Page 116 of Even Robots Die
It’s Pierre. He used to be the third in command, but since my coma and then my attack on Elhyor, he’s been acting like the second for Elhyor in my stead.
But in this instance, it’s not why he left me a message. Someone is at the door and they want to talk to Florentine. From the message, I gather that the someone isn’t her father, and that they come with demands that I won’t like.
I go back inside my room, drape a blanket over Florentine and brush her hair away before depositing a small kiss on her temple.
It’s not like she’ll ever know I did that.
With one last look, I close the door after myself and head down to theparvis.
65
Brice
The fox waiting for me at the doors looks like he’s seen better days. He doesn’t give me his name and I’m not sure I would be able to recognize him among other people.
He looks like he’s in his twenties in human years, has brown eyes, brown hair and no facial hair. Nothing about him stands out, and that might be why he’s been picked to be the messenger.
I’ll give it to the foxes, this is clever.
No one can find someone they wouldn’t recognize, which is highly practical when you know the message you need to deliver won’t be well received.
“I’m only to give my message to the eldest Beaumont daughter,” the fox says with his hands in his pockets. He doesn’t seem to care about whoever he’s talking to.
After all, it’s evident that I’m not her.
It doesn’t change a thing for me. I’m not waking her up until I know exactly what has gone wrong. It’s the middle of the night and I can’t see why someone other than Stéphane would be here now if we’re not about to deal with some ugly shit.
I grab the guy by the collar and heave him up so he’s at eye level.
“Tell me whatever you came to say, and I might let you live.”
“No,” the guy tells me as if I wasn’t holding his life in the palm of my hand.
I wasn’t aware that foxes could be dumb sometimes. Or maybe he thinks I’m bluffing.
That’s something I could have done in the past.
I’m not bluffing now, though.
In a move he doesn’t see, I switch my hands from his collar to his throat and I squeeze just enough for his breathing to stutter.
“Wrong answer, foxy,” I say with a wicked smile as his hands grasp at mine, trying to loosen the hold I have on him.
It’s funny how he didn’t reach for my hand until it was already too late.
“I’m going to repeat myself only once,” I say, squeezing a bit tighter. “Give me the message you came to deliver, and I won't hurt you too much.”
I keep my hold tight until his eyes go wide in panic and then I loosen the grip on his throat a bit.
“What is your answer now?”
He coughs and then takes a big gulp of air.
“I have orders,” he says with a shake of his head.
True to my word, I don't ask again. Instead, I squeeze harder so he can feel I’m definitely not joking. His face turns a not so lovely shade of purple before I release my hold once again.
“How about now?”
