Chapter 17 #2
Okay, this wasn’t all that different than negotiating with any small time crook who thought playing dumb was an effective negotiating tool.
Cha took the offensive and placed her palms on its desk and leaned over it, lowering her voice.
“Let’s pretend that’s true and you’re truly just an ignorant clerk with no idea of the needs of its employers.
Since we’re going with that scenario, allow me to explain to you: agnicurna is an explosive that works in the fae realms, that cannot be countered by magic.
It’s what blew out the veils between the human and fae realms, so devastating that the barriers could not be repaired.
And maybe there’s no fae war currently waging—at least not outright—but I wonder why the Moonstone fae would be attempting to stockpile the stuff then? ”
Gnome-clerk took a breath, nearly a gasp. “You have proof of this?”
“They paid my partner and me to smuggle a shipment into Moonstone.” Cha glanced over her shoulder at Dy, who nodded in confirmation. She had on what she thought was her tough-criminal face, but it mostly made her look like a cranky angel.
True concern changed the clerk’s expression, deep worry lines forming around its black, globular eyes. “Who else knows of this? I cannot go to my superiors with information from a human, especially a sneaky smuggler.”
Cha drew herself up, hands on hips. “Insults, my friend? That won’t get you what we have to offer.”
“I’m merely telling you how they will see it,” Gnome-clerk answered almost primly. “Do you have verification from a fae, preferably noble? That is the word they will accept.”
This was almost too easy. Even half-sick with a concussion, Cha had managed to wrangle this conversation to right where she needed it.
Restraining a self-congratulatory hip-wiggle, she pretended to think.
“How about a Prince of Amethyst, currently a guest of the court here? He can verify our story.”
Those globular eyes narrowed. “I won’t ask how you can know about that, but your knowledge is highly suspect. Why would this august personage be bothered with human smugglers?”
And wasn’t that a question and a half? She declined to mention that the august personage in question had a thing for her magical pussy—or, at least, did at one point—and instead focused on the fact that Azul did indeed seem to be in a position of respect in the court, captive or not.
Instead, she tapped her fingernails pointedly on the Moonruby wand sheathed at her hip.
Pink glitter poofed out and the cricket clerk’s eyes widened to previously unknown dimensions.
“How do you have that wand?” he breathed.
Tempted to ask what the wand would be worth to him, Cha suppressed her mercenary heart and answered the primary question instead.
“Never mind the how. The point is the Prince of Amethyst is a friend. Let him know a human with this wand is here and he’ll verify my tale of the agnicurna.
Then we can negotiate.” Not that she really cared about that deal, but if they could make some side change on this excursion, that would be a lovely bonus.
Gnome-clerk considered for a long, breathless moment. If he said no and kicked them out, they didn’t have a viable back up plan. Probably running around the palace shouting Azul’s name didn’t count as an actual plan. Though it had its appeal.
“All right,” the clerk decided. “I send to arrange an audience with the prince. Should this be verified, how much do you have and what is your price?”
“Ten crates of agnicurna, for eight of yellow dust.”
Gnome-clerk snorted. “Don’t be absurd. I can’t go more than two crates of yellow.”
One for Nerd Girl and one to parcel out and sell, at the worst. Things were looking up. “Ha!” She exclaimed. “Seven of yellow.”
“Three,” it countered.
As they settled into earnest dickering, Cha didn’t look at Dy, because the shared triumph would give away too much, but she allowed the relief to wash through her. She would soon see Azul and then she’d know…
Something.
*
They were sent to a salon to wait. Dy paced restlessly around the small, relentlessly gilded room, while Cha took the opportunity to stretch out on one of the prettily upholstered sofas and rest her aching head, leaving her boots on just to be ornery.
Katu leapt up beside her, stretching out along her side the way they did at home.
He made for a familiar purring weight that almost put her at ease.
Almost. Because no way was she going to be able to relax fully while worrying about what Azul was going to do or say when she finally saw him.
She stared up at the ceiling, fancifully decorated in swirling gold shapes that appeared to be various kinds of monstrous-looking fae simultaneously fucking and devouring each other.
One trio, in particular, seemed to be a lizard, raptor, and something insectile in a circle of lust, taking up the center position in the room, with a chandelier suspended from them.
They really liked circular shit here.
She tried rehearsing the pending reunion with Azul in her mind, the way you’re supposed to do with difficult situations.
They’d be escorted into some sort of receiving room.
Would he be sitting on a throne, possibly surrounded by courtiers?
Would Lenorae be with him? One thing was for sure: no way would she be bowing to him.
No, she had her dignity and she was rescuing him, so he could damn well be grateful to her.
At least, as grateful as fae nature and their arcane rules allowed.
Too bad she hadn’t had time to clean up.
After that impromptu battle with Sunshine as preying mantis, she was probably spattered in all kinds of mud and goo.
She should have asked to freshen up. Speaking of which, she could stand to visit the necessary.
“Do you think there are restrooms in this place?” she asked the ceiling.
“I doubt it, but I could use one,” Dy answered. She tried the several doors in the walls of the windowless room. “All locked. Color me shocked.” She came over and laid a cool hand on Cha’s forehead. “Feeling pukey, honey?”
“A little,” Cha admitted. “Do I look like shit?”
Upside down and gazing down at her, Dy gave her a wry look. “Arantxa Evermore, are you actually worrying about how you look for meeting a boy?”
Cha clapped her hands over her face. Satan wept, she was. “No,” she muttered through her fingers.
“Of course you are. That’s natural,” Dy said with surprising gentleness. “Come on, let’s clean you up a bit.”
At her urging, Cha sat up, displacing Katu who took over the sofa with an indolent sprawl.
Dy pulled some supplies from her shoulder bag, wetting a towel from a flask of water.
At Cha’s look, she grimaced. “Perils of being a mom. You learn to carry every possible supply around with you. Just don’t let the water go in your mouth. ”
She scrubbed Cha’s face, Cha indeed feeling like a kid. She wanted to protest, but Dy could see and she couldn’t. Then Dy handed her a comb and Cha did her best to detangle the unruly mass.
“Let me,” Dy said, and stood before Cha, her expression serious as she plucked at the curls around Cha’s face, arranging them. “There,” she decided. “You look gorgeous.”
“I’ll settle for not half-dead.”
“True. You look more like three-quarters dead,” Azul said.