The Legends of Ithan Book 1: Ghosts & Fire

19

A wooden sign marked the entrance to the south side tavern called Devil’s Kiss. Kala stood at the bar asking an old man a few guarded questions. She was trying not to be conspicuous but the other tavern customers kept looking her way. Grada had advised had advised her to be calm, patient, and adult-like. Suddenly the old man leaned over and whispered, “How much?”

            “How much what?” Kala asked blinking in confusion.

            “You know,” the old man said giving her a wink.

            Kala’s eyes suddenly got large. “What?! I’m sorry you’ve got the wrong idea about me.”

            “I’m not so sure,” the old man said coyly. “If you want any more answers to your questions then you’ve got to give me something in return.”

            Kala was appalled. Her mouth fell open and she could do nothing but sputter.

            Suddenly a hooded youth came between her and the old man. “Hands off, pops.”

            The old man glared. “Is she yours or something, Vix?”

            “Not exactly. At least not yet,” and Vix grinned and winked at the old man. “Let me show you how to win a woman over.” Vix turned to Kala who was still dumbfounded. “Hello, my sweet one. I’m Vix and who might you be?”

            Kala glared at the bold man who smelled strongly of rum. Why, he was barely as old as her brother! “I beg your pardon but if you’ll excuse me,” Kala said with as much indignity as she could muster.

            Vix grabbed her arm. “Wait a minute, pretty. I got a little fresh. Let’s start over. Ask me some of your questions.”

            Kala jerked her arm out of his hold. “No thank you,” and she walked as quickly as she could out of the tavern.

            The old man chuckled. “She’s a feisty one.”

            Vix glared, “Well feisty or not feisty, no one turns down Vix.”

            The old man chuckled even louder.

            Vix ran after the little red-head, but when he got outside the tavern he saw her standing with a tall dark-skinned woman dressed all in white. He crouched behind some crates close enough to get a good ear on the conversation they were having.

            “Any luck?” the dark-skinned woman asked.

        “No, and do you know what those men back there in that tavern asked me?”

            The tall woman arched her white eyebrows in question.

            “They asked ‘How much?’, like I was some sort of….you know.”

            Grada chuckled a deep hearty laugh. “Well, what can you expect from the slums? And it may have something to do with those fishnet stockings you wear. They betray the wrong impression to some people.”
           
        “That’s what my brother always said,” Kala said with a frown.