Chapter 19 #2
“Are you talking about Calypso?” Bellamy’s mouth curved into a full-on grin. “Is that old sea hag still locked up there? They did her almost as dirty as they do my kind when they get the chance. And she sent you here?”
I didn’t have time to examine that nugget of information as the locket shook even harder against my leg, now too loud to ignore, the top and bottom of it clattering like a clam shell. There was no way anyone didn’t hear the clatter.
No point in trying to hide her now. Not when Bellamy knew her.
I pulled the locket free, squeezing it so the edges were still. “I’ll leave you in my dresser for the next week if you don’t behave,” I muttered, freeing the latch and setting the locket open on the counter, angled so we could all see her.
“Hello, Bellamy.” Calypso’s voice dripped with disdain as she stared out of the locket. “Still running your little pawn shop, I see.”
He narrowed his eyes, leaning closer to the siren’s image in the ornate piece of jewelry. “You still owe me for that pearl you promised me.”
“Well, if you couldn’t tell, it’s been rather difficult to conduct business while I’m trapped in a fucking wishing well!” she snapped, her voice rising in volume.
He broke into a sudden fit of laughter as he slapped his knee. “The image of you down there, getting bonked on the head with a coin every few minutes, that will stay with me! I knew you were trapped, but that’s even funnier than what I was thinking.”
Her eyes narrowed, the water around her seemed to bubble with her anger. Her mouth opened and I braced for the volume and litany of curses. To her credit she drew a deep breath and managed a hybrid of a smile and growl.
“Let’s focus on the topic at hand, shall we, Bellamy?
What my . . . colleagues have told you is all true.
I felt the coin arrive here decades ago and haven’t felt it move since then – and by that it has not touched a drop of water.
I’d think its magic would be strong enough that even you’d be able to sense it.
It will be on, or very close to a body of water, if that provides additional direction.
Perhaps you can help them look?” She spoke in about as civil a tone as I’d ever heard from her.
If you did not count her not so subtle dig.
Bellamy and Calypso had a little staring contest that lasted a solid minute before the shopkeeper spoke.
“I have heard of a cache of treasure that might hold what you’re looking for.
But there is no way I could help you search.
I’m rather busy here.” He let out a sigh as he stretched his arms wide.
His eyes never left the locket, and the smirk on his face made it clear he was enjoying every second of this exchange.
He was in the driver’s seat, and he knew it. So did we.
It was hard to blame him, though. Calypso was completely obnoxious.
“That said, I might be persuaded to help.” He leaned back in his seat. “But what’s in it for me? Another non-existent pearl I suppose?”
He’d agreed to help. The rest was on me.
I snapped the locket shut and held it tight so Calypso couldn’t screw this negotiation up.
Liam had given me an upper amount he could cover, and haggling was one of my strong suits.
“A five-ounce bar of gold.”
He scoffed, grabbing his loupe and yanking over another trinket. “Best of luck to you.”
Not bad, old man. “Give me your counter, then.”
He was silent and so was I.
Thieving 201: Never negotiate with yourself.
We stared at each other, me doing my best to ignore the low-grade buzzing of the locket against the pressure of my hand, him doing his best to get me to blink first.
My eyes started to water, but hell if I was about to break the silence. I’d never had someone not blink and I could not believe I would lose to this grubby old shopkeeper.
I squinted one eye at him. “While this is highly entertaining, we don’t have all night, Bellamy. Put us out of our misery and just tell us what you want. We can either afford it, or we can’t.”
The old man twitched, just a little, and I knew we had him. There was something he had in mind that he wanted. All we had to do was add a little pressure.
For the first time in a long time, I broke eye contact first and turned away.
“Forget it. He’s not talking. Liam, you said you had another contact, back in Edinburgh?” Liam put out a hand for me to pass him.
“Yes, the archivist might be what we need and he won’t cost us a single dime –”
“Goddess, not that old fuddy duddy!” Bellamy sighed, thumping the counter with both hands.
I looked over my shoulder as he motioned for us to stay where we were.
“Fine, fine. You clearly need my help if the alternative is the archivist. Seeing as I’m a kind-hearted soul, I will find a way to help.
Perhaps I know where you can find what you’re looking for, and there is something that I want in the same place.
