Shakes and Sin chapter 2

The fight for information begins.

Edmund looked up at the neon sign. It read, “The Scaly Hide,” which, in his opinion, was a very, very bad play on words. Cassie stood beside him, shifting nervously from foot to foot.

Edmund glanced over at her and sighed. “Try not to look so scared. Confidence is key in this bar. You don’t want to look like a victim.” The fact that she was a vampire would help, but probably not enough.

Cassie shrugged helplessly. “I can’t help it. This place scares me.”

Edmund sighed again. “Then at least stay close to me.” If he made it clear Cassie was under his protection, she should be fine. Edmund was well known in the supernatural underground. Known, and feared, as a powerful mage should be.

He stalked into the club, gesturing for Cassie to follow. She minced in behind him. All eyes immediately turned to them, and Edmund hid a wince as Cassie shrank away.

This time of the night, it wasn’t crowded. Just a few shifters, a couple of fae, a vampire, and a trio of jinn playing cards in the corner. The vampire was flirting with a human woman, likely one of the blood donors Mama Hessia kept on staff. Though feeding wasn’t necessarily sexual, most vampires liked to fuck when they fed. The club had a few rooms upstairs for that very purpose, as well as for other liaisons and private meetings.

Edmund approached the bar, with Cassie tiptoeing behind him. The bartender tonight was Ophelia. She nodded to him.

Cassie murmured in his ear. “She looks way too young to be serving drinks. And isn’t she human?”

Edmund shook his head, but it was Ophelia who answered, with a full throated laugh. “Little vampire, I’ve been a bartender since long before you were born. Actually, when I started, the position was better known as ‘tavern wench.’ And I most assuredly am not human.”

Cassie winced. “I’m sorry. I meant no disrespect.”

Ophelia chuckled. “You didn’t think I could hear you. Be careful about making assumptions like that. They could get you killed.” She nodded to Edmund. “You here for business or pleasure?”

Edmund nodded back. “Business. I need to see the boss.”

Ophelia nodded. “I should have guessed. It’s always business with you. Take a seat and have a drink. The boss is a busy woman, but she’ll get to you eventually.”

Ophelia made no sign of passing on a message. She never did. Other bartenders had runners for when they needed something, but Ophelia seemed to have other ways of communicating with her employer. Edmund had always assumed she was telepathic, but he could be wrong.

Ophelia was definitely telekinetic, though. She reached out a hand, and a glass came flying off the shelf into her grasp. “The usual?” she asked Edmund. “And what will the baby vamp have?”

Edmund nodded. “The usual. Cassie?”

Cassie smiled tentatively. “Water.” Edmund could tell she was burning with questions about Ophelia. What kind of supernatural was she? Why did she smell entirely human? Unfortunately, Edmund had no answers. He’d been dealing with Ophelia since he was younger than she looked, and he still hadn’t figured her out.

“Edmund has told you you aren’t affected by alcohol, right?” asked Ophelia as she poured Edmund’s Dr. Pepper. “You could have something stronger.”

Cassie shook her head. “I don’t like the taste.”

Ophelia laughed. “Alcohol is rather an acquired taste, is it not?” She glanced around and raised her voice. “I like you. You’re cute.”

A shifter who had been studying Cassie a little too closely suddenly developed a strong interest in his drink, and Edmund smiled. Ophelia had just made it clear to the entire bar that Cassie was under her protection, and, while some might be willing to try Edmund’s patience, absolutely no one messed with Ophelia.

Ophelia leaned forward, showing Cassie a generous glimpse of cleavage. Cassie blushed, making Ophelia smile. “So, how does a cute little innocent like you become a vampire? Catch the wrong man’s eye?”

Cassie shook her head. “I actually have no idea. I just woke up in a hotel room one night with three missing days and a sunlight allergy.” She made a face.

Ophelia sighed. “Poor thing. And that’s how you met Edmund, I assume? Trying to figure out who turned you?”

Cassie nodded. “Pretty much.”

Ophelia pursed her lips. “I hope you do find out who changed you. I’d like to meet them.” She laughed. “Though, frankly, I’m not sure whether to thank them or kill them.” She grinned ferally. “Perhaps both.”

“Get in line,” muttered Edmund.

With a smile, Ophelia slid him his drink, and handed Cassie hers. Edmund pretended not to notice that her hands lingered on the glass just a little longer than was normal, gently brushing Cassie’s fingers. If Cassie said no, Ophelia would respect that, unlike some others. And, in his expert opinion, Cassie wasn’t likely to say no.

What looked like a solid wall in the back of the room opened, revealing an apparently human man with long, blond hair. “Mama Hessia will see you now,” he told them.

No one in the room reacted to the wall opening, which made sense. All of them, including Cassie, had known it was there.

Edmund stood. “It’s been nice talking to you, Ophelia.”

