Open Your Heart

Chapter 19

"You do know how many sex workers are in Hell, right?" Turning and looking at the snake, Henroin crossed his arms expectantly. "To find one person in upwards of eighteen million, at the least is-"

"Can you do it, or not? 'Cause if you're just here to tell me it's impossible, than I'll find someone else who can." At that, the man sat up straighter and looked positively insulted.

"I never said it was impossible. Of course I can do it, I'm merely stating that such a task can take time if all I have to go on is a single name. Is there nothing else you can tell me about this "Chardonnay" that might help narrow the search?" Something about the way the black and yellow serpent said Char's name grinded on Henroin's nerves. A quick glance at Arackniss and he caught his son's cringe. Sighing, he looked to Orco, who subtly lifted his brows and tilted his head. It was a sign pushing him to tell them everything he knew that might help, even if it meant outing himself. Dragging his hands down his face, he groaned.

"Alright, alright. What kind of stuff would help you?" He waited as Sir Pentious, an eccentric inventor in Hell best known for his wild antics, thought over what might be useful.

"What does he look like? What type of demon is he? Snake, spider, dog, what? You said he was a sex worker, but do you know what kind? There are so many these days and a good portion of them frequent other paths as well." The man slithered a bit closer only to drop himself into the chair across from his desk. "The best piece of knowledge you can give me is the name he had in life. If you know that, I can most certainly find him anywhere in all of Hell." He swept a hand out as he spoke before pulling out a cigarette and lighting it with a match. Henroin heavily debated on which questions to answer for a moment, wanting to keep his lover's privacy in tact while also finding him the fastest he possibly could.

"Okay... Did you need to write this down?" Pentious immediately shook his head.

"I promise you, I can remember it." Why did that make Henroin worry more?

"Um...so, starting with looks... he's a scorpion, like me. A deathstalker, so he's blond with pale yellow skin that looks like sunshine." Looking down at his hands where he'd rested them on the desk, he thought of his lover, going over every little physical detail slowly. "Hips that would make any man drool, with a light patch of silver on his back, from between his shoulders down to his... Tail." As he spoke, his mind cruelly replayed every blissful little moment they'd had together. "And eyes that look like... melted platinum. You can get lost in those-" He only snapped out of it when Orco cleared his throat. Looking back up at them all, the looks weren't lost on him. Orco was clearly worried that he might go a bit too far in describing Char, while Arackniss and Pentious were looking at him with curiosity. "Anyways... what else did you ask for? Right what he does. Um... Chardenay is a prostitute. He mostly walks whatever beat his pimp tells him to, but I know he's been lent out to strip clubs too. Though, he doesn't do pole dancing." Pentious nodded slowly.

"Alright, so he's definitely contracted with someone."

"No." The serpent tilted his head when Henroin responded. "He doesn't have a contract, but he does have a pimp. Oh fuck, what was his name...?" Snapping his fingers as he thought, he swore Char had said the man's name at least a few times. "Rooskov? I think it was something like that." With that, Sir Pentious sat up straighter and looked him dead in the eye.

"Ruskov?" Pointing at the man, Henroin nodded.

"Yeah, that was it!" Pausing to look at the man skeptically, he watched the snake wave it away. "How do you know that name?" Just because he tried to ignore the fact, didn't mean Henroin would.

"Well..." The man chuckled nervously. "I know of a lot of the more... degenerate kind of whoremongers. Ruskov is one of the more sordid ones." Narrowing his gaze on the man, he had his own questions now, but he decided that those could wait.