As they approached the mansion on the east side of the district, Octavia turned to Malakai.
"Hmph. For the sake of the mission, I’ll share the information I have." She flicked her hair with practiced elegance.
"The next victim is Coinmaster Juliet," she said. "An old hag with a very odd taste in men."
Seeing Malakai’s raised brow, she added, "She likes men who are twice younger than her or even more."
"Aren’t men supposed to be the older ones in relationships?" Renlo chimed in.
"Says who?" Octavia shot back immediately. "We women can also have whoever we want."
"You’re twelve," Malakai said. "You can’t have anyone."
Octavia glared at him.
"As I was saying," she continued coldly, "the victim in this case is her new favorite. Just a random boy from the streets, but she’s determined to catch the perpetrators."
After a moment, she added, "Just let me do the talking. She’s a sly old woman."
Entry into the mansion was smooth and without error. The luxurious carriage alone, and the presence of a Bloom, commanded instant respect.
Unlike the others, Coinmaster Juliet was already waiting at the entrance as the carriage approached.
The woman had a visible frown on her face; she didn’t bother hiding her annoyance.
"My lady, this is the ninth and tenth vein. You have to compose yourself," her second in command whispered from behind her, but it only deepened her scowl.
"This is a massive waste of my time," Juliet muttered. "We should be out there investigating, not entertaining children."
"My lady!" her subordinate hissed quietly. "Be careful, they might hear you!"
Juliet clicked her tongue. "I’d like to see what kind of input these children could possibly have in this matter. Let’s get this over with."
As the carriage rolled to a stop in front of the mansion, Juliet and her retinue stepped forward just as its passengers began to disembark.
Despite her earlier irritation, she managed to compose herself, forcing a polite smile.
"Tenth vein," she greeted with a bow, only to freeze the moment her eyes fell on Malakai.
’This is... the ninth vein?’
It was her first time meeting him face to face, and as she took in his tall, commanding, young figure, her pulse quickened against her will.
Without realizing, Juliet’s demeanor shifted instantly. She brushed her crimson hair behind her ear and offered a softer, almost shy smile.
"Ninth vein... it’s a pleasure to finally meet you."
Of everyone present, two reacted.
Juliet’s second in command’s eyes widened briefly before she quickly composed herself.
Octavia, however, frowned.
Was it just her, or was there a massive difference in how this woman greeted her compared to Malakai?
"Ahem." Octavia cleared her throat. "I’m sure you were informed about our mission. We would like to—"
"Yes, yes, I understand," Juliet interrupted dismissively, her gaze still fixed on Malakai.
"Just tell me whatever you need... anything."
She leaned forward slightly, her chest lifting ever so deliberately.
Octavia’s expression darkened.
She couldn’t decide what irritated her more, the woman’s blatant disregard, or the fact that a shameless pedophile stood right in front of her.
"I’m open to anything, ninth vein," Juliet said with a coy smile.
That was the last straw.
"Take us to the location the victim was last seen," Octavia said sharply. "I’m sure my mother will want us back soon."
The mention of the Sixth Pulse made Juliet stiffen. She quickly swallowed back the glare that threatened to surface and gave a shallow bow toward Octavia.
"Of course, tenth vein," she said, stressing the title just enough to sting.
"Please, follow me," Juliet said with a bow and turned, leading the way into the mansion.
Malakai glanced at Octavia, who was still glaring daggers at the woman’s back. If looks could kill, Juliet would already be a corpse.
"Just ignore her," Malakai said quietly. "Focus on what we’re here for."
"I know. Ignore her." His tone left no room for argument, and he started moving into the mansion.
"Em..." Renlo hesitated, scratching his head. "He’s right." Then he hurried after Malakai.
Octavia took a deep breath, her fists clenched at her sides.
’I’ll make sure I bury her after this,’ she swore silently, then followed along.
The group spent even less time at Coinmaster Juliet’s mansion than the earlier two. Though Juliet tried every excuse to make them stay, Malakai hadn’t seen the need.
Her constant advances irritated him more than he showed. Still, he held it in and simply asked questions.
While Renlo remained oblivious to the Coinmaster’s infatuation with Malakai, Octavia made her annoyance known. She glared at Juliet throughout their interactions, occasionally offering sharp remarks.
By the end of the meeting, Malakai was able to confirm his hypothesis. Just like the earlier two, the windows had been opened.
By the time the group visited the last two victims, he was sure of it now.
"They left on their own." ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ n͟o͟v͟e͟l͟f͟i͟r͟e͟.net
Octavia squinted her eyes. She had long since regained her composure and was enjoying the ride when Malakai suddenly spoke.
"What do you mean they left on their own? You mean they kidnapped themselves?"
"Em... are you sure about that, Malakai?" even Renlo asked.
"Yes, I’m sure," Malakai’s tone was certain.
"Think about it. In all the scenes, there’s no sign of struggle. No one knew when they vanished from the mansion. The windows were left open, some of which are locked from the inside. The guards and maids are accounted for, and all of them have been questioned by a Sanguine Bloom. That means someone opened the windows themselves, and the evidence points to the victims."
By the time he finished speaking, both Octavia and Renlo wore thoughtful expressions.
"That... actually makes some sense," Octavia said after a moment.
"You sound surprised," Malakai replied.
"Yes, very." She crossed her arms, then shrugged lightly as she saw his raised brows. "What can I say? Men are hardly smart."
Malakai shook his head silently.
"So what does this mean?" Octavia continued. "The victims left on their own? Are they all conspiring together?"
"No," Malakai said, shaking his head again. "Most of the victims were longtime family members of the Coinmasters. It’s unlikely they’d do something ."
"What if they were lured out?" Renlo blurted.
Both Malakai and Octavia turned toward him. He scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "I–I mean, I think..."
"You might be onto something there," Octavia said.
Renlo beamed, but quickly cleared his throat when he noticed Malakai’s deadpan stare.
"Lured out," Malakai murmured, "or controlled."
He wasn’t ruling anything out. As the group pondered, Malakai suddenly felt his blood churn.
His head snapped to the side.
Octavia and Renlo immediately noticed the change in his expression and grew tense.
"What... what happened?" Renlo asked.
There was a brief silence before Malakai answered.
"We’re being followed."
And then he was gone.