Jarek hated waking up in pain.
Unfortunately, it was becoming a habit.
His body ached from head to toe as he pushed himself off the shattered remains of a table. His mind still swam from whatever the hell had just happened.
Lena groaned beside him, rubbing her head. "Alright. Who do I stab for this?"
Jarek gave her a weak grin. "You might need a list."
Sylva, sitting on what was left of a barstool, inspected one of her daggers. "The Boss played us," she said simply. "He knew what that ledger meant, and he knew we'd bring it to him."
Jarek exhaled sharply. She was right.
They'd done exactly what the Boss wanted.
And in return, he'd triggered something inside Jarek.
The Heart of Ruin had reacted.
Jarek rubbed his temples. "We need to find him."
Lena arched a brow. "Find him? We barely survived round one!"
Jarek flexed his fingers. "Yeah, well, I'd rather not wait for round two to come to us."
Sylva sheathed her dagger. "Finding him won't be easy. The Boss doesn't leave trails."
Jarek smirked. "Good thing I know someone who does."
Lena groaned. "Oh, no. Not him."
Sylva glanced between them. "Who's 'him'?"
Jarek stretched, ignoring the pain. "An old… associate. The best tracker I know."
Lena crossed her arms. "And the most annoying person alive."
Jarek chuckled. "That too."
Sylva sighed. "Fine. Where do we find him?"
Jarek adjusted his coat. "If I had to guess?"
He turned toward the door.
"A casino."
The Gambler
The casino was alive with the sounds of coins clinking, dice rolling, and people cursing their luck.
It was the kind of place that never slept. Dim lights, cigar smoke hanging thick in the air, and an atmosphere of desperation covered in fake luxury.
Jarek strolled through the main floor, weaving between the gamblers.
Lena followed, arms crossed. "This is a waste of time."
Jarek grinned. "Relax. I know exactly where he is."
Sylva glanced around. "Who are we looking for?"
Jarek gestured to the far end of the casino—where a man in a bright red suit was sitting at a card table, grinning like a fox.
"That," Jarek said, "is Tobias Vale."
Sylva raised an eyebrow. "He looks ridiculous."
Lena groaned. "He is ridiculous."
Tobias spotted them and his grin widened.
"Well, well, well!" He spread his arms dramatically. "If it isn't my favorite idiot!"
Jarek smirked. "Hey, Tobias."
Tobias leaned back in his chair. "Haven't seen you in ages, Jarek. Thought you finally got yourself killed."
Jarek sat across from him. "Not yet."
Tobias chuckled. "Give it time."
Lena sighed. "Can we skip the banter? We need information."
Tobias tsked. "So impatient, love. What happened to enjoying the little moments?"
Lena glared. "Say 'love' again and I'll break your nose."
Tobias held up his hands. "Noted."
Jarek leaned forward. "We're looking for someone."
Tobias smirked. "Aren't we all?"
Jarek sighed. "Cut the crap. We need to find the Boss."
Tobias's smile faltered. Just for a second.
Then it was back, brighter than before. "Oh, Jarek. You really know how to pick fights."
Jarek met his gaze. "Can you find him or not?"
Tobias exhaled, drumming his fingers on the table. "I can. But you won't like what I find."
Lena frowned. "Meaning?"
Tobias tapped his temple. "The Boss isn't just some crime lord. He's…"
He hesitated.
Jarek narrowed his eyes. "What?"
Tobias sighed. "Let's just say, he's not exactly human."
A Bigger Problem
The words hung in the air.
Jarek felt a pit form in his stomach. Not human?
Lena shook her head. "You're joking."
Tobias gave her a tired look. "Do I look like I'm joking?"
Jarek exhaled. "You're saying he's like me?"
Tobias shrugged. "Not exactly. But close enough."
Sylva leaned forward. "How do you know this?"
Tobias smirked. "Because I did my homework. And because I like staying alive."
Jarek clenched his fists. This just kept getting worse.
Lena crossed her arms. "So what do we do?"
Jarek looked at Tobias. "Can you still track him?"
Tobias hesitated.
Then he nodded. "Yeah. But it won't be cheap."
Lena groaned. "Of course it won't."
Jarek smirked. "Fine. What's the price?"
Tobias's grin returned. "Oh, nothing big."
He leaned in.
"Just a favor."
Jarek sighed. That was never good.
Sylva smirked. "This should be fun."
Jarek rubbed his temples. "Alright, fine. What kind of favor?"
Tobias chuckled. "Simple."
He slid a piece of paper across the table.
Jarek picked it up. Read it.
And groaned.
Lena peeked over his shoulder.
Her jaw clenched. "Oh, hell no."
Sylva raised an eyebrow. "What?"
Lena exhaled sharply. "He wants us to steal from the royal treasury."
Sylva blinked.
Then she grinned. "Oh, I like him."
Jarek dropped his head on the table. This was going to be a disaster.
Tobias laughed. "So. Do we have a deal?"
Jarek groaned.
"Yeah. We have a deal."