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“I.. I-I-I was just taking a break. I needed to find someplace quiet. Because I had a headache and?—”
“Were you ‘taking a break’ with that Quilthar?”
Amber’s face turned deep red. She knew she was cornered. “That… He was a guest. Lost. He was trying to find, uh, the gift shop.”
“The gift shop?” I asked in a tone that let her know I wasn’t buying a single word.
“Yes.” Amber’s face went neutral. She was obviously searching for the right mask to put on for me right now. As if that would work.
“And you needed to hand him something in order to do so?”
Again, I watched her eyes dart around as if trying in vain to find her salvation. “That was… a coupon. I had a coupon for the gift shop, and I felt so bad for the guy, you know, getting lost like that, so I thought I’d give it to him to use when he got there!”
“So if I check the cameras right now, I’ll see a Quilthar man making his way to the gift shop, coupon in hand?” I asked.
Amber smiled wide, hesitated, then nodded.
“Do you think I’m an idiot?” I asked. “You’re not as clever or slick as you seem to believe yourself to be. You’ve been mining my guests for information. Gathering intel on them to pass along. Admit it.”
Amber’s skin went pale, beads of sweat forming on her forehead. Her hand shook in my grasp. I recognized this behavior. She was like a prisoner of war ready to face the firing squad.
“I was just… doing like you said, sir.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Like I said?”
“Yes. Yes! You told me about collecting information to make for a better guest experience! Remember?” Again, that fake smile came back. But it was trembling. She couldn’t even convince herself.
“You know damn well that isn’t what you’re doing here. Admit it, and I might show you a speck of mercy. Who are you reporting to?” I stood my ground. My livelihood, career, and those of my dearest friends were on the line.
Amber’s smile dropped as her eyes welled up. Finally, the truth was breaking free. She let out a sob and looked back up at me with tears running down her cheeks.
“Please… I’m sorry, I didn’t want to hurt anyone, especially not you. This is a good job, and I don’t want to ruin it, but I didn’t have a choice.”
“Who, then?” I asked, trying to show some empathy. “Amber, tell me who’s making you do this.”
She shook her head. “I can’t. I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I just can’t.”
This wasn’t an act. I knew stage tears when I saw them. I’ve watched enough terrible performers try to move an audience with an ill-read monologue. Amber’s tears, her distress and anguish, were genuine.
Somebody else was pulling her strings. And they obviously had something strong against her. But I couldn’t just let this go. This was too large of a risk to the Black Star.
The truth was going to come out, one way or another.
AMBER
“Where are we?”
“Silence.”
Ryrik held my arm tight as he dragged me out of the abandoned conference room, through the back hallways, and further into areas I didn’t think could even exist. Areas that I wasn’t even sure I was allowed to be in. I’d barely been able to sneak away to deliver information to Conii as it was.
I tried to tug free, but it was quickly clear that it was no use. His grip on my arm just tightened. Any harder and the bone was likely to snap. There was no getting out of this. Not that I would even have a real plan if I managed to wiggle free.
I didn’t know Ryrik very well, if at all. And I hadn’t known many Vinduthi, either. But one thing was very clear. He was angry.
Since he dragged me away, he hadn’t looked back at me once. But I could still read his emotions through the back of his head. I saw the slight clenching of his jaw. I’d seen anger from a lot of men and a lot of species, and they all tended to look the same.
We eventually ended up in some back room, far away from anyone who could hear me scream. Ryrik swung the door open, tossed me inside, stepped in with me, and slammed the door behind us.
