The Omega Bond (Book Five in the Omega Game series)

Chapter 13

Fair

The Yellow Islands

Present…

For the rest of the day I followed Baobao through the streets of the capital city. He was infatigable. The boy knew about a thousand different shortcuts and moved like a thief among the streets. He never stayed too long in the same place and talked very little with the people he gave letters to. I realized he always tucked his chin in and pushed his hat lower whenever he met someone, almost as if he tried to hide his identity. I pointed my observation to him and Baobao smiled at me, showing me a line of surprisingly white teeth.

“You learn fast, rookie,” he nodded, taking my hand and making me jump from a bridge to a connecting street below. We landed on our feet but when I needed a moment to catch my breath Baobao was already on the move, reaching the corner of the neighborhood. I ran after him, catching him quickly. He smiled and spoke low, explaining to me how everything worked, “Think about it. Messengers need to deliver letters that could seal the deal to someone’s upcoming death. You don’t want to be recognized by anyone because if things go south, the first person they would go looking for is the f*****g messenger. Dress like a boy and push your hair under a hat. We all dress the same and nobody will be able to distinguish you.”

“You have been doing this for a while,” I said, venturing a guess and Baobao nodded.

“This is the only job I’ve ever known. I’ve seen a lot of messengers die for no reason in this city so stay alert. I will resent it if a pretty, little thing like you die on the job,” he winked an eye at me but the gesture was far from flirtatious and more amicable, as one of an older brother to a younger sister, “Now listen, I will teach you what job you are supposed to do tomorrow, but until then you need to keep your mouth shut. Others don’t need to know you are a messenger, you get that?”

I nodded and he smiled.

“A fast learner indeed,” he patted my head and then pushed me in the other direction, toward the food market. I salivated at the scents of food in the air. I could buy food with the coins Nira had given me but I didn’t want Baobao to think I was presumptuous in any way. If I needed to wait to eat with him at the dining hall then I would wait. We walked through the market until Baobao stopped at a food stall that was selling dried squids. The seller and him shared quick words and the next thing I knew was that Baobao was treating me to a set of dried squid and sugared water. He didn’t sit down to eat, opting to walk back to the main road while he ate in silence.

I ate slowly, used to eating only small bites of food. Baobao noticed and shook his head at me. He didn’t say a thing, but the moment he was done eating he stopped me and pointed at the dried squid in my hand.

“You need to eat faster,” he reprimanded me, “Do you think you will always have time to eat like now? You either eat or you die. Now finish that damned squid before I take you to meet Organa.”

“I will eat faster,” I assured him, swallowing the dry meat as fast as I could and drinking the rest of the sugared water. We kept walking in silence while I finished my meal. The red lanterns hanging from the columns started to be lit by soldiers while the night began to fall. Soon the entire place was brightened by hundreds of red lanterns that colored the night with their bright hue. We walked until we reached a populated street. There was only one visible building in the entire neighborhood and it seemed to be crowded by men. Alpha men. Baobao took my hand and guided me to the back of the building. We entered the back entrance and walked through a narrow corridor barely illuminated by one single red lantern on the roof. The dim lighted establishment was full of rooms with paneled doors that were made out of paper. The candlelights inside the rooms marked the silhouettes of people embracing each other. I could also hear moans and screams but Baobao moved fast and made sure I followed him closely.

Baobao finally reached the end of a hall and stopped by a brown door. He knocked twice and the door opened. A small Beta girl with short black hair appeared in front of us. She had to be either younger than me or around my same age. And she was pretty, with wide yellow eyes and a full mouth that made her look exotic and unique.

“Where is my money?” She asked in a hiss and Baobao smirked, procuring two golden coins and giving it over to the girl. She nodded, letting us pass inside an even smaller room than my own at the servant’s quarters. Her bed was covered by soft pillows at least and there were many paintings on the wall that recreated a beautiful beach. I studied the paintings and liked them instantly. If the girl had been the one to paint them, she definitely had talent. Once inside Baobao and I rested against the door while the girl chewed on her bottom lip, staring at me with a frown, “A human girl. A pretty one at that. Are you here looking for a job?”

