Seating herself opposite of Odile, Silver noticed another sat to the right of her. Catching her gaze, Odile smiled pleasantly and introduced her. "Silver, this is Destan." He winked cheerfully at her, as Odile continued. "Destan this is Silver."

His grey eyes looked lively as he focused on her, his silky scarlet hair glistening beneath the low lighting. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Silver, I've heard a lot about you." His open expression suggested his honesty, but there was a vagueness to his words that she couldn't help but to feel was intentional.

Deciding to test him, she replied casually. "And I wonder if later on you will decide whether the pleasure was indeed true." A shrewd glint sharpened her gaze, in the otherwise blankness of her expression.

At her words, he sat up and leant forward. "I am of fae blood, we do not lie." One side of his mouth tilted up as he smiled. "And you are just as described Silver, an unusual pleasure."

She smiled in return, but there was still an edge to it. "Just because you can not lie, that doesn't mean that your every spoken word is truthful."

This time he laughed, his eyes alive with a fondness that she didn't understand. "I like you, Silver, and it is a true pleasure to meet you."

Deciding to put her suspicions to one side for the moment, she returned his smile. "And you as well, Destan." He took her comment with grace, even though she suspected that he knew her reply wasn't entirely sincere.

Looking away, she carefully pulled the rolled-up papers from within her bag, her gaze falling upon Odile as she did. "For you," she said.

Odile let slip a placid expression as she reached for the ribbon-bound papers. "Thank you, Silver. You have my sincere appreciation." The warmth that radiated from her green eyes was true. Odile was the picture of angelic innocence, as her white wings fluttered, catching the long length of her wavy light brown hair.

A regal nod of her head in the direction of a darkened corner, and a moment later, Silver's phone vibrated. Glancing down at the screen, she saw a notification of the transaction having been approved. She was satisfied, but didn't smile. The fee for her services (for stealing information) was always held in a neutral bank account. That way neither herself nor her clients could cross one another.

Raising her eyes, she found herself locking gazes with Odile. "Just to remind myself, Silver, did you bind the papers with the word that we had previously discussed?"

She knew that Odile didn't need reminding. She was merely checking that nothing had changed in-front of witnesses, should anything go awry. "The terms are exactly as we discussed. The word is to be spoken aloud. Your blood is the marker, and only then will the information appear on the pages."

Odile smiled serenely. "My thanks... Would you like something to drink?"
She was just about to politely decline, since Odile had given her a choice. She knew that it wouldn't be considered rude too, but then Lord Saxon seated himself down beside her. His confident smile interrupted her thoughts before they could form into words.

One look at him told her that that was exactly what he had hoped to do. "Seen as you injured my Sesserver and I gracefully let it pass, I'm sure you wouldn't mind indulging me by joining us for a toast. I already have two drinks for you to choose from, so join us, Silver, to you."

The drinks in question now sat side by side on the table in-front of her. Both were cocktails of similar shades of purple. Narrowing her gaze, she looked up and found four pairs of eyes watching her. All were now holding their glasses aloft, except for Odile, who clutched a dainty teacup. An unpleasant shiver worked its way down her spine, even though their expressions were nothing but relaxed. She smiled within at the art of invisible pressure, as she focused back on the purple shades of the drinks beside her. As she stared taking in their colour, she felt the hair at the nape of her neck rise.

Her mind flickered as she thought back to the old woman in the alleyway, and her rather strange words. 'When there are two choices, choose the shade of royalty that follows a cardinal heritage.' Like the brightening of the stars come night-time, she realised that the old woman had been a prophecy-prider. Her reason for appearing before Silver, had meant that she had deliberately sought her out. Although her words were of little help at the moment, for one cocktail was purple and the other a purple ombre.

Having little time to decide, but knowing that she needed that time to think, she slowly relaxed back into the gently supporting sofa. Lord Saxon, giving her an intrigued look, followed her movements with an unsettling intensity. Returning his stare with a challenging air, she met his steady gaze. "Well, Lord Saxon, if I am to choose, perhaps you could give me a glimpse of their ingredients."

He smirked. "And why would I do that?"

"Because if you do not, I could always refuse to drink either one." Her voice was bearly a whisper, but he heard it as she knew any vampire would, especially a ruling vampire Lord.

"You're playing a dangerous game, Silver, and I like dangerous games... Although I could always send you to the immortal prison of Bandornan for attacking my sesserver. I would enjoy seeing how you coped in such a tragic place." His eyes lit up with a faint glow, as though he was thrilled with the idea.

"You could, but that would ruin your present game." She could feel the others watching the two of them, using them as their entertainment. She was sure that Odile could have intervened on her behalf, but she knew that she wouldn't. For all of her angelic beauty and so-called warmth, there was also a cold logic and unfeeling interest nestled beside Odile's heart, that kept her both alert and in command. She also had a sneaking suspicion about Odile's tea drinking habit.

Pulling her thoughts back to him, Lord Saxon leant towards her. "Perhaps seeing you in Bandornan would be more entertaining than my current game."

"I sincerely doubt that, because if it were true, I would already be there." An impressed look glimmered in his eyes before he blinked it away, and the usual amusement replaced it, as he paused for a moment. "Fine, I'll relent. One main ingredient from each cocktail. I wouldn't wish to deprive you of the enjoyment of discovery."

Masking her true feelings of growing anger and vengefulness, she thought about the hint from the old woman - and of the possible effects of the cocktails. Her choices were undesirable at best and possibly deadly at worst.

The immortal prison of Bandornan, was a place where souls were broken, even after a short time. Although, the effect that was lurking in those drinks was enough to provoke a prophecy-prider to seek her out and warn her. She knew that she should have realised who the old woman had been from the beginning.

Still thinking, she wondered fleetingly whether the day really was endless, or that it just seemed that way, but then she glanced at her company and realised with dark humour that it did indeed just seem that way.

Thank you for reading <3
(Word count 1212)