BRYN
I didn’t even need to see that picture anymore! The fame of Alistair North went beyond the borders of his kingdom!
Being an Alpha and the crown prince had gone to his head and he was known to be one of those men who did whatever they liked. Not to mention that his whole family were witch slayers! The whole kingdom is on a witch ban! What was Zion even thinking? That I am tired of my life? Or did I do something wrong, and he decided to get rid of me in such a way.
“Bryn,” he said with a smile “you forgot sugar for my tea. Would you mind?”
That was a signal, of course. I obeyed and went to the tea station to pick up a tray and bring it to him. And when I approached his desk from the side, there was a note on top of his papers with a message for me: 2 million gold.
“All that sugar will kill you.” I fluttered my eyelashes, telling him to go screw himself.
“Yeah, yeah,” he snorted and looked me directly in the eyes, placing the sugar bowl back on my tray. “It’s all yours.”
“There isn’t enough sugar in the world.” I rolled my eyes. No, thank you. I wasn’t planning to die young.
“Never say never.” He chuckled.
“I am afraid I can’t help you this time, Eiryn.” I came back to the heiress and noticed how her eyes glowed purple just for a second. I knew her too well not to know that Eiryn Landon did not hear the word “no” often.
“Why?” she asked nonchalantly, trying to hide her emotions. Unsuccessfully.
“Too risky.” I shrugged. “It’s a bad idea for a witch to go to Phevran. You know how they are.”
“I thought you weren’t afraid to take risks.” She pouted and I smiled, taking another sip of my tea.
“It’s one thing to pretend to be a werewolf here in Ruvia,” I told her calmly. “It’s another to go on a trip to Phevran, the country that kills off witches. You wouldn’t go take a bath of wolfsbane, right?”
“I’ll double it.” The heiress crossed her hands on her chest. And I gulped. Two million was a huge amount; it was more than what I’d saved working here for the past five years. But four million was just a crazy amount. With that, I could quit working for the Shadows and leave the capital, buy myself a private piece of land and live my happily ever after alone and unbothered. Just like I always wanted. I loved that plan and worked hard to make it happen. It would take me another five or ten years to save that much money… But still, going to Phevran would be crazy.
“Lord Scorpion.” Eiryn turned to Zion for help. “Tell her! I’ll… I’ll triple the money!”
That was the moment when I choked on my tea and started to cough. Six million!
Damn it! Six million was the sum for which I could take this kind of gamble…
“It’s up to Bryn,” Zion answered coldly. “She decides which jobs to take.”
“All right.” Eiryn turned to me. “Triple the amount that I agreed on with your chief and a personal bonus of two million for you! This is my last offer!”
I sighed heavily, pretending that I hadn’t already made the decision and making her nervous. Meanwhile, I tried not to faint from happiness. That would be eight million for me alone! With that kind of money, I would be able to do whatever the hell I wanted!
“I’ll do this only out of my personal affections and respect for you,” I agreed with a grim face, to make sure that she didn’t think that I was sold on the offer so easily.
“Thank you, Brynnie!” She clapped her hands, the gesture that annoyed me the most out of all her behaviour. It was especially disturbing to copy that because, other than Eiryn, I didn’t know anyone over ten who clapped their hands all the time.
“I hope you remember that you need to pay half of the amount today,” Zion reminded her, and her pretty face suddenly turned serious.
“Of course.” She nodded. “My knight will take care of that.”
“Len!” Scorpion raised his voice slightly and his right hand appeared before him in no time. Without saying any words, Zion handed him a piece of paper and Len disappeared again, only to come back to us a few minutes later and nod, letting us know that the transaction was completed.
I looked at Eyrin again, slightly shocked that she would come to a criminals’ lair with so much gold. But that girl wasn’t… the sharpest knife in the drawer. She honestly believed that nothing bad could happen to her. And to some extent she was right.
We agreed on the time and location where we would change places again. Our usual –Lady De Vierre’s boutique of ready-to-wear dresses. Their spacious changing cabins had been a godsend for us over the last couple of years.
