VERA
I lowered myself onto the wooden garden bench, the cool slats pressing against my palms as I slipped the ruby ring off my finger. Slowly, I rolled it between my thumb and forefinger, watching how the gem caught the waning sunlight, splintering it into blood-red sparks.
"Not the ring," Nina muttered inside me, her voice edged with irritation. "That's worth more than their miserable lives combined."
I gave a small, silent nod. She was right. The ring was priceless, far too precious to dangle before these guards as bait. Besides, the last thing I wanted was to make them suspect just how important the secret they were keeping truly was.
My fingers brushed the small money pouch tucked discreetly into the pocket of my dress. Feeling the weight reassured me.
It was showtime.
I turned slightly and crooked a finger. The three guards stationed nearby moved instantly, their boots crunching softly on the gravel until they stood before me in a neat line.
