Otto settled himself on the couch, not looking anywhere as good doing it as Garaile had.“You make a fast run across the border, pick up a package, bring it back here.Easy peasy lemon squeezy.”
Not even remotely surprised, Cha stared Otto down.At least now she knew what had tempted Monat to take the risk.That amount of coin would last a very long time.For the rest of their lives in decent comfort, if budgeted well, even with inflation.“Over the border to Obsidian?”she asked, though she already knew that answer.
Looking at his nails, Otto sighed.“You know the rules, Bandit—deets are need to know and you need to know only after you sign the contract.Can’t have my competitors getting the drop on me.”
Cha blew out a snort of pure disgust.“You think I don’t know that Monat got her ass arrested trying to bring a shipment of pixie dust over from Moonstone?”
Otto narrowed his eyes in surprised irritation.Bless Garaile and his gossip.“Monat got careless.And she didn’t have you running distraction for the big rig.You and Dy are an unbeatable team.”
“Wewere.”
“And are.The Bandit and Goldilocks together again!An inspiration to the masses.Think of how excited the people will be.Plus you’ll be providing a needed public service.Pixie dust prices just jumped again.Soon there won’t be any ley lines to some of the outlying farm country.”
“As if anyone in the countryside is using Moonstone dust.”
“I don’t expect you to understand the economics.The wealthy need white dust to run their businesses.They run out, the coin dries up, and the poor are the ones to take it in the teeth.”
“Oh, right.”No one believed in that trickle-down shit.“Like you care about anything but lining your pockets.What’s your profit margin on this?”
“Enough that I can pay you a hundred thousand silvers.”He lifted his brows significantly.“It’s a prime deal, Bandit.You know it.”
“If we get caught, we’ll be rotting in some Moonstone nightmare prison with Monat, growing wings out of our asses or some such, and you won’t be coming to bail us out.I knowthat.”
“The risk is why you get paid the big coin, dearie.At least you gals can have a nice chat behind bars, maybe a pillow fight in scanty lingerie.Wings are sexy.”
“Wings are a myth.Sometimes I seriously worry about the depths of your depravity.”
“So, you’ll do it?”
Who was she kidding?The temptation was too much to resist.Even split, this would make them rich.And would give her a reason to try to sweet-talk Phinny into letting her come around again.A tasty bribe would help considerably.Cha put out a hand.“Half up front.”
“Ten thousand up front—in gold coin for you to carry—another ten thousand when I see Dy’s pretty face behind the controls of Big Betty, the rest when you deliver the package.”
“I thought you were confident I could talk Dy into this.”
Otto stood, dug a heavy coin purse out of his shoulder bag, and tossed it to her.“There’s ten thousand in there.You run off with it, Bandit, I’ll see the authorities get some interesting evidence on your more notorious escapades.”
“Bastard.”She shook her head in reluctant admiration as she opened the bag and took in the beautiful sight of the ten gold coins inside.He’d already had it counted out.
“Tell Dy to give Phinny a kiss for me,” Otto added with a salute and a smirk.
~4~
Someone’s in the Kitchen with Phinny
“Auntie Bandit!AuntieBandit!”Five kids came running at the sound of Katu’s distinctive growl as Cha pulled into the drive at the picturesque rural cottage.
Phin Jr., the eldest and a kid with Dy’s golden curls, was the first to reach the fence that protected the kids from contact with the static line.“You haven’t been here in forever,” he scolded.
“Yeah, where have you been?”Zazu demanded as she jumped onto the fence right behind her brother.A bright-eyed girl, she’d been named for Cha—poor thing—and, like Cha, never used her full name.Arantzazu and Arantxa were variants on the same impossible name, thus their much sassier nicknames of Zazu and Cha.
Behind them, the twins scampered up, covered in mud.Edur and Xavia sported Phinny’s fiery red hair and similarly mischievous temperament.Edur hung back a bit, waiting for the barefoot toddler, Inigo, impatiently calling for him to hurry.
The ley line driveway came to an end and Katu halted there with the cessation of magic.Because Dy could stabilize a ley line like nobody’s business, which meant no concerns about wasting expensive magic, Cha left Katu in carriage form.That way he wouldn’t be tempted to go after the chickens, like last time.Wincing at the memory of that foul—fowl?—incident, she grabbed the squirming, squawking bag from the passenger seat and climbed out the open top of the carriage.“I’ve been busy,” she answered their questions with not quite a lie.
“Can I drive the jag, Auntie Bandit?”Phin Jr.called hopefully.
Cha squinted at him as she stowed her sword safely out of reach in the rear storage compartment and locked it.“How old are you now—six?”
