Chapter 3: The Sunken Market

The entrance to the Sunken Market was hidden beneath a rusted grate in an alley that smelled of stagnant water and broken dreams. Jade pulled the heavy metal aside with one hand, her troll strength making it look effortless, while Drew peered into the darkness below with obvious reluctance.

"Second thoughts?" Jade asked, not bothering to hide her amusement at his discomfort.

"Just wondering if my insurance covers being eaten by whatever lives down there," Drew replied, but he followed her down the maintenance ladder without further complaint.

The tunnels beneath old Veridia were a maze of flooded subway passages, abandoned basements, and makeshift walkways. Fifty years ago, when the Great Convergence had torn holes between dimensions and flooded half the city with magical energy, these lower levels had been evacuated and forgotten by the authorities above. The people who lived here now had made it their own—a place where your species, your past, or your legal status mattered less than your ability to survive.

Bioluminescent fungi provided patches of eerie blue-green light along the walls, while floating orbs of captured starlight—definitely not city-approved—drifted overhead like lazy fireflies. The air was thick with humidity and the mingled scents of exotic spices, alchemical reagents, and things that had been dead too long.

"Stay close," Jade murmured as they navigated a narrow walkway suspended over dark water. "And whatever you do, don't stare at anyone too long. Down here, eye contact is either a challenge or an invitation, and you won't like either option."

Drew nodded, his usual confidence notably dimmed by their surroundings. Jade had to admit, the Market took some getting used to. A group of scaled humanoids huddled around a fire barrel, speaking in hissing whispers. A vendor with too many arms sold bottles of glowing liquid from a cart that defied several laws of physics. Somewhere in the distance, something that might have been music drifted through the tunnels, though it was composed of sounds no human instrument could make.

"There," Jade pointed to a wider platform ahead where dozens of beings clustered around various stalls and booths. "That's the main bazaar. Madam Vex should be—"

"Well, well. If it isn't little Jade Hawkins."

The voice came from above them, and both detectives looked up to see a figure crouched on a pipe junction like some kind of gargoyle. The speaker dropped down with inhuman grace—a lean woman with midnight-blue skin and silver hair that moved like it was underwater. Her eyes were solid white, completely pupilless, and when she smiled, her teeth were too sharp.

"Hello, Senna," Jade said carefully. "Didn't expect to see you still down here."

"Where else would I go? The surface world isn't exactly welcoming to my kind." Senna's gaze shifted to Drew, and her smile widened unpleasantly. "Brought a pet, I see. Pretty one too."

"He's not a pet. He's—" Jade caught herself before saying 'partner.' "He's with me."

"Mmm." Senna circled them slowly, her movements predatory and fluid. "Been a long time since you came home, Jade. Heard you joined the surface police. Some of the old crowd aren't happy about that."

"Some of the old crowd can kiss my ass," Jade replied flatly. "I'm not here for them. I need to see Madam Vex."

Senna's laugh was like breaking glass. "Oh, that's rich. The cop wants to see the Queen of the Market. What makes you think she'll see you?"

"Because I'm not here as a cop." Jade's voice carried a hard edge that made Drew glance at her nervously. "I'm here for answers about Cornelius Blackthorne."

The change in Senna was immediate. Her playful malice evaporated, replaced by something much more dangerous. "That name isn't spoken lightly down here, little cop. The alchemist's death has everyone spooked."

"Then you know why I need to see Vex."

Senna was quiet for a long moment, those unsettling white eyes studying Jade's face. "She's holding court in the old subway station. But Jade... the only way she'll see you is if you prove you still belong here. And that means—"

"The Trial of Stones," Jade finished grimly. "I know."

Drew stepped forward, his diplomatic instincts finally kicking in. "I'm sorry, what trial?"

"Ancient troll custom," Jade explained without taking her eyes off Senna. "To gain audience with a leader, you prove your strength in ritual combat. Usually just to first blood, but..."

"But Madam Vex has been feeling theatrical lately," Senna purred. "Last week she had someone fight a displaced demon. Very entertaining."

"Jade," Drew said quietly, "maybe we can find another way—"

"There is no other way." Jade's jaw was set in a line that brooked no argument. "Down here, you follow the rules or you don't get to play."

They made their way through the bazaar, drawing stares and whispers. Jade's imposing frame and obvious troll heritage earned her nods of recognition from some of the older residents, while Drew's expensive clothes and obvious surface-dweller status made others regard him with suspicion or predatory interest.

The old subway station had been converted into a kind of amphitheater, with tiers of salvaged seating surrounding a circular platform. At the far end, on a throne made from twisted metal and glowing crystals, sat Madam Vex.

She was ancient even by Market standards—no one knew exactly what species she belonged to, but she stood nearly eight feet tall with four arms and skin that shifted between deep purple and midnight black depending on the light. Her face was angular and alien, with eyes like molten gold that seemed to see everything. She wore layers of flowing fabric that might have been silk or might have been shadow, and her voice, when she spoke, resonated with harmonic overtones that made the air itself vibrate.

"Jade Hawkins," she said as they approached, her tone carrying amusement and something that might have been affection. "My wayward child returns. And she brings a surface-dweller to my court."

