Chapter 114: Juna
Fin watched her, the subtle shifts in her posture, the way her gaze kept flicking towards the shattered wine glass as if it were a more immediate threat than him. The fear was still there, a tight coil beneath the surface, but the outright panic had subsided. Replaced by a wary, calculating scrutiny.
Good enough.
"Okay," she said finally, her voice still strained but firmer now. "I’ll hear you out." She gestured towards the armchair opposite the sofa he occupied. "Sit down. Properly." It was an order, not a request, a small reclaiming of authority in her own space.
He didn’t comment, just rose and moved to the indicated armchair, sinking into it. It was less comfortable than the sofa. He watched her navigate around the wine stain again, perching on the edge of her own sofa, hands clasped tightly in her lap. The coffee table, scarred and cluttered, sat between them like a negotiation table in a ceasefire zone.
"First," she began, her eyes narrowed, "where have you been? The Guild, even some of the Association trackers, they looked everywhere. You just... vanished. No trace."
He met her gaze. "Can’t tell you that." The truth was, he could, but explaining a personal pocket dimension, a ’domain’, to someone like Mara felt like a conversation that would quickly spiral out of his control. More questions, more explanations, more chances for things to go wrong. Simpler to keep it vague.
She sighed, a short, sharp exhalation of breath that clearly conveyed her frustration. "Fine," she conceded, rubbing her temples briefly. "Don’t tell me." She dropped her hand, her gaze hardening again. "Then tell me this. This ’plan’ of yours. You say it’s not about extermination. So what is it? You want a list of active Hunters. Why? Taking out a few operatives, even specialists, won’t stop the Association. They’ll just send more. Stronger ones. They won’t stop until they have you, or what you carry."
He listened, his expression neutral. She wasn’t wrong. Picking off individual Hunters was a temporary solution at best. A delaying tactic. But it wasn’t his full plan. Not even close. The list was just the first step. Reconnaissance. Threat assessment. Identifying key targets.
She doesn’t need to know the rest. The fewer people who know the full scope, the better. Less chance of leaks. Less chance of... complications. Meg knew, or at least suspected. Arachne understood loyalty. Scarlet... Scarlet was a wildcard, but her survival instincts would keep her quiet for now.