Chapter 29. The Illusion of Control

CAIVAN

Palma is usually sober after sex, but this time, she’s less sober. She lights another cigar, non-cherry, and hands it to me.

“I quit a long time ago,” I say, as I button up my shirt. Then I draw a chair and sit in front of her. “Well?”

She rolls her eyes. “All you Southerners are the same, business, business, business. Except you though. You do it best.”

“Palma!”

She waves a hand and lies back on the bed, stretching one bare leg over my thighs.

“One of them passed this way, a court man like you. No name, he just came for business. Leeta gave it to him, but I was listening when he talked afterward.” She blows on the cigar for a moment. “He got h*g* on some of her drinks. Then he began boasting about something called the hybrid. Said they had reached a breakthrough and they have finally tamed the Raveners. All that was left was to find the horn.” She tosses the cigar into the ashtray on the table. “That was all. He didn’t say anything else be