The Princes of New Avalon

Chapter 3

Chapter 3
Dawnfire stepped out of the back office, her silver
eyes blazed with an inner fire, as she spoke heatedly
with a giant of a man. His muscular frame towered above
her, and yet his very body language showed that he stood in
fear and respect for the small, obviously angry woman. Her right hand hovered near the hilt of her blade, her off hand waved wildly as she yelled up to the man to be heard over the noise of the crowd. Her voice grew louder, her face flushed as the conversation
with the man grew heated. With barely a thought she slapped him up side his head hard enough to make him to stagger. Glancing quickly about she saw a bouncer that had been watching the scene with a slight smirk, and all but screamed at him to get his partner out of her sight.
At the bar, Tessa slid the newcomer another glass of bourbon. At the rate he was going, another bottle would have to be brought from the cellar which was not entirely a bad thing. In her year of working in the bar, she had never known anyone to ask for the drink until now.
Kaleb downed the new bourbon as if it were water. He grinned at Tessa and winked, sliding the glass back to her. His blue eyes took on a bloodshot, milky hue with the more he consumed. Tessa leaned forward, exposing more of her chest than probably was allowed and put her lips close to his ear.
"Listen good looking, it's not a good thing to pass out here if you know what I mean".
She pointed to his coat pocket. "That hefty purse of yours is likely to be lifted."
Kaleb shook his head and pulled back his coat, revealing a revolver stuck into the waist of his trousers. Tapping his thumb on the hilt of the gun he grinned.
"Not likely sweetness, give me more."
Kaleb wiggled the glass and winked again.
Tessa sighed and passed him another drink, worry now on her face for the man in front of her. Looking up past him she watched as her Mistress threw yet another brute from the bar. She laughed and shook her head then turned her attentions back to the blond who was slowly drinking himself into a stupor. She noticed that the empty glasses were not returning as quickly and she smiled at him.
"Get enough good looking?"
Kaleb looked up to her and shook his head as he sipped.
"Just getting started. Anyone ever tell you how beautiful you are?" Tessa laughed again and just shook her head. "Just wait,I get even prettier." She added silently to herself, “the drunker you get.”
Behind and unseen to Kaleb, the muscle-bound man angrily balled up his fist and let it fly at Dawnfire. She had already moved out of his way, having expected his reaction. With a movement almost faster than the eye could follow she grabbed his arm and spun around him twisting his arm up behind his back, laughing all the while. She motioned towards the door with her head for the door man to open it wide. Marching the man with a quick step towards the door, stopping only long enough to taunt him.
“I warned you, if you had just shut your stupid mouth I wouldn’t have had to fire you, but you just had to argue. Then you thought you had big enough balls to swing on me! You’re a fool! Don’t ever step foot in my bar again!” She shoved him out the door and tossed a small copper coin out after him. Turning, she offered a merry smile to the doorman, who only smiled in return and shut the door, already used to his fiery tempered boss.
Still smiling, she dusted off her hands and strode towards the bar. Her gait was sleek and powerful, reminiscent of a stalking cat. Many of the male patrons stopped what they were doing to watch her, though none had any thoughts of approaching her. The regulars all knew what happened to those men bold enough to attempt to woo her. She knew of the admiring looks of the men and chose to ignore them. Instead she made her way to the bar and slipped behind, bending to retrieve a pottery mug and turning to fill it to brimming with frothy ale.
Watching the goings on, Tessa turned and smiled to Dawn.
"Ye got more bourbon I hope, this one is set on draining the bottle." She motioned with her head to Kaleb.
Looking over her shoulder at Tessa, a polite smile pasted to her lush lips, her empty hand moving towards the keys hanging from her belt. Her smile faltered as she saw the man sitting there, the keys falling from her nerveless fingers, eyes wide in disbelief, her voice so quiet as to be a whisper.
“Kaleb?”