Work Text:
Artwork by Con, the author
While the night was shaping up to be a rather wild run that included acrid-foul liquor, jumping through windows to escape officers of the law, and rooting through the pockets of a lush, this was one turn I had not been prepared for.
Sabine looks me directly in the eyes. Swirling gold unnerves me as it turns predatory. Her voice an airy thing as she tosses her hair with a flirt, “Dance with me, Princess?”
“Pardon?”
“C’mon. You’re in Zaun for a night out. Let’s have a night out. I promise I’ll only steal you for a dance and then your chaperone can stand guard once more.”
Vi and I exchange glances. There’s a hesitancy in her gaze but then Vi tuts holding my gaze with those exquisitely silver eyes of hers as she speaks. I feel a tension release in my chest. One I hadn’t realized I was holding. Vi’s voice pours warm comfort through my heart. Even as her words send a chill up my spine. “Yeah, Sabine. She’ll dance with you. Won’t’cha, Cupcake?
I stutter which is so very out of character for me but to be caught between these two is to be the net in a match of tennis. “I erm. I. Yes. That would be lovely.”
Sabine offers her right hand. “Shall we?”
“We shall” I don’t smile at her. Any feeling of gentility I may have held for this woman is immediately replaced with a wariness. She’s playing at something. And I will find out what it is.
Sabine walks us to the dance-floor retaining my left hand and stopping her movements as I walk in a circle to face her once more. She puts her metal hand at the small of my back. The subtle coldness radiates through my blouse and I momentarily regret accepting this dance.
This woman. She’s warm in all the wrong ways. Cold to old friends; overly familiar with strangers. This familiarity must be customary in Zaun. I attempt to hide my bristle, but I am unsuccessful. The flash in her golden eyes tells me as much.
She is - at the very least - a full head shorter than me, but the way she leads our dance is impressive. Also impressive is the way her eyes hold mine. Unwavering. Calculating. Dissecting.
Funny thing. I never felt a compulsion to pursue shorter women. Until I met Vi, of course. Damnit. Kiramman. Keep your raging psyche in check. I focus on gold but wish for silver as I gaze into Sabine’s eyes.
We sway to the horns piped through tinny speakers. Despite our height difference, she leads our dance with an easy grace. I say nothing considering this dance a momentary break from the case. I’ll be back to work and back with Vi soon enough.
Sabine interrupts my reverie. “Well aren’t you a sweet thing.” Her gaze indicates she thinks otherwise. I fiddle with my fingers on my right hand, spinning the ring on my middle finger with my thumb as we sway. I don’t say a word.
In the academy, we had been drilled to let them talk. Individuals found silences uncomfortable, more often than not, they would fill those silences with easily disprovable lies or admissions of guilt. I held my tongue.
“To be out with a chickadee like my dear old Vi. She didn’t tell you about me, did she?”
I flashed my gaze over her shoulder and met tarnished worry in Vi’s gaze. I closed one eye in a deliberate wink to assure Vi I was perfectly capable of handling myself. Sabine caught me.
"Well ain’t that a kick in the tits.” She says almost under her breath.
Sabine licks her lips and continues, “Listen, sweetheart. Friend to friend. Pal to pal. I gotta warn ya. She’ll drop you the minute it’s convenient for her.”
Well, this type of slander, I couldn’t allow. “Vi has been nothing but kind to me. But I don’t see how that’s any of your business."
“Just trying to do a kindness, sister.”
“Save it then.” I attempted to curb my vitriol, however, I was again unsuccessful. One would think I’d gotten better at interrogations since I left the enforcers; one would be wrong.
Sabine challenges back, “Then I suppose you know about the chit on her shoulder?”
Chit? Now that’s interesting. I shook my head in one gentle slow movement. Sabine’s eyes lit with a barely suppressed rage. A wound long aching - reopened again and again - some long past history still unhealed. I’ve now unwittingly added an additional cut to that simmering scar.
“Janna be fucked.” Her voice held a new edge as she hissed, “You topsiders have no idea what goes on down here, do you?”
Ah. That old wound. Her comments are warranted and fair. She’s right. Topside has always been less than helpful. I want to change that. I tried to change that. But she doesn’t know that. I let her anger wash over me like a wave and refuse to take offense. After all. She is correct on every count. I raised my eyebrows and grimaced while wordlessly conceded her point.
“Well. I’m just warning. All friendly like. Because we’re friends, right?” Sabine tightens her grip on my hand and pulls me closer to her body. The metal fingers of her hand pressing harshly against my back.
She smells like cinnamon and broken promises. She’s entirely sinew and scrap. I know if this came to blows, she would win handily. But I don’t believe that’s where this is headed. I flick my ring once more. Prepared. And hold her gaze as steady as ever. Should I react to this threat, I may invite the wrath of the entire neighborhood. Therefore, I don’t. I’ll abide quite a few insults before I cause a true commotion.
Sabine continues, “I’m just trying to be genial and all. But if Vi has stirred up some trouble, a piltie princess like you won’t fix it.”
