“Father sent you to deal with business? No way. Who’s running his crime empire while you’re away, then?”
Maeve presses her lips into a thin line.
Ah.
Trouble in paradise.
Finally, Maeve sighs and rolls her eyes. “Father sent me away on business because I’m in some hot water with the local authorities.”
Maeve is in trouble?
It’s hard to believe.
My oldest sister is nothing but careful and calculated. Which means?—
“Someone snitched?”
She hums. “It appears so.”
I open my mouth to ask more questions, but then remember myself and stop.
I don’t care about family drama.
I’m banished.
What matters is…
“What business, Maeve?”
She takes her sweet time to answer.
“I hear you’re close with the new Ezkai General,” she says, eyes sharp. “Father wants a meeting with the new boss.”
I’m still as a statue.
No.
Absolutely not.
My words are hard, clipped. “What for?”
“To score a new trade deal, of course,” she says and smiles. It doesn’t reach her eyes. “Get him a meeting, will you?”
“No,” I say and rise to my feet.
Maeve rises too. “Jaxy, it’s not a request. It’s an order.”
“He banished me. I take no orders from him.”
She cocks her head to the side. “That’s precisely why you’re banished, little brother. I thought serving your General taught you a lesson on that. But apparently not.”
I grind my teeth. “I do serve my General. I told her about Father. She knows.”
That seems to surprise Maeve. She blinks, eyes wide. But her gaze hardens quickly. “Then she’s well aware of what’ll happen if she won’t take a meeting.”
Everything in me stills at the silent threat.
Slowly, I take a step closer to Maeve.
