Thursday, January 13, 2022 - TriBeCa, New York City, United States

“Wait, what?”

“Kothin, the dwarf? You know him?” And Ella realized she was giving away information instead of getting it.

Bahu stopped eating and a smile overtook her face. A real smile instead of the cheery grin she had been affecting. The look of the woman who had driven a spiked heel through Ella’s hand just a little while ago.

“What is more interesting is you know him? Kothin? About this tall,” and Bahu held up her hand, “skin like a rock. And ugly?”

“Well I am not sure he is ugly. He is a rock though.”

“Do you like them rocky?”

“Well no… wait what?” Ella said again.

“No. Let me be serious. Kothin has always been Ekerri’s dog. Where Ekerri orders, Kothin goes. Seneschal of his court and many thought he was his true spymaster.”

“Wait here. Kothin has been helping me out.”

“Well of course he has. Since Ekerri made you his heir. Although why he made a human his heir is the real question. It isn’t like he is going to die anytime soon.” Bahu paused, taking a moment to eat the first course that had been put in front of them. After a moment, “I want to ask you about where you saw Ekerri and how you met Kothin. But the High Priestess will kill me if I get ahead of her on these things. And Arcsa won’t kill me which would be worse.”

“Look, I know you don’t trust us one bit. I wouldn’t if I were you. But you could literally order one of us to kill ourselves, and we would do it. I know my personality doesn’t seem like it, but we are all believers. To the very end.” Bahu’s expression was suddenly very serious.

“You need to meet with Arcsa and the High Priestess. They already know about you since the attack and had us following you to find out more. But that ship has sailed.”

Ella sat back and thought. She put away her gun. For some reason she believed Bahu.

“Fine. But under my terms.”

“I understand but you need to understand, our… our faith is very powerful. We have ruled governments, we have trained in war for millenia, all in our service to you. There are no preparations you could make that would be enough. None. Well, I suppose you could get a dragon, but that would be silly.”

“A dragon. I do know one.” Ella smiled a bit.

And the grin fell right off of Bahu’s face. Her voice was low and intense, “Which one? The Quetzalcoatl? The Gaasyendietha? The Fuzanglong? One of the others? You can’t trust them. They will tear you apart if you are an inconvenience. Even Ekerri only held their loyalty by the slimmest of margins and that must be gone by now. Don’t tell me it is one of the Tianlong or Typhon?” Bahu looked panicked.

Ella felt like she had gained a tenuous bit of advantage in the conversation that she could not squander.

“I think I would prefer not to share. But let’s just say that I don’t have to worry about meeting this High Priestess of yours.” Ella baldly lied.

“She is actually yours. I swear it, Blessed One.”

Perhaps the waiter had overheard a bit of their conversation as the main meal and desert came in at almost the same time. But Ella had had enough of this conversation and felt she should leave while Bahu was unbalanced.

“Give me a number to contact you with. I’ll reach out once I am ready. And stop following me.”

“Your will, Blessed Innana on Earth.” And Bahu performed a seated bow and a strange hand gesture. All levity was gone.

“And pick your seats better” she said point to Ella’s chest. Ella looked down to see a glowing green dot right there, steady as could be.

Ella quickly made her retreat and after making sure she didn’t feel any magic near her, took a circuitous route back to her apartment. Jade was still at Charlie’s. Ella slid down against the wall to the floor and finally let her breath go, the panic and fear striking as her adrenaline left her.