Jade stepped forward, her shoulders square and her head held high. "Madam Vex. I request an audience."

"Of course you do. And you know what that requires."

The crowd was gathering now, sensing entertainment. Jade could feel their excitement, their hunger for violence and spectacle. Some of these people had known her since she was a child, when her parents were still alive and she was just another Market kid trying to survive. Others saw only a cop who had abandoned her people for the surface world.

"I'm ready," Jade said simply.

Madam Vex smiled, revealing rows of crystalline teeth. "Excellent. Your opponent will be—"

"Wait." Drew stepped forward, his voice carrying clearly across the amphitheater. "I challenge that right."

The crowd fell silent. Madam Vex's golden eyes fixed on Drew with laser intensity. "You dare interrupt my court, surface-dweller?"

"I invoke the Right of Substitution," Drew said, his voice steady despite the obviously hostile crowd. "As her partner, I claim the right to stand trial in her place."

Jade spun to stare at him. "Drew, what the hell are you doing?"

"Something incredibly stupid, probably," he admitted, but his eyes never left Madam Vex. "But if someone has to prove themselves, it should be me. I'm the outsider here."

Madam Vex was silent for a long moment, her four hands steepled in front of her. "Interesting. You know our customs, young Hemley. Where did you learn such things?"

The use of his name sent a murmur through the crowd. Drew's jaw tightened almost imperceptibly. "I've had... diverse educational experiences."

"Indeed." Madam Vex's smile was sharp enough to cut glass. "Very well. The Right of Substitution is acknowledged. You will face..." She paused dramatically, scanning the crowd. "Gorthak the Bone-breaker."

A figure stepped out of the crowd—seven feet of scarred muscle and bad attitude, with skin like granite and tusks that jutted from his jaw like ivory daggers. He carried a war hammer that looked like it could demolish a building, and when he grinned, the sound was like grinding stone.

"Oh, fuck," Jade breathed.

Drew, to his credit, didn't flinch. "Rules?"

"To yield or unconsciousness," Madam Vex announced. "No weapons save what you carry. No magic that would permanently harm your opponent." Her golden eyes glittered. "Begin when ready."

Gorthak hefted his hammer and charged without preamble, his massive frame moving with surprising speed. Drew dove sideways, his expensive coat flaring as he rolled behind a support pillar. The hammer struck stone with a sound like thunder, sending cracks spider-webbing across the platform.

"Is this the best the surface world can offer?" Gorthak roared, pulling his weapon free. "Come out and die with honor, little man!"

Drew emerged from cover, but something had changed. The charming smile was gone, replaced by a focus Jade had never seen before. He moved differently too—not with the casual grace of a con man, but with the precise economy of someone trained in combat.

When Gorthak swung again, Drew didn't just dodge. He flowed around the attack like water, one hand brushing against the troll's wrist as he passed. Gorthak stumbled, confusion flickering across his brutish features.

"What—?" he began, then staggered as his grip on the hammer faltered.

Drew had done something—Jade couldn't see what—but suddenly Gorthak's coordination was off. The massive troll swung wildly, his previous precision gone, while Drew danced around him like a matador.

"Pressure points," Drew called out, as if reading her mind. "Learned it from a monastery in the Eastern Reaches. Temporarily disrupts nerve function."

He darted in again, his fingers finding spots on Gorthak's arms and legs that made the troll's muscles spasm and weaken. It wasn't magic—at least, not exactly—but it was definitely not something they taught at the police academy.

The fight lasted another two minutes before Gorthak finally collapsed, his massive frame hitting the platform with a sound like a falling tree. He was still conscious but completely unable to coordinate his movements.

The amphitheater was dead silent.

Drew straightened his coat and walked over to help Gorthak to his feet. "Good fight," he said respectfully. "Your reputation is well-earned."

Gorthak stared at him for a moment, then threw back his head and laughed—a sound like boulders tumbling down a mountainside. "You fight with honor, surface-dweller. I withdraw any objection to your presence here."

The crowd erupted in cheers and applause. Madam Vex rose from her throne, all four hands applauding slowly.

"Most impressive, young Hemley. You may both approach."

As they walked toward the throne, Jade grabbed Drew's arm. "Where the hell did you learn to fight like that?"

"Like I said," Drew replied quietly, "I contain multitudes. We can discuss my mysterious past later. Right now, we have a killer to catch."

They knelt before Madam Vex's throne, following the proper protocols. The ancient being looked down at them with those molten gold eyes, and when she spoke, her voice carried the weight of centuries.

"You seek knowledge of the alchemist's death. Very well. I will tell you what I know. But first..." She gestured, and the crowd began to disperse. "We speak in private. Some knowledge is too dangerous for casual ears."

As they followed Madam Vex to her private chambers, Jade caught sight of movement in the shadows at the edge of the amphitheater. Figures in silver and blue, moving with inhuman grace and purpose.

Fae Enforcers. Here, in the Market.

And unless she was very much mistaken, one of them was staring directly at Drew with the kind of intensity that suggested personal history.

"Drew," she said quietly.

"I know," he replied, his voice tight. "I saw them too."

"Friends of yours?"

Drew's laugh was bitter. "Something like that."

This case was getting more complicated by the minute.