The Amazon's Pledge Ch. 13

"The Mistress already knows all about Telanya's little secrets," Silhouette said, idly moving her little fortune tokens across the table between us. "And I know that high elf wouldn't have risked her neck to let you out of the Citadel unless she wanted something in return."

"Okay," I murmured, my eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"You don't need to tell me the details because I don't want to know them. All that matters is that you're going to have a choice soon. You can either side with the people who see our powers as a liability, or you can side with the ones who will embrace them."

I grunted softly. "One of those sides happens to be offering quite a lot of coin. Is your mistress willing to make a deal?"

"Coin is good. Solidarity is better."

"So that's a no, then," Valuri muttered.

Silhouette's eyes flicked up to the Senosi. "A war is coming. You know that better than anyone, Huntress. You can take your coin and flee to Silver Falls or Falcon Ridge or even Nol Krovos, but it will still catch up to you eventually. The only question is who you want at your side when the fighting begins."

"That's not much of an answer," I said.

"It's the message I was told to deliver," Silhouette replied coolly. "I'll be here when you get back. Come and find me if you want to chat again."

I stared at her for a long moment, desperately trying to read her intentions. But whatever else Silhouette might have been, she was obviously a professional. Her face was an unreadable wall.

"Now, if you don't mind, honey, I have other customers waiting," she said, gesturing behind us. There was no one there, but I received the message loud and clear. I stood and bade the girls to follow. They did, taking up positions to flank me as we left the plaza.

The plaza was a quarter mile behind us before Valuri broke the silence.

"So what in the hell was that about?" she asked. "I've met monks that were less cryptic."

"It's a test," I said. "The Black Mistress wants to know whether we're in this for coin or the cause."

"'The cause'? You mean defeating the Inquisitrix?"

"I mean sorcerer solidarity, but obviously the war is also part of it." I pursed my lips in thought. "I'm starting to realize the politics here are a lot more complicated than I thought."

"What was your first clue?" Valuri asked with a snort. "Look, you know I want to beat the Inquisitrix more than anyone, but that doesn't mean I want to sign up with a cabal of underworld sorcerers, either."

"You'd rather work with Telanya and the Archmage?"

"I'd rather get paid. And at least we know they have plenty of coin."

"This is more important than gold," Kaseya said. "I do not trust Telanya or her husband."

Valuri cocked a black eyebrow. "But you trust a shadowy crime boss you've never met? That silver-haired whore must have licked your pussy good."

"I do not trust Silhouette or her mistress," Kaseya said. "None of these people possess any honor. Perhaps we would be better off going after my sister alone."

"Your family problems are the least of my concerns, Red," Valuri muttered. "This is about survival, and if we're going to survive, we need resources--that includes gold."

Kaseya glared at the other woman for several seconds. "If all you want is to survive, there is no reason for you to remain with us. You must want vengeance against my sister and the Inquisitrix."

"Your sister can rot in the Pale. The Inquisitrix..." Valuri sighed. "Look, I grew up in Vorsalos. I'd like to see the city free as much as anyone. But I'm not interested in getting myself killed for anyone's 'cause.' If we can't find reliable allies here, we should move on."

"You really do not have a sense of honor, do you?" Kaseya said.

"Oh, please. Pull your head out of Jorem's trousers and--"

"Enough," I said, grabbing their shoulders in warning. "We can debate this later. Right now we need to get on the road and start heading south if we want to make the rendezvous."

"So you still want to side with Telanya?" Valuri asked. "Please tell me it's not because you fucked her, because if I remember correctly, you fucked that little half-elf back there, too."

"This has nothing to do with sex," I said, sighing and pinching my nose. "I need some time to think. But right now, Telanya's offer is the best one we've got. Once the cargo is safe and back in Highwind...then we can decide what to do with it."

Valuri shrugged. "I'd say you're the boss, but that only applies to Red and her collar here."

I sighed again. "Why do you always have to make things so difficult?"

"Because you wouldn't have it any other way," she said, leaning forward and kissing me on the cheek. "Now come on. We don't want those stable boys telling Telanya we were late."