Page 4 of I Regret Nothing
“I had to work for this since they want to make an example of you. The theft where you left the hair behind rocked the entire supernatural community. I hope it was worth it. They wanted a big spectacle of a trial that was televised, but I’ve talked them down from that if you cooperate. I’ve reminded them they can only technically tie you to one theft, and even though you were at the scene, the amulet wasn’t found on your person. I’ve ironed out a plea deal. You can avoid being paraded around in handcuffs and a public trial if you’ll agree to it.”
“I’m listening.”
“They tore your entire apartment apart and couldn’t find anything linking you to crime. Your bank accounts are reasonable for someone running a soap business online. They know if they try to nail you to anything else, it won’t stick because there’s no proof. I’d say you were an excellent criminal if you weren’t caught mauling a witch over something she just stole. They want to nail you for every theft that has happened in the supernatural community, but they can’t.
“There’s also the issue that the witch you bit was the one who did the stealing. That opens up a whole new can of worms. They are offering a plea deal. Confess to what they can tie you to and tell them where the Destruction Grimoire you stole is, and you’ll get seven years in Silverhold Detention Center for the Magically Delinquent. They wanted to tie you to everything and throw you in Scorchwood to rot, but until they finish upgrading it, all the nasties that were in there are currently in Silverhold.”
Well, shit. I was a criminal and a thief, but I wasn’t a snitch. If I ratted out a client, I’d never be able to show my face in the supernatural community as a thief again. Besides, I didn’t know. The whole reason people came to me was anonymity.
“I couldn’t tell you where the Grimoire was if I wanted to. I stole it for an anonymous buyer. I never met them in person, even when it was exchanging hands.”
Adina looked wholly irritated with me for not ratting out my client. That was the entire purpose of my online store and why people trusted me. It was one of Hauser’s rules—they don’t know my name, and I needed to do everything I could not to get theirs. Just because I wasn’t a snitch didn’t mean the people I stole for weren’t. If they got caught with my loot, they’d sell me out as the one who did the deed stealing it if it meant a lesser sentence. Hauser and I had a lot more honor as thieves than the people who paid us to steal shit.
“It would really help if you could get that Grimoire back, Rei. The coven you stole it from is wealthy and has the means to make your life very difficult.”
I just shrugged.
“It’s a Grimoire. I wouldn’t have stolen it if another coven hadn’t wanted it. They should look at other witches.”
Adina pinched the bridge of her nose.
“The witch population is enormous. You were the one that left hair and stole the thing, so they are mad at you. Is there anything you can give me to bring back to make this plea deal work?”
“I’m not a rat, Adina. All I know is that they asked me to steal it, so I did. Since it’s a Grimoire, it stands to reason it was witches that asked me. Based on my research of the Grimoire before I took the job, it’s got some specific spells in there that I wouldn’t be able to cast since I’m not a witch. If they want to find out who has it, track the magic. They do know I’m not a witch, right?”
“That’s why it was so upsetting to everyone. A fox shifter stole a powerful Grimoire from an ancient coven of witches, and no one could understand why. Did you even know what that Grimoire could do when you took the job?”
They didn’t know.I was in a magical prison, and they all still thought I was a fox shifter. I wasn’t about to correct them. Demons rarely came to Earth, and no one knew why. Someone set fire and destroyed the only means to force a demon to appear. It stood to reason the magical community did some awful shit to demons. Hauser met one, and he told me to guard this secret with my life. I wasn’t about to correct her. I still didn’t know how I ended up here with human parents, but I’d never met another demon in my entire life. I wasn’t about to spill that, even to my lawyer.
I just shrugged. I knew exactly what was in that Grimoire. I didn’t take just any job. Some things needed to stay where they were, and I didn’t steal everything I was asked to.
“The Aether Circle was using it to cause natural disasters so they could get richer. Did they tell you that when they were getting all butt hurt I stole from them? Maybe it’s in better hands now.”
Adina just glared at me.
“You’d better hope I can work this plea deal because if we have to go to trial, a prosecutor is going to have a field day with you. I think the only thing you’re sorry about is getting caught,” she said, storming out.
Well, yeah. I was fucking pissed about getting caught. I should have just left instead of trying to get the amulet off Venus in the parking lot. Thinking back, I should have only followed her and stole it much later.
I regretted nothing about all the shit I’d stolen.
Chapter 4
Rei
I
t was always nice to have a Vampire in your pocket, even if they couldn’t stand you and thought you were an awful criminal. Adina might have wanted to heave me in jail and throw away the key, but she was being paid to make sure I spent as little time behind bars as possible. And she was effective.
Hauser’s training had a lot to do with that. If I hadn’t shed that one hair stealing the Grimoire, all they could have nailed me with was assaulting Venus, and I totally would have lied through my teeth about seeing her running from the museum, and I was only trying to stop her from getting away. I regretted that damned hair way more than I regretted stealing.
Still, Adina did some kind of Vampire lawyer magic and got my plea deal, despite everyone wanting that fucking Grimoire back. She kept telling me how much the supernatural community wanted me to pay for all their thefts, but some of those weren’t even me. Hauser did some of them, and so did Venus. I’d never met them, but others in the thieving business took more jobs than I did. I wasn’t asked to rat on them, as if I ever would.
Seven years in Silverhold was a long time, but I could do this. I’d keep my head down, serve my time, and be back to thieving in no time. I kept telling myself that, but honestly? I’d never been terrific about staying out of trouble. Stealing kept my more mischievous side in check, and prison was going to challenge the shit out of me. I was going insane in solitary. I was actually looking forward to Silverhold because I hoped it meant more than four stone walls and no one to talk to.
My transport day had arrived. Adina got my plea deal pushed through pretty quickly, but I was still in solitary for months because they wanted to nail my ass for every little thing that went missing. They didn’t work out that plea deal with Adina until they were sure the public wouldn’t have gotten all kinds of satisfaction watching me sweat in court for everyone who thought I was the one that stole from them.
Nine months in solitary while they tried to figure that shit out was cruel and unusual punishment. They wouldn’t even bring me books when I asked, and I was sure I was going to go crazy if I stayed here longer.
