is, then. Shall we see what you have available in that pretty little bestiary of yours?” The book dangling in her cleavage called to me, sparking a flare of intrigue. But intrigue was a complicated thing. It often led to interest, and interest to something far more dangerous.
Parting with her beasts, wandering far from the Charmers’ sacred homeland—she was anything but an ordinary mark. Curiosity burned brighter. It was my job to unearth secrets, to use them to further my agenda if needed, but there was more to this Charmer than her bounty.
After a moment that stretched for what felt like an hour, a log on the fire split in half, and she looked up at me through her lashes. “I was heading south for business. I’ll tame four B-Class beasts during my travels and bring them back once I’m finished.” Her tone wavered at the end, just a slight dip in her timbre. She was hiding something. Then again, she was bartering with an assassin, so she’d be a fool not to.
Sighing, I reclined in the chair. “No.”
“It’s that or nothing at all.”
“I think you forget who holds the cards here. My guild has a bounty on your head. Your life is mine to bargain with. You follow my rules.”
She gripped the arms of her chair, a defiant glare threating to bore twin holes through my skull. “How do you think I’ve come to earn this bounty? I make a living dealing with people like you, and I always set the rules.” A low whistle slipped past Calem’s pursed lips, and I shot him a murderous glare. “You want beasts—that much is obvious—so I think I’ve got more bargaining power than you realize.”
I rested my elbows on my knees and leaned in, intent on the minute changes in her expression. “What happens to your beasts when you die?”
Her boldness fled in an instant, leaving nothing but cold fear in its wake. “What?”
Her reaction said it all. “If you don’t comply with my demands, you die. It’s as simple as that. I can live without your creatures. So can my brethren.” I gestured to Calem, his lazy smile dangerous as he studied her. “But the question is, can your beasts live without you? What kind of fate would they endure if you died? A fate you chose because you were too stubborn to negotiate?” Her lips trembled, but guilt wasn’t something I was about to entertain. I stood, looking down at her. “Go on, then. Tell me again how I don’t hold all the chips.”
The air between us sparked, and she clenched her hands into fists before finally lowering her gaze to the floor. “I don’t have any on hand to give you. Those I do have are already bonded to me, and breaking that connection would kill them. What do you propose?”
There was a certain level of satisfaction that came with outmaneuvering an opponent, mentally or physically, and I couldn’t stop the smirk. “I’m so glad you asked.” I turned to Calem. “It seems we’re taking our work on the road.”
“Awww yes.” Whatever remaining anger simmering in his veins disappeared completely, and he clapped his hands together. “This time of year, the south will be brimming with beautiful women. What part, exactly?” He peered around me toward Leena.
“Wait, what? No. I don’t need an escort. I promise on my life I’ll return with your beasts.” Gripping the hemline of her tunic, she stood slowly.
Calem’s eyes dipped to her cleavage. “Sorry, sister. Noc doesn’t change his mind.”
I tilted my head to the ceiling, tracking the invisible path to the medical wing on the second floor. “I’ll have Kost make travel arrangements for us.”
“Wait—” Leena’s voice faded in the wake of Calem’s excited holler. She banged her fist against the oak mantel, the board vibrating from the force of the hit, and we turned to stare at her. “I. Am. Not. Taking. You.” A rosewood glow erupted from the symbol on her hand, and roots stretched toward her fingertips.
I effortlessly slipped into the shadows and reappeared behind her. Wrapping my fingers around her wrist, I applied gentle pressure and brought my lips close to her ear. A tantalizing mixture of vanilla and lilac filled my nose. “Think twice before you do something you’ll regret.”
Gooseflesh trailed down her neck, and she went completely still beneath me. Her pulse thrummed against my fingers. Such a delicate thing, and yet there was strength to her stance. The kind of determination and grit that came