Now that she had uncuffed him, Petyr could see a change come over Avesta.

  Much of that icy hostility must’ve been for show, because she now switched to gloomy and wistful.

  Why, though, did she suggest some complicity in his father’s and the bandit’s drug trade? She wasn’t even from here. What could some foreign woman from a different country have to do with it?

  Hell, even calling her a “woman” was generous. She’s barely older than me. And there’s no way I’m a “man.” I don’t want to be.

  Petyr rubbed his chafed wrist. “Do you have some water?”

  She gave him a look. “I have better.”

  He watched her move, his gaze tracing the subtle sway of her hips as she turned. The fabric of that strange grey budysuit clung to every inch of her, accentuating the flex of each muscle with every step.

  As she bent over to get something, the material stretched, hugging her exquisite butt in a way that was impossibly tight.

  For a moment, Petyr's world stopped.

  Avesta’s front and upper body may have been dignified, even intimidating; but the curves of her lower body were deliciously lewd and plump. All he could see was that perfect, heart-shaped invite carved in flesh.

  She’s the enemy and carved off a piece of your ear! a tiny voice inside him cried.

  It went unheard.

  In spite of all the drama, in spite of the revelations about his father and whatever mystery was at the heart of Avesta’s presence here in Windust, the only thing he could think of now was how exactly he was going to conquer her heart and mind to get access to that insane body.

  Do they make them all like this in in the Soverni Republic? Maybe we should just let them conquer us. Just get on our knees and invite them over…

  Avesta straightened and sashayed over with the half-empty bottle of wine he’d seen her drink from before. “This is Jenaisai wine, one of the greatest things to enjoy in this life. Have some. Consider it an apology for my rough handling earlier.”

  The gesture was sweet. Petyr might even learn to forgive her, assuming their relationship…

  … evolved.

  “Water under the bridge,” he said, offering a warm smile.

  Why had he been so afraid of this hot amazing girl? Sure, she was a few years older. But so what? He’d dealt with hundreds of girls and gotten under their skin. What was one more?

  I'm the heartcrusher. Come on now. I need to get it under control.

  “You said before that you’re involved in this…” Petyr began slowly. “I don’t see how that could be.”

  “I will not be discussing that.” The icy edge returned to her voice.

  Touchy-touchy, thought Petyr. He undid the wine’s cork and took a sip. It was bitter.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  Too bitter…

  It hit his brain and left it tingly and fuzzy.

  “This is—”

  Before he could finish his sentence, he blacked out.

  Petyr woke up the next morning lying on a makeshift bed made out of dried grass in Avesta’s camp.

  What the…

  She sat against the tree stump, crosslegged, quietly flipping the page on one of the heavy tomes resting in her lap. How the hell did she even get all this stuff all the way out here? There's no way a girl her size could've just carried it...

  Her short brown bob was as perfectly styled as the day before, glistening in the dim morning. The stern expression on her beautiful face made her appear perfectly undisturbed, like an underground lake that hadn't had a ripple on its surface in milennia.

  There weren’t any signs of tiredness on her either. No red-rimmed eyes, no eyebags. Nothing.

  When she noticed his lingering gaze, she slammed the book shut and rose. “You woke up late. It’s already an hour past daybreak.”

  “You…” Something roiled in his stomach and wanted to come up his throat. “That wine…”

  “It would be wise for you not to take that too personally. There were things I needed to tend to elsewhere, and I had to be sure you would not leave until were done talking.”

  Petyr grimaced and put a hand over his mouth as nausea overtook him. “Things you needed to care of… What, you’ve got another camp with a guy tied up?”

  For the first time since they met, she giggled with delight, eyes shining. “Perhaps. That is for me to know and for you to worry about.”

  Petyr braced himself, took a deep breath, then got up.

  With no food or water in his system after one of the most stressful days of his life...”

  Barely a step was taken before a dizzy spell nearly knocked him off his feet.

  He lumbered over to the nearest tree and hugged it for support. “Why did you have to drug me!” he shot venomously.

  Avesta put her hands on her hips daringly. “The alternative was to immobilize and gag you. Would you have found that preferable?”

  No, he thought; but he refused to give her the satisfaction.

  “I’ll remind you that you spoke yesterday of aiding me in my efforts to dismantle the bandit ring here.”

  Because I was desperate, you bitch! “Yes,” he forced himself to say, and closed his eyes. Slowly, his vision was becoming steady.

  “I will take you back to your home. You will find the appropriate excuse to justify why you’ve missed the other night. Then, you must find a way to draw your father out. Lead him to the treeline where the forest starts at the back of your house. I will take it from there.”

  Take it from there? Surely she was joking. “Meaning?…”

  “I will have to extract everything he knows. Since you know him, you can ensure that it goes smoothly. Squeezer knows the details of how things truly run in Windust. I’ve done my best to glean information by spying, but I can do very little from the shadows.”

  Avesta. Soverni, hot, insane Avesta…

  She was well and truly out of her mind. How could she ever think Petyr would willingly play alongw with this? It went beyond naivete. Even if he and Gregory weren’t the closest, only a truly vile son would betray his own father—no matter what.

  “You have until tonight,” Avesta added.

  The surge of panic that shot through him left him breathless. “W-What?”

  “To lure your father out.”

  “And how am I supposed to do that?! You can’t just give me a day! I need time! I need to—”

  Avesta placed her arms behind her back and shook her head unflinchingly, in an almost military fashion. “You must. Or else I must assume that your desire to aid me was insincere. In which case, I will do what I must.”

  He stared at her, feeling his hatred bubble up even more. She was threatening his father. His family. Threatening him. “What does that entail?”

  “Why does it matter? You are with me, are you not?”

  Petyr looked away, wondering what she was capable of.

  In the end, her power didn’t matter. It could turn out she was a deadly monster in human form, and he still wouldn’t betray his father.

  There weren’t many things he wouldn’t betray in this world for pussy or personal gain, but family was definitely chief among them.

  We’ll have to devise a trap. Capture her. Dad can do it. He’s smart…

  Avesta took a step closer. “Petyr.”

  “Yes…” he said, finally. A tired sigh escaped his lips. He had to play into it. “Yes, I’ll help you.”

  She gave his shoulder a firm squeeze. “You made the right choice.”

  You didn’t, he thought. You’ll see. We’re not as stupid and helpless as you think.

  Soon, you’ll be the one tied up and at my mercy. I promise.