The Wish Granter (Ravenspire #2)(71)

For the first time in five days, Ari smiled. “No.”

He gave her his crinkle-eyed smile in return, and for one glorious moment, nothing existed but the steady patter of the rain and the boy who’d followed her to the lair of a monster and who was willing to risk everything to stay.

Then from behind Ari, Maarit said, “The boss is going to want an explanation for this.”





THIRTY


SEBASTIAN DROPPED HIS hand from the princess’s cheek as a woman old enough to be his great-grandmother shuffled toward them, her wrinkles folded into a fierce glare. He’d been so relieved to see the princess unharmed, so caught up in the wonder of being able to quiet the panic as she touched him, that he’d temporarily lost track of his surroundings.

He was in the heart of his enemy’s kingdom. Every word, every gesture he made mattered. Instantly, his expression hardened into the face he showed on the streets of east Kosim Thalas.

The princess spun to face the woman and said, “If you sneak up on me one more time, I swear by all the stars that I won’t give you a single piece of chocolate cake. And, trust me, Maarit, missing out on that would be a big mistake. Unlike you, I know how to use butter to my advantage.”

“Keeping watch over you is my job.” The woman’s eyes flicked to Sebastian, shrewd and calculating, and his body tensed as he moved to stand beside the princess.

The princess tossed her hands into the air, her voice rising. “What is there to see? I sleep, I eat—if you call consuming plain, tasteless food eating—I check ledgers and make expansion plans for Teague, and then I sleep some more.”

“And you sneak into private studies—”

“I was dusting. Something you might want to try once in a while, since you’re so insistent that the housekeeping is your job.”

“Were you dusting when you somehow got a message to your special friend here telling him to come rescue you?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. How is he supposed to rescue me? One word, Maarit. That’s all it takes, and I’m gone. Forever.”

Sebastian watched the back-and-forth between them closely. It seemed impossible that anyone could be in danger from the old woman, but he could sense the tension that vibrated through the princess’s body. He could hear the way her breath caught between her words.

She was afraid.

The woman came toward them, and suddenly Sebastian understood why.

How did a woman that old move so fast? Just seconds ago, she’d been shuffling along like she could barely move one foot in front of the other. Now, she was practically gliding over the marble floor, her eyes full of rage.

In one smooth step, Sebastian put himself between the princess and Maarit and then reached for the sack of coin he had chained to his belt.

“I’m not here to rescue her,” he said in a quiet, controlled voice that belied the way his muscles wanted to tense so he could meet the incoming threat with force. “I’m here to offer my services to Teague.”

The old woman pulled up short and stood five paces away, watching him warily. “The boss isn’t going to exchange the girl for you.”

“My services have nothing to do with her. I need a job. I think Teague is going to want me as an employee.”

She sniffed and looked at the bag in his hand. “What’s that?”

“That’s between me and Teague. Where is he?”

“Out on business.” The woman glared at him and then at the princess for good measure. “Don’t just stand there with the door open. You’ll let in all the rain.”

The princess moved past him, and Sebastian quickly entered the villa, shutting the door behind him.

“Teague leaves before dawn and doesn’t come home until after lunch,” the princess said, giving Maarit a wide berth as she moved through the entrance hall.

Sebastian kept his expression neutral.

He’d spent five days shaking Teague’s empire down to its very core. He’d moved through the list he’d taken from Felman, collecting debts where he could and secretly paying them with his own coin when he found people too destitute to honor their contracts. He’d survived confrontations with the other three street bosses. He’d beaten back a steady stream of runners and other low-level players who didn’t approve of him skipping ranks and going straight for the top.

Everyone on the street knew that Sebastian Vaughn was collecting in Teague’s name and that crossing him resulted in nothing but pain and misery. It had to be enough to get himself hired to replace Teague’s Kosim Thalas collector, Daan. If it wasn’t, Sebastian was out of ideas.

Holding himself poised and ready in case the woman became a threat again, Sebastian raised a brow as the princess picked up a sword that was lying on the floor and muttered, “So glad I risked my life to protect yours.” She aimed the words at Maarit.

“I didn’t ask you to protect me,” the old woman snapped.

“Honestly, Maarit. You are this close to no cake.” The princess met his gaze, and something shifted in her expression. Something that told him she needed him to hear what she wasn’t saying. “I’m going to go put this away in the library and then change out of my wet dress. Since it’s almost lunchtime, I’ll meet the two of you in the kitchen and save you from her cooking. You’re welcome.”