Page 36 of Burn of Obsidian
Five: Be cautious of gifts given, Fae stuff had a mind of its own.
Six: Fae loved offerings, but be careful not to insult them.
Jax scoffed, his gaze sweeping over her piles of books and the clothes she’s left at the foot of her bed. Her flat wasn’t anything extravagant. It was small, and all one room apart from the bathroom, which was adjacent to the kitchen.
Jax moved to her bookshelf, eyes lingering on her marble dick for a few seconds before landing on her small crystal collection. He touched one, lifting the quartz up to the light.
“Do Fae use them to heal?” He put the quartz down, only to pick up the jasper.
“What am I, a Fae encyclopaedia?” Thea crossed her arms when he went to look at another. She knew Fae could use crystals to heal, but she couldn’t. She just thought they were pretty. “That’s amethyst. It’s supposed to get rid of negative thoughts.”
Jax picked up another crystal, pinching it between two fingers.
“That’s obsidian,” she said. “It’s known for its strength and protection against negative energy.”
He didn’t say anything, simply studying the crystal intently with a frown marring his brow. Jax dwarfed her shelves, leaving barely enough gap between him and the back of the sofa. With him standing there, it really emphasised her lack of space.
“The document, if I get it back, they’ll make me return the money.” Her stomach dipped, like a block of ice had decided her insides were the perfect place to chill. “I need that money, Jax.”
“I’ll pay you the same,” he commented, arm dropping away from her shelf. “How much?”
“It was…” Thea paused, and Jax’s frown deepened. He didn’t know how much she’d been paid, which meant she could ask for anything. “Eighty thousand.”
Fuck it. Go big or go home. The worse he could do was say no.
“Fine.”
Thea grinned, barely stopping herself from pumping her fist in victory. With the difference, she had enough to cover her father’s next round of treatment. “You have to pay me first.”
His lips pressed together. “No.”
“It’s non-negotiable.” She gripped Reaper tighter, as if he was a shield.
Jax’s irises flickered to silver, but he nodded.
Thea’s grin widened like a maniac.
Look at her, asserting her dominance over the grumpy giant. “What’s so important about the paper? I couldn’t even read it.”
His brow quirked. “I’m told you’re the one that found the chalice for Harper.”
Thea put Reaper gently onto the floor. “The golden cup of death? Yes, but – ”
“The page you stole is tied to it.” His hand reached out to tug a strand of hair, and she was suddenly aware of how close he was.
“I’ll need to speak to Grey, the fence. Hope he hasn’t moved it on yet,” she said. “What if he doesn’t help?”
“He will.”
She narrowed her eyes, tugging her hair from his fingers. “He might not.”
Reaper tangled in his legs, but Jax didn’t look away. “Thea, let me make myself very clear. If he doesn’t hand over the page, I will break every bone in his body until he does.”
“What’s with men beating each other up all the time?” She rolled her eyes. “Besides, he’ll be at the Troll market, so he’s protected under the wards.”
“You’re right.” A muscle twitches in his jaw. “The Troll market isn’t the place to interrogate someone.”
“Woah, big guy. I never agreed to an interrogation.”