Kaizan frowned and then nodded, clearly not happy that a woman has lost her way in the mansion. She could be anywhere in the estate. As soon as the man exited, he told his servants to look around for the stranger girl and then send her back home.
It had become dark outside with clouds becoming dense and gray. Siora's heart accelerated. She stiffened and didn't dare to move from her place or breathe. Kaizan and the rest of the girls left soon after, urging Iona to visit Paige's seamstress. Siora stood there for a long time until she was completely sure that there was no one in the banquet hall or in the room. When everything went still, she came out of her hiding place. She scanned the room once again and thought that after she would launch her attack on Iona, she would have to simply walk out from the front door. And that is what she did at the moment. She walked out of the front door and except for a few guards who barely noticed her, she walked past. Thunder grumbled above and she used that sound to cover the sound of her boots clicking the pathway. As soon as she was out of the mansion, she rushed under the shadows of the trees that had lined the road which led to the main market square. Hank's establishment was behind the market square in a busy alley. It had started raining and she started running. She had memorized the path in her mind back to the shop. By the time she reached his place, she was completely soaked. She noticed the wagon and the carriage still tied outside and the horses were taken to the stables. As she entered the shop, one of the men who were with her grabbed her hand. She twisted and stared at him with her sharp green eyes. She wanted to use her magic for his insolence, but once again she stifled it. Let it grow… let it pool…
"Where were you?" he asked, his eyes piercing her. "You didn't do any work, while the four of us did it all. There was so much to be done. We needed you to help organize and that is why Hank sent you with us. But you simply vanished. Were you warming the beds of the lords in the mansion? Do you think that you will get your salary just like that? I have already complained about you to Hank. Wait till you are thrown out!"
Siora sucked in a sharp breath of air and said, "Leave me. It is none of your concern where I go."
The man didn't leave her. "Oh, you bet it is my concern! Hank has appointed me as the in-charge of this event." He started pulling her towards the common hall where more men were sitting and working. "Come with me!" He raised his voice. Siora twisted her hand out of his grasp and ran back to her quarter. Infuriated, the man ran after her. Before she could close the door on him, he banged it open and growled at her. "You forget that I am a werewolf woman, and you do not piss one like us!" He stepped closer to her and grabbed her hand. "Now come with me!" Saying that he pulled her to his chest. She spun and he grabbed her over the shoulder as her back pressed in him.
Unsheathing her dagger, Siora thrust it in his throat.
The man's eyes opened in surprise and his hands became lax. He flung them to his neck. He looked at her as he stumbled back and then fell on the ground. Siora stared at him for a moment, breathing hard. Then she walked to the door and closed it quietly. When she turned, she saw that the man was gurgling blood out of his mouth. She grabbed his feet and pulled him to the pile of vegetables. She stashed him inside it and then covered him with the rotten lot. He would die there… eventually. She wanted to use her magic to incinerate him, but she didn't… Let it pool… It was already thrumming so much that if she didn't use it, she thought she would explode with it. And she needed all this magic, because she wanted not only to kill Iona, but Anastasia too. If Anastasia was the fae princess, then she was the demon queen.
—
Haldir was sitting on a rocking chair with his son who was trying to sing a lullaby. Inyanga laughed at him, at his failed attempts because the child was giggling and holding onto his hair tightly. "You are too bad at singing, Haldir," she teased.
"I am not," he growled at her. "I can make animals sleep with my lullaby."
"Are you sure? Because I do hear donkeys braying on the outside, begging that you stop singing." She started laughing at her joke as he only harrumphed her.
"You simply can't appreciate my talents Inyanga. I think you are jealous of me, of my singing talent." He struggled to free his hair from Ruvyn's hand. Gods, he was such a lovely child. And he was so proud of him.
"Jealous of you?" Inyanga burst into laughter. "There is nothing that would make me jealous of you!" She watched the father and son duo each trying to do what they were best at. Her thoughts went back to Theodir. "Is there a way we can stop them from taking him?" she said. "I mean is there a polite way?" She was ready to go up in arms against him.
Haldir chuckled but that didn't reach his eyes. "Theodir will not yield Inyanga. And he is just too powerful for you." He exhaled heavily. He had pinned his hopes on Ileus.
—
The night was long and cold. Anastasia was tossing and turning on her bed. Ileus hadn't returned from the meetings. He had to visit the borders and some bordering pack territories. What Ileus had told her today haunted her. She simply couldn't stop thinking about it. Haldir had come to meet him in the afternoon. The decision the two had taken regarding Ruvyn was not right. It was cruelty to the child. And Anastasia couldn't help thinking what was less cruel. "Only Ruvyn matters," she whispered to the quietness around her. Except for a single brazier burning in the corner of the room, and the fire hearth, there was no other source of light. The thunder grumbled.
She rolled on her back and stared at the ceiling, which was flickering with shadows. What if Ileus succeeded and what if Theordir succeeded? In both the scenarios someone would end up getting hurt… badly. How could she stop this insanity? She groaned, shifting to her side as frustration drove in. She tossed the blanket away and got out of the bed. She walked barefoot to the tall window that overlooked level two. A lighting cracked up the clouds and it started raining heavily. She grabbed a shawl from the chair and draped it around her.. She looked at the rains, into the chaos that had suddenly descended on their life. Could she persuade Ileus not to do what he wanted to?
