Fall of Ashes: An Urban Faantasy Romance (Ashes to Flame Book 2) by Alexes Razevich

Author:Alexes Razevich [Razevich, Alexes]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Razor Street Publishing
Published: 2023-05-18T18:30:00+00:00

18

“Hmm,” was all Sharp said in reply.

Maddox, Blue, and I waited for him to say more. That was certainly what I was waiting for, at least. Some explanation as to why he would invite his enemy into his home.

“I can take back the invitation,” he said finally.

“Do,” I said.

Sharp flashed a sly smile. “Aww. You care. I’m so moved.”

I half-rolled my eyes. “I care about getting The Whispers. I’ll do my best to keep you alive to get what I want.”

I wasn’t sure where this new hard-assed me had come from, but I’d meant what I’d said. Since the moment I’d first seen Curly in the under-the-lake-house, I’d felt like a different person. I was a different person–colder, quicker on the uptake, ready to do whatever it took to get what I wanted. I was okay with the new me.

We fell into another long silence at the table. The brownie padded in quietly, refilled the coffee cups, and padded out again.

Sharp cleared his throat. “It’s not well known, but I own Sly Bastards.”

If bells really went off in people’s heads, bells would have been clanging loudly around the table.

“Which is how you know who all the bidders for my pendant were,” I said as understanding bloomed. “And those who didn’t bid but who were interested.”

“Yes,” Sharp said.

“Your rival,” Maddox said, “threatens that somehow.”

Sharp inclined his head in acknowledgement. “The bitch wants to start an auction house to compete with Sly Bastards. She’s telling people she’ll give sellers a greater portion of the profits if they’re exclusive to her.”

“So, offer them the same share,” Blue said as if it were obvious. “Problem solved. “Or offer them better and cut her off before she gets started.”

I thought about Sharp’s power. “You could enthrall her workers to leave her and work for you.”

“If only it were that simple,” Sharp said. “Her magic is as strong as mine and she’s no fool. All her staff are warded against my magic just as my staff are protected from hers. On that level, we’re at a standoff.”

“So,” Blue said, “you’ll be protecting us if we decide to throw in with you.”

“Of course,” Sharp said. “I’d be an idiot to leave you vulnerable to enthrallment.”

“We haven’t said we’re throwing in with him,” I reminded the small dragon.

“You will though,” Sharp replied. “Remember, I know you’ve used a very illegal invisibility spell. Unless you don’t mind my telling the magic police about your indiscretion.”

I gave him a bland stare. “Blackmail is so unbecoming.”

Sharp smiled. “And yet, wonderfully effective.”

Like the sun emerging from behind the clouds, Sharp’s plan became clear to me. “You want us to use invisibility to do something to stop your rival.”

“A simple task,” Sharp said. “I want you to retrieve a few videos on a flash drive she has in her possession. It should be no problem for people who can’t be seen.”

I picked up my cup and sipped the coffee. It was delicious.

“You knew I was in your house even when I was invisible,” I reminded him.

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