Synnergy, Chaos Time Book 3 Read online

  “That’s right, whelp,” his melodic growl boomed, “leave the loving to the men.”

  He winked at her, and though she knew she’d made a fan and would likely encounter him again, she also felt a slight swelling of pride that she’d pulled it off. She tilted her head in acknowledgement of her coup.

  Now that the ice had broken, some of the men were beginning to approach them. That was the last thing she wanted.

  “Look at the exotic bird,” a man with a swarthy complexion standing two tents over said as he pointed to Arianna.

  “Ain’t never seen anything so perty,” another said.

  “Say somethin’, dove,” another voice insisted, and then green eyes turned toward Sable. “Why ain’t she speaking?” He spit a large wad of amber fluid from his mouth the wiped the back of his hand against his lips, leaving a dribble of some on his chin. He hooked his thumbs under his red suspenders as if supremely proud of himself.

  That had easily been the most vile thing she’d ever witnessed. Hygiene was clearly not a priority in this old mining town.

  “Yeah, say something.” And this time the voice was right in front of them. He was a short man of undistinguishable features; sandy blond hair came eye level to her chin. He grabbed the fat curl lying on Arianna’s shoulder and rubbed his fingers against it with a look of wonder in his eyes. As if he’d never touched anything so soft before.

  Sable shot the healer a look, but she was staring at the man with a blank look. If it weren’t for the fact that Sable felt the shivers of Arianna’s twitching muscles, she would seriously think the girl a machine.

  A spark of irritation caused Sable’s temper to flare. She pulled the healer closer to her. “She’s a mute. Now, get the hell away,” she snapped.

  “Didn’t mean no harm by it.” The man’s words were gentle as he dropped Arianna’s curl with a regretful sigh.

  The grizzled man of earlier pointed a long finger down the street.

  “Parlor’s thataway,” he said with another wink, and she could swear he was giddy as he said it. His ruddy cheeks blazed and the way he looked at her was a promise of a visit in the not too distant future. The boys better figure out fast where to find the second Lord, Sable had no desire to stay here longer than was absolutely necessary.

  She dipped her head and penguin marched off to the steady rhythm of wolf calls and whistles.

  “Freaking A,” she groaned with a mixture of disgust and disbelief when they were out of earshot. “Hope the guys didn’t see that crap back there, Slayde would probably kill them if he did.”

  “Yeah,” Arianna agreed.

  Sable was so shocked to hear her speak she did a double take.

  “Wow, so you are alive. For a second there you made me wonder.”

  But her teasing didn’t elicit another reaction from the too quiet brunette. Giving her up as a lost cause Sable concentrated on finding the parlor before any other scenes like the last one could happen again.

  A few wagons loaded down with stuff rumbled past, kicking up brown dust clouds. She sneezed a few times and waved a hand in front of her face to clear away the almost constant barrage of grime. They passed a few more guys up here, but these men seemed more preoccupied then the ones down the road. They barely spared them a passing glance.

  Finally the tents ended and a wooden sidewalk opened up on both sides of the main road. They were dotted with stores and establishments. There were several bars. Seemed like every other door lead into one, but none had the wooden placard Hunter had mentioned. She saw a mercantile, a place with a couple of horses tethered inside, and one ringing from the strikes of hammers against anvils.

  A clothes shop boasted a dress on a mannequin in the window, but as of yet, she’d seen no other women apart from Arianna. And just at the point that she began to wonder if there was another main street she’d missed, she finally saw the swinging sign. Her short heels clacked on the pitted wooden slates as she hurried toward it.

  She gripped Arianna’s hand so hard she was sure it was painful, but the healer didn’t seem to mind. Synn was busy looking herself, not with as much interest as Sable, but it was good to see her at least acting somewhat normal.

  A man, wearing what might have once been a white shirt, but was now a dingy brown and stained in the pits, smiled at them with a lecherous sneer. She noticed his front two teeth were missing. He was old, or maybe weathered, whatever the case, he was brown. With lots of wrinkles, pockmarks and a large scar running from his brow to this mouth. In short, he was ugly.

