Page 41 of Outfoxed

“My parents aren’t hybrids. My mother is a witch, and my father is a mage,” I replied, grateful it was the truth. “I’m the only fox in my family.”

“Even among your grandparents or great grandparents?”

“My family prefers to keep with compatible magic types, so I’m a fluke.”

“Is that why you’re here? Outcasted?” At that, the woman scowled. “I was wondering why a fox like you was on your own when you’re in such high demand, especially now. With the storms in fluctuation and talents generally weakening except for the odd quadrant master mage or witch, most believe foxes are the solution to a difficult problem.”

Hello, intel. I perked my ears forward. “Really?”

“Yes, of course. Come along. I’ll take you inside and see to your paperwork, and I’ll ask one of the ministers to discuss some of your other options with you. That you have two sponsors works in your favor. There are also some notable residents of Asylum who might be interested in possible contracts with you. We don’t force auctions if potential couples wish to negotiate on their own. That only requires an official witnessing the documentation.”

I could make a few guesses as to why. Why overcomplicate the buying and selling of people? If I entered the contract willingly, did I count as a slave? If I expected the pressure, it would be easier to cope with. My first step would be to get into Asylum, then I could work on the next phase of my plan, which involved luring Sandro to neutral ground.

At Batbayar’s urging, I followed the woman while he went to work organizing his students and their parents. She led me through the crowd with the help of some police and other Asylum guards until we reached the steps.

Some problems resolved themselves, and I couldn’t think of a more neutral ground than a government building to meet Sandro Flores Moretti, a quadrant master out for my living head. His eyes widened when he caught sight of me, and then he smiled, a smug expression settling into place.

Because my life could get stranger, the woman escorting me headed right for Sandro, who wore a suit much like the rest of the folks from Asylum, although his was a sleek blue-gray rather than black. She inclined her head. “Master Moretti, I’ve located a vixen you might find rather interesting.”

“Jade Tamrin,” Sandro greeted, and he closed the distance between us, captured my filthy hand, opted to ignore the blood and mud caking my flesh, and dropped a polite kiss onto my knuckles. My fur stood on end, much like a startled cat’s, and I flattened my ears. “Yes, Guard Ella, I do find her to be most interesting. How did you convince her to come here, especially now?”

I wanted to yank my hand away and run for the nearest boundary, but Sandro kept hold of me in a firm albeit gentle grip.

“She is in the employ of two businesses with passes to come into Asylum, and as such, she has dual sponsorship for a limited pass. I will be having her processed. She has a note from Minister Bennett verifying it, and she’s to be given a carry permit for a sword. I expect the paperwork will not be too trying.”

“She is a deeded property owner in one of the recently destroyed neighborhoods, which should streamline her process, although I am willing to register her as my uncontested courtesan if it will ensure she has access to Asylum and my neighborhood. I would like to insist she be properly escorted. Some believe there is profit to be made stealing another’s courtesan.”

“That problem is already being dealt with, Mr. Moretti. Mr. Mansfield called for a meeting of law enforcement within Asylum and made certain to strengthen consequences for anyone attempting to interfere with courtesans and their contracted partners.”

Contracted partners sounded nicer than owner, but I understood the difference. I said nothing, eyeing Sandro’s hold on my hand and debating how best to free myself from his clutches. My fox wanted me to stay still and quiet, enjoying the attention of a man she found to her liking.

While a little rain and a thin white shirt had done him a lot of favors, the suit transformed him into a delicious treat the fox in me wanted to savor. As there was no way in hell I’d be caught licking my lips over a bounty hunter who wanted to haul me to the East, I gave the guard my full attention.

Maybe ignoring him would make him go away.

“Good. What is the status on uncontested courtesans? That’s what I came here to find out. Have we gotten integrated with the rest of the system?”

“We’re integrated as of this morning. Any uncontested courtesans registered in Tulsa will also be registered in the other quadrants. Our status doesn’t allow us to override prior claims, but a case might be tried at this point should there be any outstanding contracts.”

I had no idea what that meant, but I bet the man holding my hand could tell me—assuming I could get him alone without losing my rights, being carted back to the East, or otherwise landing myself in a hot mess. All things considered, my odds of survival would greatly increase if he carted me to the East.

At least there, someone was willing to pay a great deal to keep me alive, and nobody threw away a hundred thousand dollars on a bounty for nothing in return. I clung to every silver lining I could spot. Silver linings might get me through the next few weeks without losing what remained of my sanity.

“Excellent. Tell Mr. Mansfield I will be ready to head to the East fairly soon, and I’m willing to do some negotiations on his behalf should he be amenable to what we’ve discussed.”

“I will make certain he knows that, Mr. Moretti.”

“Excellent. If you can verify with the clerks I can handle Miss Tamrin’s affairs, and I will take care of the rest of this matter from here.”

She nodded and marched into the building, leaving us on the steps.

Without any way to ignore my situation, I asked, “Are you planning on letting go of my hand anytime soon?”

“No, I don’t think so. I have you right where I want for a change. You’re an infuriatingly slippery woman, Jade. I shouldn’t have given you five minutes. I should have given you a minute. That way, I might have had a chance to catch you.”

I grinned at the complaint in his tone. “That must have been infuriating; you, a quadrant master, outfoxed by a vagrant of a vixen.”

“And you decided to show me up, ditching your vagrant status with the acquisition of an Asylum-linked cellar. I had your records pulled, and the new deed intrigues me.”