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“Tell me how you came to procure it.” He rubs a thumb over the royal blue thread.
“Actually…” I start, cringing under the weight of Elodie and Jago staring at me. “It was…given to me.”
“Given to you?” Arthur tilts his head and studies me with renewed interest. Though it’s impossible to tell what he’s thinking.
As for Elodie, I can practically feel the scorch of her gaze burning straight through the side of my face, but I refuse to meet it. Considering how she’s the clear winner of the night, bringing back the biggest pile of loot, I can’t understand why she’d bother to care that someone decided to give me a small piece of cloth.
And of course, Jago came in second. With his good looks and charm, I’m sure women and men were practically throwing their jewels at him.
Though the longer this drags on, the more I’m beginning to understand that this contest is not about who procures the most treasure, it’s about bringing Arthur something of interest. And this time, for whatever reason, what interests Arthur is a simple white handkerchief.
“This piece—” Elodie plucks another gold ring from her pile. “It came straight from the finger of a Marqui—”
But Arthur isn’t interested. With a single wave of his hand, she falls silent.
“You’ve managed to surprise me,” he says, regarding me for a few prolonged beats. “That’s not something that happens often. All in all, a good Trip.”
I stare at him in disbelief. I was sure that I’d failed—convinced I’d be demoted to working as Elodie’s chambermaid. And yet, Arthur looks undeniably, inexplicably pleased.
“It’s customary for the Trippers to receive one of their Gets as a reward for their efforts,” he tells me. “These Trips put you at great risk, and it’s my way of showing how much I appreciate your hard work.”
He presents us each with an item he takes from our piles, then motions for Roxane to catalog the rest of the stash.
As I’m walking away, Arthur calls, “Oh, and Natasha—”
I turn.
“I’ll schedule a time for us to debrief later. For now, why don’t you head over to Medical and get yourself checked. Once you’re cleared, the rest of the night is yours to spend as you wish.”
