Chapter 89 - One Strong Point

I gave Avarice a wide-eyed look before forcing myself into calmness. A few possible answers flew through my head. "No, thanks, but no," and "How about no?" and "No, just no," but in the end I settled on a much more long-winded and polite, "Your offer is appreciated, but I must refuse."

Avarice just nodded. "A pity, but not unsurprising. Then, let's see how I see the situation. I took more money from you than I promised to take from your father. Unfair, you called that. Well, I call it extortion." Avarice flashed her fangs at me with a faintly smug gleam in her eyes. "The thing with extortions, Diana, is that if pleads worked with me, I wouldn't be in this business in the first place. I am willing to give you some slack on the account that you aren't completely without power, but…"

She trailed off with a meaningful look that went up and down over my body. There was no respect in it. I wondered what Avarice saw in me. Just a shopkeeper? Just a girl? A young witch, someone with just enough power to bring her into trouble? She called me by name now, but from her tone she might've as well called me a girl still.

I grit my teeth, anger and frustration rising at me at the sight of Avarice's mocking eyes. That bitch. I knew, I just knew coming there would be a waste of time, and look! Apparently, I was right. But leaving with my tail between my legs even before I would have my damn tea would be way too shameful, so I sat there and looked around the room in an attempt to cool myself down and maybe think of something to say to her.

My eyes roamed over the paintings, the decorations, until they fell on a lush, soft Baroque sofa on the opposite wall of me, perfectly fitting in colour and style with the rest of the room. A chair stood next to it, made in the same style—a part of the same set. It looked like something made for lounging with friends, but there was a piece missing… A second chair, I realised. Sets like these were never made with just a single chair. More than one, but not less than two.

I found it strange than in a home of someone as devoted to wealth and luxury as Avarice was, there would be a less than a full set of antique furniture. I couldn't imagine Avarice buying it this way.

"Did something there catch your eye, Diana? I imagine my house would be a place of interest for someone of your profession. Do you like my collection?"

My eyes snapped to Avarice's, my lips slowly spreading into a smile as an embryo of an idea formed in my head. "It's very impressive. I know many people who'd give an arm and a leg to have a half of it. I imagine it makes you appear much more," old, "experienced in the eyes of your business partners." And then, when I finished with my (honest, truly!) flattery, I added, "So I was really confused why would you ever buy an incomplete lounging set."

Avarice glanced over her shoulder where I pointed with my chin, and when she turned back, her features were set in an expression of badly contained annoyance. "I wouldn't. It was complete when I bought it. A sofa and two chairs."

"I see, I see. Did you break another chair, or was it simple wear and tear? I guess, restoring was out of the option," I continued with a feigned nonchalance and took Avarice's furrowed brows as a small personal victory.

I wasn't sure what exactly I was pushing for in this situation, but taking her out of the balance was a good thing… As long as she didn't decide to kill me after all. Her eyes were pure brown, but was it any sign of a vampire's anger or the lack of it? My intuition, though, urged me to continue. There was something to dig for there, and my intuition, whenever that appeared, was usually right.

I rarely ever lost a game of rock-paper-scissors with its help.

"You talk like you don't… Oh, you really don't. Tsk." After confusing me with this, Avarice gave me another nasty look. "And wouldn't you just like to know?"

"I would be curious, right. I imagine it happened recently if you still didn't replace the set… Nor did you take it away, which I personally agree with. This room would be a lot emptier without it, and there's just a perfect amount of furniture at the moment."

"You speak like it's so easy to fine a genuine seventeenth century Baroque set in such a great state and in that colour."

Now I couldn't contain my grin. "If you knew where to look…"

The implication was clear. Avarice's face smoothened, and she stared at me, silent, for a little longer. "And you know, of course, Diana."

"It is my profession, isn't it?" I shrugged. "I won't make any long-term contracts with you, but on a case-to-case basis I'm ready to offer my expertise. For a price, of course."

"A price… And in this case, the prise would be?.."

"Renegotiation of my debt, to the honest, not-extortion amounts," I said, folding my hands over my chest and gave Avarice a resolute stare before softening it with a smile. Avarice was quite a bitch, but ah, at least she was honest—I could give her that. And either way, honey snares more flies than vinegar. "And of course, the possibility of our future fruitful cooperation. Friendship, if you may."

"Friendship." Avarice tasted the word on her lips like something foreign. "This word means different things in my world than it is in yours, I imagine."

"I still like how it sounds," I admitted. With momentary hesitation, I reached over the table to offer Avarice my hand. A moment of my vulnerability. It was entirely in Avarice's power to refuse me and my offer and send me away and maybe even extort more money as she went at it.. I swallowed, hiding my trepidation from her eyes and trying to look assured in her positive response. "So, deal?"