Free Stormrage by Skye Knizley Page B

head. She pushed through the crowd to the bar where a friendly face was already pouring her a cranberry club soda. Raven smiled at the Nubian princess behind the bar and sipped the soda gratefully.
    "Hello, Pashta," she said, licking her lips . "It's good to see you, love. Thank you for the soda, but I'm going to need something a little stronger this time."
    Pashta reached for the Jack Daniels bottle , but Raven stopped her.
    "Not booze, Pash " she said, barely above the din of the club. "Claret in a wine glass if you don't mind?"
    Pashta raised her eyebrows in surprise, but reached beneath the counter to the bottle warmer. She pulled out an unmarked wine bottle and poured Raven a full glass of deep red blood. Raven choked back her distaste and swallowed the whole glass as quickly as she could.
    "God I hate having to do that ," she said, feeling her energy return.
    Pashta placed a shot of Jack in front of her friend and smiled. "You looked like you needed it. And the whiskey. What have you been doing this night, Ravenel?"
    "More than I should have," Raven replied. "Thank you."
    She downed the shot of whiskey, using it to wash the taste of blood from her mouth.
    "You fought Malik, didn't you?" Pashta asked with a smile.
    "He wouldn't let me in," Raven replied, half turning to watch the crowd.
    " I would have loved to see that. He is a Master of House Xion," Pashta said.
    Raven swiveled back in surprise. "Is he? 'Lius put a Master on the door? Why on Earth would he do that?"
    "Because of you, dear Ravenel," Pashta replied with a grin. "If you recall, the last time you were here you broke into his sanctum and threatened to kill him and tear this place down. He is somewhat afraid of you."
    "He'd also kidnapped my sister's familiar," Raven said. "He's lucky I didn't dust him. I let him live and I hold no ill will. 'Lius is a puppet and a coward."
    Pashta nodded and cle ared the glasses from in front of Raven before providing another glass of claret and a shot. "Is there something else I can do for you?"
    Raven frowned at the blood , but drank it down, chasing it immediately with the fiery whiskey. When her throat had stopped burning she said, "Actually, yes. Levac and I are working on a new case. I think one of the victims was here at least once. Do you think you can look at a couple pictures for me?"
    Pashta glanced over her shoulder at the other b artender, who was busy flirting with two cute human men, then nodded and made a motion with her fingers like she was rubbing money together.
    Raven laughed and slid two fifty-dollar bills under her wine glass. She then showed Pashta the file photos of Zack and Christina. Pashta tapped the DMV photo of Zack.
    "I have seen this man several times," she said. "He was a regular on nights after he'd worked on the yacht Witchcraft."
    "Did he speak with or dance with anyone in particular?" Raven asked.
    Pashta looked uncomfortable and slid the bills into the pocket of her white leather pants. "You won't like it, Fürstin."
    Raven frowned. She knew and was friends with Pashta. Though they had met under the usual circumstances they'd become friends over the last few months. It wasn't like her to be shy with information. "Come on, Pash! How bad can it be?"
    " Bad. Xavier Tempeste and Lord Du Guerre. They sat in the far corner."
    Raven blinked in surprise. "My brother and Du Guerre were meeting with my murder victim? When was the last time you saw them?"
    "Your brother was here earlier this evening, he left with a dark-haired woman wearing a domino mask. Lord Du Guerre has not been here in maybe two days," Pashta replied.
    "Two days… the night Shevlin was killed," Raven muttered.
    "Do you know who served them?"
    "Sienna," Pashta said, pointing at a blonde waitress who was weaving her way through the crowd with the skill of a formula one driver.
    "Thank you, hon," Raven said. "Talk to you later."
    "L ater, Ravenel," Pashta answered with a nod.
    Raven pushed her way through the crowd until she