Chapter 51
Yvette
Florian smiled more than any honest person should.
It was a mask, she knew. Victor wore masks too, typically one of casual indifference as he subjected everyone around him to his exacting assessments.
Yvette had no doubt that Florian had been measuring her since she walked into the tavern.
However, what he wanted was impossible to say.
She certainly didn’t trust him. It didn’t help that he was so rakishly handsome, and clearly knew it.
His sun kissed skin and artful, curved features.
The way he wielded that crooked smile like a weapon was bordering unethical.
If it hadn’t been for the genuine concern on his face when she’d mentioned Keira’s predicament (the first genuine expression she’d seen him make) she never would have stayed after he’d disappeared upstairs.
It was a choice Yvette was still reconsidering as she sat nervously at the bar.
Her anxiety dueled between fears of Florian coming back down the stairs with his companions to rob her or Victor walking through the tavern doors in a cloud of wrath.
Florian’s reappearance shook her loose from her anxieties. Behind him, others followed, grumbling to one another until one by one they locked eyes on her.
“Is this who brought news of Keira?” the dark skinned woman asked.
“This is Yvette,” Florian said. He passed a round of introductions of his associates for her benefit.
Rhea’s gaze on her was curious, but aloof.
Lilith’s eyes were narrowed and calculating.
Gareth, the large one, was looking down on her with a hardly discernible expression, but it was certainly not welcoming.
Last of all, Knox… His unflinching stare nearly sent a shiver down her spine as their eyes met, looking as if he might actually bite.
“She came here to tell us that Keira was taken by the cartel,” Florian finished.
They exchanged uneasy looks.
“She came to find us tonight, to tell us that Keira was taken a week ago?” The small blonde woman, Lilith, asked skeptically.
“We are too far north for even their reach,” Gareth said, his brow low and solid over his eyes as he crossed his massive arms over his chest.
Suspicion was present in some form or another in each of them as they waited for her to explain herself.
“Someone learned about her bounty, and turned her in,” Yvette explained, using every thread of composure not to fidget beneath their collectively cool reception.
“Someone?” Lilith shot back. “Who is this lady, Florian?”
“She’s defending someone,” Knox said. She’d been avoiding his stare this whole time, but as he spoke, she made the error of catching his eye. His steady glare made even those soft words sound like a threat.
“That’s not what’s important,” Yvette stressed.
They didn’t need to know about Victor. It wasn’t as if he still had Keira anymore.
A more selfish part of her knew that in defending him, she was also defending herself.
She wasn’t blameless in this, but they needed to believe her in order for her to fix her mistakes.
“Your friend is in trouble. Aren’t you going to help her? ”
“We always look out for our own,” Rhea said. She stood with such confidence Yvette had to make an effort not to shrink away. “But you have given us no reason to trust in what you say.”
“She’s given us no reason to doubt either,” Florian said firmly. “We all agreed that Keira’s disappearance was sudden, unlike her.”
“You just can’t say no to a pretty face, Florian,” Lilith snapped.
Knox’s jaw flexed beneath his cheek.
Florian ignored them both and looked pointedly into Yvette’s eyes. His curved brows were soft and sincere. “Is there anything else we need to know to help our friend?”
Yvette’s breath came shallow under his gaze. “I’ve told you everything you need.”
Florian turned to the others. “There you have it. We are all entitled to our secrets.” He stared them down one by one.
Lilith’s eyes narrowed. “Not if those secrets come back to bite us in the-”
Rhea placed a hand on her shoulder, and they exchanged a look layered in wordless communication.
“If the Highwinds have her, she’ll be in Deepgate by now,” Rhea said.
“If she’s not in their service already,” Gareth said darkly.
“She wouldn’t,” Florian and Lilith said as one.
Rhea nodded. “She knows better than that, but we should get to Deepgate as soon as possible. Gareth, find us horses in the morning. We’ll ride, cut the journey in half. With any luck, we can turn a profit on the Northern breeds once we get to Stormhaven.”
“You’re sure she’s there? In Deepgate? Isn’t it impenetrable?” Yvette asked. Who hadn’t heard the horrid tales of that prison?
The strangers exchanged weighted looks. “It wouldn’t be the first time we’ve gotten someone back,” Rhea said at last. “But it will be more difficult this time. Keira will be kept in the mage cells, high security.”
Gareth nodded. “Best to go in from the front if we can manage it.”
“I may be able to help,” Yvette offered.
Florian watched her with that assessing curiosity once again. His eyes reminded her of paintings she’d seen of the summer ocean, vibrant blue with hints of green. “Are you sure?”
His question took her aback. It had never crossed her mind that she might just relay the message and be done with it.
But even if her task here was done, where else was she supposed to go?
She could not go back to Victor, not now, and yet Redfield Manor was her only home.
There was no family to take her in, no past to fall back on, save a life on the streets.
Rhea turned, her golden brown eyes pinning her with an exacting stare. “Why would you go so far to help us?”
Her message was clear: give me a reason to trust you. “Because I want to see this put right.” Yvette poured every measure of truth she could muster behind the words.
She watched her for a moment longer before offering a nod.
“The journey will be long and hard,” Rhea said. “We cannot afford to slow our pace.”
Something bristled within her under the weight of their assumptions. She had endured a lifetime of hardships, despite what her tailored appearance might suggest. “I can manage,” Yvette said, coloring her tone with resilience.
“Very well then,” she allowed. “Let us all enjoy one more full night in a decent bed.”
The others fell in line and began to talk in hushed tones amongst themselves on the way up the stairs.
Florian alone lingered beside her. “I want to thank you,” he said.
Yvette looked to him, brows pinched.
“For helping us,” he explained, offering a smile. His eyes were for once soft and genuine.
“It was the right thing to do,” she answered, uncomfortable beneath his gratitude. She certainly didn’t deserve it.
His smile only widened. “If only the realm were half as noble as you, my lady.”
Guilt churned in her stomach. Noble? Hardly. But she would right this wrong, and in doing so it would give her time to think. And perhaps if she were fortunate, there would be new opportunities for her in the south, far away from Redfield Manor.