The tension in the room turned ice-cold as the man in the doorway stepped into the entrance hall. He was a towering figure, both tall and immensely bulky, his broad shoulders nearly filling the frame of the doorway.
He was dressed in a loosely tailored shirt and matching pants of a deep, rich crimson, both hemmed with a thick, ornate gold lining. The fabric was heavy and expensive, and shimmered in the light.
"We're here for the five as requested earlier," the man boomed.
"Five?!" Madam Wagner stood up. "We were requested four."
"No," the man countered, his eyes scanning the room. "We clearly said five."
"Unfortunately, we only have four today," Madam Wagner said, her voice steady.
"Maybe you can just come instead," the man threatened, a slow, mocking smile spreading across his face.
Benjamin felt the knot in his chest tighten. He pushed back his chair and stood up. "I will go."
"Benjamin, you can't!" Madam Wagner gasped, reaching out to catch his arm.
The man turned his gaze to Benjamin, his awful smile widening to show teeth. "A newbie, huh? He's a looker."
Benjamin stood 71 inches tall, his lean, athletic build held with a disciplined stillness. His hair, a dark brown so deep it was easily mistaken for black.
His fair-skinned face provided a pale canvas for his eyes, which served as a map of his lineage. At their core, his eyes held the piercing blue of his father's people from Zephyr. In the low, amber light of the brothel, the outer edges of his irises glowed a golden brown, the heritage of his mother from Xenos. Under sunlight, they would deepen into a dark, vivid green.
"This will do," the man said with a menacing grin, his eyes lingering on Benjamin for a moment longer before he turned his gaze back to Madam Wagner. "Here's the payment. It's been doubled. We have a special guest tonight, and this newbie might do the job."
He reached into the folds of his crimson garbs and pulled out a heavy pouch, dropping it onto the counter.
Madam Wagner looked at Benjamin, her expression clouded with a deep, unspoken worry. "You don't have to do this," she whispered. "You don't know what they're like, Benjamin."
"You know I've seen the brunt of it." Benjamin replied reassuringly, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. "Please don't worry about me."
Madam Wagner nodded with guilt, acknowledging there wasn't anything she could do to fix the situation.
I shouldn't have asked him to stay for dinner, she thought. It's all my fault. He's such a kind-hearted boy. In a place like the one they were going, she feared even a heart as strong as his might break.
"I'm so sorry, Benjamin." Madam Wagner squeezed his hands.
Benjamin forced a grin, his hazel eyes softening as he tried to mask the tension tightening in his throat.
"I'll be fine. I'm stronger than I look," he said, his voice steady even as his pulse began to quicken.