Soul of Ice

Chapter Eight

Iker stared at the cold female in front of him. He had been so sure of her when she'd stood up to defend Luria and insult the Captain. He had been sure she would be more than willing for a chance to protect the other wraiths and help them end the slavery. Yet she had refused. Within the span of an hour, it was almost as if her entire persona had changed, leaving only the ice of her heritage. The old fear that came whenever he tried to recruit someone new crept up. Information meant power. And Iker's greatest fear had always been giving information to someone who knew how to use it.

"I am sure you're already well aware, but I shall warn you just in case," he said to her retreating back. "But if any of us catch you tipping off any of the Auxerrans to what we're planning, your life will be forfeit." The female chuckled darkly. Iker hesitated, then waved a hand at Riviera to open the door. "Our offer will remain open." Calayne didn't answer as she disappeared into the darkness.

Several seconds passed in silence as they all made sure she had left before Riviera closed the door. The tension that had been in the room immediately snapped. Riviera moved to swing herself onto the table. She popped a raspberry. "Ten pieces says that the bitch won't accept our offer for at least three days."

"Five days," Rousel crowed. His brother elbowed him and raised an incredulous eyebrow, wondering where they had gotten the money to bet.

Riviera untied a small bag of coins from her belt that had been hidden by the shirt that she wore a size too large. She dangled the bag almost mockingly in front of everyone else and smirked. "New guard came in earlier today for his training. He was shy; they haven't broken him yet. I offered him a kiss. The rest is history, so they say." She shrugged and kept swinging her legs back and forth, evidently pleased with her haul as she began tossing the money bag up and down, the jangles resounding through the room.

Next to her, Rousel pulled out loose change out of the single pocket in his standard gray pants. "You absolute charmer," Rousel praised. "I had to steal these coins from old Fernand in the middle of the night. Nearly got a broken nose when he tried to smack me in the face. Thank the Seam Jesper was there. 'Course, he told me not to do it, but—" He touched the bridge of his nose tenderly, making sure it was still there. He shrugged, then laughed. Silly boy. His brother evidently agreed because Jesper immediately slapped him upside the head, albeit fondly.

Worry gnawed at Iker as he watched the others banter and laugh goodnaturedly.

"Enough," Iker rumbled. He motioned for Aaro to join them at the table. "We must discuss how to get the girl to agree to our movement." The light mood immediately disappeared. The others blanched.

"You can't be serious, Iker," Rousel spluttered first. Riviera crossed her arms and frowned in assent.

"I don't care if she joins." She paused. "Actually, I do. Excuse me for saying this since I know Aaro is sensitive—" the male in question gave a ghost of a smile "— but that girl is going to fuck shit up. She's flighty and uncommitted, that much we've seen already. We don't need her. More than that, we don't want her." Jesper gave a one shoulder shrug. Riviera frowned at the fire wraith, evidently put-off by his lack of support.

Aaro leaned over the table and laced his fingers together. Three thin bracelets hugged his left forearm at equal intervals. His cool blue eyes settled easily on Iker's. "It's too much trouble to go after a single, stubborn girl. We need to stick to the plan." The other three wraiths nodded in agreement. "We should be putting our entire focus into making this succeed." The staccato beats of fear and worry that had all been in his mind melding into a single sound of him slamming a fist onto the table.

"We all know Riviera isn't enough!" The eyes of the female in question flashed to his and immediately darkened. Her legs slowed, and then stopped swinging altogether.