Page 63 of Undertow
He was quiet several moments. “It’s not what I wanted and—I heard you before you left. I’ll allow it but don’t make me regret it. Text your mother what you need sent.”
And then he hung up.
“Love you too, Papa,” I said to the finished call. I let out a slow breath and ignored the sympathetic look Sagan gave me. I went over to my suitcase and pulled out a new burner.
“How do you even have one of those?” she whispered. “Like is there a store you just get those at?”
I snorted, thinking she was pretty adorable when she was out of her depth. “I’m going to use one of my personal hidden accounts that Father doesn’t even know about for all of this. It bounces around the banks of a few nations and is completely untraceable. I was working to squirrel away money in there for…”
“If you had to run,” she muttered. “I’m sorry, Myriam. Really. I didn’t know it was that bad.”
“You’ve been busy and we weren’t friends,” I muttered as I also grabbed my laptop and got everything set up. “How did you leave things with the manager and bookie?”
She told me, but the problem was then that I was going to be publicly working for her and couldn’t be out and about handling a new fighter that was all the rage. Yeah, that would absolutely raise too many questions and get us caught.
“We need someone to act as a go-between like I set it up since I was coming into town and am now working here,” I muttered. “Wanted in on the local scene and dipping into the action since I’m away from Father.” I thought about it more and realized it could work. “We could do a paper trail like you’re my ringer who’s done fights in Protesia. I brought you here because I am.”
“However you think it will work and not get us caught,” she said when I looked at her.
“I need to see the glamour or whatever you can do,” I admitted. “I need to know how solid this is and the chances it could fail.”
She hesitated for a moment and then I felt magic before she lookedcompletelydifferent. Gone was Sagan and before me was a standard female dragon who was attractive but not overly and honestly pretty forgettable.
“This isn’t possible unless you’re a magical dragon though, right?” I whispered.
She ignored that and answered my other question. “It won’t fail unless I’m unconscious and even then my dragon can hold it for a bit. So if I’m ever knocked out—I won’t get knocked out.”
“Never say never. First rule in doing anything shady,” I warned her.
“Fair.”
“Okay, I need an ally in the castle. Who do you have in your pocket and can trust most?” Pity filled me when it was clear she had no one and she was an island. “Who is most loyal to your family? Your parents.”
“Raquel,” she answered immediately. “Her whole bloodline, but she doesn’t even like me. She prefers Elira.”
“I’ll handle it.” I gave her a firm look. “I’ll handle it, Sagan. Keep your deniability and focus where you should be. I’ve got this. Keep your hands clean and just do the fights.”
She swallowed loudly. “That’s not fair. I don’t want to be a hypocrite.”
“You’re not.” I bounced that around. “No more than any leader and it’s needed.”
She seemed to accept that but also looked so defeated. “I want to legalize it. So did Father. It’s all so corrupt. One day I’ll legalize it.”
I believed her but left it alone, focused on my own agenda now. Most would have questioned how fast I was jumping in and not even flinching at shifting gears or that I was moving to a different nation, but… It was what I was raised on.
We reacted fast. Cleaned up messes—and evidence—before breakfast. We handled what others couldn’t, and there was never an emergency or problem that made us crumble under the weight of it.
Or that we showed.
I found Raquel and waited until she was alone to introduce myself. “Let’s chat.”
She studied me. “I understand you’re a guest of the princess, but I’ll find—”
“I’m now her aide because she finds herself without a single ally in her own home,” I said bluntly. “I’m here to fix that and more, so as I said—let’s chat.”
The woman was smart enough to know when the shit was hitting the fan and led me to her office. She noted when I didn’t take a seat but then relaxed when I did after she sat. I wasn’t here to disrespect her.
I wanted to get her on the team.
