Lupine's Diamond (girlxgirl)

Chapter Nineteen

Freya stood in silence, gazing down at the glittering jewel. This was it; what Corvus had sent her there to collect. Freya had always thought that this moment would be a feeling of elation and pride, but now it was nothing but guilt and fear. Surely Naja knew exactly where it was if it was this easy to find! No safe, no worry of locks. Nothing. It was easy. Too easy. Surely there was a catch though Freya knew somewhere deep within her soul that Corvus had made this job particularly easy for Freya because she failed the last.

"That son of a—" she whispered before cutting herself off.

Now was not the time to blow her own cover. Quickly, Freya dug through her pockets for the note that she had prewritten, the words now memorized after the hours she had spent agonizing over what to say. She folded the note and placed it on top of the diamond with a small corner of it left poking out the side of the box when the lid was replaced so that Victoria would see it.

Now all Freya had to do was wait. She turned to leave the room and...was that the sound of Victoria's steps making their way up the stairs? Surely it couldn't be, and yet, Freya worried that they might be all the same. She quickly and quietly closed the drawer and hurried out of the room, being face to face with Naja.

"Lupine,"she hissed. "What on earth are you doing?"

"Dusting," Freya replied, hoping that Naja wouldn't see through her lie. If she did, she certainly didn't make any indication of it.

"Fine," Naja grumbled. "Come, Corvus is here." she turned on her heel and started back towards the stairs.

"What do you mean he's here?" Freya exclaimed, quickly rushing after Naja. "Here here? Like, right here?"

"Yes!" Naja snapped. "Where else would he be?"

"Back at home?" Freya guessed.

"The day before a job this big? Absolutely not. Then again, you've never successfully completed one of these so I shouldn't be surprised."

It was a low blow, yet it hurt all the same. Freya remained silent for the rest of the trip to the back door where Freya had prepared for her last job only two months earlier. It was strange to think about just how close the Kingdom was to rolling out their plan and just how close Freya was to getting caught. If Corvus found out that she was planning on betraying him...

She didn't let herself finish that thought. He would not find out. Freya was smarter than they gave her credit for. She would figure out how to take them down. She would have the last laugh. Naja pushed open the back door and stepped out in the alleyway, not even bothering to hold the door for Freya. Unfortunately for Freya—who had been expecting some level of courtesy—she got smacked in the face with the heavy oak door, covering her vision in spots. She cursed.

She looked so incompetent! She was about to open her mouth to defend herself, then realized that she might be able to use this to her advantage; if Corvus and Naja thought of her as incompetent she might be able to actually take them down. They would never underestimate the underdog again after she was through with them. Just they wait!

---

Corvus met them at a diner down the street by the name of Glenda's Eatery. It was a simple establishment, known for its overall tone of brown. Any colour or variant of brown could be found in Glenda's as far as Freya was concerned. Tan, chestnut, cinnamon, chocolate, coffee, caramel, and so on. The air stank of cigarettes and marajuana, filling the air with a smog that made Freya want to flee immediately. Unfortunately for her, Naja had other ideas.

A plump old woman with a permanent scowl stood at the entrance, glaring daggers at the two women. Her uniform—a pair of tan slacks and a collared chestnut shirt with a rusting name tag that vaguely read Gina—was stained with grease and sauces, though some looked suspiciously like blood. The place was a true beauty.

"Welcome to Glenda's Eatery," Gina said, her voice bored and monotone. Freya involuntarily recoiled as she spoke, noticing that the smell of the restaurant seemed to permeate from Gina herself. If Gina noticed Freya's aversion, she certainly didn't react. "Where it's half the egg and all the calories. Seat yourselves and I'll take your orders in a minute."

Naja pulled Freya to the back of the diner where Corvus was waiting. Despite the disrepair of the place, he was still dressed in a suit and tie, looking around as if he owned the place. Knowing what Freya knew now, she wouldn't doubt it.

"Naja, Lupine," Corvus said upon noticing them, rising to his feet. "You made it. Good."

Naja nodded and sat down on the opposite side of the booth, and roughly pulled Freya in down beside her. The seat of the booth was probably comfy at one point but now with the stuffing falling out and clearly broken springs holding it together it was lacklustre at best. Rough sections of duct tape held it together and Freya was willing to bet that the table had likely been glued back together a couple times. It was the deep fracture down the centre that gave it away. A brown glass ashtray lay in the centre of the table, seemingly undumped for months judging by the sheer amount of ash that filled it. Why on earth would Corvus choose this place to convene?

To show who's in charge. she realized. He's making it abundantly clear as to who holds the power here. We're in maids' uniforms and he's in a suit in the crappiest diner this side of Winnipeg. This is all a game to him.

Freya tried her best to sink into the disgusting booth and think about anything other than the stench that filled the place. Gina approached the booth only moments later, slamming three greasy menus down. She rambled off a short list of specials before stalking off. Corvus picked up his menu, handling it as if he were at a steakhouse instead of a hole in the wall. Naja picked up her own menu, trying her best not to touch too much of the clearly sticky edges. Freya tried her best to do the same.

The menu was as you'd expect from any breakfast diner: Belgian waffles, pancakes, sausages, french toast, and eggs. Lots and lots of eggs. Poached eggs, over easy, over hard, hard boiled, scrambled, deviled, fried, and omelettes. It was as if they were in league with the egg mafia. Knowing Corvus, there was a high chance of that ringing true. He seemed to have contacts everywhere. Everywhere, everywhere. Freya had even heard rumours that he was in cahoots with the Prime Minister themself, though it was unlikely that they knew his true business of fraud. Moments later, Gina returned with a stained notepad and a chipped pencil, her scowl deepening with every passing minute.

"I'll take a poached egg, sausages, and toast," Corvus said, breaking the tense silence. "And a cup of coffee. Black."

"French toast," Naja said as soon as Gina stopped writing. "And bacon."

Gina turned to Freya. "Uh...waffle please. With...uh...toast?" she found herself posing it as a question. "Please and...thank you"

A small light of surprise glimmered in Gina's eyes. She clearly wasn't used to being thanked. "I'll be back in five," she said, storming off with a quick glance back at Freya.

And so it begins. Freya thought with a grimace.

What's this? Another new chapter? What a surprise!

As a quick aside, Glenda's Eatery was created as an ISU for my business class and even has a website complete with a menu and testimonials. Maybe if you guys are interested, I'll share the link. 

Here are this chapter's questions: 

- What do you think Corvus wants to discuss?

- What do you think Freya's note says?

- Is Glenda's a front for something (not relevant to the plot whatsoever)?

- What do you think will happen next?

Thanks to all my wonderful readers! You really give me the motivation to continue writing on something that I would otherwise procrastinate doing. 

~ Alley