When we didn't answer, the knocking came again, loud and sharp. Chance and I looked at the door, then at each other.
"Stay back," he said. Not that he really needed to tell me.
"Dare I ask what exactly kind of trouble you've gotten yourself into now?"
"It's nothing," he said, except that the banging from the other side sure didn't sound like nothing. It sounded like someone was going to break it down any second if we didn't do something, and quick.
He took a harsh breath, stepped forward, and yanked open the door.
Three burly men stood on the other side, all black leather and--one of them was holding a crowbar, smacking it into his open palm.
"You're late," he spat, glaring down at Chance. Then his eyes flickered to me and something in his gaze made me wish I'd lingered just a bit further back in the shadows. Still leering, he added, "The boss don't like late."
"Yeah, yeah, I got you," said Chance, in a tone I very much would not have taken with these guys. Especially not when that crowbar kept brandishing itself so menacingly and the like. But Chance only leaned against the doorframe like he thought it was a great day for a casual chat. "How about this," he said, "You go back and tell your boss I'll have it in three days."
"No dice," said the man to the left of the one with the crowbar. This one wasn't built quite as much like a walking mountain, but the way he was reaching for something at his side made me nervous. What if he had a gun? "We already gave you three days."
But then the man with the crowbar said, "Alright," and the way he looked at me when he said it made me feel very much not alright. "Three days, but we're taking your girl here as collateral."
"Excuse me?" I felt the anger building. No way was I going to sit back and watch as I got sucked into the middle of a mess that wasn't even my fault. Maybe if I focused, I could bring Shiina out. Maybe then I'd be able to stand up for myself--and Chance.
But Chance probably didn't really need standing-up for, because he was already stepping in front of me, saying, "Like hell I'm going to let you do that." And his animus, the lyoken, leapt from his outstretched palm to stand fully-formed between us and the men. "I'll get your money. Three days."
Two of the men had already started to retreat, glancing behind like they planned to make a run for it. The one in the middle narrowed his gaze at Chance, surprisingly unfazed by his animus.
"Fine," the leader said, the corners of his mouth turned down into a sneer, "Three days. But you owe double."
Then he turned and left.
"What the hell. Was that?" I asked when the door was finally shut and bolted.
Chance, to my surprise, slumped down against it. "You gotta play it cool with them," he said, sounding a lot less confident now than he had only a moment before. His animus had already disappeared.
Looking down at him, I said, "So not only do you owe rent, you're also in debt to a bunch of loan sharks?" I thought things like this only happened in the movies. Or maybe a soap opera.
"Looks like it's time to move."
I just looked at him. "You serious?" First of all, I selfishly did not want Chance to move--mostly because I wanted him around. But second of all--and probably more importantly--"That doesn't seem like, uh, the best way to deal with a problem."
He sounded amused when he finally pushed himself back to his feet, "Really?"
"So how are you going to get the money?"
At that, Chance only shrugged, heading for the kitchen. "I always manage."
I wasn't about to rub it in, but it sure didn't seem like he was 'managing' very well now. The man's words still echoed in my mind. Double. I didn't like it. No matter how much he owed in the first place, that was a bad deal if I ever heard one.
"Maybe you could..." I was thinking out loud here, "See if Mercurious could help you."
Chance, who had been rummaging for something in the cabinets, stopped and turned around. Maybe he was trying to see if I was serious. The look he gave me could have froze hell.
"Alright, alright," I said, "Just trying to help."
"Sure." He'd gone back to the cabinets. "Thanks."
A minute later, he must have found what he was looking for, because he took a small packet of something out, shook it, and poured it into a glass of water. When he drank it, he downed the whole thing at once.
At last he said, "Energy drink."
I got the feeling there was probably more to it than that, but didn't want to press it.
Speaking of things with more to them, I still wanted to know what was up with Addi. Last I'd seen her, she seemed caught between wanting to teach me and wanting to kill me. And then--"Oh no," I realized, "It's still at the arena."
"What?" Chance turned and looked at me. Of course he had no idea what I was talking about.
"Mercurius's car. He let me borrow it. I thought you were going to--I was worried."
Chance gave me an appraising look. Was he... impressed?
"His car? You must have been very convincing."
"That," I added, "And Addi looked ready to kill me."
That got his attention. "There's got to be more to this story."
Except that's the thing. There wasn't.
I shook my head, "Far as I understood it, one second she was going to train me in using my animus or something and then the next she was attacking me. It was like she was possessed or something--" I stopped myself. "Is that possible?"
Chance leaned back against the counter, gazing into space like he was considering something. "Technically, yes." When he turned back to me, he said, "That time she spoke through you. It's like that. But only a very powerful demon can control another, especially over any distance."
I stood up. "Then we'd better find Addi."
- - -
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Question of the day: Who would you cast to play Chance if this were a movie? (Did I ask that already???)
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