The Emerald Eclipse by Thomas K. Carpenter

Author:Thomas K. Carpenter [Carpenter, Thomas K.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Black Moon Books
Published: 2023-06-26T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty

A woman screamed the moment Kuma and his friends stepped into the Onyx. His whole body went on high alert until he realized it'd been Darina squealing as her customer had grabbed her rear. The rest of the club was almost empty, except for two older alliance waku at the bar and a group of Blue Daggers in the back singing karaoke in a private room with a younger waku outside the paper door.

"You sure this is a good idea?" asked Camina. "What if word gets back that we came here, or someone from the clan spots us?"

"Then we'll be in trouble." He approached the bar. "Seen Leesa?"

The bartender was refilling the brand-name bottles of alchohol with cheaper generics. He appeared annoyed by their presence. He set down the bottle and jabbed his thumb into a little black box.

"Leesa. You got customers."

A minute later, the redhead appeared looking bleary-eyed and a little gaunt. A silver dress hung loosely on her frame, exposing bony shoulders. The delay in recognition was followed by a forced smile.

"Kuma? What are you three doing here?"

"Buying you a bottle," he said.

Leesa blinked. "Celebrating?"

"Sure," he said, gesturing towards the booth furthest from the private party on the opposite side.

She gave them hugs, ordered the bottle from the bartender, and led them to the booth. The hostess had always been impeccably prepared, speaking to him as if she'd known what he was thinking already. But her appearance made him think she'd just woken up, or had been under the influence of drugs, which were plentiful in the Terreno.

"What's wrong?" he asked her.

"Nothing." Pinched lips were followed by an angry glare. "I'm fine. Business has been slow. I was sleeping when you arrived."

Leesa popped the bottle of champagne when it arrived, pouring a glass for the four of them. She held hers aloft, which they matched. Her smile was obviously forced.

"To unexpected friends."

With the glass set down, Kuma nodded to Camina. The little black box set off a faint humming. Leesa tapped a crimson fingernail on the box, frowning.

"I don't like this."

"You'll just have to get over it," said Kuma, under his breath.

"So you didn't come to visit me?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"Think of the bottle as a down payment," he said.

Leesa considered them with half-lidded eyes. "I don't spill secrets."

"We're not asking you to. What we want to know is less specific."

"And?"

"The war between the clans is coming soon," said Kuma.

"No shit," she said, throwing back the fluted glass of yellowish-gold liquid and pouring herself a second. "The Terreno has been as dead as my sex life, but what do I have to do with that?"

"We want to avoid it, if possible," said Kuma.

Leesa checked over her shoulder. "You're kidding, right? I thought you wanted to scrap with the Drops. The way I see it, the war between you two has been inevitable."

"That's the problem. If we were the only two clans in the Undercity, the peace would have never been brokered, but the alliance waits to clean up the survivor.

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