The Prize of Dysprosium

Chapter III: Rebel Bones

"So what are our plans today?" I ask as Garmen tries, and fails, to stuff a whole piece of pie into her mouth. She says something tangled but I shake my head and she swallows most of the bite.

"Well, I was thinking," she begins with puffs of crumbs spraying out of her mouth, but then she falls silent at something behind me. I just have time to register that the few people still around the table have all fallen quiet too, when I turn my head and find the reason. Ki Aimi has opened the door and just inside are two figures standing. One is Alle Bronze, looking as cool and collected as last night and wearing a new cloak, this time in midnight blue. The other one is at least a head taller than her with black hair hanging down over his eyes in shaggy locks and what even Brice will have to admit is an impressive facial bone structure. Ridder Shawthon, also known as the son of Grant Shawthon, Minister of Economic Growth, and Alle Bronze's fiancé. He looks absolutely out of place in his fancy clothes, and judging by the way his eyes dart around he sure as Hell is aware of it. Alle's gaze, which has been centered on me before I noticed her, now leads Ridder's to me. He takes in my face, his expression one tightly woven, controlled, ball of what I can only guess is pure panic. No, he doesn't belong here at all.

"I assume you're here for the ring back," Barooba's voice cuts through like a knife in the room and all attention is turned to her. She has appeared in the other end of the room, soundless like a cat.

"Yes." Alle takes a step forward, but then Ridder drags her back. I can't hear what he's saying to her, but I hear the word 'don't' and 'rob'.

"No, they won't," Alle says and pulls her arm from his grip. She walks straight up to Barooba although she's at least three inches shorter and looks the owner directly in the eyes. "I have the money," she says. "But I would like to talk to you and Noah privately or you can keep the ring."

It takes me a second to fully grasp the extend of her threat because I hadn't actually thought she'd give up the ring, and neither had Barooba apparently. But it is a luminary's engagement ring. Best case scenario is that it's unsellable because nobody will dare own a thing a Minister's son's fiancé, who also happens to be a luminary, has shown off on national television. Barooba will not only have lost a reward, but half the income of a good night.

If Alle on the other hand chooses to put out word that it has somehow been taken? The Pacifiers would pull the Cave apart because the last time they saw her was having sex with me. We could try and say that we hid her from the Pacifiers, that the person they were after that night was her, but who would believe a group of prostitutes compared to a luminary who, breaking down on live television, is begging her fiancé to forgive her. If I have to take a bet I'll say she's much more willing to go down the cheating-fiancé path than the ran-from-the-Pacifier's path. Either way I'll end up with a bullet through my brain and the ensured termination of the Cave of Dionysus.

It takes me long enough to figure this out that Barooba has already decided.

"Noah," she barks like the slith of a snake before it's about to kill its prey. "My office. Now."

I stand up without looking at anyone although I can feel Garmen's gaze burning holes in my neck, and follow Barooba and Alle as Ridder falls into step behind me with a curse.

We move into Barooba's office where Ridder has to duck to enter and Barooba closes the door. Alle looks around at the compactness of the room.

"This is cozy," she says and even manages to sound sincere. Ridder's face does not convey the same at all. It's actually completely obvious what he thinks of all of my home, and for some reason it pisses me off. He is no better than me in any way, except in luck of heritage. He shouldn't get to judge.