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“Okay, then what changed?” Kaleb enquired, his tone edged withfrustration.
“I have no-” Shaw’s instincts fired, her hand lashing out to catch thewrist of a black clad figure striding past their booth. “Roe?” Moving over soshe could drag her sister into the booth. “What are you doing here?” Thisplace, on an unofficial third moon looming over the Galpeh Realm, was prettymuch the definition of off the beaten path.
So, this was Monroe Bengala. Thanks to several evenings spent inValkyrie bars, Kaleb had heard more than a few interesting tales concerning themiddle Bengala sibling. Even amongst Valkyries she had built up a rarefiedmystique as a Bounty Hunter who never failed, never faltered, always returningin a timely fashion with her prey. Her bounties mostly alive, sometimesbattered but rarely dead.
She was an inch or so taller than Shaw but built along sturdier lines.Though those lines were all muscle interspersed by full curves. More importantlythere was no mistaking the way Monroe moved, like an apex predator: graceful,sinuous, intent.
She was much closer to her father, Tore, when it came to skin colour.Only a shade or two lighter than his almost midnight tones. Her hair blue black,long, thick and straight, not a curl in sight, utilising multiple ties to pullit back from her face before plaiting it, the ends reaching just below hershoulder blades. She shared Shaw’s nose, lips and arch of the eyebrows, thoughher face was more triangular, her cheekbones razor sharp. Like Shaw, she’dinherited their mother’s green eyes, but instead of pale tropical waters,Monroe’s green was richer, darker, more reminiscent of humid exotic jungles.
Thick long dark lashes came down, Monroe blinking slowly as she almostvisibly switched gear from hunter to… Kaleb was hoping for something a littlemore civilised. Monroe’s gaze shifting from her sister to Kaleb. “Shaw. Demon.What are you doing here?”
“I asked first.’ Shaw reminded, playing the older sister card.
Absently Monroe snagged Shaw’s ale and began to drink. It would bewasted energy to get upset, Shaw just waved until she caught the waiter’s eye,signalling for another round.
“I’m on the trail of a Gruff.”
“A Gruff?” Kaleb enquired.
“Part human, part goat. Randy. Hard headed. This one has a liking forbreaking ATM machines open and eating the contents.”
“You’re still working on collecting those prison escapees?”
“Over one hundred and fifty made a break for it. This is my fourteenthbounty in two days.”
“Have you slept?”
Monroe shrugged, drinking more ale. “The Department is under the pump.We’re three Hunters down. Svanna with a nasty case of frostbite. Dagny has two brokenlegs. And Eerika took a tumble in the Kepuk Swamp. Med staff are still tryingto chisel away all the mud.”
“Sounds like the prison escapees are proving tricky.”
“Escapee. All those accidents occurred in the pursuit of one particularindividual.”
“Wow. What are they? A trickster? A flit?”
“According to prison records he’s a Spriggan. One with the luck of thedevil himself, according to Dagny.”
“Yeah, but she always says dire stuff like that.”
Shaking her head, Monroe grabbed a few fries from the basket. “True, butSvanna isn’t like that and she swears the bastard was, and I quote -uncannilyfleet of foot, impervious to the elements, with a mocking laugh that is likehaving nails driven into your skull, that sends all good judgement out thewindow. Which is how she claims to have gotten frostbite on her ass.”
Eyeing her sister, Shaw could see the familiar gleam of anticipation fora good hunt stirring in Roe’s eyes. “You think he’ll be your next contract?”
“Chauncey’s on his tail right now. If she fails, and I manage to grabthe Gruff in the next couple of hours, then yes, the contract for the Sprigganwill fall to me.” Nothing but cool confidence in her tone. “He calls himselfSmoke, for Freyja’s sake.” Rolling her eyes, a tinge of smugness crept into Monroe’stone. “I don’t care how lucky he is, he hasn’t come up against me yet. I neverquit and I’ve yet to fail to close a contract. This… Smoke will be no differentthan all the many, many others I’ve dragged back kicking and whining.”
“Don’t draw it out. I need you at Stephanie’s baby shower to help mehand out prizes and keep Galen’s family happy.”
“Me, keep someone happy?” Monroe tested the words like they were analien concept.
“I mean police them and make sure they don’t piss Steph off.”
Finishing the ale Monroe nodded. “That I can do. The Kelty prisonescapees should all be back behind bars within the next few days, including theSpriggan Devil.” Grabbing a fresh ale from the waiter when he appeared, Monroetook a big swig, surveying Shaw and Kaleb speculatively. “What are you twodoing here?”
“Butcher. Goblin. Female. Wears a four foot high purple wig.” Shaw stuckto the details. Names and explanations were extraneous to Monroe. Observing asher sister raised her head, taking a deep breath as if tasting the air.
“She was here.”
“You can put a pin in all that woo-woo me big hunter nonsense that youuse to confuse the tourists. How do you know?”
