on an errand for me. So you’re here to speak with Lorcan?”
“Yes and no. I would’ve been trying to talk him into waking you up.” I hesitated. Here went nothing. “I need a favor.”
Nathrach’s grin was slow and dangerous. “Favors among goblins are not lightly given.”
“How about to an elf?”
“Rarely, if at all. However, that would depend on the favor.” His grin got a little more dangerous. “And the elf.”
Maybe I shouldn’t have used the word “favor.”
“I need information—and I believe you’re quite possibly the best source I know.”
“But we only just met last night.” I heard the amusement in his voice. “We hardly know each other, and here you are asking favors.”
“I realize that—”
Nathrach held out his arm courtier-style. “What I meant was why don’t we get to know each other better, then you may ask your favor. To begin with, I insist that you call me Tam.”
I hesitated, then placed my hand over his, feeling more than a little silly being escorted like a highborn lady, especially while wearing my leathers.
I didn’t feel nearly as silly once we stepped inside Sirens. You wouldn’t know it was a bright, sunny day outside from the nearly pitch dark on the inside.
I thought the lights would be turned up in a casino during the day. Apparently not in a casino owned by a goblin. Heck, Nathrach didn’t even take his dark spectacles off until we were halfway across the main floor. Even once my eyes adjusted, I could barely see where I was going. Good thing Nathrach didn’t have that problem.
“Kells, would you have tea and refreshments sent to my office?”
I didn’t see who Nathrach was speaking to until he moved. Damn. You knew it was dark when you didn’t see a hobgoblin standing—though it was more like looming—less than ten feet away.
Kells inclined his head, turned, and stepped through what must have been a doorway next to where he’d been working behind the bar. I say “must have” because I hadn’t seen that, either.
The goblin mage’s office was on the first level, down a hallway, behind the nightclub’s main bar.
Nathrach seated me in one of two plush chairs across from his desk. Rather than sit behind his desk, he took the chair opposite me.
While I prided myself on my ability to quickly adapt to a changing situation, I didn’t expect to be sitting next to a very much awake, alert, and even playful Tamnais Nathrach. Though the playful part might come in handy when I essentially told him that I’d come to him because of his previous vast experience being in league with the forces of evil. At least that was how it’d probably sound when I tried to explain it. A diplomat, I was not.
That’d squash the playful right out of him.
“You seem hesitant, Mistress Benares. I assure you whatever you have to ask, I will have heard it before.”
“Oh, I seriously doubt that. It’s rather personal.”
He smiled slowly. “For you or for me?”
“You.”
“You continue to intrigue me, Mistress Benares.”
Those kids didn’t have time for me to work my way up to this. I simply came right out and told him everything I’d heard from Janek and Malina this morning, and what I’d heard coming from Sethis Mortsani last night. As I did, I saw Tamnais Nathrach’s sense of play go bye-bye.
“Those children have until sunrise tomorrow for us to find their souls,” I said, “and we have no idea of where to start.”
“‘We’ as in you and the city watch.”
“That’s right.”
“And they didn’t come to question me themselves.”
“I thought you might be more willing to help if someone other than a watcher asked. It’d be less. . . official that way.” But it was plenty awkward.
“So you’re a private investigator who also works with Mermeian law enforcement.”
“Not all of them; I just help Janek Tawl from time to time.”
“The chief watcher of the Sorcerers’ District.”
I didn’t see what any of this had
“Yes and no. I would’ve been trying to talk him into waking you up.” I hesitated. Here went nothing. “I need a favor.”
Nathrach’s grin was slow and dangerous. “Favors among goblins are not lightly given.”
“How about to an elf?”
“Rarely, if at all. However, that would depend on the favor.” His grin got a little more dangerous. “And the elf.”
Maybe I shouldn’t have used the word “favor.”
“I need information—and I believe you’re quite possibly the best source I know.”
“But we only just met last night.” I heard the amusement in his voice. “We hardly know each other, and here you are asking favors.”
“I realize that—”
Nathrach held out his arm courtier-style. “What I meant was why don’t we get to know each other better, then you may ask your favor. To begin with, I insist that you call me Tam.”
I hesitated, then placed my hand over his, feeling more than a little silly being escorted like a highborn lady, especially while wearing my leathers.
I didn’t feel nearly as silly once we stepped inside Sirens. You wouldn’t know it was a bright, sunny day outside from the nearly pitch dark on the inside.
I thought the lights would be turned up in a casino during the day. Apparently not in a casino owned by a goblin. Heck, Nathrach didn’t even take his dark spectacles off until we were halfway across the main floor. Even once my eyes adjusted, I could barely see where I was going. Good thing Nathrach didn’t have that problem.
“Kells, would you have tea and refreshments sent to my office?”
I didn’t see who Nathrach was speaking to until he moved. Damn. You knew it was dark when you didn’t see a hobgoblin standing—though it was more like looming—less than ten feet away.
Kells inclined his head, turned, and stepped through what must have been a doorway next to where he’d been working behind the bar. I say “must have” because I hadn’t seen that, either.
The goblin mage’s office was on the first level, down a hallway, behind the nightclub’s main bar.
Nathrach seated me in one of two plush chairs across from his desk. Rather than sit behind his desk, he took the chair opposite me.
While I prided myself on my ability to quickly adapt to a changing situation, I didn’t expect to be sitting next to a very much awake, alert, and even playful Tamnais Nathrach. Though the playful part might come in handy when I essentially told him that I’d come to him because of his previous vast experience being in league with the forces of evil. At least that was how it’d probably sound when I tried to explain it. A diplomat, I was not.
That’d squash the playful right out of him.
“You seem hesitant, Mistress Benares. I assure you whatever you have to ask, I will have heard it before.”
“Oh, I seriously doubt that. It’s rather personal.”
He smiled slowly. “For you or for me?”
“You.”
“You continue to intrigue me, Mistress Benares.”
Those kids didn’t have time for me to work my way up to this. I simply came right out and told him everything I’d heard from Janek and Malina this morning, and what I’d heard coming from Sethis Mortsani last night. As I did, I saw Tamnais Nathrach’s sense of play go bye-bye.
“Those children have until sunrise tomorrow for us to find their souls,” I said, “and we have no idea of where to start.”
“‘We’ as in you and the city watch.”
“That’s right.”
“And they didn’t come to question me themselves.”
“I thought you might be more willing to help if someone other than a watcher asked. It’d be less. . . official that way.” But it was plenty awkward.
“So you’re a private investigator who also works with Mermeian law enforcement.”
“Not all of them; I just help Janek Tawl from time to time.”
“The chief watcher of the Sorcerers’ District.”
I didn’t see what any of this had
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