Light through cracks in the window. Fires in the corners of the room. Yet the oppressive dark hung with a weight wholly physical. The building tolerated them.

She stepped through the foyer. The sleeping structure rendered her light steps silent. The gloom muddles direction. Turned each blind corner, into a threat. But she shuffled without worry for the building spirit.

She tasted no malice. Only a deep melancholic lethargy.

The same could not be said for its occupants. They glared at her appearance. Then shied away as they recognized her.

One after the other. The pattern repeated with groups of varying sizes. Like it was some game.

Not one tried to speak with her. She didn’t either. One of the scant benefits of being cursed. She chuckled. It matched the building mood.

Fear sparked in the watchers. She swallowed her amusement.

The absurdity wasn’t lost on her. On this because she’d hid the wrong tunnels. Stumbled into the wrong crypt. She’d been lucky then. Too miserable to kill

Now, who would dare kill the boss’s favorite? So instead they ran. It was better this way.

She reached her destination with a wry smile on her lips. She wiped it off and knocked on the pristine wood door.

It opened to reveal Terry’s stern face. A tall spindly man. Clad in a deep violet suit and white undershirt. Booth trimmed with gold. Pale almost translucent skin and large blue. Currently squinting at her.

She didn’t need her special senses to tell he disliked her. But he didn’t show it by twitching his antennae or scowling. He managed to ooze disapproval with body language alone. While remaining entirely professional.

She always found it impressive. Learned a lot from their passing encounters

“I’m here to report,” she said in her most formal tone. Almost entirely modelled of him

He scanned her, begrudgingly approval touched his flavour. “She will see you shortly,” he stepped aside and ushered her inside.

She stepped inside.

The room was dimly lit and dripped with luxury. Gold accented every corner. Spiced incense suffered the air in a fashion that added to the gloom. Made it, intimate.

“Please Sit,” Terry said then disappeared through a door on the side. Her eyes followed hiss folded wings. She’d never asked if he was descended from a moth or butterfly.

This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

She sat, and was nearly drowned in comfort. But a part of her remained worried. If she let herself relax. Would she ever want to leave? It was one of the many reasons she didn’t like coming here,

She sighed and didn’t bother suppressing her hiss. She’d never get used to this.

A door to the side cracked open. She jolted and remembered why she was here.

“Boos I,” she was wrapped against tight scales. “Boss,” she squeezed through her suddenly airless lungs. She kicked her dangling legs.

She was released and fell onto the crouch. She coughed and glanced up.

A regal woman stared at her. Covered in a suit a few shades lighter than the man currently oozing disapproval behind her. Her dark brown hair. Adorned with a disharmonious array of jewels. Enough to snap Two’s neck with half their weight.

Her only modest part was the snake’s tail extending from her waist. But her beige underscales’s transition to deep brown on her back softened her image into flamboyance rather than garishness. Even her chocolate skin seemed to glow.

She smiled showing her fangs. “Now none of that Dear, I’ve told you call me Daisy.” Her cheery tone betrayed none of her everpresent anger. It sent her heart racing. Despite history reminding her she was safe.

“Yes, Ms Daisy,” Two managed not to croak.

The woman slithered unto a recliner opposite Two. “So,” she drawled. “Is this a social visit?” She pursed her lip.

“I found the target, Butch is dealing with her.” Two said in hopes of hours of tangents.

She sighed dramatically, “Dear couldn’t you have let me imagine”

Two remained silent.

Daisy sighed without pomp. “So you’ll be running along soon.”

“If there aren’t any more surprises. Yes,” Two said. The vitriol surprised her. Daily quirked her brow. Two collected herself. The boss was. She didn’t know if kind to her was right. But she didn’t deserve her anger. Pissing her off was also a very fast way to ruin her already bad day.

“And what surprise are we talking about.”She said a touch amused.

“You knew she was a cultivator,”

“Of course, why else would I have you shuffling about for weeks.”

Two swallowed her anger and hurt. She breathed, the incense helped calm her. “Why didn’t you tell me.”

“For your protection of course.”She sounded offended.

Two stared.

Daisy made another dramatic sound. “If you’d been caught and questioned. You’d spill. And before you get any pissy’er. A cultivator would’ve forced it out of you.”

Her rising emotions stilled. Realization rippled across her thoughts. A cultivator in the market could be anyone. From a minor noble to the child of a rich family. Even a commoner graduate from the academies revisiting past haunts. But for Daisy to be absolutely certain.

“Who is she,” dread flattened her voice.

“Someone you shouldn’t worry about,” Daisy slithered across the room. She wrapped around Two. Her finger slid under her hood to brush her short frizzy black hair. Too lost in thought to be upset. Two stared vacantly

“But if you had known, then the consequences would’ve been much worse.” The words trickled past her attention. “You really don’t want to know they to people who mess with the upper brass.” The smile never left her voice.

Daisy returned to her seat. A bright smile on her lips. “Now if Butch doest, Fuck this up, We’ll be done by sun up tomorrow and you can go do whatever it is you want.” Her smile grew predatory. “But remember if you have any worries. You can stay or quit this freelance business. We’ll always have a place for someone with your talents”.

For a moment joy and greed overshadowed anger. Two slumped, “Okay,” her voice almost broke.

She scarcely noted Daisy leave. Nor Terry, bring a table covered in food. She ate mindlessly. Her poor etiquette didn’t suppress the pity Terry leaked.

It was delicious her first proper meal in days. She couldn’t enjoy it. She was never getting out.