Excerpt: Through the Mist

The sun was just going down. The bar of The Bronze Chain was crowded and loud, even though very few people had actually bought anything to drink. Most sat in large groups, chatting, arguing, or sometimes playing a game of cards. There was no gambling allowed, however; another of Brady’s many house rules. No one minded much. No one had anything to gamble.
A thin, olive-skinned boy with shaggy black hair and bright green eyes slipped over to the counter. “Hey Mr. Brady, is she here yet?”
Brady laughed. “Penelope? Not yet, little lovebird. It’s too early.” He frowned suddenly. “In the meantime, empty your pockets.”
The boy sighed and pulled several shiny trinkets out of his pockets, including a silver pocket watch and a few gold rings. “I was going to give them back… most of them…”
“Sanjay, you’ve got to stop this. Everyone’s poorly off anymore, and you can’t go around making it worse.”
Sanjay sighed. “I can’t help it… who’s that?”
The level of volume in the room had dropped slightly when Amia walked down the stairs. She was no longer wearing her black cloak, but a simple black dress with a dark grey corset top and boots that clicked on the wood floor. Several of the men whistled; women weren’t a common sight in the Bronze Chain. They stopped when Brady shot them a cold, warning look.
“How can I help you, Miss Amia?” Brady asked her.
Amia slid onto a seat at the bar. “Just a glass of water, please,” she said, ignoring Sanjay, who was staring at her like he’d never seen a woman before. Brady nodded and walked off to get it, giving Sanjay the same warning look he’d given the other men.
Amia kept her eyes straight ahead, but she was smirking slightly. “What, if I may be so bold to ask, are you staring at?” she asked Sanjay, not looking at him.
Sanjay swallowed hurriedly. “Uh, nothing. Just… not from around here, are you?”
“No. Is it that obvious?”
Sanjay nodded. “Yeah, a bit.”
Brady returned with the glass of water and handed it to Amia. “Our young Sanjay isn’t bothering you, is he Miss Amia?”
“Oh no, not at all,” Amia said quickly. She glanced over at the front door as she heard it creak open. “Who’s that?”
Sanjay spun around, his face immediately splitting into a grin as he saw who was entering. “Penelope! I thought you weren’t coming!”