Of Noble Chains (The Ventori Fables) by D.L. Miles Page A

It’s dangerous in there; did you know entering there revokes the Accord keeping them from killing you on sight?”
    Zia paled a little more in the dim light.  “But I’m not going to attack them.”
    “But you carry a weapon,” Mal said, gesturing to her hidden knife, “that is all they need.”
    “Wha—but…but…”
    “Just take the help, since I can’t go in with you tonight,” Aeryn turned to Mal. “Look after her will you?”
     
    Mal nodded to Aeryn before the Ventori quickly escaped the alley.  Zia seemed to have been too stunned to refute him, or maybe she was just too frightened.  But no matter what, Mal was determined to show her that not all Specter’s were bad; maybe if he could convince her, he would be able to convince those at City Ark.  Maybe this was the beginning of a new Accord.
    “Fine,” Zia finally said to him, “but this whole working with you thing…not gonna last.  So just get me inside so I can do my job.”
     
    Mal held his hand out to her and she paused.  She didn’t want to touch him, she felt like it would taint her if she did.
    “It is necessary,” Mal said, moving until he was right beside her, “it is the only way I can pull you through.”
    “Through?” Zia asked, roughly putting her hand in his.  They felt different than Aeryn’s, they were much smoother, and just a bit smaller, but still bigger than hers.  Mal turned his face towards the brick wall that separated her from Wraith.  He said nothing, and Zia blinked.  “What.  Just.  Happened.”
    They were inside the building.  Just like that; one moment Zia was breathing in the stench of fresh garbage, now she couldn’t breathe from the smoke of the club.  They stood in the ladies washroom, surrounded by blinding lights and two Specter’s taking a smoke break.  The girls didn’t seem to care that Zia had just materialized by them and they walked out.
    “You may want to keep hold of my hand,” Mal suggested, turning his face towards Zia, “there will be many people in here that aren’t fond of Ventori.”
    “Like Light I will,” Zia said and tried to yank her hand from him.  She expected him to let go immediately, since his demeanor had been so meek before, but he held on.  Zia tried again but to no avail.
    “I said I would look after you,” Mal said, pulling her face to look at him with her free hand, “and if you let go of my hand you will most certainly die.”
    Zia was going to try and argue, but she found her mouth had dried up.  She had never really looked into Mal’s eyes before; he had been wearing sunglasses and outside it had been too dark.  But now, under the bright bathroom lights she had to think hard to form words.  Mal’s eyes were nothing short of magnificent, with a black pupil surrounded by the thinnest ring of blue and after that an explosion of violet extending over the rest of his eyes.  She felt herself staring, but Zia had never seen anything like this before.
    “I am sorry,” Mal blushed just slightly as he moved his hair around on his forehead, “I will change it so you’re more comfortable.”
    “Uh-huh,” Zia mumbled and watched as Mal’s eyes changed from inhuman to…well, more human.  The violet contracted and his eyes showed their whites, and the ring of blue dissipated to the edge of his pupil, as if being smudged outwards.  They were still strange but absolutely, “beautiful.”
    “I will imagine that means this is better,” Mal smiled and pulled on Zia’s hand, dragging her to the door.  She covered her mouth, unable to believe what she had just said.  He was a Specter, there was no way she could think something like that.
    “W-whatever,” Zia managed to say.
    “Stay close,” Mal gave her another smile as his hand touched the door leading to the club, “and welcome to Wraith.”
     
    Wraith wasn’t like anything Zia had ever witnessed before; the music roared overtop the Specter’s, who didn’t even try to hide what they