Avedis’ gaze wanders to Shaw. “I don’t generally find women to be anymore helpless than the other half of the population,” he replies shortly. His eyes trail lazily back to me. “Particularly this one.” I blush deeply as he continues, “The client offered quite a sum and it so happened I was in need of it. I admit, curiosity also pushed me to accept. It isn’t often a contract is put out on a nameless woman, unless it’s by a jilted lover. I never accept those jobs. Too messy. But politics…that intrigued me. Especially since the woman in question didn’t seem to be any sort of nobility. She didn’t seem to beanyone, in fact.”
“So, you know nothing then?” Shaw grits out from behind me.
“I did not say that. I am thorough in my business affairs. I did my own research before tracking the lady down.”
“What did you discover?”
“That the Achijj has a guest that is not Gireni.”
Shaw looks at me imploringly, as if to say,torturing him would be faster.I ignore him, telling Avedis, “we knew that.”
“Did you know that there is asecondguest, foreign, but holds a great sway of power anyway. Rumor has it, even over the Achijj. And that this person has been telling someone outside the fortress of the Achijj’s capture of the Chancellor. It is through that channel I was able to garner the information to feed Jayan.”
Shaw furrows his brow. “Who is it?”
Avedis shrugs. “That, I couldn’t determine. Whoever it is, their presence in Yen Girene has been well guarded. Though I imagine the Achijj would not take kindly to learning his guest is a traitor.”
The words light something in me and I turn to Shaw with bright eyes. He nods once impassively, an indication to discuss later, but he has come to the same conclusion I have. We’ve found our bargaining chip to negotiate the return of my father.
“Now, if that is all,” Avedis says, sounding rather bored. He stretches his arms above his head, stifling a yawn. “Might I request a meal and a bed? I will take my leave when the moon is highest.”
Shaw shoots him an incredulous look. “You are either stupid or outrageously bold to assume I’d let you sleep under the same roof unattended. What’s to keep you from finishing the job while we sleep?”
Avedis smiles slyly, unruffled. “The job is finished, friend. I will not break my life debt by betraying the lady’s mercy. And whoever is pulling the strings in Yen Girene wanted to stay far enough away from implication that they won’t be pursuing the matter. There is never lack of demand for retribution in Ferusa, so I’m sure I’ll find another paying job in no time.”
His eyes land on me, that glint of iciness from last night back in them. “Besides, what’s to keep the lady from doing the same and drowning me in my sleep?”
I blush once more, unsure whether Avedis’ fear of me is repellant or admirable. Fear is wielded as a weapon in the Dark World and worn as a cloak of protection. But I haven’t come so far as to appreciate the safety of its womb. I only sense the slick barrier of it that keeps me isolated, just like I have always been.
“Fine,” Shaw mutters furiously, opening the door.
I make to follow him when Avedis’ cultured voice trails after me. “Might I give a small suggestion?”
I look back. He is bathed in the light of the setting sun through the windows, soft streams of pink and gold. I nod.
“Whatever it is you’re planning in Yen Girene, know the danger. Whoever is influencing the Achijj is not someone to be trifled with. There are larger things afoot in the Dark World than the abduction of your Chancellor.”
His words send icy dread sluicing through me.
“Make good use of your power, Mirren.”
I stare at him. As far as I know, Yen Girene is a walled fortress nowhere near a sea or pond. “How?”
At this, a devilish grin spreads across his scarred face. “Why, the river Timdis runs straight under the city.”
* * *
Shaw
By the time dinner is served, I’m dead on my feet. Rhonwen has outdone herself, the large oak table practically bowing beneath a multitude of delicious dishes, each mouthwatering in scent and presentation. It’s the first meal we’ve eaten all together since Mirren and I arrived and I should be enjoying it, but I feel as if the rest of the room is bright splashes of color and I remain muddled in shades of gray.
I’ve been unsettled since our conversation with Avedis, the weight of everything to be done hovering over me along with the feeling of his eyes on my scar. Somehow, he knows who I truly am. It was only a matter of time before someone caught on, but I no longer feel safe in the city I love. I feel vulnerable, like I am standing at the center of an open field and shouting my true name. Everything in me wants to run, to disappear before my enemies find me, but I am as mired here by my circumstances as I am by my heart.
Mirren’s colors shine as she talks with Max and Cal; her chestnut hair tinted auburn with the candlelight, her emerald eyes shining with laughter, her fingers stained with the purple jam of one of Rhonwen’s many treats. She licks the tips, dancing lightly in her seat as she does, and I can’t help the smile that ghosts my lips.
“Rhonwen, that was the best thing I’ve ever eaten,” she exclaims exuberantly as the housekeeper returns from the kitchen bearing another tray of sweets.
“Which part, dear?”
