Pawn of the Neví - Chapter 2 - A'mara Books

2

(Majanday, cont.)

Ilim City Hall

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Lidzi Landry found it easy to keep up with Andrian Ramsley as they walked the short distance to the Council office in the City Hall. It wasn’t as easy keeping the butterflies out of her stomach, both in anticipation of working with the very handsome man next to her as well as meeting the Council Chairwoman, arguably the most powerful woman in Varkevand. Even though Ryonis had given them some advice as to how to approach the topic, it was still a bit daunting for shy Lidzi.

At the Ilim City Hall, Lidzi scanned the directory and the map. “This way,” she directed, turning left.

“Right,” Andrian countered, turning the opposite way.

Lidzi huffed, but followed him as he seemed unwilling to listen to her.

“Women and maps…,” he muttered as he went.

Lidzi huffed again in frustration, almost forgetting to be nervous.

A few minutes later, they’d come to a dead end. Lidzi already felt like gloating. “Would you like to try my direction?” she asked as calmly as she could.

“Okay,” he replied.

She led the way back, then in the opposite direction, as she had said previously. Around a corner stood the office in question. She grunted her victory.

“So, you were right this time,” he said tersely.

“I have a good sense of direction,” she replied. Why did Andrian have to be so handsome, yet so aggravating?!

“Do you want to do the talking in there?” Andrian offered.

“No, you go ahead,” she replied as they went into the office.

“We need to speak with the Council Chairwoman, please,” Lidzi said to the lady behind the desk.

She felt an elbow in her rib and had to stifle a giggle.

“Come with me into the Conference Chamber and I’ll see she comes as quickly as she can.”

“Thank you.”

“You are?” the lady asked.

“Lidzi Landry and Andrian Ramsley,” she said quickly, liking how their names sounded together.

“I thought you were going to let me do the talking!” Andrian scolded when the door closed.

“I saw it was a woman and felt I would just do it. I got what we needed, right?”

“I guess you don’t need me then,” he said, getting up.

“The abári said we were to work together!” Lidzi said.

“Then work with me, stop fighting me and trying to take over.”

“Damn you, Andrian!” Lidzi said with frustration, getting up to leave.

The entrance of the Council Chairwoman Lierre Forcette stopped her. “How kind of you to get the door for me,” the woman said, coming in and sitting down across from Andrian.

Lidzi glared at Andrian, who did a better job at hiding his mirth than she did her irritation. Then, sitting next to him, she let Andrian lead, filling in only when necessary.

“You’ve made good points,” Ms. Forcette said. “I will take them up with the Council in the morning. I expect they will follow your suggestions as a way to kill two birds with one stone. Thank you, Ms. Landry and Mr. Ramsley.”

As they left, Andrian couldn’t seem to wait to make a jab. “See? That wasn’t so hard – to let me lead.”

This time it was Lidzi’s turn to do the elbowing.

♥

Varkevand - Ilim City Diner

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The red-speckled terns screamed overhead. Puffy clouds had gathered in the late afternoon sky, foretelling an evening storm, perhaps. The weather was of little concern to Viper as he made his way to the trendy Ilim City Diner which occupied a prominent spot along the waterfront near the quay.

Shaped like an old-fashioned paddle steamer, it was a popular location for many diners with an upstairs room for business meals, parties and even weddings, utilizing the sun deck.

Not that it mattered since, unfortunately, it was not for sale, Viper had discovered. Neither was it possible to buy shares and gain control of it that way. He would just have to make more money until a more attractive offer could be made. Once the Privateer was operating profitably, he was sure he’d be able to swing a deal for this restaurant.

He could still hang out there, sitting at a table for two, waiting to see if the young woman he’d been observing the past several months would come in tonight.

Viper had already noted that the local A’mara Complex wasn’t a very strong unit, yet there were some young empaths there whose ability must not be underestimated. He had said as much to Uana before the pair went off to Kri’enden to assist with a battle situation there – which hadn’t amounted to much except the deaths of a dozen recruits. Perhaps he should have gone with them. Except that he could have ended up accidentally killing Sipper’s daughter and he might have had to leave Varkevand entirely – just when he was developing the courage to talk to the girl he had been observing.

Clad in a lavender cloak, the native young woman had stood out almost instantly to Viper. Consistently on the fringe of local A’mara society, she also displayed many of the characteristics he’d come to recognize as signs that she wasn’t super happy to be confined to the ideals and mantras of the A’mara. She wanted her own way. She was also uncommonly good with shaze – in a country that had never needed the best skills in that discipline.

Additionally, the girl was very attractive. Even thinking about the pretty young woman made him heat up in desire. He was missing Irola and the willing young women who were plentiful there – especially at the Wolfkin. He wondered momentarily if old Wolfkin knew exactly what kind of establishment it had turned into. He chuckled at the thought, knowing exactly how Uana had tied Sipper’s Neví to the Uugli and the Yerdua.

Yet Viper wanted more than a quick fling from the young A’mara woman. He wanted a vessel, and maybe even a life partner. The thought irked him slightly. He would have to go about it the hard way.

But arranging a way to accidentally meet was difficult. She didn’t have a regular schedule – though that wasn’t unusual among the A’mara who had various tasks to keep their days lively. He did notice that she liked to visit the Ilim City Diner. He couldn’t tell whether it was to meet people or just to get away for awhile. In either case, if he could meet her, he could always arrange to see her again elsewhere. He would start her off with a simple task, to see if he was right about her. He checked his pockets; the devices were still there.

Viper sat at a table near the front door, en route to the restrooms. He ordered some fish and chips and a drink with free refills to bide his time. He allowed his gaze to drift outside, as if admiring the lushly planted deck which made it stand out along the boardwalk, but he was really watching for the young woman, hoping she would come into the diner.