The item I want will be my payment, but I need some assurances in case you fail.
Information is a valuable commodity, after all.
” He leaned forward to meet me in the middle of the desk, eyes flitting to my wrist. “We just need to figure out some kind of collateral, so you don’t just take what I give you and walk away.
Not that I don’t trust you . . . but I don’t trust you. ”
He drew in a deep breath, his nose widening as if he were scenting the air, lowering his head as if he would sniff my fingers. He looked back up at me and winked. Not fucking creepy at all.
“We offered you the gold bar. That is worth a great deal.” I had to keep myself from recoiling from him. I could not let him know he was getting under my skin.
He shook his head. “Boring. Money comes and goes. I want something with real value. I need something . . . more personal. Something that means a great deal to you that you will not want to lose. Used to be I’d ask for your first born, but I hate children and I do believe that their parents were at times more than willing to give them up. ”
My eyes widened. Gods, the guy was a real winner. Something personal, what did I have?
I unzipped my pouch and winced as I rummaged through it. I didn’t really have anything else of value. Then, it hit me.
The perfect offering and for me a two-for-one deal.
“How about Calypso’s locket? Gold, so worth a good amount, an antique with its very own passenger to keep you company. What could be more personal than that?” To my surprise, the locket remained quiet and unmoving. Maybe the shock had killed her.
He waved a dismissive hand. “Ha! The last thing I need is that hag driving off clients. No, something with value, girl.”
What the hell could I give him? I touched my dagger and then went back to my pouch of hidden items. Nothing in there that had that kind of value, as far as I could imagine. I looked to Liam who was frowning and shook his head.
Both of us at a loss, I looked back to Bellamy. “Spit it out, you obviously have something in mind.”
He jabbed his finger toward my wrist and cleared his throat, in what was a poor attempt at sounding nonchalant. “What’s that bracelet you got there?”
My heart skipped a beat as I looked down at the colored glass and petrified wood bracelet that Opie had given me for Abundance Day. “This? Nothing. Those aren’t even gems. It’s worthless.”
“You think I don’t know glass when I see it, girl? I’m aware of its intrinsic value or lack thereof on the open market.” He licked his lips, his tongue coming further out than was necessary. Like a lot further.
Why the hell was he eyeing the bracelet like that? It wasn’t fucking edible.
Liam stepped up, for which I was grateful. “How about you take the gold we have – it’s plenty to cover whatever assurance you need. Simple.”
But Bellamy shook his head. “No. I want the bracelet or you get nothing.”
Shit.
Liam’s eyes were solemn and full of sympathy. “I know it’s important to you, but we’ll be back for it in a few days.” He shrugged. “Either way, it’s your call.”
Something with value, something that had ties to a person I cared about, then? Whatever game he had going on, I did not want to give him my bracelet from Opie. But I had something else that had been a gift from someone who meant something to me . . . before.
“What about this?” I pulled out the yellow glass Typhon had given me.
The thought of parting with it made me sick, but fuck him, anyway.
He didn’t deserve my sadness or whatever messed up attraction I had because of the bond.
It was just another reminder of his betrayal, and it would be smart to part with it.
“It has a charm on it that makes it easier to read runes.”
Bellamy scooped it up, rolling it around in his palms. He squinted both eyes, looking at it long and hard, his nostrils flaring again, eyes fluttering closed.
After a moment he shook his head and handed it back.
“That’s a good one too, and if not for the bracelet, I’d take it.
But I want the bracelet more,” he said, holding out an expectant hand.
“You’ll have it back . . . once you complete your end of the bargain. ”
I clenched a fist, staring at him for a long moment. There was nothing else I could do, and we both knew it.
“See, this one reminds me of your eyes.” Opie’s sweet voice replayed in my head as I stared at the little smoothed-out pieces of glass. “And this one for that time you took me to the beach and the sunset was all purple and orange . . .”
Hot tears filled my eyes, and I blinked them back furiously. It wasn’t like I had much of a choice, given that I was literally going to die if I didn’t find the coin, and how would I be able to protect her then?
I slid it off my wrist and pushed it across the counter. Bellamy snatched it up greedily, bringing it to his nose, and sucking in a big whiff. I had half a mind to snatch it back as he sighed contentedly, leaning a bit further back in his chair.