Eyrin left and I was preparing to follow her example when Zion stopped me.
“Stay, Bryn,” he said calmly, and I tried to hide my sigh of disappointment.
“Of course.” I turned to face him with a professional smile on my face.
“You’ve done well.” He smirked, showing me to one of the massive chairs in front of his desk.
“Thank you,” I said, obeying his command. Because the Scorpion never asked, he ordered. I learned that early on when I joined the Shadows. Any form of disrespect was out of the question. And although he and I had a deal of our own, I wouldn’t risk it over silly things.
“I have to give it to you.” He tapped his fingers on the dark wood of his desk. “Not many can come back from one mission and make a deal for the next on the same day. I love how you got even more money from her than I talked her into.”
“Oh, please.” I rolled my eyes and decided to boost his ego. “You knew very well how it works with her. You do it every time.”
“And you play along very well.” He chuckled. “We make a great team.”
“That we do,” I agreed, feeling slightly uncomfortable under his gaze.
“So, what are you going to do with all that money?” he asked, not taking his eyes off me. I knew how important that moment was. He was scanning me for reactions.
“You mean if I manage to come back alive?” I snorted carelessly. “You do realise how slim the chances of that are?”
“You didn’t seriously think that I would send you there without protection?” He smirked devilishly at me and my lips parted in surprise. Because it was exactly what I’d thought.
“What do you mean?” I raised my brow at him, and he just opened one of the drawers and produced the bag with artefacts I stole today.
Not wasting time, he got out the black lily brooch and stood up, walking all the way to me.
“Come!” He offered me his hand and I accepted it, walking with him to one of the huge mirrors. He placed me in front of it and stood behind me, pulling my hair back gently and making me shiver at the sudden closeness. It wasn’t much like him, and I wasn’t sure what to think of it all.
He gently pinned the brooch to the top of the upper jacket of my dress and then placed his hands on my shoulders.
“This is for you,” he said with unreadable emotions on his face, and for a moment I thought that he was hitting on me. Yet everything came back to normal when his notorious smirk appeared on his lips and I realised that it was another sick game of his.
“What is this exactly?” I touched the cold diamonds on my chest.
“Precaution,” he confessed easily. “That thing would make sure no one and nothing will be able to recognise witch magic in you. It will also help you to use less power on the illusion and recharge you if you get completely drained. Not to mention that I will know your location at all times. And if something goes wrong, we’ll get you out.”
“That makes it a pretty priceless artefact. Are you sure you want to give it to me?”
“The artefact is worth around one and a half million on the black market.” He let out a snort, squeezing my arms. “You just proved that you are worth much more than that.”
His hazel eyes lingered on me, and I took it with grace and my chin lifted high, without budging or yielding. The only way he’d respect me.
A vague smile formed on his lips and even I had to admit that he looked devilishly handsome in moments like this, with his raven black hair carefully brushed to the side and aristocratic facial features. There were rumours that he was the bastard child of some noble. But of course, no one dared to ask him if that was true.
“Good to know that I am valued here.” I smiled, glad to be done with all that. “May I go now? I am really tired after today.”
“Of course.” He nodded and stepped back, returning to his table. He was a man of business and hated to waste his time.
I exhaled in relief and was about to leave his office when he stopped me once more.
“Bryn.” His voice made me shudder again. “All that money… What are you going to do when you get it?”
I paused. That ought to be a trick question. So, I just shrugged my shoulders, turning once again to face him with a carefree smile.
“I don’t know,” I lied. “Buy myself something big and expensive probably.”
“Is that all?” He arched his brow and I gulped. It was as if he knew exactly when I was lying.
“Zion.” I chuckled. “Just an hour ago I had no idea that I’d end up with this much money. I’ve had no time to think about it yet. Not to mention that even now, survival worries me more than anything.”
“We’ll need to talk. You and I–” he interjected. “When you’re back from the assignment.”
“As you wish.” I nodded and left the damn room.
I opened the door of my own room with my key only to find that someone was already there…
Aksara