Liz was nervous although she tried her best to hide the feeling. The reaction of the barkeeper didn't get out of her mind. On the other hand: What had she expected: That she could enter the club without permission and there wouldn't be any consequences if she got caught?
Out of the corner of her eye she looked at the elf who was taking her to his boss. His face betrayed nothing, at least this was what you would think on the first look. On the second she could witness that his lips were pressed together more firmly than before, and he seemed to be tenser as well.
No good sign. This Danarius guy seemed to be someone you better did not mess with.
Fenris brough her to the back area of the club and a room which could be entered via a big wooden door. Next to it a guard was postet and nodded when Fenris appeared. "Sir?"
Sir? Wow, he REALLY had a good position for an elf...
"Announce us to Danarius", Fenris said. "Tell him that we have an intrudor."
The guards' eyes went to her and he nodded, than knocked at the door and entered the room behind quietly once he got permission. The voice that Liz had heard had been old... and powerful.
And scary as hell.
Shaking her head upon the irrational thought, she decided to distract herself and said what she had in mind since the moment that the barkeeper had disappeared behind them. "So, this Danarius seems to freak the hell out of all of you...?"
The elf next to her raised an eyebrow: "You better should be freaked like hell, but I am not, no."
"Well, Hawke gave another impression..."
Fenris' face betrayed nothing when he answered: "Hawke tends to... exaggerate."
Before she could answer that this wasn't exactly reassuring, the door opened and they went inside. Her thief's heart nearly stopped and started beating faster when she saw all the antiques standing around, starting by the immense mahagoni desk over some of the books in the bookshelf to the unaffordable picture which was hanging at the wall behind the man who was just getting up.
Liz' excitement disappeared as soon as she met Danarius eyes. Maker, he WAS creepy like hell, with the sly and cold eyes of a snake and the appearance of an emperor who wouldn't think twice to cut your head off. His grey beard was trimmed and his clothes tailor-made.
"Danarius, this woman entered the club without permission", Fenris started.
Instead of looking at her, Danarius watched the elf. "So you failed?"
"Yes." Fenris' answer came immediately and without hesitation.
"I see", Danarius said after a long moment of silence and simply looking at the elf, than he passed the desk and stepped to Liz. "We will talk about your... punishment later", he added without lookig at Fenris anymore.
"Punishment?" The word left her mouth before she could stop herself. "He will be punished? That's bullshit!"
One grey eyebrow raised. "Is that so? Would you mind explaining this thought?"
"He couldn't have prevented me coming into the club, even if he wanted", she said and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "I can climb EVERY wall!"
Danarius smile became wider, and a chill ran down her spine. "Well, he could have crushed you legs... how would you have climbed than...?"
Her eyes widened. Fuck, she really WAS in trouble... This guy definitely wasn't a simple club owner, but probably part of the Hightowner underworld...
"Sir", Fenris interferred. "This woman seems to have a habit of speaking without being asked."
Danarius chuckled, again in an absolutley NOT CHARMING kind of way. "I see. So tell me, Miss: What have been your intentions?"
She frowned. "My intentions?" What a question was this? She obviously had wanted to steal something...
"Yes." Danarius smile turned cold. "Your intentions..."
Honesty seemed to be the best answer. "I wanted to gamble first, but than I decided to concentrate on something a bit more old-fashioned..."
Fenris snorted while Danarius crocked his neck in a way that let another chill ran down her spine. "Gamble?"
"Y... yes..." Suddenly a slightly metallic scent filled the air and she had problems to speak.
"Is that really all?" Danarius voice seemed to be in her head, his eyes so intense that they seemed to be able to look at the bottom of her soul. "Tell me: Is that REALLY all? Or have you maybe been sent by someone else...?"
"What...?" She shook her head erraticely. "No. Who should have sent me? I am here on my own!"
For another long moment Danarius continued looking at her, than the pressure on her shoulders and her mind suddenly disappeared and he made a step backwards. "Gamble", he repeated. "Are you good?"
"I..." Her heart was still beating so fast that she had the feeling she would pass out every moment. Maker, what was happening here? "I... am not bad..."
"You have to be better than being not bad when you dare entering MY club to gamble..."
Forcing herself to smile and hide her fear, she answered: "Well, alright: I am good. I am actually very good..."
He watched her thoughtfully and than looked at Fenris. "She will be working for me until the debt of not handing her over to the police is paid", he said. "And she will be YOUR responsibility. Take her with you... there is enough place in your mansion for the two of you..."
It was the first time that the elf reacted. "Sir, I don't think that's wise..."
Danarius only response consistet of looking at the elf until he nodded abruptly and answered: "I will make sure that she does as she is told."
"Good." Turning to Liz again, he handed her enough money to rent a small flat for one month. Her eyes widened, and her throat became dry. "Buy some clothes. Make sure that you fit in here." Stepping closer, Danarius ended, leaving no doubt on the sincerity of his words: "If you are loyal to me, you will have money and savety. But if you betray me, you will regret having come to this place until the rest of your short life..."
As soon as the door closed behind Liz, she exhaled in relieve. "What a charming man", she eventually said, turning to Fenris who had been standing motionlessly next to her.
