The Ruler's Rift

Bargain of Faith

"Here's the deal, Amber," the wicked woman said, ears flicking. "I tried to do this nicely last time, but your stubbornness requires crueler methods."

Amber shut her eyes. She'd kill this fox if she had it in her. It was all she could do to say, "there's nothing you can do to me that I haven't already endured ten times over."

Confident in her reply, Amber had nearly perfected her frown. She was happy to know that Vivian was safe in the depths of the cavern, but the assassin grew weary of defending the cave's mouth. She'd learned this annoying fox's ways, but a curve ball in the form of a man's voice interrupted, "Oh, got a tough cookie here, huh?"

In the darkness, Amber hadn't noticed Nova's companion. Thunder roared and lightning flashed outside the cave, outlining his silhouette. A long, finned tail and raptor-like legs carried his well-toned figure. He stepped forward and leaned over the table. "Well I don't think there's anything tough about a washed up bitch moping around in a cave," he growled. "Some of us are actually trying to do things with our lives."

Amber didn't flinch. "Then do things with your life and leave mine alone," she sighed. "I retired a long time ago."

"Retired?" The shark slammed his fists, bringing a jolt out of the stone-cold assassin and rattling the table. "You don't just kill your sister and then 'retire' like nothing happened! You don't know a damn thing about loving a sister, so don't even pretend that you cared about Violet! You disgust me."

"That's enough, Lucian," Nova snapped. "And that's Queen Violet." After a moment, he obeyed her and stepped away.

Amber didn't give them the satisfaction of leaping from her chair and ripping out their throats for their assumptions, but she couldn't hide the anger on her face. "Is this guy the 'crueler method' you mentioned?" She asked, nodding towards Lucian. "I'm not impressed."

"No, no," Nova shook her head. Darkness hid the intruders' faces, but Amber felt their smirks blistering her skin. "I'll get to the point, Amber-dear. I've officially spoken with your niece."

Chills swept over Amber and her heart fell into her ribs. Thunder pounded against the tension. "You lie," she rasped.

"Tsk, tsk," Nova waggled her clawed finger. "The teeth are on your neck, Amber."

Amber huffed as Nova continued, "Let's see...her name is Celeste Superbia, she's about this tall, lovely blue eyes like her mother's, white hair, and an absolutely breathtaking eye on her forehead..." The fox snickered. "She hides it, but I saw when the wind blew just right."

Questions and horror rippled throughout the assassin; her insides turned to sludge.

"That's a look!" Nova laughed. "So you believe me! Good. Here's the deal..."

Amber couldn't breathe.

"Give me what I need..." the fox's voice lowered into a sinister whisper as she leaned over the table. "Or I'll tell her everything."

Shifting and close to tears, Amber panicked in her mind.

Nova showed no mercy. "You may have known Celeste when she was a small child, but she's a grown woman now. And what a prideful, powerful woman she is," warned the fox. "She has the same ambition in her eyes as her mother. If I tell her about her royal blood, she'll clamber up that throne in a heartbeat."

Billions of thoughts fired through Amber's brain and set it ablaze. If she refused, then Nova would definitely make the reveal. The assassin shut her eyes and remembered her sister's one moral - she wouldn't lie. Surely her followers wouldn't either. Amber clung to that hope.

Hand shaking, rain pouring, she reached into her coat. With a methodical motion, she placed the phoenix skull on the table.

Nova's tall ears stood. "It's beautiful..." She whispered. She took it and its cowl. "Thank you, Amber." The fox immediately secured the reaper's brooch in a briefcase.