We’ll see you later, boys, she thought. That was, of course, if everything went according to plan.
Beside the Lunamere guards, a woman playing cards whistled and signaled for the bartender to refill her ale. Burns covered half her body, forming a line that neatly bisected her face. Beside her, a four-legged male Tambaruun was puffing on a piece of Adhiran rainforest bark, the cloud of smoke changing colors each time he exhaled. He, too, was covered in burns that ran up his six muscular arms, turning his hands into swollen hunks of skin.
Most of the patrons had burns or scars, mutilated limbs, empty eye sockets sitting like black holes. They were survivors of The Cataclysm’s bloody ground battles, almost every one of them, with the marks to prove it. Since the war, Andi had seen her fair share of people with souvenirs from battle, but this scene was different. This was an entire room full of them at once, broken and bruised, guzzling alcohol to keep the pain of the past at bay.
Andi had an inkling of how that felt. She’d tried it many times herself.
War was a heartless thing, claiming lives left and right. But it was the survivors who had to continue battling even after the fight was over.
“This,” Dex said, spreading his tattooed arms wide and pulling Andi from her thoughts, “is the gem of the Olen System.”
“You haven’t seen very many gems, then.” Andi pulled her hood low over her face as she wove her way through the throngs of people heading toward the bar. “Let’s get on with it.”
Dex followed in silence, his head held high as if he owned the pub. She’d always admired his zest for life, a quality that few had. Andi was not one of those people. She’d choose solitude and silence any day over going out in public.
Dex could enjoy this place for the both of them—Andi was used to finer places in brighter systems, spoiled by all the extravagant balls she’d had to attend on Arcardius, a constant shadow at Kalee’s back. And in the mere seconds they’d been here, she already feared she’d never get the stench of Dark Matter out of her bodysuit and cloak.
The fact that she’d had to leave her blessed, beautiful swords on the ship only added to her annoyance. She’d have to make do with her cuffs as her weapon. They were heavy enough to suffice for now.
“We should split up.” She sidestepped a man hobbling past on a golden crutch made from an old android’s leg. “We’ll find your informant faster that way.”
“We’ll find her eventually.” Dex stopped to survey the room. “I’d rather we stay together.”
Over his shoulder, Andi saw Breck, Gilly and Lira slipping among the crowd. One by one, they’d set their Sparks in place—slipped under tabletops, wedged in dark holes in the metal framing of the room, stuffed into the air vents in the floor. Andi smiled as she glanced away. When the girls detonated them, they’d cause one hell of a scene.
Enough to distract, but not enough to destroy.
“Soyina can be a little...off-putting,” Dex said. “The two of you have that in common.”
Andi gave him her trademark glare.
“I simply meant that you can both terrify any man with a single glance.”
She flashed him her teeth.
He shook his head and signaled for a waitress to join them. A cyborg woman tottered over on mismatched feet, one metal and one skin, both covered in strappy silver heels.
“What can I do for you, Tenebran?” the woman asked, leaning against the bar, giving his marked skin a curious glance. “Haven’t seen you around these parts before.”
“I’m looking for a frequent patron of yours,” Dex said. He took a step closer as Andi took a step away, missing the weight of her swords on her back. “Migratory tattoos, big mismatched moon eyes?”
The cyborg shook her pink curls. “Sorry, Tenebran, haven’t seen anyone who fits that description.” Her eyes flashed as they raked Dex up and down. “But I might be swayed to look a little harder if...” She held out a hand.
Andi sighed and stepped forward, ready to pummel the answer out of the woman. But Dex lifted an arm.
“I’ll take your knowledge, and a pint of Griss.” He tossed the woman a golden Krev. “And while you’re at it, add on a double stack for my lady friend. She could use it.”
Andi scowled at him from the shadows of her hood.
The waitress smiled, tucking the Krev into the space between her breasts. She flicked her head toward a dark corner at the back of the room. “You’re looking for Soyina. She’s over there. Though I should warn you...she doesn’t like to be bothered. When you’re done with your business, feel free to come back. I’ll buy you a drink when my shift’s over.” With a wink, she went back to take orders from her other customers.
“There are other ways to get information, you know,” Andi said as Dex turned back to look at her.
He threw his head back and laughed so hard, she got a glimpse of a chipped tooth in the back of his mouth. Andi was pleased to see it. She’d broken it with her elbow long ago, and it was worth the tiny scar she still had as a trophy. That was the day she’d completely disarmed him during training for the first time. The day that led to their first kiss, which led to more kisses, and a night spent...
“Why are you laughing?” Andi growled.
Dex held out a hand for her to pass by, feigning courtesy she knew he didn’t possess. “There’s one thing you never did learn from me, Androma.”
“Loyalty?” Andi asked. “How to keep my mouth shut?”
“No.” Dex patted her on the cheek, then sidestepped her swing at his face. “How to have fun.”
With a laugh, he shot past her and headed toward the dark corner of the room, where their shadowed informant sat waiting.
*
“Well, if it isn’t my favorite small-balled bastard.”
“Dearest Soyina,” Dex said as he pulled up a chair across from the woman and slid into it backward, arms folded over the top. “How I’ve missed your heartfelt compliments.”
The last time he’d seen Soyina, they’d shared three bottles of Griss and locked themselves in the bathroom of a wealthy Tenebran’s mansion until morning.
The night had been glorious, but when he’d woken the next day, his Krevs were missing, and his pants along with them. He was tied to the golden toilet pipes, all his glory out for the poor servants to see.
Oh, what a lover she’d been. A little off course, but wasn’t everyone in Mirabel? Dex had never been one to choose his companions with care. His past with Andi was proof of that. Of course, he’d done plenty of wrong. More than he’d been able to stomach. He’d hated himself for it, and still did. If she would just talk to him, listen to his side of the story...
Focus, Dextro, he told himself.