Page 69 of Crown of Chaos

Settling into the little alcove between two buildings, we watched people leisurely walking around shopping and the merchant’s peddling goods or bartering their wares. There was a small group of children who looked neglected, weaving through the crowd. I’d already caught a couple of them sneaking fruit or insignificant items off tables.

“Bloody thieves.” Esme snorted from where she rested beside me.

“Bloody good thieves,” I returned when a small girl fell in front of a man. The others moved around him, picking his pockets as he helped the toddler up. “For once, I’m glad this dress doesn’t have pockets.”

Down the road a bit, working women hooted from a balcony of a saloon, beckoning the men in from the docks. It wasn’t anything I’d witnessed before in person, unless I counted the town where Knox had his ink renewed. Either way, it felt like I’d stepped back in history and was watching it play out in real life.

Siobhan exited a house and stood on the wooden porch for a moment before spotting us and waving us toward her. We slipped from our hiding place, heading directly toward the house unobserved. The stairs creaked under our feet, and I cringed at the sound of the aging wood.

Inside, the house was dark and reeked of burning herbs. My eyesight slowly adjusted and then settled on a raven-haired witch who peered at me through beaded curtains.

“Jasmine, this is Aria,” Siobhan announced, nodding toward the woman. “This is Jasmine, the clairvoyant I was telling you about.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” I stated slowly, sending my magic out to examine her for darkness or deception.

“I’ll be the judge of that, Aria Hecate. I was told you sought information?” She stepped out from behind the curtain, revealing the body ink that covered her naked torso. The artistry of the markings was amazing. They flowed from just beneath her jawline down to the waist of her skirt. She wore nothing above the waist, but then she didn’t need it with so much ink covering her.

“That is correct, but I’d ask your price before I explain what I am seeking. The services of a clairvoyant witch are coveted, and I would not wish to waste your time if I cannot compensate you appropriately.” I chose my words carefully, watching her lips jerk into a wolfish grin before her vibrant, jade-colored eyes slid to Siobhan.

“I’ve found myself short of crystals these days and was informed that you have an endless supply of them sitting around. I’m someone you can barter with, and I’m fairly reasonable when it is my own seeking information. If you’d come for a spell or potion, I’d have asked you for your soul.”

“I don’t have a soul to offer you, Jasmine. You’d be shit out of luck getting it.” I smiled tightly as she looked at me through fresh eyes. “How many crystals are we talking here?”

“It depends on what information you are seeking, so what are you searching for, Aria?” she asked in a haunting tone, which proved that she was the real deal.

It filled with a musical tone that soothed and tugged at the truth I’d come for today. Many people often pretended to be clairvoyant or a soothsayer when they weren’t much more than hacks with pretty voices. The difference was that when a clairvoyant witch asked you a question, you felt it in your soul. While that distracted you, her magic would be busy claiming your emotions so that you’d be easy to pick off if you intended to harm her or wiggle out of the deal you’d brokered. It was a vast difference, and those with the true ability to see beyond what we could, often hid it from others.

“I seek someone. I also need answers to the questions roaming through my head. How many crystals are we speaking about? Because they’re rather heavy, and that limits our ability to carry them around,” I answered, unhurriedly moving closer to her.

“If you merely are seeking to locate someone, I could be swayed with twenty high-quality spheres. If you don’t have spheres, I will take tumble stones or raw stone. The quantity of amount would, of course, depend on the quality of the material.” Her smile faltered, and she backed up as I pressed forward. I could smell her fear and wariness. If she intended to betray me, I’d turn her clairvoyant ass into a pretty corpse. As if she’d considered it an invitation, she moved closer, pressing her chest against mine, inhaling deeply.

“Little close there. You’re in my personal bubble,” I stated, fighting the urge to backpedal away from her intense stare. I drew a line with my fingers, still taking another step back as she continued forward. “Boundaries are a healthy thing nowadays.”

“Your eyes are beautiful, and yet, I sense there is more beneath them. You house something primal, and it sees through your eyes,” she whispered in a tone filled with wonder. She lifted her hand to my face, cupping my cheek. “Oh, my goddess. You’re real, aren’t you?” she asked as tears dripped from her lashes. Begrudgingly, she stepped back while shock played on her beautiful face.

“I told you that, once you met her, you’d never want to look away.” Siobhan snickered.

“What’s with you guys and touching me?” I asked.

Jasmine grinned. “It’s like touching pure, raw magic. There’s a whisper of sound that sings within me while I touch you, Aria. I feel safe, and it’s as if deeply sated serenity is filling me. I’ve not felt anything like it in all of my life.”

She closed the distance between us without warning. Her mouth touched mine, and my eyes grew large and rounded as she brushed her tongue over my lips, trying to coax them open.

“Um . . .” Esme’s tone turned uncertain and hinted at nervous laughter. “I . . . uh, yeah, I don’t believe Aria is into pussy, Jasmine. I think she’s about to freak out.”

Jasmine pulled back, smiling as if she hadn’t just tried to suck my face.

“Look, not judging you. To each their own, but I really enjoy and prefer dick,” I said.

“I have a dick, Aria. Would you like to ride it?” she inquired softly. My eyes lowered to the skirt, which waspointingupward. Lifting my eyes, I tilted my head as her body and facial features turned masculine. “I can be whatever you want me to be.”

I snorted, stepping back and smiling at the uncomfortable situation unfolding. “You’re part shifter?”

I ran my fingers over the rippling muscles, which were solid. Jasmine’s dark-green eyes turned sultry, and he drifted closer, slid his arm around me, ran his fingers up my spine, and then threaded them through my hair. He grinned as he jerked me closer, but I narrowed my focus on him and pulled back, needing some space. Apparently, invading someone’s personal space was her—or his specialty.

“I’m part shifter and part clairvoyant and one-fourth witch,” she stated, smoothly changing back into her female form. “But you’re marked, and I can smell your pain. Did your mate die?”

“Not yet, but maybe soon,” I answered skeptically.

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