  “Fresh meat,” he said, but it came out more of a whistle without his front teeth. She eased in front of Arianna and threw the man a nasty look.

  But the healer surprised Sable when she yanked her hand free and twirled around, eyes wide and glittering with a wet sheen.

  “You,” she hissed, venom dripped off her tongue.

  Shocked into silence at seeing Arianna display some real emotion, Sable could only stare.

  He licked his lips and then grabbed himself.

  The rude gesture snapped her out of her temporary trance. Sable refused to even let him finish whatever perverted thought was ready to leap from his tongue; she grabbed Arianna and jerked her around. “Are you crazy?” she whispered.

  Arianna brows dipped into a vee, and she threw the now cackling stranger a heated glare. Sable’s skin prickled with the knowledge of watching eyes pressing into their backs. This was definitely not the way to blend in.

  She pulled Arianna behind her and didn’t let go until she swung open the parlor doors.

  It was dark inside and it took her a moment for her eyes to adjust. Dust motes floated lazily by from holes high in the walls. She knew the town was only beginning to grow, and could only assume those holes would someday hold windowpanes.

  There was only one customer sitting at a back table, and he didn’t turn or lift his head when they entered. His shoulders were slumped. A soft snuffling sound came from his direction.

  A bartender stood behind the long wooden bar, leaning on it while he counted nuggets.

  She was transfixed by him. Danger. That’s what he looked like. There was a patch over one eye; the side of his head facing them looked as if it had been dipped in wax. His skin was taut with burns and marred pale white in some spots, brown in others. Half his ear was missing. Whatever had caused those injuries had almost killed him. She tried to scent him for traces of power, for anything that might brand him as different, but she wasn’t even sure that was possible.

  Every instinct inside her screamed that he was definitely off, different from the typical down and out vagabonds she’d so far encountered. She wasn’t really sure why she felt that way, only that she did. But where he was hideous to gaze upon, his smell was almost intoxicating. Like a pine forest after a hard rain.

  It didn’t really make sense, because so far each person she’d encountered had smelled rank and unwashed, maybe for months on end. But instinct wouldn’t be good enough for Hunter, and saying that he smelled good sounded silly even in her head. She’d just have to make sure to keep an eye out on this guy.

  If he was the Lord, he’d eventually do or say something to give it away. The mere thought made her breathing quicken. She licked her lips and wasn’t sure what she might have done if he hadn’t looked up. A dull brown eye pinned her in place. He looked drunk. Or maybe sick. Steeling her nerves, she walked up as he continued to stare at her in silence.

  “I’m...” she cleared her throat, feeling a tickle, “I’m looking for Long Nose.” She held her back straight, proud that her voice hadn’t faltered. Much.

  “The Lady ain’t up,” he muttered, and she swallowed the instantaneous gag reflex the second the fetid stench of his unwashed teeth and alcohol laced breathe slammed against her nostrils.

  “The Lady’s right here,” said a slow, sensuous drawl lilting with the gentle twang of an Irish brogue.

  Sable looked up, spotting the tinniest and yet most perfectly fashioned woman she’d ever seen
standing at the top of the stairs. Milly was wearing a thing of creamy lace and ribbons, covered by a flimsy robe that fell to her ankles. As sheer as the material was, it revealed as much as it covered.

  Long Nose couldn’t be more than five feet tall, if that. But her shoulders were held back, and her neck so erect, it made her appear much larger. Shining black hair curled long and heavy down her back. Her clear brown eyes filled with a shrewd light as they took in the two girls below.

  Her pink lips puckered, and then with a regal sigh she proceeded to walk down the steps. “La, I see we’ve new girls, One Eye. Do be nice to the little darlings and serve them a bowl of stew.” Then she turned to them, and fluffing a curl over her shoulder, cocked her head as she reached the bottom of the staircase.