The bartender smiled. “Likewise.” She pouted a bit as Cassie stood, and added, “I wish you could stay longer.”

The two of them entered the room behind the wall, which closed behind them. As they stepped into an elevator, Cassie whispered to Edmund, “Do think I’ve got a chance with her?”

Edmund couldn’t help it. He began to laugh.

*

When the elevator reached the bottom floor, their guide dropped his glamor with a sigh of relief. Underneath the illusion, the only thing humanoid about him was his body shape. He was completely hairless, and his skin was covered in emerald green scales. When he smiled at them, he revealed slender fangs and a forked tongue, and his nose was a flat pair of slits. His eyes were cold and reptilian. All in all, he looked like some sort of hybrid between a human and a snake. A naga.

Based on the green color, he was likely one of Mama Hessia’s children, like the vast majority of naga in this city. Edmund gave him a short once over and realized he was too young to be one of her husbands or concubines. Definitely one of her sons, then.

The young naga led them down a hallway lined with statues. Some were snakes. Others were human and naga men, all scantily clad or completely naked. Cassie tried to avoid looking at the well hung sculptures, but Edmund was used to them. He’d known Mama Hessia for a long time, after all.

The long, opulent carpet, spread out over a dark wooden floor, muffled their footsteps. Since it was too early for the Pit to be open, this left the hallway eerily quiet. Edmund could hear Cassie’s heavy, nervous breathing. Hopefully she could hold it together long enough for the meeting.

They came to the dark wooden double doors at the end of the hallway. Silently, their guide opened one of the doors and gestured them inside.

It was dim in the room beyond, a sign that Mama Hessia had just woken up for the night. Like the hallway outside, the room held a fair number of naked male statues, and three of the four walls were hung with erotic paintings and tapestries. The fourth was covered with a curtain, which Edmund knew hid a window that looked out on the Pit.

A large number of male naga were scattered around the room. The ones lounging around on pillows and couches, wearing nothing but ornamentation, were her current favorite husbands and concubines. Other naga men stood military straight in various strategic positions and wore utilitarian armor. These would be her highest ranking sons. They all watched Edmund with wary interest.

The focal point of the room, though, was not the male naga, the art, or even the tray of refreshments along one wall. It was Mama Hessia. She was enormous, with the upper body of a fat, large breasted woman and the lower body of a huge snake. Her upper body had tanned skin, hinting at time in the sun Edmund knew she didn’t get, as she never left this room. Her hair was black, long, and elaborately styled. Her generous curves were partially concealed by a flowing, diaphanous top, and her jewelry glittered in the dim light. Her piercing black eyes were entirely human.

Her lower body was green, scaly, and at least fifteen feet long. As big around as her stomach at its widest, it narrowed into a delicate tip. Edmund knew to watch that tail tip. Mama Hessia’s face rarely gave away her true emotions. Her tail tip, though, did. It was currently weaving slowly, as if to an invisible tune. She was in a good mood, then.

Edmund knelt and bowed deeply. Cassie did the same. Neither said anything. They knew the protocol. Edmund had coached Cassie on it often enough.

Mama Hessia didn't make them wait long. "Rise, you two. What brings my prodigal son home this lovely evening?"

Mama Hessia didn't often call Edmund her son. He wasn't, after all, a naga. But she had, for her own nebulous reasons, given him a place after he ran away from home, and started him on his journey to become a mage.

"Mama Hessia, I have come to ask for a boon of information," Edmund began. "It concerns-"

"It concerns that awful business with your cousin's murder, doesn't it?" Mama Hessia purred.

Edmund stiffened. He'd known Mama Hessia knew about his past, but she generally played what she knew close to the chest.

Cassie frowned. "What do you mean his cousin's murder?"

"Did Edmund not tell you?" the snake lady purred, sounding more like a satisfied cat than a snake. "Amelie is his cousin. He's the missing heir to the Davinson fortune. The only heir, now."

Cassie gapped at her. "He… wha-?"

Edmund grimaced. "Doesn't matter. I'm not going anywhere near my uncle, and you know why, Dark Queen."

"Why?" Cassie demanded.

Edmund sighed. "Can we discuss this later? I don't want to waste the Great Lady's time."

Mama Hessia chuckled. "By all means, have your discussion now. I can be patient." Her tail tip was weaving in wider, swifter arcs now. She was amused.

"With all due respect, Dark Queen, we are not here for your entertainment," Edmund ground out. Then he took a deep breath and put his game face back on. "Unless entertainment is the price you ask for the information you have, of course." He smiled.

"What makes you think I have information?" Mama Hessia teased. "I could know nothing."

"You always know something, Dark Lady," purred Edmund, smiling flirtatiously.

"That I do, don't I?" Mama Hessia said, smiling. "As a matter of fact, I do have information on your cousin's killer. As well as some other information you might find… Interesting."

