I knocked back another shot, the fiery liquid stinging my throat.
"Hen's nest Skyee, slow down!" Essmay rolled her colorful eyes at her best friend and partner, yours truly. I slammed the drink down with a triumphant burp. The bartender, a small woman with sparrow wings and huge, broad shoulders, gave me a resigned smile.
"Careful fledglin', that firecracker'l knock ye' socks off."
I waved her off, my wings fluttering in anticipation, "Thanks ma, think I'll pack up for the night. We got some work to do." With that, I pushed off the chair and stood. For a second the world spun in dizzying degrees.
"I knew it!" snapped Essmay, dark skin glowing faintly in the dim lit pub. "You're drunk."
I shook my head and sipped on my orange juice, which had been tucked in a sippy cup on my utility belt.
The refreshing liquid gave me an instantly clear mind and I shivered with excitement.
"You should know better than that silly," I commented, gently cuffing Essmay on the face.
Essmay released a sigh, "Jeez, you make me so flustered with that metabolism of yours. Now don't look so damn excited. It's patrol night and the beginning of a new lunar cycle, crooks'll be getting all types of excited." Essmay stood as well, dropping a silver coin on the table. She was a generous tipper. Her waist-length black hair had been knotted into one intricate braid, a spiked strap woven through in case any bloke got the unsavory thought of playing dirty. I tugged on my own curly hair, which had never been able to get the same length as my best friend's. Horribly unruly and annoying, I had put it into two tight braids that started from my crown.
"If you keep tugging on it like that it will never grow," my partner commented, flipping her own luxurious locks over her shoulder.
"Show off," I muttered, the cold night air making my breath swirl into small white puffs.
"Says the one who just had to prove she could take ten shots back to back 'cause a lad dared her too," Essmay laughed, swinging her baton gracefully. Though she knew her way around the weapon, it was her bow swung across her shoulders that gave people pause. She had been trained by the best and had the body count to prove it.
Outside the pub, the sky was turning a deep and sickening red. The streets had so many layers of dirt and filth that it had settled on some color between brown and gray. It was muddy, causing my freshly shined shoes to muck up once more.
"Never understood why you put so much effort into those boots. These streets will never be clean enough for them to last a day," Essmay commented, her voice slightly tense.
I shrugged, wanting to change the subject. My shoes were a lost cause.
"Are you nervous for tonight?"
Essmay looked up at the sky, mesmerizing eyes swirling.
"Maybe a little. I think Gray and Black District should be fine. We have always had good relationships with Mr. Gray and Mistress Black. Mr. and Mrs. Gold make me nervous. They're too greedy, everyone knows that. Silver District..." My best friend kicked the mushy road.
"Well, you would know best 'bout that. They're too unstable, what with the leadership being so sporadic and all."
I did know.
I nodded, "We really are not the best pair of Hunters for payday, especially from Silver District. I'm not thrilled Sarge sent us out tonight, with no backup nonetheless."
We rounded to Cherry road, named for its fruit bearing trees, and the pickup point for our rides. Luna and Snowball were laying peacefully, tied up to a cherry tree, of all things. It was more for show than practicality. Brandon stood beside them with his partner Kayden. Both were men in their mid twenties, though Kayden stood half a head taller than his comrade and was known as a looker among fellow Hunters. Brandon was not bad himself, but his face was just a bit too broad to be deemed as particularly attractive. He was, however, a total sweetheart.
"'Ello girls. Great night for a payday innit," that was Brandon, who had a terrible time losing his thick Lowland accent. Most of us had done our best to polish our language as we grew up.
Kayden smiled lightly, his face directed at Essmay who fluttered him one back. If she hadn't already told me, it would not have taken a genius to figure out how they felt about each other.
"Hey," she said, thick eyelashes batting. Kayden's smile widened, "long time no see."
They had, in fact, said goodbye this morning, or at least that is what I heard for a good twenty minutes. Our walls in our apartment are very thin.
I rolled my eyes, "Can we please just get this over with? I'm not thrilled Sargeant Wethers is throwing us into the lion's den."
