Fruit plates full of special fruits from an obviously enchanted garden, venison steak, duck breast, poached eggs, grilled asparagus and several bottles of well aged enchanted wine, no one could say it was a less than lavish meal. But of the three sitting around the table, only one person was enjoying the meal - which was the woman wearing a mask covering half her face. The other two - Camile Jensen, and an unexpected "guest": Lauren Biggins, the lab administrator of the Grant Academy, and a member of the funding committee.
"You're probably both wondering, why the funding committee of THE Grant Academy is here." the woman swallowed a bite of venison steak, then asked with a smile while cutting the steak: "And I would say, that this would be the wrong question to ask."
"So the correct question is?" Camile Jense put down her fork with a piece of duck breast on it: "I know that she's not on your payroll, because I handled all of your payroll contacts in the academy - at least I think so."
"You remember correctly, she's not on our payroll. But she's on someone else's." the woman smiled and looked at the still quite shaken Lauren Biggins with a side eye, who had her hair all messed up and her robe dirtied and broken: "She's like you, she used to work for more than one group of people, and she has been quite effective in her approach - until that tunnel was burnt and the beast was unleashed."
The fork and knife in Lauren Biggins' hands dropped onto the fine china plate, and she stared at the woman wearing a mask: "It's you - it's YOU! YOU burnt that tunnel! Do you have any idea what you have done!?"
"It's bound to happen anyway. We're just ahead of the curve." the woman wearing a mask barely raised her eyebrows: "You think the energy stones you moved out of the emergency reserves to support the tunnel are going to last? There is no more importing of energy stones, and the reserves are dry, so people are asking questions."
Lauren Biggins stood up so violently that her chair was pushed back and almost fell down on the ground, but she was not able to do anything before the woman wearing a mask bent her back forward and pushed her upper body against the table, almost forcing her face against the venison steak in her plate with just one finger.
"Politics and your desk job has dulled your abilities and your judgment." the woman wearing a mask scoffed: "Too bad, once such a promising scholar."
"What, do, you, WANT!?" Lauren Biggins asked through her teeth.
"What I want, is for you to enjoy your meal in peace. We are nothing but hospitable, especially for fellow witches who are down on their luck and need a place to stay and a way out." the woman wearing a mask snapped her fingers and forced Lauren Biggins back into her chair: "And then, we can talk about how you are going to help me bring down Beverly Winters, or you may know her as Carol Summers."
Both Camile Jensen and Lauren Biggins started coughing from almost choking on their food, for they were not expecting the woman wearing a mask to make this ask at all.
"You're kidding right?" Camile Jensen had to take a big gulp from her glass: "She's a high broker of the Exalted Bondsmen, and she has an army of powerful players. How do you even fight her?"
"Not alone, and with the help of another high broker, of course." the woman laid down her fork and sat back on her chair: "I won't bore you with the details, but be assured that we already have a plan in place and it is going well. All I need from you, is that we want to be extra careful and when dealing with someone like Beverly Winters, the more insurance policies and trump cards we have, the better."
"Beverly Winters? " Camile Jensen asked with a curious frown on her face: "What's special about her name? And why'd she change it?"
"She's still trying to get it back from whatever entity she pawned her name to. One entity whose name we do not know about, but it would explain her sudden rise to power." the woman smiled and took a gentle sip from her glass: "I know, depending on your understanding of the contracts between normal humans and celestial beings, this is either huge, or barely anything. But do keep in mind that there's more intelligence and knowledge where that came from, plus you can have your freedom when this is done."
Camile Jensen sighed and took a look at Lauren Biggins, then realized that Lauren Biggins was already looking at her with exhausted, bland and distant eyes. She gave Lauren Biggins some eye signals, trying to get her to say something or at least show her and the woman wearing a mask where she stood on the ask.
"Well, the silence and the lack of enthusiasm is kinda disappointing, considering that my girls and I just saved both of your lives." the woman wearing a mask raised her eyebrows and continued with her food.
"No, please, I - I mean WE are definitely grateful." seeing that Lauren Biggins was still too shaken and upset to ask questions, Camile Jensen asked the obvious question: "What would you like us to do?"
"Simple, give me the details on the supply chains, the name of the contacts she has in the Grant Academy." the woman broke out a smile at the two guests at the table: "Don't worry about doing it right away, you will have a few more days to decide."
"And what if we can't decide?"
"Then this place would be closed to you. And you will have to face the world on your own."