him, he had to make sure that his disguise was perfect30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2l1fhbEYS5
to avoid suspicion.
He kept to the edge of the crowd,30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA9s97SUwKW
carefully making sure not to bump the people in front of him. However, the30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWbhddzc0h9
crowd was so thick that he couldn’t see over anyone. Annoyed with himself, he30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZLuoPP8ESs
did the only thing he could do. He snuck off to a dark alley, positioned some30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX1mTBwhYwb
stuff in front of him so he couldn’t be seen, then bent down.
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He reached deep inside of him,30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsOMN5davfG
touching the shard that was embedded into his body. It buckled in fought him,30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv1NzZC2DTf
but he twisted the powers to suit his own needs. He could feel many different30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQSZid2WSZJ
creatures around him, but the one he homed in on was the raven on the roof top30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEIewZUccK7
above him. He pushed his consciousness inside and when he opened his eyes once again,30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYpg9hR1J8A
he could see above the crowd and his own unconscious form down below. With a30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8K9v67uGc5
loud cry he beat his wings and flew.
