Total pages in book: 194
Estimated words: 187021 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 935(@200wpm)___ 748(@250wpm)___ 623(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 187021 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 935(@200wpm)___ 748(@250wpm)___ 623(@300wpm)
“No,” Graves said at the same time Niamh said, “Absolutely not.”
Rio’s smile was vicious. “That is my request.”
Graves shook his head and began to remove items from his pockets. “I’ve brought fair payment.”
Rio looked over his stash. Kierse didn’t even know what half of the items were. She thought about what it would mean to give someone part of her blood. It had crossed her mind, but she’d known it was her hard limit. Dr. Mafi had taken her blood and given it to the vampire lord King Louis, who had used it thinking it would give him magical powers. She’d decapitated him with the spear anyway. She wasn’t planning on letting someone else try something similar.
“None of this will do,” Rio said, waving it away. “I have another bargain if you refused blood.”
“What’s that?”
Rio showed a row of sharp teeth. “I’ll ask you three questions. You answer them truthfully and give me the information for the bracelet, and we’ll call it even. If you refuse to answer, then I get the blood.”
Kierse glanced at Graves, who was currently returning items to his pockets and looking displeased with the assessment. He didn’t like it. Niamh didn’t like it. But what other choice was there? Her blood could reveal her Fae heritage, a thing none of them wanted anyone else to know about. Not when most people believed the wisps were extinct.
“Fine,” Kierse said. “Three questions.”
“Excellent. First question, what is your true name?”
“Kierse McKenna.”
Rio’s smile widened. “I see. Second question, what is the nature of your magics?”
Graves’s hand balled into a fist at that question. Kierse could have said immunity. That was the lie they had peddled to everyone else. But she had a feeling Rio would know if she lied and would void their deal. This was a dangerous line of questioning.
“The nature of my magics is absorption.”
Rio nodded as if anticipating that answer. “Final question, what sort of monster are you?”
Kierse froze at those words. Rio knew. The gleam in their eyes said that they had put together what should have been impossible. Fuck. And she couldn’t lie to them and say she was a warlock the way she had to everyone else. Somehow, they would know, and then they would require blood. Blood that she absolutely couldn’t give. A fact that Rio clearly understood.
Was it worth it to give up this piece of valuable information to someone in the market? Something this dangerous? She had no idea how it could be used against her. But if she didn’t, she’d never find the person with the memory information. She’d have done all of this for nothing.
Graves leaned forward against the counter before she could say a word. “I would tread very carefully.”
Rio looked at him with a bland expression. “You and I are curators of knowledge, are we not? If I can guess the nature of who and what she is, do you not think that others soon will as well?”
The threat hung heavy between them.
“She’s a warlock,” Graves told them flatly.
Rio’s gaze shifted to Kierse. “Is that right? With absorption powers? Working with Druids?”
Kierse’s tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth. She couldn’t say the word. Even though Rio had the answer already.
“I think not,” Rio said. “So, will you answer, or will you give me a vial of your blood?”
Graves pushed away from the counter. “This is absurd. Let’s just leave.”
“After all that we went through?”
“Allow me to help you instead.”
Kierse turned away from him. Rio already had this answer—she just had to confirm it—while she had no idea what more she’d have to give of herself to work with Graves like that. What he’d take. What further trust he’d break.
“Wisp,” she whispered.
Niamh tensed next to her. Graves slammed his fist down on the counter. She could see he wanted to choke the bookkeeper for this fact, but it was already done.
Rio slid their fingers over their lips and mimed locking the information away. They ripped out a slip from under the cabinet, scribbled on the paper, and passed it to Kierse. “Go here. Rizz will have what you’re looking for.”
Kierse took the paper and barely mustered the decency to say, “Thank you.”
“Happy hunting,” Rio said with a vicious smile that said they were next on the menu.
Chapter Eighteen
Kierse blew out a long, slow breath as they exited back onto the gloomy streets. “Could that have gone worse?”
Niamh winced. “You could have given them some of your blood.”
“What are they going to do with that information?” Kierse asked Graves.
He said nothing, just stared resignedly forward.
“What would you do with that information?” she countered.
“He’d sell it to the most advantageous buyer,” Niamh said.
Graves shot her a look. “I was not part of the genocide. And if Rio uses the information, we’ll deal with it.”
Kierse shivered at that. Nothing could be done now, but fuck, the market was worse than she had bargained for. Niamh and Graves had tried to warn her, but she hadn’t anticipated this.