Chapter 9

CHAPTERNINE

Apart of Stella knew that leaving that evening without Dom was literally pulling a lion by its tail, but what choice did she have? An Aladoro was too much of a liability, and far too noticeable.

Dom asking questions would just make people suspicious and scared of his inquisitors. Poking that perfect nose of his into other people’s business was also a surefire way to get onto someone’s shit list.

Few in Venice were not above trying to assassinate Council members. God, it was practically a national sport.

But what had really sealed her decision to go alone was when, earlier in the evening, she had shuffled her ragged tarot deck and flipped the King of Swords.

The card could represent dominance and ruthlessness, but she also always associated it with Dom. He was the prince of the Swords house after all. Her deck seemed to be trying to warn her where he was concerned, and this time, she’d decided to listen.

Really, Stella was doing them both a favor by taking the matter into her own hands.

At least that was what she’d told herself on the ferry ride over, and again after she swiped a uniform from the women’s dressing rooms and used the stage artists’ make up to add wings to her cheek.

As long as Stella kept clear of the Madame, no one would second guess her story of being an extra fill-in girl for the night.

It had all been going perfectly to plan when she had felt him. Stella didn’t know if it was her magic tuning into Dom’s energy, but as soon as he’d reached the gaming floor, her body snapped to attention, all of her internal alarms starting to blare.

Dom was standing at the bar looking like danger and sex in his black-on-black suit, the only color on him his bright golden eyes. And the look he was giving her...it hit her straight in the chest.

He was angry, but there was something else, something she had seen the night of their one-night stand. It was the look he had given her right before they had torn each other’s clothes off. That he was giving her the same look in a crowded room was so wrong.

But God, she liked it.

He needed to cut it out because it made her want things, things she couldn’t have, and Stella hated not getting what she wanted.

Their argument at the bar had only made it worse. Maybe she was wrong to have stood him up?

Too late to worry about it now, Stella thought as she picked up empty glasses and put them on her tray.

She cast a quick glance to where Dom sat playing cards with Arkon. He was smiling at the sorcerer, showing just a hint of the dimples that only appeared when he was having a good time.

Get your mind off Dom Aladoro and back on task.

Stella moved off to the kitchens to deposit some of the dirty glasses she’d collected to be cleaned. She pulled aside Bea, one of the other waitresses who had been showing her the ropes, unaware of Stella’s imposter status.

"Hey, I was wondering if you could help me?" Stella asked, biting her lip nervously. She took out the receipt Dom had found at Claudia’s with the time and date on it. "A client is here to see one of the courtesans. He insists she is expecting him right now, but I don’t know which lady he means. This is her handwriting?"

"I hate it when they do that. Give me a look. These clients and the courtesans get too involved sometimes, and they start playing these stupid games," Bea complained and looked at the writing. She rolled her eyes when she saw it.

"You are after Luna. She’s in room eight tonight. She has altered hair. You’ll know her when you see her."

Stella took back the note. "Thank you so much. You’re a lifesaver. I didn’t want to get into trouble with the Madame on my first night."

"You’re doing great," Bea replied, giving Stella’s arm an encouraging pat. "You keep getting that hot Domenico Aladoro smiling at you, and Ursula will forgive you just about anything."

He was smiling as a threat, Stella wanted to say. Instead, she just pretended to blush. "Yeah, I couldn’t believe it was really him when I saw him at the bar. It’s made my night."

"I don’t blame you. Now quickly, get your ass upstairs to Luna. She’ll want to know one of her favorites is here," Bea said, hustling her out of the kitchen.

Silver Doves wasn’t the first brothel that Stella had been in. She had spent a disturbing week working nights at multiple establishments for a tarot deck commission because her client wanted his cards featuring his favorite prostitutes.

Silver Doves was definitely the classiest brothel she had seen. She made her way up a sweeping flight of stairs to the glamorously decorated rooms above, cream and gold-trimmed doors lining the hallway.

Stella quickly found room eight and tapped quietly on the door.

"Arkon! Oh, who are you?" Luna answered, and Stella couldn’t help but stare at the courtesan’s hair glowing with pale silver light. She had never seen a modification like it.

"Sorry to disturb you, but I have a message from a friend," Stella said and stepped into the room. She passed Luna the note, and the courtesan quickly shut the door.

"Who the hell are you, and where did you get this?" she demanded, her silver hair brightening to an almost glare.

"My name is Stella. I’m a friend of Claudia’s. She disappeared the night you met with her."

Luna cursed and sank into a plush velvet couch. "Damn it, I told her she needed to be more careful."

"I’m trying to find her and the others. What was she meeting with you about?" Stella asked, sitting down beside her.

