Page 4 of Hunter's Moon
I filed that information away, moving to the next table. A group of Lykan traders huddled close, speaking in hushed tones.
“The shipment’s coming in tomorrow night. If we play our cards right, we could make a fortune.”
“Quiet, you idiot,” another hissed. “You want the whole cantina to hear?”
I kept my head down, pretending I hadn’t heard a word. The last thing I needed was to get caught up in some illicit scheme.
As the night wore on, my arms ached from the repetitive motions of cleaning. My feet throbbed, and exhaustion threatened to overtake me. But I pushed through, knowing I couldn’t afford to lose this job.
When the last patron finally stumbled out, Kel approached me. “Not bad,” he said, his tone slightly less annoyed than before. “You can sleep in the back room. Be ready to open at 0600.”
I nodded gratefully, following him to a small, cluttered storage room. A thin blanket lay folded in the corner. It wasn’t much, but it was better than the streets.
As I settled onto the hard floor, my mind drifted to Dr. Heylarth. Was he worried about me? Did he even know I was gone? I pushed the thoughts away, knowing they’d only lead to tears. I needed to focus on survival now.
Sleep came fitfully, punctuated by strange dreams of red eyes and pointed teeth. When Kel woke me at dawn, I felt as if I’d barely closed my eyes.
The next three days fell into a grueling routine. Clean tables, serve drinks, dodge wandering hands, sleep for a few hours, repeat.
On the second day Kel gave me a battered old commpad to take orders with. My hopes soared. I could contact Dr. Heylarth, get help, get home!
But this was just a dumb tablet, slaved to the system behind the bar. No way to get a message out. I was still just as stuck as I’d been before.
On the fourth night, as I wiped down a particularly sticky table, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. Slowly, I turned, my heart pounding in my chest.
There, at the bar, sat a Vinduthi male. His gray skin seemed to glow in the low light, dark green markings swirling across his left cheek and arm. His gaze was cold and compelling.
I couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t move. It was as if time itself had stopped.
And then he smiled, revealing sharp, pointed teeth.
Every instinct screamed at me to run, but my feet remained rooted to the spot. He stood, his lean, muscular form uncoiling with predatory grace. As he approached, I caught a whiff of something spicy and exotic - a scent that made my head swim.
“You’re new here,” he said, a dangerous purr.
I swallowed hard, trying to find my voice. “Just started a few days ago.”
He leaned against the table I’d been cleaning, invading my personal space. I took an involuntary step back.
“I’m Tharion,” he said, flashing those sharp teeth again. “And you are?”
“Lina,” I replied, hating how small my voice sounded. I should have lied, but my mind went blank.
His eyes roamed over me, making me acutely aware of my grimy work clothes and disheveled appearance. “Human, aren’t you? Rare to see your kind in these parts.”
I shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. “Just passing through.”
Tharion chuckled, a sound that was both alluring and terrifying. “Aren’t we all?” His hand reached out, fingers brushing a strand of hair from my face. I flinched at the contact, his skin surprisingly warm.
“I... I should get back to work,” I stammered, looking around for Kel. But the Orlian bartender was nowhere to be seen.
“Surely you can spare a moment for conversation,” Tharion purred. “I find humans... fascinating.”
The way he said ‘fascinating’ made my skin crawl. I took another step back, bumping into a nearby table. “Really, I need to finish up here.”
His eyes narrowed slightly, a predatory glint sharpening his gaze. “Running away so soon? And here I thought we were just getting acquainted.”
My heart raced as I realized I was trapped between him and the table. I glanced towards the back of the cantina, wondering if I could make it to the storage room.