Gaia's Champion Ch. 64 - Teaser (Patreon)

Kinshasa was loud, alive, and a city of motion and survival, but Sheena barely noticed most of it. She sat forward in her seat, eyes scanning the streets as though she might somehow glimpse her parents in the crowds rushing past. Though she knew it to be a fool’s errand, she still kept looking, her eyes darting every which way possible.

The cab driver glanced at her once in the rearview mirror and noted that she looked like a woman balancing on the edge of something. Normally he might have tried some flirtatious banter, and three beautiful women in his taxi would usually invite that kind of chatter. But Jason sat beside her, and while he was quiet, it was clear as day that they were together and solidly so. So, the driver erred on the side of caution and kept his remarks to himself.

The taxi slowed as it eventually turned off the busy avenue and rolled beneath the shaded driveway of Hotel Memling.

In the bright afternoon sunlight, the hotel stood out as one of the more polished buildings in the district without appearing ostentatious. The structure rose several stories in a clean, modern style—cream and pale sandstone walls broken by long rows of dark, reflective windows that mirrored the movement of palm trees swaying in the warm Kinshasa breeze.

A neat canopy stretched over the front entrance, casting a pool of shade where uniformed security guards and hotel staff stood watch beside polished glass doors. The courtyard driveway was surprisingly calm compared to the chaos of the surrounding streets. A few well-kept vehicles were parked along the curb, and a pair of bell attendants in crisp uniforms moved luggage carts across the tiled entryway while guests drifted in and out of the cool interior.

As the taxi came to a stop beneath the canopy, the noise of the city softened slightly, replaced by the quiet hum of air-conditioning vents and the distant splash of water from what sounded like a courtyard fountain somewhere inside the hotel.

Jason stepped out of the taxi first, the humid Kinshasa air wrapping around him like a warm blanket as he opened the trunk and began pulling their luggage free. The afternoon sun still shone brightly across the entrance of Hotel Memling, its pale stone façade gleaming softly while palm fronds swayed lazily along the edge of the courtyard driveway.

The fare had already been agreed upon earlier in the ride and Jason handed the driver the exact amount. The man counted the bills quickly, his eyes flicking up once toward the hotel entrance, then back down again as if considering his options. His thumb lingered on the last bill before he spoke again.

“You know,” he said slowly, trying to sound casual, “there are additional charges sometimes… airport pickup, luggage fee, afternoon congestion…”

Jason didn’t respond immediately, but instead he leaned slightly closer to the open window, one hand resting calmly on the edge of the car door.

For just a fraction of a second, his eyes shifted from hazel to something only seen in nature. Golden, predatory orbs now occupied where his human ones had been, and they gleamed with the power of a Wolfkin. The change was so subtle and quick that most people might have dismissed it as a trick of the light. But the cab driver saw it clearly, and the man’s face drained of color.

“Ah… yes,” he stammered quickly, shoving the money into his pocket as though it had suddenly become dangerous to hold. “That is correct. Good day!”

He slammed the car into gear and pulled away so quickly that the tires chirped against the pavement. Jason watched him disappear down the driveway and chuckled softly under his breath. Behind him, the girls rolled their eyes as they all turned to go into the hotel.

“You terrified the poor man,” Rosa said, adjusting the strap of her bag.

“He tried to hustle us,” Jason replied casually.

“At least he learned something today,” Phalmina smirked, glancing toward the road where the taxi had vanished. Sheena shook her head, though a faint smile finally touched her lips for the first time since they’d landed.