“Yes?” She raises a curious brow at me.
“How lofty?”
“Quite,” Kaia replies confidently.
“How close are you to court?” I continue my vague questioning.
“What an intriguing question,” Kaia muses. “I used to service many highborns while at the premier house, but alas, the Madame is wretched and keeps most of the fees.”
Interesting. There are many ways to manipulate someone to get what you want, but no influence is as strong as seduction. I know little of this tactic. Kaia does. That’s why she fixed my dress at the tavern.
“What if I could assist you in starting your own premier house?”
She gives me a knowing sidelong glance. “I knew I liked you,” Kaia says smugly. “You want something in return? A percentage?”
“A web.”
Kaia giggles. “And who are we trapping in thisillustriousweb?”
I glance around us, ensuring no one is within earshot. “The crown.”
“I love shiny things,” she says sweetly. “It’s costly to rent the kind of building we’d need on the nicer side of town.”
“But you know enough girls to… staff it?” I ask hesitantly.
“Please,” she huffs. “I know most are ready to leave thatwretched Madame. Take the best girls, and theclientelewill follow.”
“How much is the rent?”
“Hmm…” Kaia taps a finger to her lips. “A hundred silver at least.”
“Here.” I palm her the small leather pouch full of coins Wrath gave me. It is close to that amount, give or take a few dozen coins. “How long will it take?”
Kaia pockets the pouch of money. “A few weeks. I’ll start talking to the girls. Find a place and get the right furniture.”
“All right,” I say plainly, hoping my investment will pay off.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
A plush blanketof snow covers the entire kingdom of Khalessor. Icicles hang from the eaves, glistening in the morning sun, while frozen windowpanes shimmer with the warm glow from within. I didn’t think the castle gardens could get any more beautiful, but I was wrong.
A snowball hits me in the shoulder, causing flecks of snow to spray on my face. I laugh warmly, throwing a snowball back at Rowena. She lets out a slight yelp of surprise before bursting with laughter. We chase after one another, our boots crunching against the icy snow. Rowena raises her hand into the air, flicking her wrist in a quick circle. All the snow from the oak tree’s branches falls on me, burying me under the snow.
“Ro!” I cry out, wiggling as I try to unearth myself. The weight of the snow is immense, and I kick my feet out as I struggle to move.
A hand closes around mine as she pulls me free, snow clinging to my eyelashes and hair. My breath curls in the frigid air as I stand and try to brush myself off, piles of snow falling from my lap.
Rowena clutches her middle, doubled over in laughter. “Sorry, Rae.”
I giggle. “You win, okay?”
“I didn’t think it was going to be that much.” She wipes a stray tear from her lashes, unable to control her laughter.
“It’s all right,” I reassure her. Rowena is back to her usual self. She has fully recovered from her burnout, and that’s all that matters. “So you can wield ice?” I ask, brushing the snow from my cloak. I’ve been eager to hear more about her powers since the incident.
“Yes, but it's rare. When two Verthari with different powers have a child, sometimes their offspring possess the ability to combine both their powers. My dad is a water Verthari, and my mom is an air Verthari. So, I can wield ice,” Rowena tells me.
“That’s so interesting.”
