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MillionNovel > Broker > Chapter 136

Chapter 136

    Chapter 136


    <span style="font-weight:400">Ishtar watched as Saleh and Mephisto left the great hall, leaving her alone with Erebus. She rest her hand on a pir before ncing towards him. The old man turned young by one of her paper contracts watched the door shut and lingered for a moment. She crossed her arms and leaned against the pirzily asplicated emotions warred on his face. She nced back at the door again, “You love that boy,” She said finally, “I’m a little sorry that I tested you with him. That must have been difficult for him, his father selling him like that.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Erebus looked down at his hands for a moment and clenched them into fists, he nced back at Ishtar and met her eyes, “A cruel mercy,” He admitted, “Part of me almost wishes you had taken his ability. Then I wouldn’t have to worry about him so much. I could hide him away, forget about him, pretend that he wasn’t worth my time,” He said before lowering his hands and letting out a sigh. “He is my young Prince, though, he will inherit the family over his brothers. Of that I have little doubt.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Ishtar stepped away from the pir and turned to face him, “You wanted to make a deal concerning the boy? His future I imagine? Do you want me to look out for him or something?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Erebus shook his head, “Your alliance with the family is enough in that respect,” He said, “No, I have higher concerns,” He looked her in the eyes, “I am not a fool, Ishtar, youthes at a price and it belies immortality. I am fully capable of death, it wille for me one of these days. Just like any person. I suspect even yourself.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Ishtar huffed out a smallugh, “We’ll see.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">He snorted and shook his head, “I wish I had your confidence,” He crossed his arms behind his back. It was good to see him let his guard down a little now that there wasn’t an audience. Only the two of them. He turned away and walked towards his throne, resting his hand on the rail leading up to it for a moment. He nced back at her, “If you can strip powers, I wonder,” He said after a long pause, “Can you transfer them upon a condition?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">She put her hands on her hips, “I’ve never tried it, if I’m being genuine,” She admitted, “Would you like to be my case study, Erebus?” She asked with a touch of humor in her tone. She had an odd feeling about the direction of the conversation. She knew what he was getting at and her instincts had mixed reactions. The little ‘voice’ belonging to Broker seemed almost jubnt while her own viinous instincts recoiled. It was a mixed feeling that she didn’t quite understand. Her lips formed a thin line and she pushed the instincts down forcefully.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Yes,” He said tly.


    <span style="font-weight:400">She narrowed her eyes behind the mask, “Be specific.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">He walked towards her, “My wish is that when my time is up, my ability and that of Augusts, should we acquire it, be transferred to the boy as part of his inheritance.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Are you asking me to officiate a will for you?” She asked.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Yes,” He confirmed.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I don’t do anything for free, Erebus,” She said coldly, tilting her head to the right. “What is this worth to you? No tests this time. I must extract a payment in exchange for my services. It is how it works.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">He chuckled, “I’d sell my soul for my son.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">It was Ishtar’s turn to be blunt, “That can be arranged.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">He looked up at her, his eyes going wide for a moment. He searched her mask for a moment, her stance, the way her fingers flexed and the way she leaned towards him just a little. She watched his eyes as the wheels turned in his head and he closed them for a moment. “Will payment upon delivery suffice?” He asked, “I didn’t realize I was truly dealing with the devil herself. I figured you for a very powerful viin but…”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Give me your hand,” Ishtar said, extending her own. He looked at her for a moment before nodding, he took her hand. “Let me see…”


    <span style="font-weight:400">


    <span style="font-weight:400">


    <span style="font-weight:400"><Checking… price paid is sufficient to act as payment.>


    <span style="font-weight:400"><Would you like to designate the Inheritance of Saleh Abbas as an investment? All abilities transferred to Saleh Abbas will be returned to you upon his death if he does not choose to will them to another party in a subsequent will.>


    <span style="font-weight:400">Ishtar’s hand twitched a little, <i><span style="font-weight:400">Fascinating. It responded so readily. I knew I could take souls as payment but this… why was it so natural? It even suggested a way to ensure that the abilities weren’t lost if something happened to Saleh. Why? Is it trying to preserve them for some reason?</i><span style="font-weight:400"> She wondered for a split second, considering the possible reasons but not settling on anything concrete, only that it felt eerily right to do this for Erebus. <i><span style="font-weight:400">Have I been underestimating the capabilities of Broker?</i>


    <span style="font-weight:400">She looked up at him, “I can make it happen,” She said after a pause.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Then please,” He said with a nod, “Let us not waste time. I have a dinner party nned.”


