Page 42 of Wicked Allure
Niles, who’d been sent ahead to scope out the town, had located this contact for them. She just hoped that the human wasn’t sending them into a trap. She’d go and personally visit them if so.
She wasn’t one to cross.
They continued through the maze of sewers. They had stopped carrying water long ago. What flowed through the sewers now was life of a different kind—vampires clinging to the old way of existing. The tunnels stretched endlessly beneath the town, a labyrinth of collapsed archways and broken pipes that groaned like dying beasts when the earth shifted.
The air was damp and rank. The stench of mildew mixed with smoke from the fire pits where some squatters burned scraps of wood and trash. Dru scowled. She hated to see her people like this. Why they refused to come to the surface, she never understood. People moved like shadows through the tunnels. Violence lingered in the air. Dru could almost taste it. These vampires governed themselves and rarely came to the surface.
Even the rogue vampires didn’t venture down here.
It wasn’t a place to live. This was a place to survive. And down here was someone who had information on the whereabouts of Solomon Winterborne.
The hairs on the back of Dru’s neck rose. They were being watched. She was sure it wasn’t often they saw royal warriors in their little world. Dru tightened her hold on her dagger.
“There.” Talbot jerked his chin.
Dru followed his gaze and saw where they needed to travel. The market sat in one of the widest chambers of the old sewer system.
“Let’s hurry so we can get the fuck out of here,” Dru murmured.
The warriors behind her echoed the same sentiment. They navigated their way through the packed area. The floors were slick with grime, uneven from collapsed stone and broken tiles.
Rickety stalls leaned together, cobbled from scavenged crates and rusted pipes and raggedy material as awnings. Vendors called out their wares, their gazes watchful as the crowd grew thick. Dru’s careful gaze moved along each of the vendors, trying to identify the person they were here to meet. A figure came to stroll next to her.
Niles.
“Do you see him?” she asked.
“I do, General. Second to last stall over on the right,” he said.
Talbot, in the front, heard him and gave a confirming nod.
“Everyone else spread out. Talbot and Niles, you’re with me,” she instructed.
They headed over to where Niles mentioned. The older-looking male glanced up and took notice of them. He whispered to the young male who was working the table with him before he turned and walked away. They picked up speed and followed him away from the central area of the market.
Their contact slipped through a narrow gap in the wall, a crack half hidden by a decaying pillar. Dru pushed past Talbot. She’d be the first to go after the contact. The air was thicker in this area, heavy with the sour reek of stagnant water and waste. They were led into a rectangular room, the low ceiling dripping with condensation into dark puddles on the floor. The walls were brick, blackened by mold and decades of dirt.
In the center stood a battered table, its legs uneven. A lantern burned low upon it, the flames weak but providing enough light. Dru’s eyes adjusted. Chairs were placed around the table. The male stood off on the other side of the table and met her gaze. Talbot and Niles paused behind her.
“Do you know who I am?” Dru asked.
“Aye. I do. Even word reaches the likes of us down here. You’re General Dru Moldark and you’re here for information,” the male replied. He eyed the dagger in her hand, then flicked his gaze to Niles and Talbot. “Those weapons are not needed. I am a very old vampire, and believe me when I say that I have never wielded a sword in me life.”
Dru slid her dagger into her sheath. He’d be a fool to try anything with the three of them. She nodded.
“And your name?” She arched an eyebrow at him and folded her arms. It was wise that he knew who she was. Hopefully it gave him less of a reason to try to cross her.
“Roderick. Please have a seat. It’s not much, but mine nevertheless.” He motioned to the table.
“We would prefer to stand. We won’t be here long, depending on the information you provide,” Dru said.
He nodded slowly. She strode across the room and stopped at the table. Scattered parchment papers lined it with a few gold coins.
“I figured as much,” he replied.
Talbot and Niles shifted behind her. She didn’t need to look to know that they were covering the door.
Dru reached into her leather vest and pulled out a small velvet bag that held a hefty amount of gold coins. She took one out and placed it on the table. She pushed it to the middle of the wooden structure.
