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

were, and the stench of iron and whiskey stained the air.  As Mal led Zia through the droves of people, she found it difficult not to wrinkle her nose in disgust at the Vampire’s drinking blood, or the Demon’s snacking on raw meat.  And they want me to think these things are innocent?   She thought.
    They passed by a small girl with what appeared to be rose stems for hair when Mal stopped.  Zia tried to pull out of his grasp again, but he held onto her.
    “They can sense what you are,” Mal said, turning around to face her, “you need to hide your scent.”
    “My scent?” Zia questioned, standing her ground as Mal stepped closer to her.  He leaned in to whisper in her ear and her stature stiffened.  Instinctively, she reached for her blade.
    “We must wait for laCoix to reveal himself,” Mal whispered, “otherwise you will not find him.  Until then, stay close; the others might not notice you then.”
    “How long will that take?” Zia moved her head to face him, but their noses were only an inch apart.  He smiled down at her and pulled her closer to the dance floor.  “What are you doing?”
    “You need to blend in more,” Mal shrugged and snatched her closer to him, her body colliding with his.  They were in the middle of a mass of dancing Specter’s, none of them paying Zia any mind.  Mal put one hand on her waist and kept his other entwined with hers, moving her about under the flashing lights.
    The smell of iron and honey filled the air now, overtaking Zia’s senses; being this close to Mal was beginning to give her a headache, or maybe it was just being surrounded by Specter’s.  As she avoided making eye contact with her dance partner she peered around the room, wondering how many of them were STRAYs.
    How many things in that room had killed an innocent?  How many had fed upon a human just because it looked like fun?
    Mal suddenly pulled Zia against him, trying to get her attention.  “You look frightened,” he said.
    “I’m not scared,” Zia spat at him, “I’m disgusted.”
    “You look of that too,” Mal pulled his lips towards his teeth, “do you wish to leave?”
    “No,” Zia wrenched herself from his arms, bumping into someone else on the dance floor, “not until I find laCoix.”  The music stopped and all eyes were once again on her; even the lights had stopped flashing, narrowing in on her.  She looked around nervously, wondering what had set them off.
    “Ventori,” a man growled, the one Zia had backed into, “what are you doing here?”
    “I’m—“ Zia began but Mal quickly cut in, stepping between her and the stranger just as he had in the alleyway with Aeryn.  It looked strange, with his lanky figure against such a large man, but he didn’t show any fear.  He hadn’t even hesitated to step between them.
    “She is with me,” he spoke loudly, ensuring everyone could hear.  “She is my companion.”
    “Oh, like the Ligh—“ Zia was again cut off by Mal as he covered his hand over her mouth.  She glared at him over his fingers and only when she quieted down did her put his arm at his side.
    “I apologize for the intrusion, Mr. Delmont,” Mal said to the Specter, a werewolf, Zia thought, “but she is not Ventori, merely a descendant.”
    “You best be careful where you take her,” the wolf said, “others might not be as welcoming to your… companion .”  Delmont’s eyes drifted over Zia, boring into her like rusty blades.  She knew he wanted to kill her, and that he could, and that the only thing stopping him was Mal.  Delmont snapped his fingers and the music started again, the lights began to flash and beam over others in the club.  Slowly, the other Specter’s went back to their dancing, and their drinking.  Nobody cared about Zia anymore, at least not when they found out she was Mal’s companion.
    She didn’t like that, even if it was a lie.  Being a Caster’s companion was demeaning, and it made her feel dirty just thinking