Page 48 of Bloody Business

“They can't see us,” he said with the confidence of a born mage.“I have something for you.”He held up a pen.

She frowned at him.“I can't take that.”If someone was watching...but he had said no one could see them.She looked around in paranoia and noticed there was a slight haze in the air.Was he making them invisible?He was doing something.There weren't a lot of pedestrians along here, but those present ignored them.

Tashi handed it to his bodyguard, who presented it to her.His posture said that shewouldaccept it.If she didn't, would he stab her with it?

It was a nice pen, polished wood inlaid with amber.“Is it magic?”

“It's just a pen, Lily,” he said gently.His gaze was intense.“It may take a long time for you to sort out your path.If at the end you find yourself with one loyalty, come and see me.If you're in trouble, send the pen, and I'll know it's you.I will help you.”

Her eyes grew wet.She didn't know why he was doing this, but suddenly it meant the world.

Bloodhand's words echoed in her head, but Tashi was right here, insistent.

She curled her hand around the pen and hugged it to her.That fast, it became precious to her.

Tashi nodded in farewell and moved on.

She stood there for a long moment, and then tucked it in her pocket and went to report her failure to her uncle.

She did not mention the pen.

??

“From my uncle's point of view, she's a security risk.I'm not surprised he sent her away,” Zac said frankly.“She’d make an ideal spy.”

Tashi gave him a flat look.“She's not a spy.”By choice, anyway.

“Which you know, because you spied onher,” Gal accused.

Tashi raised his brows.“Of course.It's basic security.”

Gal snorted.“Of course.”

“The easiest way to allay your uncle's suspicions is to end Zul Kan,” Tashi said reasonably.

Gal gave an explosive laugh.“The easiest thing?You've lost your mind!Just how do you think you're going to do that?It's not as if plenty of people haven't tried it already.”

“Are you planning to get your father involved?”Zac asked curiously.

“My father has his own concerns,” Tashi said dryly.As a general, his father had more than enough on his plate.

“Consider this, we might not have a general's resources, but we can work with what we have.If we found a way to get rid of Zul Kan, everyone would benefit.Your family would no longer have to deal with him and Lily would be free of his influence.”

“Her guardian is still a mobster,” Gal said dryly.

“Your uncle is a bandit and my father has slain hundreds.So what?”

“Love is blind.”Gal looked at her brother.

Zac looked over the table, deep in thought.“I have some ideas about Zul Kan...”

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