Infernal Bonds Read Online Free PDF Page B

at me. “Fine, fifteen."
    "Good boy."
    I couldn't resist; I needed something to take the edge off, and taunting him was the best thing I had right then. His face darkened and Quin gave me a dark look. I ignored them both.  
    Quin said, "Dimitri and the others said we need to talk, there's a problem with shades and something about hellhounds."
    I felt the blood drain from my face at the mention of hellhounds. Kadrix watched me with incredible interest. I went to pull my blades back out again but thought better of it. It would only draw more attention and the damn elf was already watching me much too closely. I wanted to leave the situation. I couldn’t face that line of discussion.
    I just said, “Let's get going then."
    Quin said to Kadrix, “We'll pick up the money tomorrow."
    I'd forgotten about the money. My mind had been consumed by the hellhound situation. I was in a situation. I calmed myself; it was all some bizarre misunderstanding. We'd fix it. We always did.  

Nine

    Dimitri had chosen a pub to meet in; personally, I felt that something a little quieter and less public was more appropriate. Dimitri and co., however, wanted beer with their discussion. They were locally born and raised, and beer was a large part of the Czech culture. It wasn’t something I’d ever developed a taste for, but we had to at least try and accommodate them. We headed off Wenceslas Square into the quietly opulent area just out of sight of the big tourist attraction. The large stone slabs gave a very different feel to the more usual black and white mosaic style they used for the paths. The buildings were classic in their elegance, with almost plain walls and strong clear beams on view. They were proud old structures that were secure in their place in the city.  
    The pub they'd chosen had a few tables outside, but they had gone inside, up the well-worn stairs to an equally well-worn table in the far corner near a small window looking out onto the walkway below. Everything about the place spoke of comfort and familiarity; it was the local pub that everyone was welcome in. Everything about it was designed to put people at ease. The sturdy wooden chairs had been worn down from so much use. Local art hung on the walls, simple pieces showing the history and landscape of the city. TVs were strategically placed in the corners, for those who wanted to watch sports. It was the sort of place that you met up with friends and laughed the night away in. It was exactly the type of place that I never usually set foot.  
    The hunters already had beers in front of them, locally brewed of course. The pub had a few microbrews on tap, another nice touch to bring people in. They were dressed in practical attire, hoodies and jeans with sturdy boots and casual coats thrown over the back of their chairs. There was very little room for style or fashion within the hunter community. What was the use in a pretty pair of pants that restricted your movements when fighting? They were all slightly hunched over their beers, each of them wearing frowns and the beginning of exhaustion. Lines criss-crossed their faces and muscles remained tense as they kept glancing both out the window and around the room. Hunting was a hard life.  
    I braced myself for the potential confrontation; they no doubt had more questions about the hellhound. I'd given Quin a quick rundown of my run-in with the hellhound, but I left out the blood bond part. I didn't have time to fully explain it or deal with the outburst that would no doubt come after it. I couldn’t very well run away or shut them down this time. We were there to discuss the situation, and they had seen me having a run in with the damn hound.
    The room was quite dark with only a little natural light, as is typical of buildings of its age. The hunters had seen us. Their eyes had all settled on us when we entered the room. They’d chosen to return to talking to each other in harsh whispers rather than greet us. Quin grinned