"I bargain for information relevant to the case only," Edmund said. The extra "interesting" information could be anything. It might be genuinely useful, or she might just be trying to drive the price up.

"Oh, I think you do want the other tidbit I've picked up," Mama Hessia told him. "Or, rather, Cassie does. It concerns your…other open case."

Cassie gasped. "You know something about how I became a vampire?"

"I know something about how you became a vampire, " confirmed Mama Hessia. Edmund’s special sense told him she spoke the truth. "And I'm willing to sell this information to you along with the information you came for. A sort of package deal."

Edmund frowned. “At what price?” He could tell she had something in mind.

Her eyes gleamed. “The Pit has been a bit boring as of late…”

Cassie’s eyes widened. “You want us to fight in the Pit?”

“Not you, little fledgeling,” purred the Snake Queen. “Watching untrained fighters get beaten up is just boring. However, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen Edmund show his full potential.” She smiled.

Edmund frowned. “I’ll fight one round. Tier One. Then you will give us the information.” While he was no slouch in combat, he didn’t enjoy beating someone up in front of a cheering crowd.

“Three,” countered Mama Hessia. “You must, not just fight, but win, three matches in Tier One. Only then will I supply the information. This is my final offer.”

Edmund sighed. “Fine. I’ll win three matches, Tier One. Then you will tell us everything you know about both Amelie’s death and how Cassie was turned into a vampire.” His eyes gleamed. “Everything. And you will owe me a minor boon.”

Mama Hessia nodded, looking pleased. “Done. Your audience is over.” She gestured to one of her sons. “Show them to the Pit preparation rooms. Unless you need to get anything from home, Edmund?” She smiled beneficently. “You’ll need your best artifacts and potions for a Tier One Pit fight.”

Cassie broke in. “What’s Tier One? That’s the lowest, right?” She swallowed.

Mama Hessia chuckled. “No, child. The lowest tier is seven. Tier One is reserved for the best.”

Cassie swallowed. “Shit…”

*

“Are you sure you want to go through with this?” Cassie asked Edmund again. “I mean, surely there’s other ways of getting information. Maybe the police will find something.”

As he went through his stretches, Edmund shrugged. “Maybe they will. But I don’t want to count on that. Besides, this isn’t my first time in the Pit. It’s not even my first time in Tier One. I’ll be fine.”

“So you’re certain you’ll win?” said Cassie hopefully.


Edmund laughed. “Hell no. But killing and maiming are against the rules, and there are some pretty good healers on hand for the fighters. Many of them are Mama Hessia’s sons, after all.”

Cassie’s eyes widened. “But you have to win! Otherwise, we won’t get the information.” She bit her lip. “Also, I don’t want to watch you get hurt.”

“It’s fine,” Edmund said as he continued to limber up. “I might not win every fight, but Mama Hessia didn’t say I had to win three fights in a row, or anything like that. I can try as many times as I like. I’ll get three pretty quick. Within a few matches, for sure.”

“But you’ll get all beat up!” Cassie fretted. “It’ll hurt!”

Edmund smiled gently. “I don’t mind a bit of pain.” He’d been hurt plenty in the past. Pain was an old friend. And, on the plus side, her worry about him seemed to have distracted her from his past. “I’ll be fine.”

She bit her lip. “If you say so.”

One of Mama Hessia’s younger sons poked his head through the door to their small, sparse room. “It’s time,” he said, eyes eager.

Edmund and Cassie followed him down the hall. As they grew closer to the Pit, the sounds of the crowd grew steadily louder.

Soon they reached the entrance, a huge metal door. “If I may guide you to your seat, miss?” asked another young naga male.

Cassie gave Edmund a quick hug, mindful of her vampiric strength. Her fucking useless strength. If only she knew how to fight… “Good luck.” Then she followed the naga.

A naga in the room quickly searched Edmund for illegal weapons, and, with a bored drawl, told him the rules. “No edged weapons. No killing. No maiming. No fighting before Mama Hessia gives the word. And you’re only allowed to use your own magic, not artifacts made by others. Everything else is fair game. But you know that as well as I do, don’t you?”

A male naga scurried into the room. “I heard-” he began. Then he stopped. “They were telling the truth…” He said in a hushed whisper. “The Mongoose is back…”

Edmund rolled his eyes. The fact that his nickname in the pit was “the Mongoose” was a bit ridiculous. It wasn’t like he’d won against every naga he’d ever fought. But it seemed to be the moniker he’d earned. Small, but feisty, Mama Hessia had said, a rare note of approval in her voice.

“Get ready,” one of the naga told him, nudging him toward the door. “Just so you know, the guy you’re going up against has a winning streak a mile long.” He grinned. “However, he wasn’t here last time you fought, and I don’t think he believes the stories. Shouldn’t be too hard, if you haven’t gone soft.”

