Page 40 of Outfoxed

Batbayar decided to join me on my trek to City Hall, which meant all of the students and their parents did as well. I appreciated I could hide within the crowd, but I also hated how easy we were to spot on the lengthy hike to the center of Inner Tulsa. It took us two hours, and I questioned if we’d be able to find shelter before the evening storms hit.

I feared too many held hopes of sheltering within the safety of Asylum.

We weren’t the only ones at City Hall, and I worried the warning about riots would become reality. The crowds had an odd mix of vagrants and Asylum residents, who I could identify from their suits and more formal attire, all of it clean without evidence they’d been working in the stricken parts of the city.

My clothes, despite having been in a rather new state, had already seen better days. I wore a disconcerting amount of blood from clearing debris and helping to move bodies, and it would take a great deal of scrubbing to remove the grimy feeling from my skin. By appearances alone, I would be among the last considered for residency in Asylum rather than someone with a note from some Asylum bigwig and two passes.

A young woman in a short skirt, blazer, and pristine white blouse approached us, and I spotted a pin on her lapel, which matched the ones I’d seen on the guards at McCoy’s. After looking over our group, she focused on Batbayar. I tensed, wondering if she had picked him because of his ethnicity or because he wore unusual apparel.

I flattened my ears, and my tail twitched.

Batbayar patted my shoulder. “You cannot let such minor things bother you, Jade.”

Like hell it wasn’t minor, but I remained quiet and nodded. From the beginning, I’d learned he disliked wasted energy on things he viewed as unimportant, and if others wanted to be bothered because his face was not like theirs, that was a reflection of them and meant nothing to him.

I sometimes wished I could adopt his outlook on life, but he lived in a different world from me. His gender gave him an advantage, and his martial arts transformed him into a weapon, allowing him to glide through his life with a sense of security I might never obtain.

I refused to be jealous or resent him for his accomplishments, however.

He’d earned everything through his hard work and effort, and I respected that.

Had I not, perhaps such minor things wouldn’t have bothered me so much.

Batbayar approached the woman, and he greeted her with his customary bow. “I am Batbayar, and I have come to address the matter of passes for my students and their parents for dormitory access. My students cannot thrive without their family, and Asylum has requested my teachings. This is a fair exchange.”

According to the guard’s expression, she disagreed, but rather than argue, she gestured towards the government building. “The fox stays.”

“Jade is my assistant, and she has double qualifications for her pass and a note from one of Asylum’s ministers.”

Alastar was a minister? At first, I struggled to think of where in Tulsa I might find a church, as most had lost their faith long ago when it became apparent the storms would only become worse no matter how hard they prayed. Then I remembered Asylum named their upper government officials ministers of various sorts.

I pulled out Alastar’s note, wondering how much of a treasure I’d stumbled across. I opened the page, reading it over. “The note is signed by Alastar Bennett, Interior Minister.”

The woman’s eyes widened. “You have a note from Mr. Mansfield’s personal assistant?”

I almost dropped the slip of paper, well aware of who Mansfield was, his role in Asylum’s creation, and his drive to rule over those within his domain. “If that is Alastar Bennett, then yes.” I took a moment to describe the haughty man and his pristine suit. “Is that him?”

“That certainly sounds like him. And how would you, a fox, have met him?”

I could choose to ignore the scorn in her voice or lose the war, so I replied, “One of my employers is Brent McCoy—”

“Ah, I understand. Yes. We are aware there would be one of his staff coming for a pass. They neglected to inform me you are a fox, however.”

As I couldn’t think of a single thing to say that didn’t involve calling her some form of name or another, I shrugged. “Maybe they didn’t believe my status as a hybrid made any difference at all for my ability to get the job done.”

While I could only think of my tone as lifeless, lifeless beat rabid or irritable.

The woman’s eyes narrowed, but as I kept my expression neutral, she nodded. “Follow me. You’ll be assumed to be a courtesan, and the courtesan applications are being handled at a different building, which is where the foxes are being directed. The vixens haven’t been coming out much, but there are a surprising number of men willing to try their luck at the auctions for a chance to be brought into Asylum.”

Ah. “You thought I was here to be a courtesan?”

“That is what the foxes are coming over for right now. Your kind are in demand, especially with the growing evidence that hybrids are excellent gene carriers. First generation foxes are in high demand. What generation are you?”

I frowned. “First generation foxes? What do you mean by that?”

In the East, bloodlines and family lines mattered more than anything else. In the Alley, at least above ground, survival trumped everything else. I’d gotten more than my fair share of catcalls, but nobody had asked me about my generation before.

“Were either of your parents a fox? If not, you’re a first generation, which means you’re a talent developer, so you’re in much higher demand with the prominent families in Asylum.” The woman relaxed, and she offered me a smile. “You’re pretty enough, with that hair a good match for your fur, so you’d be a striking addition to any household.”