Freezing Shadows, Chapter 57

Chapter 57: Night Out

Two weeks after my meeting the Conclave, I got a message from Countess. She had a meeting down in Olasar, the elven enclave in Seattle, and needed some backup that could walk the walk and look the part. Usually, she tapped Demon for this kind of work, since he was the only other elf in the Conclave, but the Ola Tarin native did not get along well with the elves from Ola Serin. That he usually went along with Countess on these gigs said good things about him, and his commitment to the Conclave, but he and Countess both agreed that they should explore other options if they became available, especially since he had her repay him by playing his secretary when he went to District Council meetings.

I’d learned a fair bit about my fellow members of the Conclave over the last couple weeks, at the Wednesday get-togethers. Demon, for instance, was actually on the District Council for the Downtown Seattle district. That wasn’t terribly impressive, since the District Councils had limited power in their districts, but it did mean he had his finger on the pulse of political matters in the sprawl, so he would sometimes hear about new policies before they became public.

Crusher, on the other hand, was involved with the gangs in the less elf-centric parts of Puyallup. Well, not involved-involved. More like, he was a neutral party that everyone in the area respected, not only because he was a troll who could swing that big ass sword and sling spells, but also because he offered his healing and detox spells to anyone for cheap. In return, his shack was recognized as neutral ground, and he often worked as a go-between for the gangs. Didn’t pay well, but it kept food on the table, and all that.

I knew that Miko was one of the priestesses at the corporate Shinto shrine in Manzoku Corporation’s Seattle headquarters, of course, but it was a surprise to learn that she was the naishoten, or head priestess, of that shrine. Her position offered her little hard power, of course, but most of the higher-level managers and executives attended ceremonies at the shrine, which meant she had access to some important people. And if Manzoku decided to do some testing of magic gear, there was a chance that she could get her hands on it.

Templar, on the other hand, helped run a gym in the Verge, offering self-defense classes and other training opportunities. Obviously, she focused primarily on blade training, but with some First Aid training and healing spells, she also helped out with any training injuries. She also ran a sideline offering healing to ‘temporary members’ for a contribution, of course.

Huntress, it turned out, was a consultant for the Creative Horizons megacorp. While they didn’t like to advertise it, and certainly wouldn’t put her on an official payroll, the corp saw value in having someone with her abilities check their security, now and then. As for her food, well, there were always gangs who needed to get rid of bodies, and they even paid her for the privilege.

Sparrow, Prodigy, and Nemesis were all Shadowmen, like I was. Magic was rare enough that it was valuable, no matter what flavor your ‘spark’ took. However, combat mages, those of us who could actually hold our own in a fight? That was rarer still, and while none of them were part of a regular team, they all had fixers who hooked them up with groups needing some magical mojo regularly enough that they kept fed.

And as for Countess? Well, she was actually one of the major ‘facilitators’ in the smuggling business between Ola Serin and Seattle. Had been, even before the revolution. Actually, that was why she’d been out of the country when things went down. Some business needed taking care of, personally, and as a result she was in Seattle when rebels stormed her family estate with pitchforks and torches.

“Ah, Mirikon, excellent,” she said, as I stepped out of my Tsarina at the address she’d given me, a hotel that I happened to know was owned and run by the Laésa, what some called the ‘elven mafia’. “I do apologize for calling you out like this, but my ‘associates’ are far more close-minded than some others we know.”

“Of course, Natasha,” I said, sliding into the role of an ‘old friend’, like she’d suggested in her message. “Some people like to cling to the old ways, either longing for their old power, or because it allows them some measure of control when bringing in new faces.”

She pulled me in for a hug that was somewhat less than chaste, and whispered, “Officially, the person we’re meeting is Zachary Doyle, who runs a regular night of drinking and games for ‘respected business leaders in the community’. Unofficially, the one we need to talk to is his sister, Nicole.”

“Got it,” I whispered, before sliding one hand around her waist as she turned to lead the way to the door. “Anything I should be on the lookout for?”

“Nothing in particular. With luck, there won’t even be a need to draw blades. Nicole is the one in charge of the meeting, and she likes to keep her business clean. However, the drinks they’ll be serving are strong, and sometimes laced.”

“Any particular type of ‘party favor’?” I asked as we walked through the doors, heading for an elevator.

“A couple have gotten a bit of eX, from the looks of it. And I know at least one person was served Laésal Wine. That one turned out to be working for the police as an informant.”

“So, brainwiping people who aren’t playing by the rules, and looking to get lucky with people who didn’t realize that their drinks were spiked?”

“Precisely,” she nodded, as we stepped into the elevator, and she pressed the button for the penthouse level. “Zachary has been dropping increasingly unsubtle hints about wanting to ‘deepen our acquaintance’, lately. Something about how he never got to enjoy a noblewoman, before the revolution. He doesn’t go over the line, because his sister would kill him if he ruined one of her deals, but last time he ‘arranged’ for a pair of joygirls to try and draw Scott away while Nicole and I were having a couple post-deal drinks. Fortunately, Scott switched the drinks, so the joygirls got the drugged ones, instead of the two of us.”

