Chapter Seventeen

 

Watching the second round of the tournament made Yara want to claw her eyes out, mostly because she knew she could beat ninety percent of the participants. Instead, she had to pretend she was just a servant for Lady Saha, observing and taking notes on her mistress's future opponents. At first, she and Tick had sat together, discussing their analyses until they realized others were listening in. So now they watched separately and only compared notes when they'd returned to the suite.

The match she was watching concluded with a knockout, eliciting applause from the crowd that was drinking and laughing. Yara didn't bother writing anything down since the winner wasn't remotely good enough to make it past the next round. They'd only advanced as far by being lucky with their matchups. It was strange to be sitting in the space that had once held the duel between Pandora and Kuma, but now was a huge arena.

The second round had revealed a few more interesting competitors, ones that had hidden their talents during the first round, much as Pandora's opponent had. Nothing significant, but as they went deeper into the tournament, those little edges would add up.

Yara checked back to the observation deck. Dominion Thule had been there earlier in the day, surrounded by his personal guards. He'd left an hour ago, but in his place stood a brooding figure dressed in all black. Deacon. The pen snapped in her fingers.

"Fuck."

The murderous urges she normally felt when she saw him were tempered by the results from their last encounter. Not only did they barely survive, but Vasy had lost her boyfriend when he'd gotten in Deacon's way. The idea that they could defeat him—considering his training in the Eternal City, the black diamond, and the strange metal attached to his body—had long ago left her mind. Maybe Pandora could now, but even then, Yara had her doubts.

That didn't keep her from staring at him across the bleachers. He seemed different from the last time they'd seen him. Thinner. Gaunter cheeks. Was he becoming like the maetrie? Or just not eating as much these days?

To her surprise, the black-clad Titus Cabone strolled into the cavern, climbing the stairs to join Deacon on the observation deck. It was the first sighting of the mercenary captain in a long time. His normally arrogant demeanor seemed tempered by annoyance as if events hadn't been going his way. She sent her amber in their direction, but the cheering crowd made listening to their exchange impossible. Yara moved from her spot, picking one closer in hopes of hearing their conversation, but by the time she got near enough, Deacon climbed down, shaking his head while Titus returned the way he'd come. She froze when Deacon headed not back to the tunnels that led to the main Alliance area, but towards her. He had his head down, mumbling to himself, so he didn't see her transfixed in his way. She managed to sit next to a rowdy group of drunken businessmen as he passed, then slipped in behind once he was a good distance ahead.

Yara knew it was unwise to follow him. Her disguise was good enough to fool casual observation, but if he suspected something, it'd be easy to figure out who she really was. But whatever had transpired between him and Titus made her curious. More than curious. She kept other tourists between them, using the way people unconsciously avoided Deacon to not lose him.

He went into Club Onyx. Yara hesitated outside, since it'd be more obvious that she was following, but she felt the risk was worth it. One of the hostesses she didn't know was leading Deacon to one of the private rooms when she arrived. Yara spotted Lee Travic, the head of Acoustic Excavations, inside with a bunch of men and women in company branded overalls.

"...the left side collapsed. Titus' men just came back. At least a half dozen injured, a few critically, and the retaining wall's no longer there. Two weeks of work down the fucking drain and you're here drinking and having a grand old time. Do I need to remind you how important this fucking job is to my boss? Fucked doesn't quite match the level that you're at right now with Thule."

"I'm sorry, we needed a break. This dig ain't easy. What with the wards, the guardian. Everything. It ain't been the simple project your boss made it out to be when he hired me. One of the hardest things I've had to work on, what with the conditions. Not sure I would have taken the job if I'd known the specifics."

"It's a little too late for that," said Deacon. "You'd better get your ass back to the dig site and find a way to make it through that wall."

"What if I can't? I never expected all that leftover sorcery down there. It's like trying to weasel out of a truth bond. It ain't happening. And six out? I'm already running a skeleton crew. I'm gonna need more workers."

"That ain't my problem. Get the fuck through that wall, or not only are you not going to get paid, but you're probably not ever leaving the Undercity."

Yara managed to step away from the sliding door when Deacon came bursting out, a murderous glare in his eyes. He went straight for the busy bar, which parted for him. She deposited herself in the crowd, working her way up to order a drink, casually spying on Deacon. Up close, he looked worse than expected. The dark circles around his eyes made him look thirty years older. As he drank his whiskey, he kept rubbing the part of his chest where they'd managed to blow off one of the metal attachments. Had that upset the magic that made him stronger? Or was it the enchantments from the Eternal City doing a number on his body?

A short time later, Lee Travic and his team left the private room, looking haggard and suddenly sober despite the litter of old beer bottles on the table that she'd seen when she caught a peek inside. Yara wanted to follow but decided it was too risky with Deacon on the prowl. He finished a couple of whiskeys and left Club Onyx.

As Yara finished her drink, she spotted a familiar broad-shouldered Choo-Choo leaving the private area with Leesa. While his disguise was solid, she'd spent the last two years with him and knew his mannerisms. There was no sign of Vasilisa, which meant he'd come to the club alone.

Yara followed Choo-Choo when he left, catching him in the hallway that led outside. He froze when he saw her.

"We need to talk."

Choo-Choo checked behind him. "I was thinking the same thing."

"Find a way into our suite without being seen. I know. It's a risk, but we have big things to discuss."

"I'll get Vasy and meet you there."

Yara waited a minute before following Choo-Choo out of the club, then headed straight for the Night House.