    <i><span style="font-weight:400">Yes, insure the inheritance and proceed.</i>


    <span style="font-weight:400">There wasn’t a charge between them this time, no spark up her arm, no sensation of tingling. Rather it felt like a warmth passed between her and the man. It caught her momentarily off guard and she pulled her hand away, concealing the momentary frazzling with yful steps and a wave of her hand, “It’s done.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">He looked at his hand for a moment then back at the door, “I felt it. A connection with him, for a moment, it was so strange,” He let out a relieved sigh, “With this my legacy is secure,” He took a moment to bow to Ishtar, “Thank you, Queen of the Viins.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I’m just doing my job.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">–


    <span style="font-weight:400">When the Spice King had said that he had a dinner party nned, she didn’t know that she’d be invited. It was a little annoying seeing as she normally wore a helmet that didn’t allow her to eat anything. There were options she could pursue, of course, and she took advantage of one of them while she stood in the bedroom that had been set aside for her. Mephisto paced quietly off to the side, rubbing his chin as he thought over what she’d told him about her second deal with Erebus.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“You said the ability reacted differently? No charge?” He murmured, walking past the television as the news rambled on about local updates.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Ishtar took off her helmet. It still felt strange to feel the air on her skin. For so long she had been barely more than a state of mind for Sonya, but now she was fully realized, an identity of her own. <i><span style="font-weight:400">Not that I want to be, stupid girl, </i><span style="font-weight:400">She thought as she red down at her reflection in the helmet. The small smile that the tiny reflection sent her way set her heart at ease, she was doing this for her. She could carry the burden a little longer until she was ready. She sighed, “No, no charge, warmth instead,” She said and he nced her way, “What?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“It’s strange seeing you without your mask,” He said, “Not Sonya I mean but, you.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">She narrowed her eyes, “We are one and the same,” She said warningly, “Don’t separate us in your mind. It’s not good for her.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">He paused and cleared his throat, “R-right,” He chuckled a little, “You know, you act like a big sister.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Ishtar blinked at him for a moment and raised an eyebrow. She felt something on her face that was unusual, a sense of warmth. She chuckled once and then cleared her throat and looked away, “Don’t be stupid,” She said before raising her hand to her face to hide the small smile that bloomed there. She used her illusory ability to create a false helmet around her head and experimentally reached through it to touch her own face. It was easy enough to maintain and would conceal her identity while she ate.


    <span style="font-weight:400">When she looked back at him he was grinning at her. “Big Sis Ishtar?” He said cutely, blinking longshes at her.


    <span style="font-weight:400">She snorted, “And you kiss Amos with that mouth?” She said with mock disgust.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Every chance I get!” Heughed.


    <span style="font-weight:400">She snickered before tilting her head thoughtfully as she walked for the door, “When was thest time I gave you a vacation?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“You gave me a week for the nobel prize ceremony,” He pointed out, walking alongside her.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Oh yes,” She said with a nod, “Take another one after we’re done here. Drag that man of yours off somewhere nice. He needs a break too, I think,” She said as he moved to open the door for her, “How about the Alps? They’re quite beautiful.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Not a fan of the cold,” He said with a yful bow. She smirked at him and lifted herself a few inches off the ground, drifting forward instead of walking. This new flight power was delightful.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Oh? How about a tropical ind getaway?” She asked, drifting backwards before reclining in the air as they moved down the hall.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I’m not staying at your ce,” He teased, “I know what you do there.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“The guest bedroom is fine!” She shot back.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I was thinking New Zend actually,” He said with a dark smile.