Edmund smiled grimly. “I haven’t.”

“Good,” said the naga. “Give him a good beating for me. He needs to be knocked down a peg.”

Then the crowd went silent in an anticipatory hush. Moments later, the voice of the announcer boomed. “Tonight, we have a special treat for you. Sparks will fly as two contestants with unmatched combat prowess face off in a fight for the ages.” Pause for effect. “First, we welcome a naga with a pure winning streak 14 matches long. He has, in fact, never been beaten in this Pit. Please put your hands together for… The Ruby Anaconda!”

As the crowd cheered loudly, Edmund sighed. This guy might be a great fighter, but he was far from creative. He was likely large and red with a preference for grappling, and he was a naga. Therefore, the Ruby Anaconda. He shook his head.

“Our second contestant has a much shorter winning streak of 8, and he’s only human, but he’s got a reputation for taking down naga. He hasn’t fought in three years, but he’s still sharp as a tack and hard as nails. Please welcome… The Mongoose!”

As Edmund entered the Pit, he looked around at the crowd. They weren’t cheering as loudly as they had for the Ruby Anaconda, and some looked confused. Humans weren’t often seen in Tier One, after all. He grinned. They were in for a surprise…

As expected, his opponent was a large red naga. Edmund met the naga in the middle and bowed to him. The Ruby Anaconda bowed back. “Don’t worry, I won’t make this too painful,” the naga murmured. “You should be able to walk once the healers are done with you.” He frowned.

So, he was overconfident, Edmund thought. Good to know. But he seemed to be a nice enough guy. That would make this harder. Edmund looked down to his belt, where his two tonfa were hooked. Normally concealed with a spell, their runes shimmered oddly in the light of the pit. It was rude to arm up before Mama Hessia gave the word. Not against the rules, but rude.

The Ruby Anaconda seemed to prefer brass knuckles. Good weapon for someone who liked to grapple, Edmund thought. As expected.

The two of them turned toward Mama Hessia’s box, knelt, bowed, and stayed there. One long moment later, Mama Hessia spoke. “Rise, and arm yourselves.”

The two of them did as ordered. The Ruby Anaconda still watched Mama Hessia, but Edmund was on the balls of his feet, eyes on his opponent. He whispered an incantation, and the pendant on his necklace glowed faintly purple. It had taken a lot of work to make that artifact dim. Normally the enchantment that he’d cast on it would light up like a beacon, but his version was different. More subtle.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Mama Hessia smile. “You may begin!”

*

In her seat, granted to her by Mama Hessia, Cassie sat, biting her nails. She had a good view of the combat, but it didn’t take close examination to see that Edmund was much smaller than his opponent. When Mama Hessia told them to begin, she started to nibble on her lip.

For a moment, the two fighters stood there. She wondered what they were waiting for. Then Edmund’s opponent struck. Cassie closed her eyes, and heard a loud snap. The crowd roared. She swallowed. Was it over?

Opening her eyes, she gasped. The Ruby Anaconda was staggering backwards, one arm at an awkward angle. He looked surprised more than pained by the broken bone.

Edmund made the next move. Gesturing with one hand, he sent a ball of flame at his opponent. The naga rolled out of the way, careful of his damaged limb, and darted nimbly to his feet. He lunged toward Edmund again, swift as a snake. This time Cassie kept her eyes open. She saw Edmund block the naga’s blow, step inside his guard, and deliver a strike of his own. With a grunt, the naga blocked with a fist. There was a crunch as his fingers shattered.

The naga took a few wary steps back. He gestured, and, suddenly, several duplicates of himself darted away from where he had been standing. He, and the duplicates, began to race in a circle around Edmund. Cassie widened as the circle closed in. Which was the real naga? Would Edmund be able to tell?

Apparently it didn’t matter. Edmund grinned, a rictus of a smile, and slammed the two tonfa together. A boom of percussive force raced outward, slamming into the naga and his copies. The red naga went flying, and the copies vanished.

Edmund darted forward, clearly intending to finish this. He brought his tonfa down on his prone opponent. Ribs crunched. “Do you yield?” Edmund bellowed.

In answer, the Ruby Anaconda spat blood, an ugly look on his face. “I will not lose to a human!” he hissed, the sound somehow carrying to all corners of the stadium. Then he darted to his feet.

His fangs popped out, and he lunged, attempting to bite Edmund. Venom glittered on the tips as Edmund dodged, and the naga went flying past. As he passed, Edmund struck, bringing his tonfa down against the back of his head. The naga went limp, and hit the ground with another crunch. The crowd cheered. “Mongoose! Mongoose! Mongoose!”

The referee came over and checked the naga. “He’s down!” he bellowed to the crowd. “The Mongoose is the winner!”

The crowd roared, and Cassie smiled. One down. Two to go.