Page 51 of A Touch of Treachery
The others took their sweet time getting food and drinks, but finally, it was our turn.My stomach was in knots, but I filled a plate with fruits, cheeses, crackers, and some delectable-looking chocolate truffles, although I opted for water instead of champagne.Desmond mirrored my selections, then we both sat on an overstuffed love seat off to the side of the fireplace.
The others had already arranged themselves in a loose semicircle, although everyone maintained a healthy distance from their neighbors.
Niles and Steig gobbled down their food, along with several rounds of champagne, while Oriana eschewed the snacks and delicately sipped from a single glass.
Desmond raised his eyebrows in a silent question, and I nodded.Thanks to my synesthesia, I could tell the food and drinks were not poisoned.Desmond quickly drank his water and polished off his food.
My father had always told me to eat, drink, and sleep whenever possible because I might not get another chance until a mission was over.Even something as simple as downing a glass of water now might keep me alive later, so I forced myself to clean my plate, even though everything tasted like ash and landed like bricks in my stomach.
Henrika nibbled on some strawberries, then picked up her own glass of champagne and stood in front of the fireplace like a queen holding court.“Now, isn’t this so much nicer than getting straight down to business?It’s so rare I get to entertain these days.”
“Yes, I heard you had been having some trouble,” Oriana piped up in a snide tone.“That you were running across Europe trying to escape some enemy.”
Henrika let out a merry, mocking laugh.“Don’t we all have troubles from time to time?It was nothing serious, and the situation will soon be resolved.”
She smirked at me over the rim of her glass.My hands tightened around the plate on my lap, and I resisted the urge to chuck the expensive crystal at her head.Nothing had beenresolved, and the only reason the Section strike teams hadn’t moved in was because Henrika was holding the undercover agent list like a sword over our heads.
“Troubles?How odd, Henny.I thought your mysterious benefactor took care of all your problems,” Niles piped up, his voice even more snide than Oriana’s.
“Benefactor?”Steig asked in a sharp, suspicious voice.“What benefactor?I thought you were the only one involved in this transaction.”
Henrika shrugged off his question.“Redburn is entirely my creation.”
Truth, my inner voice whispered.
“Aw, there’s no need to be ashamed, Henny,” Niles said.“It’s okay to admit you’ve accepted help from others.You took full advantage of your big break way back when, and look at everything you’ve accomplished since then.”
He waved his champagne glass around at the luxe library, although his lips curled back with disgust.I got the sense Niles was wishing he’d gotten that big break instead of Henrika.And who was the mysterious benefactor he kept mentioning?
One of the things I grudgingly admired about Henrika was how she’d used her brains, skills, and determination to pull herself out of poverty and build a pharmaceutical empire, even if a large part of that empire was devoted to hurting others.In all my months of research, I’d never come across anyone giving Henrika money for anything, other than the weapons she invented, but Niles made it sound like someoneelsewas responsible for her initial success.Curious.
Henrika’s fingers tightened around her glass like she wanted to toss the champagne in Niles’s face, but she kept her expression neutral.“You’ll have to forgive Niles.The two of us are old friends, and we’ve competed for several of the same contracts.I just happen to have been more successful in securing them.Then again, I don’t skimp on ingredients, cut down processing times, and hire lackluster talent.”
An angry flush stained Niles’s cheeks, and he threw back the rest of his drink.
“This is quite a group of bidders you’ve assembled,” Oriana chimed in.“But I’m curious about one thing: Why isshehere?Because I’ve never heard of Charlotte Locke.”
She looked at me, a clear challenge in her dark eyes.Niles and Steig also stared at me.Henrika watched the proceedings with obvious amusement, as did Bryce.Beside me, Desmond tensed again.
I gave Oriana a flat stare.“I handle Desmond’s money.That’s all you need to know.”
“Oh, yes,” Henrika murmured.“Charlotte is quite good with numbers.”
She said the words calmly, as though they were a fact that was not up for debate, but something about her tone bothered me.It almost sounded like Henrikawantedme to be good with numbers for some reason.
“First, some ground rules,” Henrika said.“We’re all paramortals, and each of us is dangerous in his or her own way.But this is my resort, which is currently hosting more than a thousand guests and workers for my annual charity fund-raiser.So no using your abilities where the regular humans can see them—and absolutely no using the humans to amuse yourselves.”
She stabbed her finger at Steig.“That is especially true for you, Mr.Helseth.My resort isnotyour latest hunting ground.”
Steig let out an aggravated huff.“I suppose I can dial back my expectations for the weekend.”
Henrika kept staring at him.
After a few seconds, he harrumphed.“Fine, fine.No hunting humans.”
Lie, my inner voice whispered, but I didn’t need my synesthesia to know that Steig would go after whoever caught his eye, just like a predator stalking its prey.I held back another shudder.
“And the Redburn formula?”Niles asked, an excited note creeping into his voice.“When do we get to see it in action?”
