Kilyan set the knife down.
He had never asked Xyrra about her scar
because the information he actually needed already cost a pretty penny.
Plus, he almost hated dealing with her as much as Mani.
Sliding a small gold bar toward her,
he asked, "So what do you have for me?"

Begrudgingly, she set down her eating utensils
and pulled a small booklet from her breast pocket.
She flipped through its pages rapidly,
showing off a literacy Kilyan had always admired despite his aversion to her.
After she finished skimming the report, she set the booklet aside.
"The king's schedule for the next two weeks."
Her dark eyes snapped up to his, glittering.
"Before I hand it to you, mind telling me what you need this for?"
He cocked an eyebrow at her.
"Oh, I'm sure you're already aware that'll cost you.
Maybe I can take all of this back?" he asked,
reaching for the gold he'd just laid out.
She didn't move for a moment, weighing the options.
Then her fork went flying at the table in front of him.