Problem, little one? Kaleo heard in his mind. Fionn did not come into the city, but the chimera was never far from his audaen, especially not after the odd experience in the Poppy Fields. Despite Kaleo’s concern for Jaysen, he’d not managed to muster the courage to go back. The guilt he carried over that weighed him down even more than his exhaustion, but the hope he’d been given was enough to keep his steps moving. Argento was ‘happy’. That was enough of a confirmation for Kaleo of his father’s survival.
No, Kaleo replied then sighed. Just tired.
Then go inside, little one. I doubt that sleeping on the street will help you.
The tease made Kaleo smile. It gave him enough energy to set his feet in motion, climbing each wooden step one forced movement at a time. Six years. He’d last been to see Mama Zuri six years ago with his cousin, Aeron. They’d run off without telling anyone and been dragged back to Illurian City by Navid, his father’s guardian. The centaur had been furious, their parents livid, and Zuri put in a rather precarious position between doting ‘aunt’ and corrupting mistress of a whore house. The boys did not go to a brothel for milk and cookies, after all.
Before reaching the door, a familiar scent brought that memory back to Kaleo’s mind. Even from the porch, he could smell the sharp spices and sweet perfumes used so heavily inside the brothel. The door to the Chateaus de Soie was never locked but he hesitated all the same. The memories he had were a bit on the awkward side.
Suck it up, idiot, it was one night, Kaleo said to himself. He grit his teeth and stepped in as if ready to step into battle. His first and last visit as a ‘man' had been a unique experience to say the least. Walking through the door a second time was worse. Everyone in the grand foyer stopped to regard him as if he were a flea that just jumped off a filthy dog. Gorgeous men and women of all races weighed him for worth but found very little in what they saw. It was so bad, Kaleo even went so far as to look down at himself to make sure he wasn’t too terribly stained. While his clothes weren’t pristine, they were, at the very least, clean; he’d made sure of that. He was not the best traveler in the world but he knew how to take care of himself. The scratches were mostly healed if still angry and hot; he wasn’t a total mess.
“We have no extra work tonight,” said a stunning woman with amber eyes. She had tiny horns that curled up from just above her ears, perfectly decorated with jewels and gold chains; a runeli woman. Kaleo had only seen one other of her kind in his short life. They were rare among the mortal races and highly sought after as concubines from what he’d read. It was only after her stunning beauty struck him did he realize what she’d said to him and frowned.
“Work? N-no, I’m not- - uhm, I’m here to see Mama Zuri, please,” Kaleo forced out. The runeli woman arched a single narrow brow, eyeing him up and down with a distasteful purse to her full lips.
“Mama is not seeing anyone tonight,” she dismissed. Again, Kaleo glanced at himself then frowned at the runeli woman.
“Can you please just go tell her Kaleo Oenel is here to see her. I promise she’ll want the interruption.” The eyebrow arched further, lips pursed into a tighter pout of distaste, but the woman turned and glided up the stairs all the same. Kaleo followed her with his eyes, watching her hips sway back and forth on each step, the sheer silk of her skirt hugging all of her curves. He was supposed to be annoyed with this woman, not entranced by her! He looked at the iron stair rail instead, then at the intricate pattern of swirls and flowers on the lush rugs beneath his dirty boots. Seeing the caked-on mud and grass made him step off the rug so as not to sully it further. Weeks of travel did not leave much time for shining one’s shoes.
“Kaleo Oenel,” the runeli woman barked from the top of the stairs. Kaleo jumped in spite of himself, feeling his heart leap up into his throat. “Mama Zuri will see you. Come.”
Kaleo followed. The halls were lined in brocade paper that shimmered in the wash of white light cast by magically wrought bulbs sitting in iron sconces. The intricate rugs covered polished wood floors, mirrors and pieces of art hung on the walls, and every doorway was draped in heavy velvet fabrics that could be pulled aside to invite guests in or closed for privacy. There were no doors inside the Chateaus de Soie that Kaleo had ever seen. It was lavish in its simplicity, welcoming while being grotesquely selective. From time to time, the runeli woman glanced over her shoulder to remind him how selective they were. He did his best to ignore her, following with eyes cast down. He was taken to a large room with a heavy black curtain draped in front of it. Inside, everything was lit with candles. Incense burned and the furnishings all consisted of low-lying tables and elaborately embroidered pillows or settees.
“Thank you, Mina,” an aurum woman said without looking away from the open balcony. A cool breeze rustled the woman’s raven black hair and golden- brown wings. Aurum were related to avians in that they were a winged race though they were generally much taller with dark hair and eyes and bronzed skin that almost seemed to shimmer. Mina, the runeli woman, gave Kaleo one last glare and left the room. “He’s not here, Kaleo.”
Kaleo did his best to not sigh heavily. “I know, Mama. But he was here and-”
“A dangerous
