Page 39 of Fate of the Sun King

It’s her.

It’s been so many years, and my memories are hazy, but I’m sure it’s the woman from my dream. I blink, reminding myself that can’t be true.

I killed her.

I rendered her into a husk of charred skin and bones in the forest. I shake my head, willing the scene to change. It’s just a coincidence. That woman is dead, and this one just bears a similar resemblance.

She says something to another group of High Fae females dining on the patio, and they air kiss each other’s cheeks before she turns to leave.

She walks with a slight limp, though her posture is straight as her cane thunks against the stone pavers. She’s the height of elegance in a long gown that seems a little fancy for this early in the day, but somehow she manages to pull it off. Her silver hair is swept away from her face and anchored at the crown, her long curls spilling down. It’s impossible to gauge her age, even by Fae standards.

She stops and looks around the square, her lips pursing when her eyes fall on the group of Fae who harassed me, still loitering outside. Then she turns and continues her journey. Before I give too much thought to what I’m doing, I start to follow. This can’t be the same Fae, and my imagination is working overtime, but I need to be sure.

I keep enough distance between us so she doesn’t sense me on her trail, and we both weave through the crowds, dodging vendors and shoppers pressing through the throngs. She’s clearly in no rush, stopping here and there to speak with this person or that or to survey a variety of wares as she passes. Everyone seems to know who she is, and she smiles at them all, moving in a regal way that suggests a life lived in relative comfort.

Finally, we approach the end of a street where a white stone building sits. It looks like a temple with its wide-angled roof and six round pillars gracing the facade. It reminds me of the ruin we passed in the forest, when Nadir told me about Zerra and her disciples.

Two stunning High Fae females stand at the top of the short set of stairs, wearing long white dresses that wrap around their bodies, very carefully displaying expanses of their luscious thighs, ample cleavage, and smooth stomachs. They smile and wave at passersby, who every so often stop and enter the building.

The woman I’m following heads up the stairs and into the building with a small bit of difficulty thanks to whatever is bothering her leg.

The gilded lettering inscribed on the front reads Priestess of Payne. I surmise this is some kind of religious-themed brothel, and from the look and regularity of the clientele, it’s both very popular and catering to elites with a very specific type of kink.

I pause with one foot on the bottom step, wondering if I should follow the strange woman inside. This is ludicrous, and I can already hear Nadir and Tristan scolding me for not paying enough attention to my surroundings while stalking some rich High Fae through Aphelion.

Especially one who might have tried to steal me when I was a child.

But… I’ve never been one to let a bad idea get in the way of my actions.

“Come on in,” one of the women beckons with a lilting voice, and I hesitate. But I need to see her up close. I’ll never be able to relax if I don’t. “There are many things to enjoy inside.”

I nod and head up the stairs, hoping I won’t regret this.

Inside isn’t quite what I expected. I always pictured a brothel to be dimly lit and draped in hues of red and black, but the religious-temple aesthetic continues inside with floors and walls of pale grey marble and windows cut into the ceiling, letting in thick beams of warm afternoon sunlight.

I think of the ruined temple we saw and wonder how Zerra feels about this place. Is the goddess a prude, or does she understand the power and influence of sex? Particularly when you’re a woman who’s been left with few other choices?

Another woman waits, this one even more scantily clad. Her priestess robe just barely covers her hips, the material sheer enough to hide almost nothing. She smiles with a set of perfect white teeth.

“The entrance fee is one hundred silvers,” she says, and I vacillate again. I should let this go. I imagined it. That can’t be the same woman. But I need to be sure.

I reach into the pouch at my hip and pull out the exorbitant sum. Thanks to Nadir and Amya, our mission is well funded. I don’t really understand money other than as a concept. One unexpected side effect of living in Nostraza was never learning the idiosyncrasies of these mundane tasks everyone takes for granted.

While I initially felt weird about taking Nadir’s money, he’s assured me it’s all part of his greater plan, and I’d be doing him a favor. Of course I don’t really buy that, but it does make life easier when you don’t have to worry about how to pay for anything.

“Did another woman come in here?” I ask, handing over the coins. “She had silver hair and was wearing a long blue dress?”

The female’s eyebrows pinch together. “You mean Madame Payne?”

“Yes,” I say, deciding that sounds right. The name outside had the unusual spelling of the word “pain,” and I surmise this must be a clever play on a surname. Besides, she was clearly someone important. “Her.”

“Yes, of course, she’s here. She’s probably in her office. I can send a messenger up if you tell me what your business is?”

Now I’m definitely unsure about this. What am I going to say?

I think I killed you fourteen years ago after you tried to kidnap me, but I just saw you in the street, and I want to be sure?

“Actually, it’s okay. I’ll just go in for now.”