I frowned and was about to answer her that I had no idea what she was talking about when Baobao shook his head and placed himself between the girl and me. He pointed at me with his thumb.

“The girl is a rookie I’m training, you only need to know that,” he said cuttingly, in that low tone voice of his that meant business. The girl nodded, staring at me with a worried look for so long that Baobao had to intervene, “Do you have information for us or not?”

“Of course I do!” she screamed-hissed at him. With a pout the girl sat on her bed, hugging a pillow. For the first time I realized she was wearing almost nothing, just a clear stola that revealed the shape of her breasts and her naked s*x. I blushed a little, staring at my feet and trying very hard not to make her feel uncomfortable by looking at her. She sighed and then started speaking, “General Austeras has a new Beta concubine. Rumor has it that it was General’s Aldudala’s favorite before the girl’s owner sold her to the older general for a better price. If I were you I would stay far away from delivering letters between both generals. You know what I mean.”

“Like always Organa, you manage to surprise me,” said Baobao with a big smile and the girl smiled too. I suddenly understood what was happening. Baobao was paying Organa for information, that way he could stay clear from delivering mail that could be too problematic. It was frankly brilliant and a smart way to stay away from trouble. If he hadn’t known about the generals being mad at each other Baobao could have ended up delivering a letter with an invitation to duel, or worse, a trial by combat. And if someone in power heard about the entire situation the first person that would pay for delivering said letter would be the messenger. I was starting to understand that as Baobao had said, I needed to stay alert if I wanted to stay alive.

“Is there anything else you need to tell us?” asked Baobao and Organa shrugged.

“The old houses are fighting like always. You know what house to serve and which one to avoid,” Baobao nodded and waved a hand at Organa.

“Thank you for the information. Send for me if you have more news,” said Baobao, turning to leave. He grabbed my hand and was about to take me outside when Organa stopped me from leaving, holding my arm in a firm grip.

“Wait,” she said, making me stop and look back at her. She acted fast, putting a gray hat over my head and tucking my braid inside so nobody could see it, “It's dangerous to be pretty in this place. Keep your head low and don’t attract any Alpha’s attention. I can tell you are one of the good ones, so stay good, kid.”

“Thanks,” I whispered, not really knowing what else to say. Organa was also a kid, but in a way I realized we were not the same. There was a darkness in her eyes that I couldn’t understand and something told me I would never do.

“Come back soon,” she said with a nod and then we were off.

Baobao and I ran fast through the corridors of the building. The screams and the moans had grown louder than before and the place stunk like Alphas and aggression. We escaped without being noticed but I found myself hating that place. I wasn’t sure why, but I didn’t like that Organa lived in a place that housed so many Alphas. Why did she live there? Why didn't she live with her parents? I was genuinely more confused by that city now than before. Baobao and I walked in silence on our way back to the servant’s quarters. It was only by the time we reached my building that he stopped and nodded at the entrance.

“Humans live here,” he explained and then titled his chin to the building at the left, “Betas are over there. If you ever need me I sleep in the first room to your right on the first floor. Where are you staying?

“Fourth floor, last room to the right.”

The moment I said that he paled and his golden eyes seemed to darken. He cursed under his breath and kicked a small pebble on the road, as if he was deep in thought. I waited for him to say something, since I knew he hated questions. Baobao finally sighed, bracing his hips and staring down at me.

“You need to know this, but I don’t want you to be scared,” he said at once and I nodded, “Are you easily spooked?”

I considered all the things I’ve experienced after the last couple of weeks and shook my head.

“Not really.”

“Good,” he nodded, gnashing his teeth before speaking, “There was a human girl that used to live in that same room you are using now. She was found dead inside that room not long ago. Nobody knows how she died. Rumor has it that the crown is investigating her death. She was human like you. A messenger. Pretty.”

“That was why everyone was looking at me! They all knew I’m staying at the place where that girl died. Oh, Gods!” my mouth fell open while Baobao nodded, looking grave and worried.

“Be careful at night and sleep with one eye open, would ya?” I nodded, lost in thought.

How exactly was I supposed to sleep in the first place?

One eye open?

What about two?