Well, that I also won’t abide.
“Sabine.” I begin; my voice measured and cool as I shift my hand on her neck. “I appreciate your care. However, I’ll have you know, I’ve had this,” The miniature stocco point of the small blade concealed in my ring bites into the first few layers of dermis on her neck. I shift my finger ever so slightly to let the needle sharp protrusion pierce just a bit more while the minute stabbing is conveniently hidden behind the placement of my hand. This triangular bit of metal was perfect for concealed attacks. From the outside, our positions looked innocuous, like a lover’s embrace on the dance floor. Sabine gasped and tensed as I continued explaining, “within striking distance of your common carotid this whole time.”
I let my smile flow - cool water down a ravine - as I traced the thumb of my now deadly hand along Sabine’s jaw. I keep my tone jovial yet detached. Through a smile I whisper threats, “Do not move. If I wanted you to, you would bleed out in a matter of minutes. It’s quite the clever thing. A triangular blade without an edge. Meant to damage in a quick thrust and unable to be patched. When a full sword, it is less wieldy in modern combat. However, in situations such as these, it is a perfectly adequate method of defense.” Sabine swallowed hard as I continued to talk, “As I was saying, should you cause a ruckus, I will not hesitate to end your life. It will be quick. It will be painful. And you will be unable to stop it. Not the bleeding. Not my movements. You are entirely at my mercy in this moment. Do not say anything. Just nod.”
Sabine did.
“Good. Now. This chit?”
Her voice wavered as she spoke, “Vi killed a chembaron’s kid. If she’s down here it must be for a good reason cuz she’s got a big bounty on her head.”
I schooled my features and cold as ice, articulated. “Explain.”
“It was a hit for Silco. Meant to scare Renni into siding with him. If it looked like someone from topside got her son, Undercity would stick together. The Five Senses would remain.”
I locked that information away as Sabine continued talking. Silence always leads to spilling secrets.
“Vi did it and fucked off to who knows where. One night she was mine and the next she was gone. I give her everything. I gave her everything and got left in the dust. I didn’t get the courtesy of a note or nothing. It’s cuz she did it. She did the hit and Silco gave her a free pass to wherever the fuck she’s been hiding out.”
I locked that information away too. And suddenly felt a small glow of fondness for her. Poor Sabine. This wasn’t just any old wound. This was heartache. This was despair. I understood where that particular sadness lived and I took pity on her. I withdrew my hand and spun the concealed blade on my ring back into place.
Sabine breathed a small sigh of relief before her eyes lit with absolute terror. “All I’m saying is. You need to get her out of here. Now. Right now. If you care about her. At all. Get her out of Zaun. Before they find her. Please.” Sabine barely conceals a tremor as she says the words.
The song ends.
“Thanks for the dance, Sabine.” I brush past her to make my way to Vi. My Vi. Who looks worried. Like a lost puppy. My heart glows in my chest and a smile tugs at my lips. Sweet caring Vi. Who risked life and limb to bring me here to help me solve my case. My absolute hero and my utter ruin. I’m tugged back before I can take another step.
Sabine catches my trailing hand and pulls me back to her. “Hey, Sugar,” Sabine threads her fingertips through the hair at the nape of my neck and pulls me close. Her leg slots between mine, her hip crashing into my core as she presses forward harshly and pulls me down and close.
Her lips meet mine in overfamiliarity. Bollocks. It’s less of a kiss of need and more of convenience. I don’t mean to, however, I return the kiss as is polite - despite the strain in my neck. She pulls her lips away from mine and kisses my cheek once while remaining close. She whispers in my ear. Her hot cinnamon breath tickling every nerve that is now on high alert.
Sabine hisses the words into the hollow below my ear. Her words are rushed - desperate. Entirely at odds with her languid body language and the way she’s pressing her shorter frame into mine. “Rising knows where you are. Two of ‘em. Opposite end of the bar from Vi. Don’t look. Don’t run. but get out of here. Now.”
She releases me and I spin to head back to a dumbstruck Vi. Her mouth hanging open in equal parts surprised and dismayed shock. I go to stumble away from Sabine and I feel the snap of Sabine’s palm connecting with my bum. I refuse to flinch, but I’ve been spanked. In public. By a stranger. I’m grateful she didn’t use her prosthetic, but I am well aware that contact is going to leave a mark. The imprint of her hand throbs and stings as a blush creeps up my chest and heat pools about my neck. I have to catch my breath quickly before I continue walking. My heartbeat radiating across my skin. I let out an even breath through my nostrils as I attempt to collect myself. Damn that woman.
Sabine calls after me, “Thanks for the dance, Cupcake.”
I am lightly amused that Vi and her ex-girlfriend share a passion for monikers. I wonder if they’ve ever compared notes and I come to the conclusion that this behaviour was commonplace in their relationship together. However that is entirely none of my business. I make my way over to Vi and I decide on a course of action to avoid those two gentleman if it is the last thing I can do.
I’ve brought Vi into this dreadful mess. I must get her out.