Nadia didn't waste any time.
"What I need," she said smoothly, "is people. Enough to take the food court in one strike. My group can't do it alone. Yours can't either. Together, we can. I can give you floor layouts, patrol times, and the number of sentries on rotation. All the intel you'll need to hit hard and fast."
Jasmine's brow arched. "You've been taking people already. Why ask us?"
"I haven't taken anyone," Nadia said, her tone dripping with practiced patience.
Nicole's voice cut in, low and sharp. "Eli would disagree. He told us what happened, how you led his group away. How they screamed behind him while you stood there and smiled."
The faintest twitch of irritation crossed Nadia's face.
Before she could reply, a heavy set of footsteps came from the back of the shop. A man emerged, tall, broad-shouldered, pale eyes as cold as his expression. His presence filled the room like a shift in air pressure. The air felt heavier with him in the room, like the walls had drawn tighter.
"Enough," he said flatly. "Stop playing games, Nadia. This negotiation's taking too long."
Jasmine and I both turned, our weight shifting instinctively into defensive readiness. My hand hovered near my pistol.
"Who is he?" Jasmine asked.
Nadia's lips curved like this was a big reveal worth savoring. "Marcus Veil. The strongest survivor here."
Jasmine's gaze locked on him, sharp and measuring. He met her stare without flinching, doing his own assessment.
"You two working together?" I asked.
"Temporary," Marcus said before Nadia could open her mouth. His voice carried the kind of confidence that didn't need to be raised. "I only keep useful people around."
Jasmine's eyes narrowed. "And the group you took with her? Eli's people?"
Marcus didn't blink. "They served their purpose."
My jaw tightened. "And what purpose was that?"
His gaze shifted to me, unblinking. "If they won't fight, won't level, then they can at least give me their experience points."
The disgust hit me like a gut punch. My pistol was in my hand before I realized it, sights trained on his chest. "You killed innocent people to level up?" I hissed.
Marcus shrugged, as if I'd just asked if he'd stepped on an ant. "Waste of resources otherwise."
My glare slid to Nadia. She sighed, raising her hands like she was the reasonable one here.
"This is for the greater good," she said softly, almost soothing. "The sooner we work together and take out the shaman and the rest of the goblins, the sooner we can leave this dungeon. Go home. Jasmine…" Her eyes softened, voice dipping into something coaxing. "Don't you want to find your kids? The world is getting dangerous, and they need your help. So work with us, and we can go help them."
The edges of my vision blurred. A fog crept into my thoughts, smothering my anger, making her words sound… reasonable.
I felt myself wanting to agree—
The word "yes" sat heavy on my tongue. For a heartbeat, I almost said it. Almost.
A splash of scalding heat and the sharp scent of coffee snapped me back. Nadia recoiled with a hiss, wiping her face as brown liquid dripped down her chin. Jasmine's hand was already on my arm, yanking me toward the door.
Outside, I shook my head, clearing the last of the haze. "What the hell was that?"
"Suggestion," Jasmine said, scanning the storefront. "She tried to force it, and you almost bought it."
My teeth ground together. My pistol stayed in my hand. "Then we wait. And when they come out—"
"We'll be ready," Jasmine finished.
We both set our feet, shoulders squared, watching the black curtain for the first sign of movement.
We waited in silence, the air thick with anticipation.
Minutes passed, and the curtain at the entrance fluttered slightly as a shift in the atmosphere signaled their return.
Nadia emerged first, her face flushed, eyes narrowed with clear irritation. She wiped at her chin where the coffee had spilled, the mess doing nothing to dishearten the smirk pulling at her lips. But her usual calm was gone. It wasn't frustration—no, this was something more like a loss of control.
Behind her, Marcus strolled out like he owned the place, hands casually resting on his belt, his expression still flat and unreadable. He didn't look upset at all. He barely seemed to notice Nadia's fuming presence. He was all business, and business, in his mind, was moving forward.
Nadia's eyes locked onto Jasmine. "You really had to throw the coffee, didn't you?" she said, voice tight with contained rage.
Jasmine gave her a cool smile. "It seemed like the most effective response."
I stepped forward, cutting the distance. "You've been messing with our heads this entire time. Trying to manipulate us into following your lead." My voice was sharp, accusatory. "I won't be played, Nadia."
Marcus finally spoke, his tone calm but unwavering. "If you're weak enough to fall for it, then it's your fault. Not mine. That's how it works."
My hand tightened on the grip of my gun. "You think it's a weakness? No. It's control. You're both trying to twist us into playing your game."
Jasmine's stance shifted, and the temperature between us and them seemed to rise. "You're manipulating people, taking advantage of them because you can. The fact that you justify it only makes it worse."
Marcus's eyes flicked to her, assessing her with the same coldness that had made me want to snap. "Manipulating? Maybe. But that's the way the world works now and even before. Adapt or die." His voice held no remorse. "If you want to survive, you need to be strong enough not to fall for tricks."
Jasmine's expression hardened. She was done being patient. "What you're doing isn't surviving. It's exploiting."