Page 15 of The Wind Dancer
“I’m offering a deal. Isn’t that what Shadows do?”
I chuckled.
“And what are the conditions?”
She leaned closer, her eyes blazing with that cool fire again.
“You work for me. You do what needs to be done, when I tell you to. In exchange, you won’t become a target.”
I tilted my head back and grinned.
“You aim high. Do you believe you can tame a tiger?”
She just smiled.
And then it clicked.
Mei Lin didn’tjustwant to recruit me; she and her people were looking for my mentor’s legacy. His secrets, plans, all of his contacts, maybe even ciphers with which he hid dangerous information. And they thought I was the key to it all. The problem was that I knew practically nothing, and if they found out, I’d become useless. She and those who stood behind her weren’t Shadows. A Shadow believed a deal was sacred, unbreakable once made. I knew there were those in the Empire who believed they could twist it, bend it, and play their games with us and the ancient law.
I laughed softly and shook my head.
“So this was all a game?” I asked, looking her straight in the eyes.
She didn’t look away.
“You could have run away and disappeared. But you stayed. That means you’re playing. And, if we come to an agreement, I’ll help you find his killer.” So, we were both certain he was killed? People like him didn’t just pass away quietly, they were removed.
I leaned closer to her, and now I was the one whispering into her ear searching for any reactions.
“Are you a part of the deal?”
It was a good idea to let her believe she had another thing she could use as leverage.
She didn’t pull away.
“Let’s see how things unfold first.” She caressed my cheek. “Your mentor must have left some hints about everything before he died. The question now is, what did he manage to give you?”
I took a slow breath, giving myself a moment to think. They didn’t know for certain, so they had to speculate. This was my chance.
“Do you think he left me something?” I said in a curious tone.
She narrowed her eyes.
“I’m sure of it. He didn’t trust people, but he did trust you.”
I thought about it. My mentor did tell me that if one day he were gone, I had to remember that the most valuable asset I had was knowledge. It kept you one step ahead.
“Let’s say I have a key,” I said slowly. “What then?”
She smiled a little.
“Then you choose.”
“Between?”
“Between running until the others catch you, or playing with me, by my rules.”
I looked at her carefully.
