Aisha trudged alongside Cece and reached the end of their trip. A building with a purple lantern stood before them. It looked much better than the rest of the buildings they’d passed earlier. No women hanging over the balconies, trying to invite them in, or drunk men trying to force their way in.
Perhaps the fact that it was a middle-tier brothel intimidated them, as though just being around would make the money inside their pockets magically disappear.
"We’re here," Cece said. "Once you’re inside the door, they’ll ask you to pay." She glanced at the building before turning to Aisha. "Though I advise you to be careful. Don’t get ripped off by the people inside. They’re best at it."
"How do you know all this?" Aisha asked.
Cece smiled. "I’ve been an errand girl here for as long as I can remember. I do all odd jobs and end up knowing a lot."
"Do people from merchant ships come here often?"
"In the lower tiers, they’re a dime a dozen," Cece jerked a thumb toward Sweet Bliss and scoffed. "But here? Unless they own a merchant ship, you rarely see them."
Then Aisha’s earlier suspicion was correct. She figured Styx and Marlon had somehow gotten their hands on enough star credits to live it up at a high-end spot like Sweet Bliss.
"Here," Aisha handed her a small pouch. "It’s five hundred."
Cece took the pouch from her hand and beamed in delight. Her eyes sparkled as she carefully slipped it into her collar.
"Well, if you ever need me for anything, you can just call me here."
Cece turned and walked away after exchanging numbers with Aisha. Watching her depart, Aisha lingered outside for a few moments before finally stepping toward the place that might point her to her older brother’s whereabouts.
Two broad-chested men locked eyes with her the moment she stepped into their line of sight. Their gazes lingered, scrutinizing her, but the scarf covering the lower half of her face did its job to hide her young appearance—they let her pass without a word.
The door swung open and revealed a short tunnel lit in red. A curtain blocked the view past the entrance. With so many guards stationed inside, the corridor felt like an extra wall of defense against intruders.
On the side, a desk with two men in blue attire glanced up at her. They, like the guards, took their time to observe her. Judging her with their naked eye. Though a scanner was flying around her the second she entered through the door.
An automated voice announced.
[Weapons: CLEAR]
[Threat level: ...]
It paused for a second.
[90%]
Aisha frowned.
Almost as soon as it spoke, the guards lining up the walls stood in alarm. Their ferocious gaze landed on her figure as if they would tear her apart the moment she showed any signs of aggression.
"Go and check her."
One guard went to her side and said, "Show me your hands."
This place was surprisingly stricter than anywhere she had been before. Aisha showed her hands without resisting. It wasn’t the first time she went through a checkpoint. In her past life, she would’ve been patted thoroughly and her weapons taken away from her. The guard held up a long scanner and swiped it over her arms, shoulders, waist, and legs.
"She’s clear. No weapons."
Unexpectedly, they found nothing on her.
The man behind the desk asked, "Are you sure?"
"Or else? Do you want another guard to scan her?" The guard sounded rougher than earlier, clearly offended by the man’s lack of trust in him.
Aisha watched them silently, hiding the slight curl of her lips. The guard did not scan her hair. If he had, he would’ve been in shock to discover more than twenty needles keeping her braid tied into a bun.
Her eyes landed on a corner of the floor where no one would care to look. Mirth instantly filled her as a milky-white creature was crawling forward, undeterred by any of the guards.
Naturally, Aisha could not leave her spiritual beast behind.
Normally, Nibbles preferred the comfort of sleeping in her warm bed over venturing outside. The small creature only ever crawled into her clothes to be carried when it wanted. Tonight, however, it had clearly decided that it wasn’t about to be left behind.
Aisha assumed Nibbles sensed her concern when Zenick went missing.
Now, she had a tiny accomplice capable of smuggling things past anyone undetected.
Watching it crawl, Aisha couldn’t help but think it was so adorable.
I’ll have to reward Nibbles once this is over.
***
After parting with a thousand star credits, Aisha was led into a sprawling, crowded hall. Tables and chairs were arranged in orderly rows, where patrons drank and dined, flanked by attentive male and female courtesans. On a raised center platform, beautiful dancers moved with graceful, seductive precision. The entire establishment was far more organized than she had initially expected.
Once alone, she stepped behind a stone pillar and scanned the crowded room. She lingered on the male courtesans being ogled by wealthy women at their tables, blending in by pretending to be just another guest looking for excitement.
But out of the corner of her eye, she had already locked on her target.
Hello, Styx.
He had a wide face, brown eyes, and a massive, square jaw. Flanked by two attractive women, his heavy eyebrows were relaxed, completely unbothered by his misshapen nose—the clear result of too many breaks. He wore a crisp tunic that Aisha was willing to bet had been newly bought with a fresh influx of coin.
Before she went to interrogate him, she looked for the other man named Marlon. He was Zenick’s third mate. Yet, even after standing there for an entire minute, that man did not appear.
Did he book a room with one of the ladies here already? If that were the case, it would mean she’d have to look for him later.
For now, Styx would have to do.
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