    <span style="font-weight:400">She narrowed her eyes, “It’s not a vacation if you’re working, Mephisto.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“If I happen to run into anyone worth making a deal with during my vacation, it’d just be a happy ident!” He said with augh and dramatic shrug, “Not my fault!”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Ishtar rolled her eyes, “Very well, New Zend is your next travel destination, you have two weeks with your darling to do whatever your ck little heart desires,” She said as they reached the elevator.


    <span style="font-weight:400">He stopped next to it and hit the button to call it before sweeping down into a dramatic bow, “Your wish is mymand, oh Queen.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">They stood there for a long while as the elevator came up, both in utter silence until neither could hold it any longer. They burst into raucousughter as the elevator opened. Ishtar hanging upside down in the air and Mephisto leaning against the wall as young Saleh stared at the two of them in confusion. “Oh that was the cringiest thing I’ve ever heard you say!” She cackled, “Damn it Mephisto!”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! The opening was right there!” He wheezed before ncing up and clearing his throat. “Oh! Saleh! Come up to get us?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Ishtar turned to look at the boy for a moment and he looked back at her with some hesitance in his eyes. <i><span style="font-weight:400">He’s scared of me. Of course he is. </i><span style="font-weight:400">She remained silent as she shifted back to a right-side-up stance in the air and drifted towards him a bit,nding in the elevator as Mephisto joined them.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Yes,” Saleh said after a breath, “Master Mephisto, Mistress Ishtar. My father is expecting you,” He said before pausing and looking at Ishtar, “We are having dinner.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Ishtar reached up and slid her hand through the illusion of her helmet, “Not a problem, dear,” She said before crossing her arms behind her back and tilting her head, “You have a good father, did you know that?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“He raised me well,” Saleh said hesitantly, “Mistress Ishtar.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">She cracked a grin, “We’ll go with that,” She said as the elevator doors shut.


    <span style="font-weight:400">–


    <span style="font-weight:400">Back in the room, the television continued to y. The reporter shifted in his seat and gestured to the right as an image of a young man with brown hair in a floral shirt posed next to a Pandora Committee prisoner transportation vehicle. “In international news, the Hero First Wind has made another grand showing for himself, securing six dungeons for his guild and assisting in the arrest of over twenty umon-to-epic tier viins in the past month. While there has been some question about the coteral damage resulting in his activities, a spokesperson for First Wind stated that the costs have far outweighed the results.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">A number of scenes yed out on the screen with the young man standing next to several portals one after another and shaking hands with another man in a ck suit wearing a Pandora Committee pin. More images came of First Wind posing with fans, taking selfies and waving as he got out of a limousine. A clip then yed from a liquormercial with First Wind sitting on a beach with a brand-name bottle in his hand and a mysterious smile on his face. He took a sip and pulled down his sunsses. The logo appeared joined by his smooth voice, “Smithford, for the Good Days.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“First Wind has already signed with the Langrey Corporation based out of Sidney and through them hasnded several advertising roles as his reputation continues to grow,” The reporter continued, “Langrey has put out a statement in regards to their support for First Wind, quote: ‘First Wind has the potential to be one of the most powerful and influential heroes in the world and it is our privilege to support him as he grows. His ongoing battle against the Superviin Blight is just one of the many arenas that we will back him in and we are looking forward to seeing his rise to international status.’ end quote.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">The reporter cleared his throat and continued, “First Wind is rumored to be on the short list of heroes expected to get an invitation to the International Team soon, and it is likely that he is already being given probationary assignments,” The reporter went on before gesturing to the right again as another face appeared. This time a young chinese woman with dark hair in a green cheongsam. She was standing stoically on a wall overlooking a horde of monsters. The caption at the bottom read, ‘Qilin in Dharan’.


    <span style="font-weight:400">There was a pause and then the woman gestured, almostzily. A ripple ripped out from her and the creatures began stumbling into one another, tripping, falling and crashing into the ground. She gestured again and several men and women leaped off the wall wielding weapons and abilities, their bodies glowing faintly. The woman herself didn’t move, but instead watched from afar with a bored look on her face. They crashed into the stumbling and confused tide of monsters before the screen cut out and the reporter reappeared.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Across the ocean from First Wind’s activities, the Hero Qilin has been sent from China to the front lines in Dharan to assist in the growing effort to suppress the fallout from the dungeon break.”


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