Chapter 22: 19

“The path of the First Sun.” Ema have her friend a withering glare. “You’re hilarious.”

“I am,” Xix agreed.

They stood in The Capital on Nox, the head of the U.F.W. System. The Path of The First Sun, it turned out, was the name of a very old and very famous casino about a day’s trip away from the motel the pair had been staying at. Anyone could enter and play. Well, so long as they had the money or family ties.

The building was four stories tall and made of pale stone. Rectangular windows were on every level, not including the panoramic window of the top floor. The bottom three floors were the casino itself while the top room were the accommodations of the owner – a Fae man whose name was, from what Ema had heard in passing, known and feared throughout the city. He was one of the few people able to pay off the laws though, according to more rumours, a group of kids from another world were trying to keep him under control. And succeeding.

The guards at the front door asked Xix for identification. She gave it over, no lies needed, though she did say Ema was her cousin. No one dared mess with the daughter of the Dark King. Xix thanked them, handing over three gold coins. Where she found those, Ema had no idea, but she doubted they were from the pair’s funds.

“Areos, the owner, is a collector of ancient and mythological relics,” Xix explained as the pair weaved their way through the tables and lottery machines. “I’d bet you my entire savings he’s got the map to Apep.”

“Pun intended?”

It took Xix a moment to understand, a smile appearing when she did. “Yes, pun intended.”

Ema looked around the casino, practically drooling at all the gold, silver and bronze coins passing between hands. Gold was the most popular. Never had she seen so much in one place! All these people from all these different species almost appeared to be making gold out of thin air. Ema could swear she saw a few diamond coins being passed here and there. Oh, this place would be perfect for a hit.

Xix had to drag her away from one of the tables. “Please try not to waste all the money we have.”

“Because you can talk.” Ema looked longingly at the tables growing smaller behind her. “How are you planning to see this Areos person? It’s not like he’ll let us walk straight into his office.”

Xix pulled an old-looking coin from her pocket, flipping it between her fingers. “On the contrary, that is exactly what he will do.”

Xix lead the way to a guarded elevator right at the back of the building. Ema hung back a bit as she talked with the guards, asking them nicely to let her enter. When they refused she showed them the coin in her hand. The guards exchanged glances before pointing at a camera. Xix held the coin up in front of it, waving Ema over with her other hand as the light on the door turned green.

Surprisingly, the guards let the pair through without checking for weapons. Ema wasn’t sure if this was because the guards were incompetent or because they thought there was no threat from two women. Ema didn’t know what to think of that. She and Xix stepped into the silver-and-gold elevator alone. It took about thirty seconds to reach the top floor. The doors opened. Ema’s breath was taken away.

The top floor was incredible. Crystalline waterfalls lined the entrance, glowing in the light of the sun. The water disappeared into small ponds each with some expensive exotic flower or bush floating on top. The polished black tile path led from the elevator into a single open room – the one with the panoramic window visible from outside. No doubt it was there for the owner to survey his subjects or some shit. Large, leafy green plants framed the window and some of the shiny glass cabinets in the centre of the room and lining the far walls. A large black desk sat overlooking the window. A large, pale man sat behind it. He watched the two women with great interest in his harsh brown eyes.

“Areos,” Xix said.

Areos waved the guards away and rest his chin on his hands.

“Several years ago, a friend of my Ancestor came to this Casino and lost rather drastically. To avoid debts, they offered you a trade: freedom from your soldiers and their debs for an ancient map.”

“A map,” the Fae man repeated, “leading to the mystical Apep.”

“That would be the one.”

Areos stood, adjusting the lapels on his blazer, and walked toward the two women. With one hand, he gestured for the pair to follow.

In one of the many glass cabinets, appearing to be floating on nothing, was a large map. Its pages were spread wide and tinted yellow with age. The black ink was faded but still easily readable. Ema and Xix looked over it in wonder

Areos clasped his hands behind his back. “One of my oldest relics,” he said proudly. “One of a kind, as far as I know. I once send people to find the Catle.” His pride faltered momentarily. “Unfortunately, that did not go well.”

“What happened?” Ema asked curiously.

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“They never returned.” The man faced Xix. “What are you willing to give me for the map?” She help up the old coin but Areos shook his head. “Aside from that. The map is unique. It’s worth far beyond that.”

Xix’s hand remained outstretched. “I’m afraid this is all I can give you.”

“Not true.” The man’s eyes dragged over Xix’s body, then Ema’s. Ema felt herself shiver in disgust. “There are . . . other things you can give me.”

Ema and Xix exchanged glances, pretending to consider the offer. They reached behind themselves, under their backpacks and heavy jackets, each whipping out a silver handgun and pointing it at the man.

“Let me make myself clear,” Xix said, voice hard. “You can either take the coin in exchange for the map, or I can take both and shoot you.”

“That’s what you think.”

Areos reached into his pocket, pulling out a small silver tube with a red top. A panic button! Ema realised, but it was too late. Alarms around the top floor begun blaring. Downstairs, the doors became bared. There was no escape from the building!

Xix walked up to Areos and whacked him across the head with the butt of her gun. He fell to the floor, unconscious. As she did, Ema smashed the glass of the cabinet with two shots from her pistol. She grasped the map, rolling it up and stuffing it into a pocket inside her jacket.

“How do we get out of here?” she asked Xix.

The Terpolite woman eyed the elevator, watched the arrow above it slowly turn to their floor. “We can’t go that way.”

The two women stared at the panoramic window.

Ema’s eyes flicked down at her handgun, feeling for extra clips in two of her pockets. There were enough for if they had to fight their way out. She turned back to Xix. “How many rounds you got?”

Her friend grinned. “More than you.”

“Is that a challenge?”

“Of course.”

The elevator dinged, signally its arrival on the top floor. The two women charged toward the window, raising their handguns and firing at the widow. The glass shattered, raining down on the street and path below. Ema and Xix jumped through, plummeting toward the ground.

The guards, having stopped at the edge of the window, found themselves staring helplessly over the drop. They shot every round they had at the two women.

Ema cried out as a bullet flew through her jacket, cutting through her upper arm. Xix held a hand out in front of her, red light streaming from her palm to create what, from above, looked like nothing more than a big pile of red glitter. Solid glitter.

The two women hit the pile, bouncing harmlessly off it and rolling onto the ground. Ema, teeth clenched, looked over her wounded arm. A steady stream of blood seeped through her jacket. It was far from fatal but enough to make her worry. There was no time to check now.

Ema was dragged to her feet by Xix as more security raced from the building, giving chase down the street. One of the guards yelled into his radio for backup. These two women had just attacked one of the most important men in this system! The women were armed and dangerous, and the guards needed everyone.

Xix readied her handgun in her free hand, Ema doing the same. They smiled at each other, adrenaline pumping through their veins at a new level. Ema loved the rush. She knew Xix did, too.

Together, they ran out of the city.

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