Racing Hearts (Shadow Quest 4.5) by Kiersten Fay Page B

years it
still haunted him. He could see the anger festering within his
brother too, and it had only grown over these long years. He feared
that one day his brother could be lost to the rage
forever.
    He showered quickly and dressed before
setting out again.
    At present, Sonya was in
charge of Marada 's
pub. She seemed happy there. But, every once in awhile, he would
see in her eyes the same look that he sometimes caught in his own,
or in Cale's—a deep mourning for the loss of the home they would
never know again.
    Sebastian entered the
pub—Sonya liked to call it The Demon's
Punchbowl —and took a seat. Sonya spotted
him and waved while attending Bertok, a trusted crew member who has
been with them for years. Bertok shifted in his seat to nod a
silent greeting at Sebastian, then turned back to his
drink.
    “Hey!” Sonya smiled, sashaying toward
Sebastian. Her thin tail—a trait of female demons—swung side to
side as she walked, making her look more seductive.
    Sebastian ground his teeth at that. He
suspected she did that intentionally.
    Fortunately, the men on the ship were
smart enough to stay away from her. They understood that he or Cale
would kill anyone who dare hurt her. He also knew that Sonya
resented their over protectiveness.
    Sebastian smiled as she approached.
“Hi, Sunny.” To his amusement, she scowled at the
nickname.
    “What can I do for
you, Bastard ?”
    He smiled wider. “I'll take some of
that new stuff you got in.”
    “Ah, the raging inferno. It's pretty
strong, even for us demons.”
    “Good. The stronger, the
better.”
    Sonya poured him a generous glass and
then prepared a shot for herself. She lifted the tiny glass
expectantly. It was a ritual that they'd brought with them from
their home planet. Whenever an unfamiliar drink was imbibed, it was
always done in the company of a friend or loved one. The practice
arose following a string of serial murders through the use of
poison mixed with foreign alcohols.
    Turned out an insane member of the
demon community was going around killing off his friends. Imported
alcohols had been used because a demon could easily detect poison
through taste in familiar drinks, but with previously unconsumed
substances that talent was nullified. Now, the simple ritual was a
sign of trust and friendship.
    Sebastian raised his glass.
    While he sipped his drink, Sonya downed
hers in one gulp, slamming her glass on the counter. “Good stuff,”
she declared.
    Sebastian nodded his
agreement.
    “So,” she continued. “We're stuck on
the ship for some time, I hear.” Again Sebastian nodded. “Well,
it'll be good for business.” Perking up, she poured herself another
shot.
    Even though Sonya was much more lenient
with her pricing than the larger pubs in the space cities, whenever
they docked, she always lost her clientele to the more lavish
entertainment the cities provided.
    She had made a profitable business out
of her pub, wisely saving for her own future. Not that she was
leaving her boys anytime soon.
    Rather than use the ships funds, she
used pub profits to purchase whatever supplies she required,
leaving herself independent of her brothers. That seemed to be
important to her.
    She also insisted on paying rent for
her space. Sebastian had refused, but Sonya was persistent, giving
him ten percent of her earnings each month. He saved everything she
gave him, planning to give it all back to her one day—which, if he
knew Sonya, would surely piss her off. Sebastian chuckled out loud
at that. When Sonya gave him a questioning look, he just shook his
head and went back to his drink.
    “So what's the load this time?” she
asked.
    “Don't know. Something very small. Too
small for the pay if you ask me. But the package is sealed and the
contract is void if we take even a peek.”
    “Hey, sometimes the best things come in
small packages. Just look at me.” She did her best
I'm-just-a-cute-little-demon impression, which always made him
laugh. For a demon,