Page 53 of Shield of Fire

“The rate of pay depends on what you have to say.”

She laughed, though it ended in a serious, hacking cough that suggested she might be the one responsible for all the butts.

“I’m thinking, given what Loudon was saying in there, that what I have to say is something you very much want to hear.”

I was briefly tempted to enforce compliance, but if Mom had worked with her on any sort of semi-regular basis, then maybe she was a resource I needed to keep onside.

“Did your boss ever work with her?”

“Gannon?” She laughed, then coughed again. “He avoided her like the plague. Had too many secrets he feared she might wheedle out of him. Spent years developing a spell to protect him from her pixie wiles.”

“Did it work?”

“Doubt it, given he’d be selling it at huge margins if it did.”

The sharpening sound of sirens had me glancing toward the broken building again. Though there was no sign as yet of anyone trying to enter it—no doubt because of the green flames—it surely wouldn’t be too long before someone thought to come around the back. I needed to be gone before then.

“What sort of payment rate are we talking about?”

“Usually a grand a pop, but in this case, because some bastard tried to kill me, I’ll halve it.”

I couldn’t help smiling. “Quarter it, and I’ll give you the name of the person who tried to kill you.”

“You’d be telling me something I already know. I’ve felt that sort of energy once before, when we sold the ruby to that elf.”

My pulse rate picked up. “Are we talking about the shield’s ruby?”

“Of course.”

“And is the elf’s name Ka-hal Lewis?”

“No, Keelakm Montraie.”

The name scratched at memories that refused to provide any information. “So, he also has a ruby?”

She frowned. “What do you mean, also? We only had the one.”

“Then you’ve never dealt with Lewis?”

“No.”

There were official sounding voices out on the street now, though the ferocity of the flames consuming the building’s remains continued to keep everyone at bay. I had minutes left, if that, to get my answers and leave.

“Is Keelakm slim with pale hair and blue eyes?”

“Yes, although I’m sure you’re aware that’s a description fitting the majority of elves out there.”

I touched my cheek. “He has a horseshoe-shaped scar here.”

“He certainly does.”

I smiled, swung my purse around, and pulled out the token. “Is this one of yours?”

She barely even glanced at it. “One of Gannon’s, yes.”

“I don’t suppose you can remember who had it made, and why?”

A smile touched her lips. “Are we in agreement on payment terms?”

---