The Jade Palace was a sensory overload of flashing lights, ringing slot machines, and the low, constant murmur of hundreds of gamblers.
The air was warm and thick. It smelled like perfume, cigarette smoke that had been scrubbed out but not gone, and the faint copper tang of money. The carpets were deep red. They swallowed my footsteps.
Overhead, crystal chandeliers threw light everywhere. It hit the gold trim and broke into pieces. Slot machines rang in bursts. _Ding-ding-ding._ Coins didn't actually drop anymore, but the sound still played. People were talking. Laughing. The sound rolled together until it was just noise.
Ethan and I bypassed the main casino floor, taking a private elevator down to the subterranean server levels. The doors closed. The noise cut out.
The elevator was silent. The air got colder with every floor. By the time it stopped, my breath was visible.
