Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 111898 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 559(@200wpm)___ 448(@250wpm)___ 373(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 111898 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 559(@200wpm)___ 448(@250wpm)___ 373(@300wpm)
“Done,” he responded without attempting to negotiate. “You’ll be paid as soon as the job is complete.”
“Wrong. I require a down payment.”
“I’ve allowed you to live. That is down payment enough.”
“That’s fair,” she said with an enthusiastic nod. A smart negotiator knew when to push and when to accept.
He arched a brow. “Do we have a deal?”
“Not quite.” The finer details needed hammering. “What’s my time frame?”
Lowering his chin, he drummed his free fingers on the arm of the seat and stated, “You told the fae prince you had located the bones. If that’s true, and it had better be, you will complete the job today.”
Um... “What fae prince?” When? Where?
Rathbone ran his tongue over straight white teeth. “If this is a game you play, oracle—”
“No game,” she interjected. “Blame my brilliant ability. It sometimes filches my memory.”
He showed no mercy. “I suggest you filch it back. Fast.”
Time to buy herself a little, well, time. “Sorry, big guy, but you just guaranteed a tomorrow delivery at the earliest. Pressure only delays my unbeatable results.”
The muscle ticked in his jaw again. “And what speeds up your results?”
Good question. The first thing that came to mind? “Hanging out with me so I can familiarize myself with your vibe. Then, in a couple of weeks or months or years, boom, a vision will come to me. Suddenly I’ll know the answer to your every dilemma, and you’ll be oh, so glad you waited. All the reviews I’ve written agree. My customer service is matchless.”
“I’ll give you three days.”
“And yet I’ll take as many as I need.”
“Not good enough. I must put her back together quickly.”
“That doesn’t change my timetable.”
“Then we are unable to reach a deal, and annihilation is back on the table.”
“No problem—for me.” She faked nonchalance. Because what else could she do? “Your failure to reanimate your wife costs me nothing.” Or everything? That niggle... “Do you validate parking, or should I pilfer from your coffers on my way out?”
Tick, tick, tick. “What makes you worth such a risk?” he grated.
Got him. Confidence restored, she asked, “What doesn’t make me worth the risk? In all the planets in all the galaxies, there’s only one other being capable of unearthing anything anywhere, and it’s my mother.” Grenwich the Great, a harpy-Phoenix born with extraordinary tracking abilities. “She won’t charge you as much as I do, but she’ll judge you every minute of every day, and she won’t be shy with her commentary. If that’s your thing, go for it.”
He appeared thoughtful.
Ugh. Maybe I don’t “got him.” Neeka almost stomped her foot. If he fired her and hired her mother...
He slashed a hand through the air. “We’ll revisit the timing issue. Right now, I wish to hear of your dealings with the Astra Planeta.”
Whoa, whoa, whoa. Rathbone was mixed up with the Astra? That was a problem. Taliyah, the harpy General as well as Neeka’s best friend, had recently married the Astra’s smokeshow of a Commander, forever linking their two species. Though Neeka was the world’s best oracle—suck it, Grenwich!—she was a harpy first. Her loyalty belonged to T-bone and the Astra, not some ultrasexy Hellboy who might or might not sport a Prince Albert.
The Astra were gonna owe her so big if she had to walk away from a paycheck like Rathbone’s. Except...
Neeka was supposed to say yes to the king. Her pre-knowledge insisted. She felt it with every fiber of her being. The longer she remained in Rathbone’s presence, the clearer the sensation became.
Whatever proved necessary, she must, must, must help him find his wife’s bones. The survival of the harpies depended on it.
Wait. It did?
Yes! The realization burrowed deep, and there was no arguing. For her, it was Rathbone or bust. But. The fact that the Underworld king had mentioned the warlords after displaying such urgency could mean only one thing...
She swallowed a groan. “The warlords search for your wife’s bones, too.” Most likely they sought the female for their next blessing task. The timing fit.
“I’m not sure—yet,” he replied. “I’ll learn the answer soon enough.”
Neeka refused to lie and say she despised the males. Why complicate an already complicated situation with an outright falsehood? Rather, she offered the truth with misdirection. “You’re going to pay me to screw over those who invaded my home world? Do I sign on the dotted line now or later?”
He looked disappointed in her. “Do you think I failed to do my research while hunting for you? Harpies and Astra are allies.”
Careful. “Most are, yes. Some aren’t.” Also truth. But. He was supposed to be an amazing spy. He’d probably discovered the identity of her best friend, the Commander’s wife. Better Neeka switch tracks. “In case you’re wondering, I ain’t no hater. I’m an ally full stop.”
He did another of those double blinks. “Why sign on my dotted line then?”