Bab 98: Delicacy of wealth

The knife gleamed under the barely luminescent light fixed carefully inside the carriage, and Aric turned it between his fingers before a flick of his wrist made it disappear as smoothly as it had come. 

He leaned back against the soft leather seat, a slight smile tugging at his lips, but Serina was quick to pull him from his thoughts.

"What's the next move?" 

Her voice was calm, unshook, her gaze resting squarely on him as if already understanding part of his answer.

Aric's eyes drifted toward the window, watching the lights of the imperial palace fade behind them. 

"We stay with the plan," he murmured, his tone low but resolute. "My second brother… he'll need to be taken care of quickly. But Darius—I plan to make him understand a relevant type of despair."

Serina nodded slowly, her eyes narrowing with thought as she loosened the ties of her dress.