  She smiled at them, and it seemed genuine, reaching up to her eyes. Try as she might, Sable could not see the reason for calling the woman Long Nose. Her nose was pert and upturned, sitting square in the center of a pixie face. “Do, please sit.” She gestured with a lily-white hand that looked as if it had never seen a day’s hard labor.

  They walked over to the nearest table and for the first time Sable noted how clean this place was. Weren’t bars, especially these types of bars, supposed to be sticky with stains and the floors tacky with nasty stuff?

  This was the opposite. For as much dust as the wagons had kicked up outside she wasn’t sure how Milly managed to keep it all so neat, but it was.

  After they sat, One Eye served them steaming stew in tin cups with a hot loaf of bread each. The scent of boiled beef and rich broth made Sable groan and her belly growl. She’d forgotten how long it had been since she’d last eaten a decent meal.

  He returned to his spot at the bar and resumed counting his gold.

  Milly smiled and urged her to begin eating. Arianna was digging in as well and Sable had to admit to feeling good seeing her eat. She didn’t know the healer much, but it worried her to see how much she was struggling. In all the chaos of what they were doing it was easy to forget sometimes that Arianna had just lost her family.

  Midway through the meal Milly spoke. “I assume coming here means you’re in need of work?” She lifted a shapely brow and Sable nodded.

  “We’ve only arrived,” she said, hoping that sounded like an old timey response.

  Milly narrowed eyes brimming with intelligence. Another mental image of a noose intruded in Sable’s thoughts. Had she already screwed up?

  “That’s a long journey you’ve made from the South, Ms...” She paused, waiting for Sable to supply a name.

  Her lips were going chapped from licking them so much, but it was a nervous habit she couldn’t seem to break. Not only was she shocked that Milly had pegged her southern twang, but now she was wanting a name. Had they talked about going by an alias? She hadn’t listened completely to Hunter. Now she wished she’d paid a little better attention. She blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

  “Bunny Smyth.” Immediately she wanted to groan. Had she really just said that?

  Arianna looked at her and a glimmer of something flickered out of sight behind her still gaze.

  Milly shifted and cleared her throat, a small smile on her lips. “Bunny. Indeed.” She nodded and then shook her head.

  If she could have buried her head in the sand she would have. Sable shoved a spoonful of stew into her mouth, mostly to keep herself from speaking again. At this point it tasted like sawdust.

  “Okay, Bunny,” Milly drew out the vowel with that gentle brogue of hers, “I’ll not pry. Your business is your business, so long as you make me money, I don’t much care about your past.”

  She looked askance at Arianna. “And you must be, Kitten?”

  Sable shifted down in her seat.

  Arianna shook her head. “I’m Ari.”

  Sable was surprised she’d answered.

  Milly touched the curve of Arianna’s face tracing the gentle swell of her cheekbone. “Lovely creature you are. The boys’ll love you,” she laughed softly. Obviously satisfied, she sat back. “Well finish up. I like my girls strong, you’ll start tonight. My wages are fair, seventy-thirty split, best you’ll find round these parts.”

  Really? That sounded like highway robbery to Sable.

  “One Eye, see the ladies to their room please.”

  He looked up and nodded; walking around the bar he returned to their side and pulled the chairs out for them. He was very polite, methodical about it. Like a male version of Arianna, and the closer he got to her, the more ravaged his ear and face looked. Sable couldn’t stop staring. She knew it was rude, but it was so unbelievable anyone could survive something like that. Was he the Lord? He definitely looked the part.

  Scary, psychotic, and creepy.

  Was it possible that it would be this easy?

  His shoulders stiffened and she knew he was aware of her staring, only then was she able to glance away.

  Milly’s shrewd gaze was like a hot brand on Sable’s face and made her squirm in her seat.

  Sable swallowed. “Where is everyone else?” Wasn’t a whorehouse supposed to be full of scantily clad women?

  The Madam suppressed a smile. “I was an innocent like you once.”

  “What?”

  “We work at night, dear. Sleep during the day.” She winked, and Sable wanted to curse herself all sorts of stupid. Of course they did, and she’d just given it away that she wasn’t much of a whore. Her palms were sweating again, she was such an idiot.

