Page 57 of The Dragon King's Assassin

Chapter Twenty-Six

The Blue Feather was across the Vevaren River from the palace, in a well-to-do shopping district. Why would those snobs want a brothel in the middle of their fine stores and restaurants? Two reasons; Yasima, the owner, was discrete. Nothing outside the Blue Feather announced that it was anything other than a fancy gentleman's club. And second, the real entrance, the one the whores and their customers used, was at the back of the club. You had to go down an alley and along the city wall to reach it. The back entrances of homes and shops were for servants and employees, so no one of means would be venturing down those alleys. Unless, of course, they were cloaked and heading to the Feather.

I, not being a man of means, shouldn't have to bother to cloak myself. However, I wanted to look like a rich man, and I had the wardrobe for it now. Plus, why not? This sort of investigation was best done undercover. So, I got out of the carriage with my hood up, pulled my cloak in around myself, and hurried into the alley as furtively as every other patron of the Blue Feather.

A Ricarri guarded the back entrance, his beefy arms crossed. I nodded to him as if I knew him, and he opened the door for me without a word. Yet another reason to wear the cloak. It was fine enough that he didn't bother to inspect who it hid. I mean, a wealthy man would take offense to that, wouldn't he?

A few steps down a dark passage led me into the luxurious main salon. Feathers featured predominantly in the décor. There were massive urns full of great big ones, boas strewn over elaborate furniture and people, and even the curtains were trimmed in them. And they were all blue. A fucking sea of feathers. I stood in the center of the salon and scanned the prostitutes on duty. Yasima prided herself on offering a variety of options to her clients so there were members of every race native to Racul and both genders in the room. The customers were still cloaked but none were additionally masked. They just tended to keep their heads down as they made their selection.

I watched an Argaiv, her wings out on display, their opalescent membranes painted with flowers that matched her, uh, I suppose you could call that collection of chiffon and blossoms an outfit. She was full-figured and stunning, but all she did for me was remind me of the assassin I had stabbed.

“See anything you like, sweetheart?” a Neraky woman drawled as she glided up to me.

Her pale skin glistened pink, nearly the same shade as the Argaiv's wings. That pink wasn't a flush but came from the scales covering the wealth of skin she had on display. Out of the water, a Neraky's scales withdrew into their skin, leaving only a few on their hands and feet, so she must have been fresh from a swim. This didn't surprise me. Not only did Yasima like to offer a variety of partners but also a variety of options for their use. She probably had a pool on the premises.

“I need to speak to Yasima,” I said.

The woman's demeanor changed instantly, her spine straightening and her expression going shrewd. “Is there a problem?” She pulled her transparent robe in.

As if that chiffon could cover anything.

“No problem. Just tell her that Lock is here.”

“Very well.” She spun and clicked away on a pair of high-heeled shoes adorned with seashells.

I moved to lean against the wall, lowered my head, and surreptitiously watched the customers from the shadows of my hood. One of them was fondling the balls of a couple of human males, going back and forth between them as if he couldn't decide which pair were more worth his coin, all while they patiently waited, polite smiles on their faces. There was only so much of that the club guards would allow before they'd insist on a selection. One of them was already frowning at the man. I'd say he had about three more seconds of free fondling.

Most of the customers kept their hands to themselves and visually inspected the merchandise, like the man who had a Shanba woman leaning back in a chair with her legs spread, exposing everything for him while he crouched to get a good look. Yet another client watched two Raltven women rub each other, their hands fading in and out of solidity. They reminded me that this wasn't my only mission. I had to be quick.

The Neraky woman returned and waved me toward a narrow staircase set along the east wall of the room “Yasima will see you now.”

“Thank you.”

She escorted me to the bottom of the stairs and nodded at the Ricarri guarding them. He stepped aside for me to go up, but eyed me suspiciously as I passed. At the top, an unadorned hallway led me to Yasima's office. Not even a painting hung on the paneled walls. Before I reached the door, I heard moaning and rolled my eyes.

“I guess this is what I get for showing up without an appointment,” I muttered, then knocked.

“Come!” a woman called.

I hesitated, wondering if she was talking to me.

As if she'd read my mind, she added, “You, Lock. Come in.”

I opened the door, grimaced at the scene before me, and shut it. “Hello, Yas.”

“One second, Lock. Sorry, I'm just finishing up two interviews.”

“I could have waited downstairs.”

“No, it's fine. None of us care.”

“I care a little.”

She glanced over her shoulder at me as she continued to thrust into the woman bent over her desk. “Oh, you're adorable. Have a seat.” She waved at a chaise lounge near the door. Then, to the woman, she said, “You have to do better than that. Here, listen to Carik again.”

She pulled her massive cock out of the woman and slid it into the man who was bent over beside her. As Yasima started to pump deep, the man moaned, slowly increasing his response until he was writhing and crying out dirty things.

“There! You see? You don't just dump your load all at once. You have to build up to an apex or it isn't believable.” She pulled out, slapped the man's ass for a job well done, then waved them away. “You're both hired. Go downstairs and wait for me in the entry hall; I'll be with the two of you momentarily, and then we can find something for you to wear.”

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