Anne was happily humming as we made our way to the hotel’s stables.

  “You don’t have to be so smug.”

  She laughed, “pretty sure I do.” I rolled my eyes at her. “Zal, you have to admit it was clever, and it’ll make things easier on you.”

  “Doesn’t mean I want to think about it.”

  “Really? I thought you loved thinking about me.”

  “You know what I mean.”

  “And I’m saying don’t think about the bad parts, think of the good.”

  “Easy for you to say.”

  “Yea,” she smiled at me, “that’s why I’m saying it.”

  The arena was deep in the “bad” part of the city. Not all the roads were paved, and the buildings didn’t line up nicely into blocks. I guess they didn’t plan this area out. I didn’t know if it was because I was getting used to it or if something was different but it seemed like people weren’t staring at us as during the ride over. I wasn’t surprised the arena looked like any other building, blending in seemed to be a theme, but I didn’t expect so many demons, I mean, I knew it would be like that, but so many outside, relaxed, smoking, mostly devils obviously, but still there were a few succubi. I did my best to look confident, like I belonged, as I rode over to the, I don’t know if it counted as a stable, but there were a few horses tied up and a devil keeping an eye on them. My nerves were getting the better of me. I expected him to say something about it being my first time, or that I shouldn’t be here, or Anne shouldn’t, but of course that didn’t happen. He took our horse and gave us a ticket.

  “You’ll have to turn in your gun. There’s a desk on the left when you first enter.” I nodded. So he did know it was our first time here. At least he didn’t make anything of it.

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  The guard, or bouncer, at the door wasn’t as friendly, but I suppose being a little intimidating was his job. I did my best not to let it get to me.

  He stood a little too close, “Can you vouch for her?” He asked, looking down at Anne.

  “Yes.” I put my arm around her before I could wonder why he asked, but it didn’t take me long to figure out. Inside almost everyone was a demon. “Shit,” Anne said under her breath, “guess we should’ve been worried about me not being allowed in, not that I blame them.” I did my best to ignore everything, didn’t want to fuck up by forgetting to turn over my revolver.

  “What do you need locked up?”

  “Just this.” I replied to the man at the desk, slowly taking my revolver out.

  His eyes lit up a little, “while don’t see one of these here too often, or ever, now that I think about it.” He stroked his greying beard. “Don’t feel any pressure to answer, I know how things are, but how did you end up with an officer’s pistol, and why this over a Beauvian six shot, I mean, most people think that's the better option, and cheaper.”

  I shrugged, “it was a gift, and it's just for self defence. Got by fine with a single shot most my life, never occurred to me to care.”

  “Fair enough,” he gave a friendly smile, “sorry to bother you about it, I have an interest in firearms and that revolver is pretty unusual to me, but of course we don’t want to make a bad first impression.”

  “That obvious?” Anne asked.

  “No, but, no offence, we tend to remember non-demons, so staff and regulars will know.”

  “Makes sense,” she replied.

  “Anyway,” he reached under the desk and handed me a key, “number 14, don’t lose the key.” He gestured to a wall of lockers. I thanked him, walked over, and locked my gun away, trying not to feel nervous about it.

  “Well so much for blending in,” Anne said quietly to me, “but at least he didn’t recognize us. I don’t think the people here are the type to keep up with military politics.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  “”I know how things are.” He thinks you might have stolen it, or something, and was letting you know that he doesn’t care.”

  “Oh, I figured he didn’t want to make me talk about my time in the army.”

  “No one is going to assume we served, not when, well,” she gestured to our bodies.

  “Right.”

  Before I could look around, find a place to sit, settle in, a devil approached us.

  “We need to talk.” I don’t know how he managed it, but it was clear he meant it as a threat.