Ryrik

Ifollowed her closely all night long. As she moved through the casino to start her shift, as she filled the glasses of patrons, and even as she left to take her break, I never lost eye contact with Amber. As astute as she showed herself to be the day I first took notice of her, she seemingly hadn't noticed me at all.

Which only deepened my suspicions.

She was astute, I could tell, but only for information she seemed to seek out herself. Little things like movements in her periphery seemed to catch her off guard. But when a guest approached, I watched her eyes dart between expensive watches and jacket insignias. Things that broadcasted wealth and, in some cases, identity.

Amber was looking for someone. And when she found them, her demeanor switched from professional to downright flirtatious. She found excuses to get closer, chat longer, and giggle harder. She really laid it on thick.

I couldn't help but notice when a particular regular who owned half the shipping depots on this side of the galaxy fell hard for her charms. He leaned in and whispered something in her ear. The delight was so obvious in Amber's eyes that I wanted to call her out right then and there.

But I waited. After all, I still had my reservations. Her methods were, at least, making the guests happy. I could tell by the way they gushed about the superb service as they left the restaurant.

And then Banek arrived. A Mondion and a friend of the casino, Banek and I went way back. He walked right past me and into the restaurant, probably for his weekly appetizer and drink special. I wanted to stop him and warn him about Amber. That she was behaving suspiciously. But I needed to know.

I watched as Amber gave him that exploratory once-over before leading him to a table. She glued on that fake smile and leaned over a little too much to hand him his menu. Then she put her hands on the table and lingered, smiling and chatting with him. One of the other guests noticed and seemed almost jealous of the interaction.

I couldn't help but laugh at that. What an easy mark. A man like that is practically begging someone with red lips and soft skin to separate him from his money.

Though, I suppose I couldn't fault him too much. Amber did look delicious, even when she wasn't trying to put on the feminine charm. The way her honey-brown hair cascaded over her shoulders, framing the hint of cleavage exposed by her unbuttoned top, was hypnotizing. The uniform hugged her curves exactly right, leaving almost nothing to the imagination every time she bent over to pick up an ‘accidentally' dropped menu or napkin.

It was almost too much to bear. If I didn't have such strong suspicions of her as it were, I may have even briefly considered breaching protocol. Hell, at this point, it seemed like every one of us Vinduthi was saddling up with a member of the staff. Why shouldn't I have a little fun as well?

Too bad she was so blatantly up to something.

I stood and walked through the restaurant, head down and acting like I was meeting someone there. Amber didn't notice, even as I walked right past her.

"That's so interesting! And how long are you planning to be off station?"

My blood curdled as my suspicions were all but confirmed correct. She was mining my guests for information, that much was obvious. But for who? And to what end?

"Oh, just a day. Barely that, even," Banek replied. He was lying. I knew for a fact he'd be gone for a couple of weeks. Which meant he also suspected Amber of foul play.

Smart guy. I was always proud to have him in our corner. I watched Amber walk back to her podium as I made my way to the kitchen. Chef, the most strung-out man on the entire station, was the first person to actually notice me. He looked up from his work with raised eyebrows as if afraid I was there to deliver a metric ton of bad news.

I waved him off and continued to the employee exit that led to a series of backroom hallways. Good for staff to travel between stations quickly without bothering the guests. I also noticed Amber did not utilize them, ever.

She was up to something. But how much of a threat was she? It was possible she was just in the business of contract shuffling, a term for when an indentured servant convinces a rich benefactor to buy out their contract. Then, when the dust settles, the scammer disappears, leaving the romantic partner alone with the bill. That sort of maneuver didn't concern me much, as long as the casino was justly compensated.

But her behavior didn't seem like someone trying to seduce their way out of debt. Something about her felt more… malicious.

I waited until her shift ended, then watched her once again. She walked through the crowds of casino guests, snaking between slot machines and card tables until she came to a particular sealed door.

It was the Nova room, a ballroom used for special events and booked conferences. It hadn't been used in weeks and didn't need anyone to clean or stock it.

And yet she slipped in.

"Bingo," I muttered as I hurried back into the staff hallways, maneuvering to the door on the far side of the Nova room. I cracked it open, just barely, until I saw Amber…and someone else.

He was a Quilthar. I could at least make out that much by his reptilian-like skin, though his face was obscured by shadows. He also wasn"t the same guy I watched take her to eat a few nights ago. This one was much taller.

I couldn't hear their conversation from over here, but I watched their movements. And something was definitely passed between them. The Quilthar began to leave, and Amber seemed distressed. She tried to stop him, but he shook her off.

I made my move, slipping through the door and walking silently in the dark room towards her. The man had left, but Amber remained, her back towards me.

"Got you," I said sternly as I grabbed her by the wrist. She turned and screamed, eyes wild and chest heaving as she tried to take in who discovered her.

"You… Ryrik? Mr. Ryrik?" she asked, trying to control her breathing.

"Amber. Mind explaining what it was you were just doing here?"

"I.. I-I-I was just taking a break. I needed to find someplace quiet. Because I had a headache and?—"

"Were you ‘taking a break' with that Quilthar?"

Amber's face turned deep red. She knew she was cornered. "That… He was a guest. Lost. He was trying to find, uh, the gift shop."

"The gift shop?" I asked in a tone that let her know I wasn't buying a single word.

"Yes." Amber's face went neutral. She was obviously searching for the right mask to put on for me right now. As if that would work.

"And you needed to hand him something in order to do so?"

Again, I watched her eyes dart around as if trying in vain to find her salvation. "That was… a coupon. I had a coupon for the gift shop, and I felt so bad for the guy, you know, getting lost like that, so I thought I'd give it to him to use when he got there!"

"So if I check the cameras right now, I'll see a Quilthar man making his way to the gift shop, coupon in hand?" I asked.

Amber smiled wide, hesitated, then nodded.

"Do you think I'm an idiot?" I asked. "You're not as clever or slick as you seem to believe yourself to be. You've been mining my guests for information. Gathering intel on them to pass along. Admit it."

Amber's skin went pale, beads of sweat forming on her forehead. Her hand shook in my grasp. I recognized this behavior. She was like a prisoner of war ready to face the firing squad.

"I was just… doing like you said, sir."

I raised an eyebrow. "Like I said?"

"Yes. Yes! You told me about collecting information to make for a better guest experience! Remember?" Again, that fake smile came back. But it was trembling. She couldn't even convince herself.

"You know damn well that isn't what you're doing here. Admit it, and I might show you a speck of mercy. Who are you reporting to?" I stood my ground. My livelihood, career, and those of my dearest friends were on the line.

Amber's smile dropped as her eyes welled up. Finally, the truth was breaking free. She let out a sob and looked back up at me with tears running down her cheeks.

"Please… I'm sorry, I didn't want to hurt anyone, especially not you. This is a good job, and I don't want to ruin it, but I didn't have a choice."

"Who, then?" I asked, trying to show some empathy. "Amber, tell me who's making you do this."

She shook her head. "I can't. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I just can't."

This wasn't an act. I knew stage tears when I saw them. I've watched enough terrible performers try to move an audience with an ill-read monologue. Amber's tears, her distress and anguish, were genuine.

Somebody else was pulling her strings. And they obviously had something strong against her. But I couldn't just let this go. This was too large of a risk to the Black Star.

The truth was going to come out, one way or another.