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I examine each one. “Nothing? Then why did you steal them?”

She shrugs, cool as a queen in her own court. “No reason.”

“You’re bad at this.” Searching through the documents, I stack them by type.

She frowns, sitting back. “At what?”

“Being a criminal.” I drop the papers, and as I reach back into the satchel, the pouch at her hip winks under the flames.

Intrigued, I tilt my head before sidling around the fire. The beautifully designed pouch is no bigger than my fist and covered in geometric patterns that shimmer in the firelight.

I’ve never seen anything like this embroidery thread before. The woman flinches as I unhook it from her belt, aborting an attempt to snatch it back from me with her bound hands. As I rotate the pouch, each strand refracts the light in multiple colors. They switch between gold, green, purple, and blue depending on the angle. What exquisite craftsmanship.

“What’s this?” Despite my question, the color of the thread matching the bugs she dropped on my head is a giveaway.

She says nothing, but that smirking glint returns to her eyes.

I cup the pouch in my palm of my hand and slowly start squeezing.

Her jaw drops. The bag wriggles from the inside, a distressed buzz emanating through the fabric. “Please don’t!”

“Special pouch for special things?” I loosen my grip. “This is where you keep your beetles? Not just hiding in your sleeves?”

“They’re innocent!” Her jaw slams shut, then tightens.

It’s the first real reaction I’ve gotten out of her. She cares more about those bugs than the threats and advances I’ve made against her. Interesting. What else can I use as leverage? I wouldn’t mind crushing the insects to bits after what they did to me at the gambling den, but they’ll help keep her in line, so I push down the impulse.

After ensuring the pouch is tied tight, I set it aside and plunge my hand back into the satchel. This time, I extract a much larger leather pouch and toss it.

Coins clink.

Thank the gods.

I was afraid she had some other kind of pet in here, a mongoose, a small dog, a large snake, a critter with sharp teeth and venom, just waiting for the opportune moment to chomp off one of my fingers.

When I open the pouch, a field of gold meets my eyes. Given how much it weighs, I suspect at least five hundred gold coins inside.

That kind of money doesn’t circulate through normal channels. Five hundred gold buys things like information, silence, and loyalty.

Even people.

I’ve seen royal ransoms smaller than this and assassination contracts on high nobles offering half the price. This is way too much money for someone like my informant. All I brought was fifty gold, enough to buy answers concerning the strange occurrences in this kingdom.

What was this woman buying?

She wears that same blank expression, but her pupils dilate in the firelight, black swallowing brown.

“Who. Are. You?” The gold, which changes everything, sets my nerves on edge and prompts me to climb to my feet and tower over her.

She remains silent, but her chin comes up again.

Regally. Like a noble. I’m starting to see a pattern form. “Someone’s very expensive daughter?”

Her eyes widen a fraction.

But it’s enough.

Nobility. Or a rich merchant’s daughter. Or wife, I suppose. They tend to marry young in those circles.