An amateur's guide to conning a conman

Chapter 25

When I was a baby, my mother abandoned me with my father's family. He didn't even know I existed. All he knew was that the girl he met nine months ago at a sweetliar's court had given him a baby.

I had somewhat of a normal childhood, swiping candies and basking under the warm sun. My grandparents doted after me because I was a splitting image of my father, it was like none of my mother's genes had passed on to me.

Straight black hair, tan skin, and large auburn eyes. I was perfect to become a sweetliar and they would make sure I would carry the legacy.

" Sia." Jack found me a while later sitting in the garden, my eyes glanced down at his bruised knuckles.

" Let me patch you up." I said and we retuned to the bathroom without another word.

For a minute, everything seemed almost normal. When I finished, I leaned back against the wall and just stared at Jack as if he had the answers to my problems.

He didn't, of course. In fact he didn't even say anything. We stared at each other in silence.

" I'm clearing my name Jack, with or without Titus and Dante."

" Remember when all of this happened and we were in the garden, do you remember what I said?"

I didn't answer him.

" I told you I was scared you were going to lose yourself clearing your name and look what has happened? You turned into the person you fought to never be. Titus told me what happened yesterday, you went back fo confront them didn't you?"

" You're not a sweetliar-"

I cut him off, " But I am. It's in my blood Jack."

He looked so sad, " No, you're not. You're Sia. A merchant who I still owe two hundred oat pastries to, Gilda's best friend, Harley's role model, and Lin's first love. You're not them."

" Move." I said, my voice breathy.

Jack didn't protest and I passed by him easily. I needed to track down the elusive Cesar Marlow and I happen to know the right person for the job.

The paper was yellowed and wrinkled from years of storage. I kept the paper hidden beneath my bed, not even Jack knew this.

It was a phone number.

I left through the garden, making my way carefully through the dark streets before finding a phone booth. I fed in three pines and listened for the soft hum.

It took a while before I heard a click and a familiar voice. His was deeper but I could still hear the tinge of the boy I once knew.

" Hello? Who is this?"

" Have you forgotten me?" I said.

I could hear the choked gasps then footsteps and what sounded to be a door closing.

" Salina?"

I smiled tightly as a streetlight above flicked, illuminating the dirty alley for a second before flickering off.

" You can call me Sia, Adan. It's been a long time."

" Long time?" There was cold laugh, " It's almost been a decade."

" I need your help."

" Of course you do, why else would you call?" His voice was purely sarcastic but I didn't miss the tinge of hurt in his tone.

" I need you to find someone for me. His name is Cesar Marlow."

There was a sigh on the other end, " Is that all?"