Page 72 of Beneath the Cursed Veil

I ignored his question for a more important one. “What about sending a message? Do you have pigeons or something?”

“Don’ know what pigeons are. Mail goes out with a tradesman,” he answered, though he did look like he regretted having to give me answers I clearly didn’t like.

The human realm sometimes cursed cell phones and claimed they were a distraction. Usually I would agree. Now I'd give my entire apartment just to have the option to useone. If I ever got back to Vareck, I planned to ask why the hell his kingdom didn’t have a better system for communication. This was ridiculous.

“It is really,veryimportant that I get back as soon as possible. Is there someone—anyone—who could get me out of here? Even if it’s to a place that leads to another place that maybe, just maybe, leads to Brumlow?”

Galpin let out a slow sigh, glancing around the tavern before tossing his rag over his shoulder again.

He crouched forward, leaning his elbows on the counter, lowering his voice. “Ov’r there.” He subtly nodded toward a door in the far back corner. “Ask for Irene?—”

“Thank you,” I said quickly, and he grabbed my arm before I could stand up.

“Wait, now. Be careful ‘n there. If anyone can get ‘ya home, it’ll be her. But she’s a trickster. Keep yer wits about ‘ya. Dealin’ with Irene is trouble. . . ‘ya might wanna wait the two weeks.”

“I’ll take my chances.” I patted his hand, feeling guilty that I was going to have to persuade him to give me the drink for free. Before I even had to, he glanced at the glass, then back to me.

“On the house. Ya’ need all the money ya’ have once ya’ walk through that door.”

I thanked him with a tight-lipped smile and prepared myself for bargaining.

The door was black and carved with symbols I wasn’t familiar with. The golden knob sparkled when I approached, as though it were expecting me. When I swung it open and walked through, I didn’t predict finding a two-story tavern filled with patrons.

A huge bouncer suddenly obscured my view. He towered over me, arms crossed. When he looked me up anddown, his tongue darted out to wet his bottom lip. I did my best not to roll my eyes.

“Galpin said I should ask for Irene,” I told him confidently, holding my chin up.

He pointed to the back of the crowded room, and I began walking in that direction. A thin haze of smoke permeated the air, and I prayed to the gods it was nothing more than tobacco. If it were any other kind, I was already breathing it in and it was too late. I needed to stay alert.

As I passed through the throng of people, I noticed the tables were almost all full. Card games were being played. Dice were rolled at some. It looked like an old saloon from westerns, except there were women in scantily clad outfits draping their arms around customers?—

My eyes darted around the room. The hidden entrance. The flirting. The ample cleavage. The rows of doors on the second-story balcony.

I was in a brothel.

If I didn't stick out like a sore thumb before, I certainly did now. As I approached the back table, men and women stepped aside, appraising me openly. I waved awkwardly, dipping my chin in greeting.

The woman I assumed to be Irene sat in a plush red velvet chair at a private table . She wore a tight black dress that dipped down only enough to show her cleavage. I assessed her quickly, taking in her pointed ears, dark red hair, and blue eyes. She had a large gold earring through the conch of her ear, and she wore a medallion that sat nestled just above her breast, stating loud and proud her family clan. I cursed internally. I’d seen medallions like it before. She was a fucking leprechaun. No wonder Galpin had warned me.

A part of me wanted to turn around. The last time Imade a deal with a leprechaun didn't go so well. But I needed to make it back to Vareck, and I had very few options.

She leaned back and smirked at me. In one hand, she flipped a coin over her knuckles back and forth, while she used her other hand to pet the stomach of a very large, and very familiar, black and silver cat who was sprawled on his back snuggled on a pillowy cushion next to her. The cat opened his golden eyes and looked at me through a foggy feline smile.

“What the hell, Corvo?”

Chapter 25

Meera

“Hey, Meera,” he purred. “What are you doing here?”

“Me? What areyoudoing here?”

His back leg twitched, and he turned his head side to side, scratching his neck on the pillow. “They worship me here. As they should.”

I stared at him incredulously, crossing my arms and huffing. His golden eyes met mine, and for a brief moment, they glowed. In an instant, they were back to normal, and he was wiggling around for more belly rubs.

What that meant, I wasn’t sure. I didn’t speak fluent Corvo, but I had a feeling that it was my warning to be sparse on details about myself. No problem. I didn’t trust anything about this lady.

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