"Clarissa, one of the other courtesans and my friend, went missing three months ago. Claudia was trying to get her client list out of me to help narrow down who she’d been meeting with the week before she went missing."

Luna crumpled the note and tossed it into the fire beside them. "Claudia thought that one of them might have been involved."

"And did you give it to her?" Stella asked.

"No. I said I’d try, but Ursula keeps the ledger of clients locked in her office, and I was waiting for the opportune time to try and get it. It’s risky for the establishment and me. The Doves prides itself on its discretion, and Clarissa was popular."

"So are you if you are entertaining the Grand Sorcerer himself," Stella commented. Even a blind person could have seen how excited Luna had been when she opened the door. "Can’t you ask Ursula for this favor? I happen to be working on a contact that has access to Arkon and is trying to get his help with these disappearances."

It wasn’t exactly a lie. Stella was sure that Dom would take it to the Council once they got enough evidence.

"Ursula only looks after herself. As for Arkon, he’s been a client of mine for a while, and he usually forgets to pay. Ursula overlooks it because she likes having him close." Luna sighed and played with the edges of her kimono sleeve. "I don’t mind. He’s a sweet guy and a generous lover, unlike some of the other assholes who come in. I know it’s silly, but I enjoy his visits."

"It’s not silly, but it’s dangerous to crush on a Council member," Stella said, sounding a little too bitter.

Advice you should take yourself.

"I know that too, especially because the love of Arkon’s life is his feud with the Wolf Mage," Luna replied with a roll of her eyes, making Stella laugh. The courtesan was becoming more comfortable with her, so Stella decided to test her luck.

"Will you help me get the list?" she pressed. "I promise I’ll find out what happened to Clarissa and Claudia and get justice for them." She took Luna’s pale hand. "Please."

"If I get caught, I’ll say you put a compulsion spell on me. I won’t lose my job over this," Luna replied as she finally relented. "As I told Claudia, I can’t promise anything straightaway, but I’ll keep an eye out for a window to gain access to the ledger."

"Thank you, Luna." Stella rose and passed her a business card. "This is where you can find me. If you ever need help in the future, let me know. I don’t forget my debts or my friends."

Luna took the card, studied it, and then tossed it into the fire too. "It’s safer for you if there’s no trace of your visit here. I don’t want you being taken too."

"Thank you. I better go before Arkon gets here. I saw him downstairs," Stella said, giving her a parting smile. "Make him pay tonight. I know he’s just cleared out Dom Aladoro’s money."

Luna laughed and waved her away with an elegant gesture. "Good to know. I might just charge him double for making me wait so long."

Stella made it back to the gaming floor without being stopped once. She looked across to check that Dom was still with Arkon, and even contemplated going to him and telling him what she had found out.

He looked up, as if sensing her gaze on him, still wearing that hot expression in his eyes.

Nope, I’m not dealing with that tonight.

Stella knew her self-control had its limits, and if she went anywhere near him looking like that, she would do something epically stupid. So she smiled and winked in goodbye and headed swiftly out the door.

Stella grabbed a long black jacket from the coat check and slipped out back. She raised the hood to cover her face and hair.

She had taken two steps towards the ferry stop when she noticed Dom’s black boat moored at the docks. The attendant was smoking with one of the bouncers, and her smile widened.

Dom keeps telling me he’s worried about my safety. I can’t get any safer than on a boat by myself.

Quick as a shadow, Stella hurried down the small dock, untethered the boat, and turned it on.

She made it back to Dorsoduro in record time, the boat’s engine humming with magic-infused glass batteries. It must have been a new prototype model unavailable to the public because she’d never experienced a faster, smoother ride.

Council privilege at its finest.

Stella was sure that Dom would get home fine without it once he finished enjoying his night at Silver Doves.

Stella ignored the slightly queasy feeling she got in her stomach at the thought of him going up that grand staircase and spending his night in the arms of a beautiful courtesan.

"Get over yourself," Stella muttered as she opened the back door of the palazzo and headed upstairs.

She had set Luca up in the guest rooms that afternoon, uncomfortable with him being on his own. She didn’t know if any of the shifters that had attacked them had survived to tell others about the two people that had managed to get away. She was lonely too, though she would never admit it.

In her rooms, Stella took off her stolen coat and went to open her windows. She had been struggling to breathe properly in the ridiculous corset, and it was a clear and beautiful night.

Stella pulled back the glass doors that overlooked the Grand Canal. She barely had a second to admire the view before something huge launched itself at her. She screamed as it pinned her to the rug and held her.

Massive paws came down on her shoulders, and a mouth full of sharp white teeth growled at her. Her shock and fear vanished as she smelled cedar, spice, and that hot unnamable maleness that was slowly driving her crazy.

She smiled up at the very pissed off shedu above her.

"Hey Domenico, what took you so long?"