"Ah, it's not so bad Skyee. Besides, I hear you and Mr. Gray have a good relationship. Didn't he raise ya?" Brandon asked, tossing Luna a chicken leg. The giant snow leopard engulfed the snack and looked towards Brandon for more. For a split second, you could gleam her huge canines. Greedy pig. The snow leopard regarded me with light turquoise eyes, her dark spotted tail flicking back and forth. Luna had been my mount for several months, but I had not yet gotten used to her. She was not as even-tempered as the inappropriately named jaguar who was Essmay's. Sarge had pointedly suggested that our mounts were assigned based on our own personality traits.
Brandon's question was still lingering in the air.
"You could call it that," I responded dryly.
"He's a District Leader Brandon, not a friendly father figure and I'd reckon he is the most dangerous man in the city. Remember that when it's your turn to pick up bribes." My tone was warning, but not unfriendly. It was risky to be associated with any singular District since Hunters swore an oath to be non-partisan. Essmay seemed to grasp the implication Brandon might be making.
"We all came from one District or another. Mistress Black trained me. The important part is where we ended up."
Kayden nodded, his well-groomed hair defying the motion, "Essmay's right. Mr. Gray may have raised her, but we all know where she came from originally-" As soon as the words came out of his mouth, I knew Kayden had regretted saying anything.
His mouth twisted, "Sorry Skyee. What I meant was-" I shooed him off with my hand.
"Don't even worry about it. My story ain't no secret. Alright, let's get down to business, shall we? Anything on your watch to report?"
Brandon spoke up, probably trying to save his partner from further humiliation.
"The usual. Caught several pickpockets in Gold District-damn theivin' lot. Gray's was fairly calm, broke up a few brawls. Black's had a murder, three men strung up by their soft bits if you know what I mean, but pretty sure that was Mistress Black's call so we didn't do much digging. Silver District...even on Afternoon Watch it was a mess: half a dozen murders, two kidnappings, one house burned down, and o'er a dozen bar brawls. Place is crawlin' with snoops and crooks of all kinds, especially with that snivelin' new Mr. Silver. Doubt he'll last till the full moon. Not a safe place, especially for you guys. Night Watch is when the most dangerous folk come about and top it off with payday and a new moon? It'll be a hard night. We are off duty, but if it gets bad, you blow that whistle a yours." Brandon tapped the brass whistle on our utility belts. Essmay and I nodded. Night Watch really was the most dangerous, which was why it had been left to us.
"Alright, each one of you has a locked chest on the back of your mount. Tonight we will put the money on Skyee's mount, so be extra careful. Stop and drop each one off if you can. Don't get too greedy and collect from each District all at once, it'll slow you down and someone might pinch off our bribes-"
Essmay put her slender hands on Kayden to silence him.
"We know Kayden. This isn't our first pickup, but thank you for your concern. You two go, grab some supper from Storm's Tavern and get some rest. Skyee and I can handle this. But, keep your ears open in case that whistle sounds." Though Essmay acted lighthearted when she spoke that last part, we all knew she meant it. Plenty of Hunters were killed in the line of duty, many of them on Night Watch, and more of them on payday.
We said our goodbyes, Kayden taking a little longer with Essmay, and we took off on our mounts. Snowball's sleek black body was almost invisible against the unlit sky. The darkest nights were the most dangerous.
"Did your mother ever talk to you about stars?" I asked Essmay, one hand on my reign and the other grasping my sippy cup. Essmay thought about it for a moment.
"I think so. She told me that the highest city can see stars, that they are like a billion tiny moons in the sky."
"Wow, that sounds magical. Speaking of your parents, how are they liking the Mid-City life?" Essmay had worked tooth and nail to get her family into a higher city, where her father's lungs would have an easier time than in the muck that was the Lowlands.
"They're good actually. My ma says she's almost done with nursing school and will be able to start working soon. My dad says he can breathe a lot better too. They send their love to you as well."
"Do you miss them?"
Essmay bit her lip. "I don't miss them being here. I would much rather they lived a more comfortable life after what happened to my brother."
I nodded slowly and my heart sank. Essmay had not been given the easiest end of the stick, yet she was still one of the lucky ones. Her brother had not been.