Page 31 of Fate of the Sun King

“When I was eighteen, I was invited as an escort to a party at a popular cabaret. The asshole I was with got blind drunk and dragged me out onto one of the balconies. He tried to fuck me, but he could barely get his pants undone, and I don’t know what came over me that night. I’d just had enough. You know?”

I nod my head.

“I shoved him off me, and he flew into a rage because obviously he had a right to my cunt, and I owed him anything he wanted.” She takes a long sip of her drink, and though she speaks with detachment, emotion simmers in her eyes. “He shoved me towards the balcony and was about to push me over when Nadir heard me screaming.

“He came out and pulled him off me, and then… someone went over the balcony that night, but it wasn’t me.”

My eyes are wide. “Nadir killed him?”

Hylene smirks. “Don’t tell me you’re surprised.”

I bark out a laugh. “No. I guess I’m not.”

In a weird sort of way, I’m kind of proud of him for that. Not kind of. Very. He might pretend he’s all hardhearted, but I’ve seen what lies underneath.

“So what happened then?” I ask.

“Nadir checked that I was okay, and we got to talking. He asked if I wanted a job working for him. He needed someone to help with a few tasks, and I agreed immediately. I wanted out of the Crimson District so badly. He bought out the price of my indenture and set me up with a flat in the Violet District. And the rest, as they say, is history.”

“Wow,” I say. “How long ago was that?”

“Hmm, about fifty years or so.”

“And have you two ever…” I move my fingers back and forth, and Hylene laughs.

“No. That’s never what we’ve been to one another. Why? Would you have cared?”

“Of course not,” I say far too quickly to be believable.

“Of course,” she says, giving me a knowing look.

We both sip our drinks in silence for a few minutes, the distant sounds of the city and crickets floating on the breeze. A lightning bug buzzes through the air, and I watch as it twists and twirls, leaving a soft, glowing trail hovering against the dark.

“You really did that in Nostraza?” Hylene asks. “What your sister said?”

I nod.

“That was very brave of you.”

I snort. “Tell that to my sister.”

“She’s not angry with you,” Hylene says. “You must know that.”

“I know. I’m not sure how to fix this now. What’s done is done, and I’ve never blamed her for any of it, and I certainly don’t think she owes me.”

“You’ll both figure it out. It’s obvious how much you mean to each other. Just give her some time. We all deal with our ghosts in different ways.”

“Thanks,” I say, meaning it. “I really needed this. All of it.”

The corner of her mouth ticks up, and her green eyes sparkle as she leans forward.

“You can repay me by telling me more about your friend with the wings.”

My eyes widen.

“Who? Gabriel?”

Hylene lifts a delicate shoulder. “He had a certain long-suffering rage that was kind of hot.”