  “I’ll ease you into it tonight. A gentle client for your first time. Should make me more coin too, men love breaking virgins.”

  Sable swallowed.

  Her heart skidded and then sunk. For a moment she’d actually forgotten what she was here to do, the reminder made her break out in a wash of goose bumps. Maybe she could sneak out a window or something.

  Then One Eye was walking upstairs, both their packs across his shoulders. She understood that he intended for them to follow.

  With one final glance back at Milly, she followed Arianna who had already begun to walk away.

  On the second floor, One Eye turned to his right and led them to the final room. He opened the door and pointed within.

  Arianna went in and dropped down on the bed placed against the left side of the wall. It was made of brass and the second she sat on the mattress it sank.

  Walking across the threshold made her skin crawl, everything was suddenly too real. Too in her face. This wasn’t just some movie prop with actors walking around and playing parts. These were real people, what went down in this place wasn’t just some script. The guys had better come up with some way to get her and Synn out of this, cause there was no way in hell she’d be selling her virginity off to the highest bidder.

  The room was tidy. Effiecient. It wasn’t dirty. Not at all. Everything was as clean in here as it had been downstairs. A little less furnished, but suitable she supposed for what was supposed to take place.

  One Eye sat the packs down and then closed the door behind him, never having spoken a word.

  Sable toed the brightly woven rug, staring at the green and blue gingham checkered quilt on her bed and wrung her hands.

  “It won’t bite,” Arianna whispered. Hearing her voice eased the tight knot of tension in Sable’s spine.

  “I hope they don’t expect us to um...share men in the same room.”

  “Why not?” Ari shrugged. “It is a whorehouse.”

  A second later there was a knock at the door and Milly floated inside, arms loaded down with a heavy looking tan canvas. “I nearly forgot the barrier between your beds. There’s two hooks on either wall,” she smiled, sat the canvas down on the floor. “The room is yours to decorate as you’d like.”

  Sable nodded, seeing no point in telling her they had no intention of staying long enough to do so.

  Milly clipped her head and then left.

  “Well, that answers that,” Sable’s chuckle was just this side of not screeching.

 
; Arianna stood up and grabbed the canvas, attaching one end to the hook nearest the door. Sable leaned against the door and stared with sightless eyes at the other bit of canvas still gripped in her hand.

  “How can you be so calm?” Sable asked, suddenly very envious that Arianna didn’t seem to feel emotions the way she did.

  The healer shrugged, and though she looked at Sable, there was nothing in her large brown eyes. It was like a part of her was dead; all that remained was a shell that breathed. “After what I’ve gone through, I don’t really care anymore.”

  She dropped the canvas and returned to her bed.

  That answer disturbed her. “You aren’t talking about...” She lifted her brows, unable to utter the last part. Because of where she’d grown up, the people she was around, suicide was not wholly uncommon to her. She recognized the signs, a pulling into one’s self, shutting out the rest of the world, ceasing to care about anything at all. She didn’t know Arianna well enough to pass judgment, but the symptoms were classic. Then again, not everyone who exhibited the traits planned suicide. It was a touchy subject which required a delicate hand.

  Synnergy rolled her eyes. “I wish I could,” she snarled, for a second seeming like she would scream or explode off the bed in a ball of rage. But then she stopped shaking and after a second, she sighed. “I cannot. It goes against what my papa and mama taught me.”

  Sable glanced at her bed and decided to brave sitting on the very edge of it. The mattress was lumpy and didn’t have the springs she was used to. It gave beneath her weight and she fought not to topple over. Another reminder she was in a different time, a different place, with different people.

  “What did they teach you?” she asked quietly, honestly curious. What did parents teach their children? Good ones anyway? All she’d ever heard was shut up, no don’t stand there you’re blocking the camera shot, move, get out of the way, why did we ever have you? Yeah, great memories those.

  Arianna’s nose wrinkled. “That life is hallowed. That it should be honored, revered, and that it was my sacred duty to preserve it.” The last came out full of bitter regret.