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CHAPTER EIGHT ▪▫▪▫▪
KIRA LOOKED DOWN AT HER HAND, where two nearly identical rings lay. One on her middle finger, an N carved on its surface and a crest barely visible, another on her pinky finger, Ravkan double-eagle clearly in sight. She glanced over to the letter in her hands.
My darling criminal sister,
How would you like to steal a sword for your favorite brother?
Love, Niko
That was the extent of Nikolai's letter to her.
Perhaps because he knew no amount of money would make her steal a sword for Ravka. Perhaps because he knew Alina Starkov wasn't exactly someone she would risk her life for. So the bastard went right to the point and asked her to do it for him.
Save bloody Ravka for him. Her favorite bother—brother.
Kira really hated that Nikolai was included in the handful of people she would do things for. In the handful of people, she could be selfless for. But if she was going to do this Kira was expecting to get properly paid. And she knew how well the Ravkan court could pay.
"The Neshyenyer? Sankta Neyar's blade?" Nina's voice brought her back to reality, and she looked up at Zoya from the place on the table where she sat.
"So, you haven't forgotten what you were taught at the Little Palace. Just your loyalty to Ravka."
"Ravka? Or Kirigan?" asked Nina. "It didn't take him destroying a city for me to question my loyalty."
"Oh, quit your bitching," Kira whined as she leaned back on her chair. Both girls turned to look at her with glares.
Jesper cleared his throat. "Now that we all know that you two have history, what's the payment for this job?"
"Name your price," said Tolya, a member of her brother's crew. "That's how important this is."
"Believe me," Kira said, "even if you had a budget, Nikolai wouldn't be getting this for free. He'd be lucky if I didn't double the budget, the cheap bastard."
Tolya snorted. "He told me you would be fun."
Kira grinned, about to answer when Nina cleared her throat. "Excuse me? You know the prince?"
"So, that's the Lantsov crest?" Wylan added as he peered over Nina's shoulder to look at the letter.
Kira sighed. "Yes."
"Which question did you just answer?" Nina pressed, "The one about the prince or the hideous crest?"
"Both," replied Kira. "I'm surprised you haven't recognized me by now, Nina."
