“I am the employer, Your Highness.” As Cassius looked at her, dumbstruck, she continued, “I was told you have questions.”

He was quick to recover, shifting his evaluation of her to note the unreadable expression on her face, the unintimidated tilt of her head, and the single black silk glove she wore on her left hand. He had miscalculated indeed. This woman was a mystery. She was the tavern owner? The Pavanian nobleman he knew had described someone with their finger on the pulse of the city, with the ability to pull whatever strings needed to get a man the information or item he needed. He took her in again—from the elegant dress to her thick fall of hair to the shrewd look in her eyes.

She smiled and spoke. “Forgive me, Your Highness—I am, of course, happy to cooperate in whatever way the crown may ask, but you have caught me in the midst of a busy night. Is there something you needed?”

Cassius was unsure how to continue in his quest. He had been planning to threaten the man he encountered, but now … he was not sure if that was the course of action he wanted.

“I pride myself on my ability to garner information.”

The woman’s shoulders stiffened for the briefest of moments, but she did not hesitate to meet his eyes.

“What kind of information?” she asked.

“Every kind. You never know what will be useful.”

The woman nodded thoughtfully. “Sounds wise.”

“I had heard once upon a time that the proprietor of this tavern had some connection to the Eye.”

No reaction that time. Well, that was not quite true. After a moment’s pause, she smiled. “I cannot tell you anything about that, Your Highness. The Eye is long gone, or did not your brother tell you?”

He stared at her, wondering if she could possibly know the open wounds she was dragging mud through with her flippant comments.

“I know that. But did you … have a connection?”

She laughed. “Can’t say that I did.”

“I am not looking to punish you for some crime you may or may not have committed in the past.”

“You don’t say? Well, don’t I feel ever so much better.”

“As I said before, I am only looking for information. I had heard that the person who ran this tavern was who I should go to if I ever needed information that was difficult to obtain.”

“And what information is it that you need?”

“I have it on some authority that there is … a magic user in the city.”

She stared at him, unflinching. “A magic user? Would you not qualify as that?”

“You know what I mean.”

“I am afraid I do not. If you want information from me, you will have to spell it out clearly.”

“An earth witch. I am looking for an earth witch,” he snapped.