I frowned slightly as the elevator smoothly stopped at our floor. “That seems a bit careless of him. Especially if this Nicole is all business, as you say.”

“The two have an interesting dynamic. Nicole enjoys seeing her brother fail in his games, and treats the whole thing as a test for her business partners. If they can’t keep him from having his fun, then obviously they aren’t going to be as trustworthy as the others. Which is why the altered drinks came after the deal, rather than before, or during.

“Meanwhile, Zachary dislikes the fact that his sister is the one actually in charge, even though, on paper, he is the one who owns and runs the hotel. So, he tries to play his games, and treats it as a victory to hold over his sister if he manages to win. Plus, of course, she gets any blackmail material that might come along on the ‘losers’.”

“Ah, that makes more sense. If someone is incautious enough to get caught, then they take other steps to ensure that they do not become a problem later on.”

As we stepped off the elevator, I saw that the top two floors of the building had been converted into what was clearly meant to be for well-heeled private parties. Not a casino or brothel, since those would have required licenses and such. However, there were tables for pool, and card games, and a well-stocked bar with a clear line of sight to everywhere in the central room. A DJ played tunes on the speakers while a luscious dark-skinned woman was pole dancing on the stage. Other strippers, both male and female (though mostly female), moved through the crowd, offering dances, or more. Everyone in the room was an elf, from what I could see.

I saw one woman lead a businessman to the stairs by his dick, which drew my attention away from the main spectacle. On the second floor, a balcony ringed the room, allowing people to look down from above. However, there were also clearly bedrooms there, for ‘privacy’. By the way no one else reacted to the scene, it was obvious that such displays were commonplace at these ‘parties’.

“I can see why you needed backup for a place like this,” I said, just loud enough for Countess to hear. She followed Seductress as her patron, after all. That meant she had to fight to avoid indulging in pleasures like what was offered here, when it was made available. Having a ‘guard dog’ meant that most of the indulgences weren’t available, so she didn’t need to worry as much.

“Exactly, dear,” Countess said, pressing against me as we walked. “If you could keep one hand busy up my skirt while we talk, that will help distract from the other issues. It will also help keep Zachary at bay, if he sees that I am ‘occupied and fulfilled’, instead of needing more companionship.”

“Ah, and now we get to the real reason Scott didn’t like these gatherings. Teasing a man all night, making him play with you again and again but not giving him any release? That’s cruel of you, Natasha.”

“Yes, especially since he prefers the company of orks, of either sex. Tough enough that he can throw them around a bit, without being squat like dwarves or too tall like trolls. Humans and elves just don’t do it for him, sadly. However, since you clearly have no such… limitations, and you don’t have a district council meeting to bore me with, perhaps we can work some other payment out, hmm?”

As we talked, Coutness led the way towards a roped off area in the far corner of the penthouse. There were comfortable couches there, arranged around a square table that was about two meters on a side, and was graced with its own stripper pole sticking out of it, for command performances, no doubt. A VIP room without making it an actual room.

That VIP section was currently occupied by three people. Two of them were dressed in fashionable clubbing clothes. They looked enough alike that they could be brother and sister. Probably our hosts. The third person was a stripper with pale skin, freckles, and red hair. Couldn’t tell from a glance whether she was actually from Ola Tarin or not, but, considering that all she had on at the moment were her heels, I could easily see that the carpet matched the drapes.

But the stripper was a distraction, the other two were the main event. I noticed that the brother looked annoyed when he spotted me, instead of Demon. No doubt the redhead was there as another ploy to try and distract him, or draw him off so he could have his fun with Countess. His scowl only grew darker as I slid onto the couch before Countess could, putting myself between her and the man. The woman, on the other hand had a knowing smirk on her face, enjoying the way that Countess and I outplayed her brother without making an incident of things.

“Ah, Countess Stephens. It is so good to see you again. But I see you have a new companion tonight. Who might this be?”

Countess smiled at the woman, and said, “Nicole, it is lovely to see you again, as well. This would be an old acquaintance of mine, Lord Mollen. We actually studied together, back in Ola Serin.” She looked at me, and said, “Dear, this is Nicole Doyle, and her little brother, Zachary.”

My smile only had a little to do with keeping up the act, as I saw Zachary’s face twitch at the subtle insult. I made no effort to hide my hand moving up Countess’s leg, and through the slit in her skirt as I nodded to each of our hosts. “A pleasure, I’m sure. I’m always happy to meet my Natasha’s business associates.” I was fairly certain that Zachary was going to have a seizure if things continued like they were.

Thankfully, Nicole rescued her brother from further embarrassment at the moment, by saying, “Zachary, why don’t you go get us some drinks, so we can talk properly?”

This was going to be an interesting night.