The elf pressed his lips together and grapped her arm, dragging her out of the corridor.
"Hey!" Unsuccessfully she tried to free herself from his grip. "Don't be so rude? What's your probl..."
"YOU!" he growled and whirled around to her. "I swear, I will use the first possibility to get rid of you! Just give me a reason..."
Her eyes narrowed. "Oh, I see. You are not better than he is. His little pet dog as it seems..."
She was pressed against the wall before she could react and stubbornly met his blazing green eyes, refusing to show any fear. "Do you really think that I am so stupid?" she whispered. "It is more than obvious that your... boss likes to break peoples bones. And I prefer to have MINE intact." She did not add what was obvious as well: That strange things happened in this club. The fact that Fenris had put his hand into her chest and that she had reacted TWICE like a doll seemed to proof her worst fears: This was a hideout for mages.
Magic was rare, and it was dangerous. Mages needed to registrate themselves in front of the templar oder, but not all of them did it. Actually there were rumours that within the last years the birth rate of children with magical skills had raised dramatically and more and more parents were hiding them from the cruel and strict education in the templar schools.
Mentioning it did not seem to be wise. She had to make sure that neither Fenris, nor Danarius thought that she was even thinking about it.
"So, this thing you do with your fist...", she said and immediately had the elfs attention, "is it something you got from a military amendment procedure...?"
It was known that the military sometimes improved their soldiers via technology and medicine in quite drastical ways. And even though she had NEVER heard about something like that, she hoped that Fenris would believe that she wasn't thinking at all about the possibility that the club was a hideout of apostate mages...
He nodded, no hesitation in his behavior. "It is. Elves are very... popular within the military..."
That was true indeed. She had once heard a human soldier say that they were the perfect cannon fodder.
Only remembering those words made her angry again. She had grown up in one of the poorest parts of Kirkwall, and Elves had been her neighbours and friends. There was nothing that made them less than any human... but most people unfortunately thought otherwise.
"There is a shop around the corner which has opened all night", Fenris voice brought her back into reality. "We will go there and buy clothes."
"We?"
No reaction on his perfect face. "Yes."
She grinned. "You think that I'll try to run away? And are afraid of your boss's punishment...?" There was the slightest flinch on his face when she finished the sentence, and she didn't really consider her joke as funny anymore. She didn't even want to think how a punishement of this man would look like...
"Alright", she said and smiled, pushing the thought far away. "Let's go shopping!" She rushed forward, if only to force him to let go quickly off his obviously bad memories. Somehow she did not like that look on his face. The thought was ridiculous, but she preferred seeing him angry and grumpy instead of haunted...
The shop offered nearly everything, starting from food over clothes to sex articles and condomes. She went into the clothing department and picked up two jeans, sport shoes and some shirts and tops. Simple underwear followed, as well as sleeping clothes.
"You should buy something to fit in", Fenris calm voice said behind her. "And this definitely doesn't." He nodded at the jeans and shirts.
"You won't believe it" she answered with her sweetest smile and went to the evening attires, "but I also have a private life and prefer being casual. You on the other hand probably sleep in this suit..."
"That's ridiculous", was all answer she got. "Of course I don't."
"Well, I might find out soon, now that we'll be roommates..." This hit a nerve. His face immediately became dark, and she snorted. "Oh come on, don't look so grumpy... this will be fun..."
He turned to her, his eyes cold. "Here are the rules: You stay out of my way. And you'll do what I say."
"Keep on dreaming!" was all she answered and took some dresses into the changing room. "But don't be worried: I don't have any desire to get to know you better."
"Good."
"GOOD!" she hissed and changed clothes. Such a stubborn and arrogant prick!
15 minutes later she paid and left the market, followed him back to the club and stayed the rest of the night with Hawke behind the bar. Fenris told him that he would be in real trouble if he allowed her to leave without his permission. Liz did not plan fleeing anytime soon and helped him instead mixing cocktails.
Hawke - whose first name was Jamie - was easy-going, sexy and funny. He had honey-brown eyes, short black hair and always a joke on his lips. The guests laughed with and loved him, so he received tons of tip and she as well.
"Wow", was all she could say and looked at the note in her hand.
He grinned and blinked. "Not bad, mmm?"
"Well, depends", she heard herself answer.
"What do you mean?"
"Considering the fact that we need to work for an asshole to get this money..."
Jamies face became serious. "You don't seem to be the type to hold your breath, Liz, but you really should do so when you work here. Believe me..."
"I know", she answered and gave him a reassuring smile. "Don't be worried: I have no problems in adapting quickly to new situations... and people... even assholes..."
He laughed and squeezed her shoulder, than turned to the next guest, a mature woman who was shamelessly flirting with him.
Liz shook her head and leaned back, letting her eyes run over the guests. So this would be the place she would spent most of her time at within the next months. It looked like a well-attented, noble bar, all the people having fun... but deep below she felt a rotten core and remembered the look on Fenris' face.
And suddenly she wondereed if she would really be able to adapt as easily as she just had promised Hawke...