Chapter 66: A silence hungry for words

Chapter 66: A silence hungry for words

Dantes came down early in the morning as he had the previous day. Creeping completely silently down the stairs and arriving to the sight of Tilly once again cleaning the floors. She was a very orderly sort. Hed noticed how immaculate she kept her bar, and everything in the Vixen seemed to run on a schedule she set.

Her ear twitched as Dantes arrived, she stopped her mopping, and gestured for him to follow her.

He raised an eyebrow, but complied. Pausing only to slip off his boots so that he wouldnt dirty the freshly mopped floors. He met her in the kitchen where she seemed to be preparing another simple and portable breakfast for him. He waited patiently, watching her work. She was graceful, grabbing certain items without even looking at them, and tying up the food in a cloth napkin with a kind of simple grace he found captivating.

He held out an expectant hand, but she just looked at him for a moment. Her gaze was neutral.

You came back yesterday with a much heavier pack than you left with.

He shrugged. Had to buy a few things.

How does a deckhand afford to hire a whore at full price every night?Follow current novels at novelhall.com)

Id been saving for quite some time. I did my best to avoid the vices of gambling while at sea, unlike my fellow sailors.

I havent known many men who avoid gambling, but engage freely in whoring.

He smiled. I didnt say I avoided all vices, just gamblingand even that, just at sea.

Did you hear about the recent prison escapes? I started hearing about it the day after you showed up.

Ive always had shit timing Come back to my home city for the first time in five years, and all of a sudden the Underprison has a breakout.

Tillys eyebrow twitched, she clearly wasnt buying a word he was saying. She handed him the napkin of food anyway. Youre dangerous, I can tell. Vera wants you here, and I wont go against her, but if you care about her in the way she does for you then you should leave as soon as you can.

And here I thought you were paying attention to me for other reasons.

Youre too short for me.

-fruit. Blood takes too much to fill up.

-mate again soon.

He looked around, but couldnt make out any specific features of what was surrounding him, only that it was warm and, for the most part, comfortable. He tilted his head up, and realized that the ground was above him somehow. He blinked twice, trying to make sense of it. While he was pondering the floor, the chittering suddenly ceased and left behind a silence that was hungry for words. He felt movement, and could feel a parting of all of the warm bodies near him as something else approached. Waves of something beat against him gently like an unsteady breeze as something located and approached him.

He felt cold and alone for a moment, and then, suddenly, a massive black shape flipped itself right side up, its feet grasping a piece of cave wall in front of him, and its enormous black wings folding around its body like a cloak.

Hello, Dantes, said the Bat god. Its voice was fine and clear, but for some reason it made his ears ring as he heard it.

Youve heard of me?

My brother indicated to me that you may pay me a visit soon. I admit, Id thought it would be sooner than your visit to the roaches, but I suppose it makes sense for you to work your way up the food chain.

I simply wanted to show the proper deference, managed Dantes, picking up on the bats oddly noble method of speech.

He gave a low satisfied hum. As it should be. Blessings from me to your kind are rare, many of them move straight to that which seems the most powerful, rather than the most useful. Now vampires and warlocks, they have the good taste to request my blessing early and often.

I apologize for the shortsightedness of my brethren.

The bat god bent down and leaned in close. His teeth were tiny in his mouth, but razor shape, and his eyes were a bright and maddening yellow. Be careful. You dont want to take responsibility for a group you dont truly know.

Dantes nodded. Wise.

The bat god straightened himself out. Before I give you this blessing, you should know that it is largely due to my brother that you are receiving it. You will not always be able to receive a blessing simply by feeding a gods children. Many of us are pickier than that.

Dantes hadnt considered that, but it made sense. Hed even noticed that the gains he received from the rats and roaches had increased when his garden was completed, even when they didnt seem to be actively eating.

I appreciate your generosity.

You say that now, he lifted his wings, and encircled Dantes with them, plunging him into total darkness. He felt a sense of complete nothingness for just a moment, and then a searing pain in arm. He tried to pull it away, but the darkness around him seemed tangible, and held him in place. He felt the blood flowing from his arm and into whatever was causing the pain. He struggled, and fought, but his resistance grew weaker and weaker until he thought he had nothing left. Then he woke up.