Freya’s scream was stolen by the darkness as the grip on her ankle dragged her into the cave. She tried to fight back, to resist this dreadful crawl but she was being hauled in too fast. She screamed again and her head hit the cave wall as she was yanked through a corner. She couldn’t see anymore, couldn’t lift a finger to fight back because her hands were still freaking tied at her back. She screamed in frustration and was suddenly hauled up the steep wall, hanging from her ankle. Her eyes adjusted and she felt her heart stutter as she came face to face with a creature from nightmares. Looking slightly feminine, the cave dweller was so pale she was translucent, her face alone the size of a dinner tray with green stringy hair trailing over her shoulder. Humanoid arms ended in what looked like long kelp and the creature fixed her with a rheumy gaze and yawned open her huge jaws. “What the fuck?!” Freya yelled and squirmed urgently, trying to kick out of the grip. “H-hangry.” The cre

“Riordan!” Vinaud said as he stood up. Riordan extended a hand which he pumped enthusiastically before he motioned him to the seat opposite him.“Sit.” Said Vinaud and when Riordan moved to do just that, Freya followed and Vinaud’s attention finally snagged on her. His brows rose into the air. “Who is she?” He asked harshly. “Reynette, my mistress.” Replied Riordan. Vinaud tsked and his gaze never left her. “Mixing business with pleasure, big man?” He asked and Riordan smirked and jerked her forward. “This one time is worth it. She won’t leave my side, and her lips are sealed.” Replied Riordan. She watched their host from deep within her cape and she held her breath, choking on the tense moment that felt explosive. He hadn’t moved a muscle and was still staring at her with lowered brows, like he would pull down her cape any minute to satisfy his curiosity. “Do I know her?” He directed the question at Riordan who chuckled. “I doubt. Forgive her manners, she is a shy one.” Vin

She had never scrambled up ledges as fast as she did now. Her heart was pounding with adrenaline and Riordan finally pushed a window in and she followed. “Come on!” He grabbed her arm and started running for the door when they heard voices yelling commands from right outside. “Go in! Search all the rooms!” They heard the order and she turned to him with wide eyes. “What should we do?”He glanced around at the room and his eyes snagged on the wardrobe on the other side. “In there!” He commanded and dragged her forward. He shoved the door open and pushed in, hurrying after her and closing the wardrobe door just as another door was thrown open from outside. The smell of dusty clothes assailed her nostrils and she held her breath, realising that for what felt like the tenth time today, she was in a position with him that she would have preferred not to be in at all. She held her breath and stared at his chest, refusing to look into his eyes, afraid of what she would see smouldering

”He’s not dead.” Freya insisted in front of Aremin. “I’m sure of it. Allow me to go back. Please! Let me finish the job.”Aremin said nothing, his fingers steepled in front of him as he watched her from under his lashes with an unimpressed expression. She paced, agitated. How was she the only one that cared that he might still be alive? Why was it that everyone acted like he was not one of the most difficult people in the world to kill?“One more chance.” She said, hurrying to his desk. “Just one more chance.”“Freya.” Aremin said and stood and she straightened, sure she would not like his verdict. “You used to hate my bonds.” He said and she frowned. What was he talking about?He jerked a chin to her wrists which were still shackled in front of her. “I could never bind you for more than an hour. You fought like a tigress until the bindings came off.” “Oh.” She said, realising her wrists were stilll shackled in front of her. “Can you take them off?” She asked, holding her hands out

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Freya replied stiffly and he smiled and pulled the hood down from her face. “Am I mistaken?” Riordan asked with a smirk. “Then should we go back out and ask him what he remembers about you?”She glared at him and shoved his chest hard but he didn’t budge. “Who are you to pry into my business?” She gritted out. “If you wanted to hand me over to him you should have done it from the start.”“Hand you over?” He scoffed. “No, I don’t plan to do that at all. What did you steal from him?”“It’s none of your business.” She repeated and he nodded. “You’re right, it doesn’t much matter what you took. What matters is that there have been thousands before you that have attempted to steal from Vinaud. Nobody ever succeeded, until you.” Said Riordan. She frowned and studied him. “Are you going somewhere with this?”“You’re the only person that ever succeeded in stealing from Vinaud and walking free, Shadow. I need you to do it again.” “No.” She said i