Bones regarded her with smiling eyes.
“That wasn’t very nice.”
“I’m a thief. Nice ain’t my thing.”
He chuckled.
“Poor Flora.”
Vision scowled, “Flora’s fine.”
Bones pulled her closer and when he spoke, she felt his hot breath on her skin.
“Didn’t you like me talking to her?”
She flushed, “No. I…”
“That’s okay,” he said, “Want to know what we were talking about?”
Vision nodded, feeling her flush deepen. She was out of line, and she knew it, but Bones just seemed amused.
“I was telling her I was grateful she was sitting with me, because I needed a way to stay and watch you. She could have been with paying customers, you know. Celia caught me while you were talking to Red and told me the plan. I didn’t want to spook the rebels away.”
Vision found it hard to swallow.
“Oh.”
Bones let her squirm away, off his lap.
“I didn’t grow up here, you know,” he said, pulling a face, “I’m only here now I’m in disgrace. I’m not like Fox, or Red. I’ve got different ideas about what a relationship should look like. If you and I are going to try something, you’ll have my full attention.”
“I…” she found that she wasn’t quite sure what to say, “I should go back and wait for Arturo.”
Bones’ smile softened, “Alright. I’ll be here.”
When she got back to the bar, Daisy was pointedly ignoring her. Glass was thankfully, long gone. She sat down on her abandoned stool and shoved the entire conversation from her mind. It was too painful; she would pick it apart later. The idea that Bones – Liam, she corrected again – was for real felt dangerous. There was too much chance that he was being deceitful, too much risk of her being badly hurt if she let herself believe him… but she wanted to anyway.
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She straightened her shoulders and cleared her head. Fox was what was important tonight. Time was short. She hoped, bizarrely, that Arturo had been responsible for Fox’s illness. Otherwise, he wouldn’t show and Fox might die. She watched the door. Despite its position and appearance, the clientele that Gretta’s attracted was surprisingly distinguished. Men with plain cloaks that covered fine clothing came in, one after the other. Vision had always wondered about that when she was younger. Now, she suspected that Gretta’s felt so far away from their world that it seemed safe. Who would discover them there? Her stomach flipped as a thoroughly nondescript man stepped into the building. The others all stood out in their furtiveness, but this man was so unextraordinary, he was difficult to focus on. Arturo. There was no doubt, then, that he had poisoned Fox.
She stood and moved to him. The men around her paid her no mind – a quiet benefit of her dirty, boy’s clothing. Arutro’s attention, though, was trained on her. Relief and rage warred inside her and she carefully kept all of it from her face. He dipped his head as she drew near.
“A vision, as always,” he said wryly.
“I guess I don’t have to tell you Fox is sick.”
His expression remained impassive.
“I did hear about that unfortunate turn of events. I came to offer my condolences.”
“Sure.”
“You are aware, I’m sure,” he said, “That if you joined us, you would have access to our resources. Naturally.”
“Naturally,” she said, the word bitter on her tongue.
“Do you perhaps have an early answer for me?”
She hesitated, then decided that if she was signing her freedom away, she may as well speak boldly.
“I can’t just let Fox die. You knew that.”
He said nothing and she took a slow breath.
“I don’t have a choice. You know I don’t have a choice. I also know what you want me for and I know it ain’t magic. You have magic. I’ll do what you want, but tell me true; are you going to kill me?”
Arturo smiled.
“The plan, as it stands, is not to kill you.”
“Are you going to keep me away from the crown or try to use me yourself?”
“I expect that we will take whatever opportunities present themselves to us, but I don’t expect it will be in our interests for you to die in either case.”
“But you’ll keep me locked up, so the crown can’t get me.”
Arturo inclined his head again, “Yes. I assure you, you’ll be quite comfortable.”
Vision held up a hand, “Okay. Fix Fox. I want some time, though, to tie things up after he gets better. Then I’ll come and you can throw me in whatever hole you want.”
Arturo considered.
“How much time?”
“I need tomorrow night, at least.”
“That is acceptable.”
They haggled about the finer details a while longer, before Arturo left and Vision watched him go. Her heart was hammering in her ears. Her life, as she knew it, was over. She was terrified and yet, she felt strangely free. She had a day to act without fear. She’d never had that before.