Arcane ~ Short Stories ~ QUEENDOM

XIII ~ Heartstrings

~ SPOILERS for the 6th episode of Arcane ~

(this is the sequel to "The Brothel")

For a moment, the crime lord forgot why he was at the brothel in the first place and whose girlfriend the ravishing alien used to be. Within that second, Hiedra went back to being what most people knew her as: a skilled temptress. Nevertheless, he momentarily also remembered her as his friend, because that's what they had been for many years. Quickly enough, he could breathe once more, as his senses came flowing back.

Using his left hand, he rapidly pulled her wrist away, and gained complete control over the glass. He drew a sip from it, relishing the comforting singe of the fermented beverage on his tongue. The courtesan was watching him with a hungry spark inside her eyes, which he scarcely managed to ignore with all the will he was able to muster.

She parted her lips, sliding her tongue - pink and flexible - over the edge of her higher row of teeth, before making a suggestion. She served each of her sentences with steps in his direction.

   "How about you order your two little friends to leave us? I think an agreement would be easier to reach with some privacy..." Her voice trailed off and she swiftly lifted her crossbow, sharply pressing the point of the new bolt against his Adam's apple, to add: "Silco."

She had reduced the space between them to a mere inch, at most. His heart had begun pounding violently inside his rib cage, yet - as always - he timely composed himself.

   "Leave and wait outside, this won't take long," he commanded, tremendously aware of the cold metallic arrow resting upon his throat.

   "And if it does, I'm sure they'll be entertained."

The sex worker's comical approach reminded him of why he had almost fallen for her charms at multiple occurrences: her unexpected cleverness never ceased to amaze him. His henchmen exited the room, allowing her to remove her weapon and sit back down, with her legs wide open. They both spent a silent minute drinking, although the Zaunite restricted himself to a single gulp and, in drastic opposition, the reckless young female had nearly finished the bottle by abandoning the troublesome step of using a receptacle.

She smacked the bottom of the container against the seat, between her thighs.

   "Hiedra, we both know you're being difficult. We're busy people, we have matters to attend to. Find Vi, tell me where she is and take the payment."

   "You killed Vander. That's all that matters to me, and a bag of coins won't make up for it."

   "He had it coming. Vander betrayed all of us, he even betrayed you."

   "And that did not change the way I felt about him. Of course, you wouldn't know love if it slapped you in the face so hard that it made your eyes pop out... You're wasting your time here, Silco. Yours and mine."

The hooker emptied the bottle, drinking the quantity of liquor that remained inside it. Then, she threw it and it landed upright on the low table, onto which she propped up her ankles, leaning back into the couch.

   "I won't allow you to speak to Jinx ever again."

In the span of a single breath, the prostitute straightened her upper body and took her feet off the table, positioning herself with her hands clasped over her knees, spread apart. Her voice dripped with resentment.

   "What kind of bullsh!t threat is that?"

   "Good day to you, then," he jeered, raising his glass.

He gently dropped it upon a tall corner table, heading for the doorway. With a terrifyingly familiar metallic detonation, a bolt interrupted his travel, sticking itself deep into the doorframe's right side.

   "If you want my help, you manipulative bastard, I gotta see the money. Our deal shall be the following: I surrender Violet's location in exchange for the promised remuneration." Hiedra appeared disgruntled, yet she was not defeated.

The man saw an appreciative glint in her eyes and recognized, in the manner they were anchored to his, that the immortal creature was eager to add a new Deal to her collection. He was baffled by her ability to speak like a lowly trencher one second, but like a highly educated businesswoman the next. The contradictions that stitched together her intricate personality made her more challenging to control, her decisions and actions were close to unpredictable, and this ignited in him equal amounts of annoyance and excitement. To tame Hiedra, force her into submission at last, could prove itself to be one of Silco's greatest achievements.

He was surveying her wholly, analytical. The courtesan's forearm and hand were not tense, she held the crossbow with a confident and relaxed grip. She was tugging, with her left canine, at her lower lip, a display of her slight uneasiness. The black and deep red bodice hugged her curves with such precision, every nook and cranny of her was perceivable underneath the taut leathery fabric. Her cape only covered her shoulders anymore and the major part of it rested upon the back of the couch. A thin strand of her curly hair hung in front of her right eye, it rose and fell every time she would breathe. The pair of sheer tights she wore cast an infinite shadow over her tattoos without hiding them. Her facial traits and her pointed ears suggested a type of beauty that was contrary to the appeal of the chaotic inked designs that were etched across her skin. Regardless, the pure degree of attractiveness that the prostitute exuded was extraordinarily powerful, enough to affect any living being.

He grinned bitterly to agree to her terms:

   "Deal. How does five hundred sound?"

   "Sounds fine..." she muttered, putting her weapon down.

The sex worker lowered her eyelids under his interested gaze. She opened them abruptly, revealing that her irises had rolled up into her orbits. They swiftly slid back into place. Hiedra's Marks granted her the coveted ability to conjure visions of whoever she had made a Deal with. The hooker could see their surroundings, what they were doing, along with feel their emotions. It was a useful and unusual talent, especially in Zaun where magic was not practiced expertly.

   "One of your goons is going to pay me?"

   "Yes, don't worry."

Hiedra's voice expressed her reluctance and dissatisfaction.

   "Vi's still in Zaun, in the Slums, at the lowest levels..."

   "See, that wasn't so hard," he mocked her.

   "Then, do it yourself next time." Her proposition was blatantly ironic.

   "Next time, I won't have to persist as much. You chose Jinx, didn't you? And you always will."

On that note, Silco left the room, causing the curtain of crystals to waver. However, the decorative threads did not falter even nearly as intensely as her heartstrings.