“Relax. It’s to keep our conversation private.” Grace pointed to the talisman in the middle of the table. Marie quickly read the talisman. It was designed to keep the sound from escaping the area and that was it. She did a quick sweep of the room with her senses. There was no other magic active.
[I’m fine.] She wasn’t going to drop her barrier. Better to keep it up until she knew what Grace wanted.
[What happened?]
[She activated a talisman to protect the conversation.]
[Alright. Let me know if anything changes.] Marie examined the room but the only things in here were the table and chairs. The rest of the room was empty. The only other notable feature was the door on the opposite side of the room.
“Want to play a game?” Grace sat down at the table and gestured to the other chair.
“Game?” Marie sat down but she didn’t push the chair in.
“To determine a winner.”
“The bet?”
“Don’t want to know what kind of game it is?” Grace looked smug but Marie was confident she wouldn’t lose in a contest of magic. “Very well. If you win, I’ll give you this.” Grace pulled an envelope out from underneath the table. “This is all the information I could find on the building. I think this would be a big help for whatever you’re investigating.” The woman waved the envelope around before putting it down on the table.
“And what do you want?” Grace smiled and leaned forward.
“I want a divination.” Marie could feel herself tense before she forced herself to relax.
“How did you hear about that?” The thief shrugged.
“Are you going to play?” Marie nodded. Grace stood up and went through the other door. The woman was back in seconds, carrying a bottle filled with red liquid and two glasses. Tsk. It was the bottle Marie had seen her win back at the treasure hunt. Grace placed the bottle of Rose Red on the table as she placed a glass on either side. The thief grabbed the bottle and popped it open. “Let’s get started.”
The game was simple. The first person to either forfeit or pass out would lose. Since they were both magic users, Grace chose a game that would prove which of them had the greater amount of magic. That’s what the bottle of Rose Red was for. A higher amount of magic meant a person could tolerate more of the liquid.
But there was a catch.
The amount of liquid a person could tolerate would change depending on how much Rose Red was in the bottle. Pink Rose Red only had about fifteen percent of the ingredient that affected magic users. This bottle on the other hand had about thirty-five percent. Was Grace that confident in her abilities?
Four glasses in and the outcome was starting to become obvious. Grace leaned forward, barely keeping her drink in her glass as she tipped it forward.
“Come on. Just a hint. I want to know.” The woman had been speaking non-stop since the game began but it had gotten worse the more she drank.
“I don’t talk about my investigations.”
“Come oooon.” Grace stretched the last word out as she leaned back in her chair. Marie just finished her glass and remained silent. “You’re no fun.” The thief pouted as she looked into her glass. The woman chugged down the last of it before she put it down. Marie took the bottle and poured it into the thief’s first before pouring it into her own. This was how they kept things fair. They would take turns pouring. Marie wasn’t really paying attention to whether the glasses were even or not. As long as they were about the same, with hers usually having more than Grace’s, she was fine. Marie already knew she wouldn't lose.
She gazed into her glass before chugging it. She really hated the taste. It was way too sweet. Anything she ate or drank afterward would be affected by the taste. Why did this have to be here anyway? It was a disgusting drink that only reminded her of a disgusting place.
[Marie?] She snapped out of her thoughts and looked around. Grace was still trying to finish her glass but her arms didn’t seem to be cooperating.
[What?]
[What’s going on?]
[Talking. What’s going on over there?]
[Small talk.] There was a short pause and she hoped he’d stop talking but she had no such luck. [You’re just talking? Nothing else?] He sounded like he didn’t believe her. Marie watched as Grace nearly dropped her glass. This was taking too long.
[Why?] She needed to end this now before Adrian came. Marie grabbed the bottle and chugged what was left. She even did a quick fire spell to show that she was still fine. Marie closed her fist around the flame snuffing it out. Grace looked shocked at first before she frowned and slid the envelope over. The door to the left opened just as she grabbed the envelope. Luke entered first with Adrian right behind him.
“Goodbye, Guardian.” The vampire gave her a quick bow before he picked up Grace and took her through the other door. Adrian picked her up while she was still staring at the closed door. Her eyelids began to droop as she leaned against his chest.
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