Confused, she folded up the paper and placed it back under her arm. Her eyes shifted at the movement in the far right corner of the room. Xoey chuckled nervously at the sight of three very well-armed men. One of them was the man who sent her through the grate. He placed his forefinger upon his lips.
The doorknob jiggled and the door opened to reveal a man of large girth wearing a white apron smothered in red splotches. In his hand he held an intimidating knife. Xoey pressed her back against the iron bars. The man had thick wattles under his chin, just like a big old turkey. His dark grey eyes scanned past the cage in which she sat, and he looked very confused. He then locked eyes with the three men who carried swords that were a lot bigger than his knife. The butcher held out his knife and dropped it. “Just here for a child; nothing to do with the lot of you.”
“It has everything to do with us,” the leader said.
They gestured for him to move toward the cage. The butcher ran out the door. The two men who flanked the leader followed. Xoey couldn’t think of anything to say other than, “I was hungry.”
With gentle eyes and a harsh swing of his sword, he nodded and cut open the lock. “No one will be able to see you through the crowds. Once you enter the threshold of the house, the spell will drop. Now, run.”
She ran. She ran as fast as her little legs could carry her.
In a gloved hand, Nix held up the pure white strands of hair. “I never imagined a child who is destined to ruin everything could be caught so easily.”
The tattooed woman slithered an arm around his shoulders. “Of course. She is still a child. She has yet to be corrupted by this cruel world.”
Nix narrowed his dark gaze, tossing the hair aside as he pulled away from her. “Rochelle, this world is far from cruel. It is my world and it will be filled with glorious things.”
Rochelle removed a small oil can from the shelf. “It shall be as you say. Whatever will you do with the rug rat?”
He caught his appearance in the ornate oval mirror. “Kill her, of course.”
She smiled. “Intriguing…I like the way you think.” Rochelle handed the oil to Nix. “This should take care of the kink in your shoulder.”
A man dressed in green entered the small room. “Sir, she’s gone.”
Nix threw the can across the room. “I assign one simple task—you fledglings can’t even handle a little girl!”
With a forefinger, Nix opened the door. The cage door was shut tight, the lock broken, and inside, instead of the snotty child, was the bloody remains of his butcher. He wasn’t all too happy at the sight, and the prickly smell of copper the blood gave off reminded him of the war. This white-haired pirate child should have been a cinch to keep confined in an iron box.
Something buzzed within his jacket pocket. Nix fetched a coin-sized locket. He pressed his thumb on the side, the top flipped open, and inside a static-looped message said, “Meet me in Old Town.”
Deep within the bowels of Old Town, where the streets became a maze of clutter, trash, and loiters, there was a barred up wooden building near the dankest alleyway that reeked of mildew and mothballs. Nix kept silent and hit a can with his cane down the narrow corridor behind the dilapidated tavern. He pulled open the rusty door and walked in.
A bright flame danced in the darkness ahead of him. An imposing bald man with tattoos adorning his skull had brought the light with him. He nodded and gave an inviting gesture for Nix to follow. He was dressed in various layers of clothing made from leather and fur. They walked past stone pillars and empty racks that once harbored ale and wine. Warm chatter seeped into his ears long before the darkness dissipated, and when they reached the end of the long hallway, they turned right. Nix walked into a well-lit room filled with well over two dozen men who looked as if they possessed the ability to drink several tankards of ale and still
The doorknob jiggled and the door opened to reveal a man of large girth wearing a white apron smothered in red splotches. In his hand he held an intimidating knife. Xoey pressed her back against the iron bars. The man had thick wattles under his chin, just like a big old turkey. His dark grey eyes scanned past the cage in which she sat, and he looked very confused. He then locked eyes with the three men who carried swords that were a lot bigger than his knife. The butcher held out his knife and dropped it. “Just here for a child; nothing to do with the lot of you.”
“It has everything to do with us,” the leader said.
They gestured for him to move toward the cage. The butcher ran out the door. The two men who flanked the leader followed. Xoey couldn’t think of anything to say other than, “I was hungry.”
With gentle eyes and a harsh swing of his sword, he nodded and cut open the lock. “No one will be able to see you through the crowds. Once you enter the threshold of the house, the spell will drop. Now, run.”
She ran. She ran as fast as her little legs could carry her.
In a gloved hand, Nix held up the pure white strands of hair. “I never imagined a child who is destined to ruin everything could be caught so easily.”
The tattooed woman slithered an arm around his shoulders. “Of course. She is still a child. She has yet to be corrupted by this cruel world.”
Nix narrowed his dark gaze, tossing the hair aside as he pulled away from her. “Rochelle, this world is far from cruel. It is my world and it will be filled with glorious things.”
Rochelle removed a small oil can from the shelf. “It shall be as you say. Whatever will you do with the rug rat?”
He caught his appearance in the ornate oval mirror. “Kill her, of course.”
She smiled. “Intriguing…I like the way you think.” Rochelle handed the oil to Nix. “This should take care of the kink in your shoulder.”
A man dressed in green entered the small room. “Sir, she’s gone.”
Nix threw the can across the room. “I assign one simple task—you fledglings can’t even handle a little girl!”
With a forefinger, Nix opened the door. The cage door was shut tight, the lock broken, and inside, instead of the snotty child, was the bloody remains of his butcher. He wasn’t all too happy at the sight, and the prickly smell of copper the blood gave off reminded him of the war. This white-haired pirate child should have been a cinch to keep confined in an iron box.
Something buzzed within his jacket pocket. Nix fetched a coin-sized locket. He pressed his thumb on the side, the top flipped open, and inside a static-looped message said, “Meet me in Old Town.”
Deep within the bowels of Old Town, where the streets became a maze of clutter, trash, and loiters, there was a barred up wooden building near the dankest alleyway that reeked of mildew and mothballs. Nix kept silent and hit a can with his cane down the narrow corridor behind the dilapidated tavern. He pulled open the rusty door and walked in.
A bright flame danced in the darkness ahead of him. An imposing bald man with tattoos adorning his skull had brought the light with him. He nodded and gave an inviting gesture for Nix to follow. He was dressed in various layers of clothing made from leather and fur. They walked past stone pillars and empty racks that once harbored ale and wine. Warm chatter seeped into his ears long before the darkness dissipated, and when they reached the end of the long hallway, they turned right. Nix walked into a well-lit room filled with well over two dozen men who looked as if they possessed the ability to drink several tankards of ale and still
Similar Books
