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CASSIAN
We were leaving the Black Hole an hour later empty-handed. It seemed as though nobody wanted to work with us, and the contacts that Morgan knew weren’t there. The entire trip was a waste of our time, and by the time we were walking out of the place, Griffin looked worse than when we entered.
I had no idea what was going on with him, but I hoped that whatever it was, it wasn’t contagious. Considering that I had just woken up from a long sleep, I didn’t need to get sick. Who knew if my body could handle whatever was going on with him.
Just as we were reaching the exit, a woman stopped us.
“Wait,” she called out, catching up to us. Her skin was flawless and pale—so pale that it almost looked white. She looked to be maybe 30, with a curvaceous body that no doubt turned a few heads. Her white hair pooled over her shoulders, extending down past her elbows, and she peered up with the most vibrant gray eyes I’d ever seen.
There was a magnetic pull about the woman, and though I couldn’t quite pinpoint the reason why, she had this glint in her eyes that made her feel centuries older than 30. As if she were playing the part of a stunning young vixen to entice men and reel them in.
Maybe she was a siren, I thought, joking to myself. The odd thing was, I couldn’t determine what supernatural species she belonged to. She obviously wasn’t a demon. Her attraction could lead me to believe she was fae, but my instincts said no. Definitely didn’t pick up a wolf scent, or a witch, and she was too—I don’t even know what—to be human. Something about her was just… different.
I glanced over to Griffin, who seemed unphased by her appearance, like he wanted to just get the hell out of there and take a nap.
“Can we help you?” I asked, using a soft tone to appear genuinely concerned—though I was skeptical of this woman. She gave me a bad vibe, though I couldn’t place why. She looked like a harmless young woman, but maybe that was her ploy.
Leaning closer, a hint of excitement crossed her face, and in a low, sultry voice, she said, “I know what you’re looking for, and I can help you… for a price.”
“Oh?” I asked, amused by her suggestion. Great, an underground hooker. At least she was a well-dressed one, wearing a long, black dress that had moons and stars covering it. Though, I’d have expected something a little more risqué. “And how can you help me?” I glanced back to Griffin who just shrugged.
A smile crept at the corners of her lips, and she leaned in close once again, whispering, “I can give you the answers you seek.”
My eyes widened, and I faced Griffin, whose eyebrows were pulled in tight. “How?” I asked, my voice wavering in the middle from my hesitation.
“Follow me.” She didn’t wait for them before she walked around the corner, to a secluded area that was partially covered in darkness. My instincts were screaming to get the hell out of there, but my curiosity kept me rooted in place.
“Hold out your palms,” she said, raising hers. Maybe she was a fortune teller?
“Hold up, what’s this payment you’re asking for?” I wasn’t about to do anything until I knew the consequences. Experience had taught me that much. Well, experience and Grace. My heart sank just thinking about her, but I couldn’t lose focus now.
She smiled, and it was a sly grin that held intentions I couldn’t read. “Clever boy,” she said, grabbing my chin like I was a child. “That’s why I like you so much.”
“You didn’t answer my question.”
She chuckled, and though it was light sounding, it felt dark. “You will know the price when it’s time.” She held her palms out and closed her eyes, waiting.
Griffin placed his palms over hers, a silent agreement to her terms, and closed his eyes. “So, am I supposed to ask you a question or something?”
“I just need your palms. The universe knows your questions and will guide me to the answers you seek. All you need to do is wait and listen, for I won’t be able to repeat anything I tell you.”
Just as they were about to begin, I shouted, “Stop!”
Griffin looked up in annoyance, but the woman simply smiled. “Yes, Cassian?”
Funny, I don’t remember telling her my name. Maybe she overheard Griffin say it when we were inside. I ignored Griffin’s frown and asked him, “Are you sure you want to do this? What if she comes back for payment that’s more than you can deliver?”
“I do not work with who you fear,” she answered, and I balked back in surprise.
Griffin faced me. “Look, Cassian, I appreciate the concern, but I’ve got nothing to lose. I have no pack, no family that I care about, and we need as many answers as we can get. I’m doing this.”
Their palms were together, and their eyes were closed. The woman hummed. Nothing special, no tune, just a simple hum. Her head tilted back, and she sucked in a deep breath, as if she were gasping for air, but couldn’t find it. Her head resurfaced and her eyes were opened wide, milky, white, and glassy. Her previously flawless skin was now wrinkled and sunken with deep ridges. Her hair was less of a vibrant white and more of a dull gray that looked like the straw from a scarecrow.
She opened her mouth to speak, and voices poured out, hundreds of them, speaking all at once as if she spoke with the voice of the universe itself.
“A curse of heartbreak, made to break, but it will break. The red of blood can only be stopped with the blood of Red. Seek the Ash Hounds and you seek the truth. Only when reunited, will it end.”
Her head tilted back again, and she sucked in another choked breath. She lifted her head and the smooth skin had returned to her pale face, her hair a silky white cascade over her shoulders.
