Shadows of Avarice - Book #1 (BxB)

Chapter 3

The appraiser examined the rubies on the tiara, checking to see if the gems were real. Xia bit his thumbnail as Zakariya nervously shifted back and forth. This had been the third appraiser that they had been to with no luck so far. Each one claimed that it was a fake and would try to undersell the value of the treasure. The brothers knew that they were lying. They were trying to buy the tiara for a low price and then sell it high. That's how these greedy merchants worked.

"Well?" Xia impatiently asked. 

He didn't want to get his hopes up. He woke up this morning feeling great, but after dealing with the first two appraisers, his hopes had been diminished. Zakariya seemed like he was about to give up hope as well. If this didn't work out, then the brothers didn't know what they would do. They didn't want to return home empty-handed. Alishba and Tariq were waiting to hear about their success. They would be disappointed.

"I could give you ten thousand for it, and that's being generous," the man said as he glanced up to look at them.

"Ten thousand? That's not nearly enough. This tiara should cost at least a hundred thousand coin." Zakariya crossed his arms. This may have been the highest that they were offered, but it was undercutting the value immensely.

"If this were the real deal, then it would cost way more than that. However, this could be a very convincing fake." The appraiser pointed at Xia, a crooked smile on his face. "You're popular in Rasea for being a liar and a thief. How do I know that you're not trying to deceive me?"

"What the hell? You literally have tools to check whether it is real or not. Use them and you'll see that I'm not lying. You're the one trying to juke us so that you can make a profit." Xia glared at the man. He was like all the others. Because of Xia's presence, they wanted to claim that the tiara was fake. He knew that it wasn't a good idea for him to go with Zakariya, but his brother insisted on his company. Now they were running out of options.

That deceitful smile never left the man's face. "You can go ahead and take your business somewhere else. I'm not going to offer any higher."

Xia was about to raise hell, but Zakariya put a hand on his shoulder. He responded, "Fine, we will go somewhere else. I'd rather go to someone who won't insult my brother."

They turned to leave, but the appraiser, being the greedy man that he was, called out, "Wait, how does fifty thousand sound?"

It was still undermining the value, but the offer did make the boys hesitate. Fifty thousand wouldn't change their lives, but it would be a start in the right direction. Unfortunately, it wouldn't be enough to get them out of Rasea. It would only keep them fed and clothed for a little while. If they accepted this offer, then they would have to find another way to make money.

"I don't think we'll get a better offer than that," Zakariya whispered.

Xia wasn't satisfied with this amount, but he did have to agree with his brother. Not many would offer more than this. His other siblings could attempt to sell it without Xia being there, but they were running out of appraisers. It didn't help that his siblings were also known thieves. They would be called liars as well.

"Do whatever you think is best." Xia crossed his arms and looked away. He was tired of things never working out for them.

"It'll get us ahead for a little while. We'll figure things out eventually, I promise." After saying this to his brother, Zakariya turned his attention back to the merchant. "We accept this offer."

The man seemed pleased by their approval. He may have been paying more for the tiara than he wanted, but he would still be making a profit off it. He could sell it for its true value after this. Zakariya finished the transaction with the merchant, while Xia left the store. He couldn't stand being in there for a moment longer. He felt like he was about to burst with anger. It was best to go outside and get some fresh air before he exploded.