Chapter 74 --74
The woman’s smile didn’t falter, but something changed in her eyes. Calculation. Assessment. "Never heard of it."
"Yes, you have." Elara pulled a small coin pouch from beneath her cloak. The sound of metal was unmistakable even over the noise. "I have business to discuss. And money to spend."
The woman stared at the pouch, then at Elara’s hooded face. A drunk man bumped into Elara from behind, mumbled something incoherent, and stumbled away. The woman didn’t react to any of it.
"How much money?" she asked finally.
"Enough to make interrupting your evening worthwhile."
A pause. Then the woman grabbed Elara’s arm—not roughly, but firmly. "Come with me. Keep that hood up and don’t talk to anyone."
She led Elara through the main room, weaving between tables with practiced ease. Men called out as they passed.
"Hey, sweetheart, where you going?"
"Come have a drink with us!"
"How much for an hour?"
The woman ignored all of it. Elara followed her example, keeping her head down, hands hidden in her cloak.
They passed a table where someone was cheating at cards—badly. Another where two men were arguing about money, voices rising toward violence. A third where a woman was crying while her companion kept drinking.