Page 96 of Reaper's Quest
Valen crossed his arms and leaned against the table at his back?his potion creation center. “Are you going to speak?Or do you wish to waste my time and frustrate my curiosity?”
Winter studied the empty bottles on the shelf, spun one of them between his fingers, not granting Valen the satisfaction of gazing upon his face and reading his thoughts. “I have this friend?—”
“Would this be the female and her two misbegotten children living in the lower district?” A touch of disdain warped Valen’s words.
Winter snapped his head to the side, his glare finding Valen while he burned with his many emotions and intentions.
Valen merely grinned.
The expression made Winter’s blood border on broiling. He hated the fact that he stood in Valen’s workroom, seeking information that, as far as Winter knew, he couldn’t get anywhere else. Raven had asked for Valen, after all.
But Valen’s arrogance and air of superiority…
“No.” The word sounded little more than a growl. Winter sucked in a deep breath, anchoring his resolve. “And you are never to speak ill of Camilla or the twins. Should you do so again, I am not opposed to ripping your throat out.”
Valen waved Winter’s comment away like it was nothing more than a bug to be swatted.
“This friend was in a bad way,” Winter continued, making no effort to hide the fracture of irritation seething through his delivery. “A cursed way.”
Valen nodded, and secure in the knowledge that Winter had Valen’s full attention, Winter allowed his gaze to wander. He found it easier to say what needed to be said when he didn’t look directly at the vain male.
“Their status has recently improved, but I don’t know how much better they truly are at this point. Your name was brought up—not by me, I might add.” Winter glanced at Valen, but his apathetic expression gave no indication of his current emotion. “One of their connections suggested you might be able to help.”
“Connections?” Valen straightened. “How many are in this group of friends?”
Winter raised three fingers.
“And have you known them long?”
“Long enough,” he replied with a bite, because the answer to that question wasn’t really any of Valen’s business.
“How long?” Valen curled his hands around the edge of the table, his knuckles bleaching white. “Tell me.” His voice rose in volume and temper. “How long have you known these friends?”
“You do not need to know that.”
Visiting Valen had been a mistake. Winter’s temperament did not suit the current conversation. He turned to leave.
Valen’s hand dropped onto his shoulder and spun him around.
Winter opened his mouth to argue, but at the weight of Valen’s hand and the burn of his eyes, his resistance evaporated.
Two full dayshad passed since Winter’s conversation with Valen, and irritation still burned within him. The pompousmale always managed to extract any information he wanted, willing or otherwise.
And in return, he’d provided no magical cure.
Even as Winter stood at the curbside vendor, awaiting his grocery provisions, he couldn’t stop thinking about the exchange.
At least Valen had loosely consented to check on Mr. Aldine. Something he likely considered a huge favor to Winter, and one he no doubt intended to collect upon at the most inconvenient time. Valen had made a show of how put out he felt at having to travel deep into the lower district to visit Winter’sfriendat the pub.
His friend. Winter scoffed.
He didn’t know Mr. Aldine at all, other than what the guy looked like laid out on the street or in a bed. But Winter had sought Valen’s help for Raven. Mr. Aldine’s health was important to her, and so Winter did what he could to ensure it.
Only, since talking to Valen, Winter hadn’t made it back to the pub to check on the guy or Valen’s visit. He hadn’t even stopped in to see Aoes. Returning to the pub meant taking the chance of running into Chace, and Winter really didn’t want to see him or deal with further questioning.
Worn thin, Winter had little strength to suffer Chace anytime soon.
Plus, Winter didn’t remotely savor the idea of getting trapped in any lies regarding Raven.
