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Steam spiralled from a black, porcelain cup which sat on the table. Witch made porcelain, created with power. Either the Keeper wanted to taunt me, or they appreciated the stuff. It was virtually unbreakable after all. Or rather, it could break, but the power would bind it back together again until it wore out. Even power had its limits.
My mother had a teapot made of witch porcelain, but no one was allowed to touch it. The pot was worth more than most people made in half a year.
Yet here was a pair of matching cups and saucers. The other one was empty.
Decadent bastards.
Beside those, a plate held a small cake, the top dusted in sugar.
At least, I presumed it was sugar. Several known, unscented poisons could be ground down to powder form. Hades only knew how manyunknownpoisons could as well. Not to mention ordinary, everyday drugs like cocaine.
"Idiot," I whispered to myself. "Stop jumping at shadows." If they wanted me dead, I would have fed the sea serpents a few kilometres off the shores of Australia by now. Yeah, my imagination often centred around being eaten by any number of animals, including guys like Bain.
There are several ways to be a tasty snack.
I reached for the cake, but stopped with my fingertips suspended above it. I shouldn't assume everyone here in the Vault wanted the Keeper to have the artefact, especially one the witches had in their possession for so long. Here, away from Bain's watchful eyes, someone might think they could get rid of me and take it. Hells, they were welcome to the bloody thing. They didn't need to kill me to get it.
I shook my head.
The Keeper's eyes would be even more vigilant here than on the train. Or Calista's eyes. Nothing would happen here without either of them being aware.
And yet, I couldn't shake the wary unease which settled around my shoulders like a blanket. Not the kind I could use to make a blankie fort and hide, but the itchy kind that irritated my skin.
I pulled out a chair and sat at the table, my eyes still on the cake. I was hungry, but I couldn't bring myself to eat.
Forget the artefact, I told myself.Remember why you're really here.I rested a hand lightly over the knife to reassure myself it was still there. I couldn't lose my nerve, not when I was so close.
An hour or two and this would all be over.
I moved my hand away from my hip to pick up the cup and sniff the coffee.
A surge of power flooded into me, but dissipated almost immediately. I twitched involuntarily.
Even though I expected it, the sudden jolt of power always took me by surprise. The scent of coffee, however strong, never lasted long enough for me to use it. Presumably because it was diluted in boiling water. Fortunately, the taste more than made up for it.
The coffee could also contain poison, but at least I would die happy.
I sipped.
It had gone a little cold, but still tasted amazing. How did they know my favourite blend?
I snorted. I didn't bother to hold it back this time. There was no one else in the room to hear.
The idea any shifter would bother to learn a witch's preference was ridiculous. The choice was obviously coincidental; the combination was popular amongst witches, shifters and ordinary humans.
I gave in to hunger and broke the cake in half. Lemon and rose wasnotmy favourite, but I took a few mouthfuls before nerves made my stomach rebel.
I placed the half-eaten cake back on the plate and took a few more sips of coffee.
The cup in my hands, I stood and stepped through a doorway which led out to a small balcony.
I marvelled at the clear air. I could be forgiven for thinking we weren't deep in the heart of a city. The Vault existed in a power-wrought bubble, or so I was told. It certainly seemed to be in a place away from the rest of the world.
The balcony overlooked a garden, one with different plants to those in the courtyard.
Honeysuckle vines draped over lattices; their sweet, tiny white flowers flowed like water. Roses in every shade imaginable grew between the lattices, pops of vibrant colour and more fragrance than I dared to inhale.
I held my cup under my nose. The coffee counteracted the flowers, at least a little. The temptation to lower the cup and suck in more power than I could hold was strong. The things I could do with all that power…
