"In the popular bakery nearby," Astrid replied, finally letting go of Ace. She stepped back, her posture casual, though her expression betrayed a hint of wariness. She knew better than to underestimate Sonia's sense of smell—it was sharper than that of a typical Werefur curseling, thanks to her peculiar and bizarre innate curse art.
"How long has it been since you got him?" Sonia asked, her voice calm yet probing. She moved closer to Ace, her eyes narrowing as she began sniffing him methodically. From his head to his neck, down to his chest, waist, and finally to his shoes, where her attention lingered on the mud clinging stubbornly to the soles, she sniffed like a predator identifying its prey, her movements deliberate and unsettling.
Finally, she straightened and turned to Astrid with an unexpected demand, "I want him."
"He's yours," Astrid said with a shrug, shoving Ace forward without hesitation. "Consider it compensation for not being there when the guild master needed me the most."
Caught off guard, Sonia instinctively stepped aside, and the still-petrified Ace toppled to the hard ground with a dull thud.
"What was that for?" Sonia snapped, astonishment flashing across her face. Though she knew Astrid would never refuse her, this was far beyond what she expected.
"You said you wanted him, didn't you?" Astrid tilted her head, her confusion evident. She couldn't fathom why Sonia would show interest in the boy unless it was for obvious reasons. Her logic was clear—Sonia wanted the boy, not because she wanted to try and save him, but because of her lust, her thought process was straightforward. They had killed more mortals than they could count and Sonia never came to anyone's rescue, so this conclusion was no-brainer for her. Not to mention, the boy was a looker for a mortal, especially his skin it was just flawless.
"I did, but—forget it," Sonia said, cutting herself off mid-explanation as the truth was worse than what Astrid was assuming. Resigned, she added, "Just release him from your curse arts before you leave. He's no use to me as a statue."
Astrid nodded in acknowledgment, then turned to the middle-aged C.I.B. agent with a sharp glare. "If something happens to her, I'm coming for you."
"Come at me right now," the C.I.B. agent shot back, her tone laced with provocation, clearly unimpressed with Astrid's attitude.
Astrid smirked, her confidence unwavering. "You've got the character of a turncoat—I'll give you that," she said mockingly. Then, without waiting for a response, she approached Sonia.
Grasping Sonia's head gently but firmly, Astrid kissed her on the forehead and whispered, "Don't worry. I'll finish what your father started." Before heading to their hideout out of the country she wanted to bring a present for her guildmaster now that she had given Sonia one.
The words struck Sonia like a bolt of lightning. Her eyes widened in alarm, and she hurriedly blurted, "Astrid—What are you planning? Just go straight to the hideout."
"Yes, I plan to do just that, but not before making a quick stop to get a present for the guild master," Astrid assured Sonia, her tone casual but with a glint of determination in her eyes as she headed toward her car.
The sound of her engine roared as she drove out of the parking lot, leaving Sonia watching her go with a conflicted expression. True to Sonia's instructions, Astrid released the curse on the mortal boy as soon as she exited the lot.
The moment the curse lifted, Ace sprang to his feet in a panic, his breath ragged, and let out a high-pitched scream like he'd seen a ghost. He turned to bolt, his feet barely touching the ground in his haste, but before he could get far, Sonia appeared in front of him with unnatural speed. With a calculated movement, she tripped him, sending him sprawling onto the cold, hard pavement.
"Stay still, or I'll kill you," Sonia warned, her tone icy as she pressed her foot firmly against his back, pinning him down.
Ace froze instantly, his screams cut off as he lay trembling beneath her, pretending to be frightened out of his wits.
The C.I.B. agent, however, didn't seem remotely interested in Ace's predicament. Instead, she focused her attention on Sonia. "Should I be worried about her?" she asked, nodding toward the direction Astrid had driven off.
"Yes," Sonia replied, her tone serious as she glanced back at the agent. "She's one of our guild's twelve captains. You guys really lucked out that all the captains were scattered across the county to deter other curse mercenaries aiming for our prize. Otherwise, you'd have never managed to corner my father, let alone capture him."
"Sure, we were lucky," the agent said with a dry chuckle, crossing her arms. She tilted her head slightly and added, "Where's she heading now?"
"What do you think? To bring Weasly's head to my father as a present," Sonia said, a sly smirk curling her lips.
"Well then, she's heading straight for her death," the C.I.B. agent remarked, shaking her head knowing that Weasly's under full C.I.B. protection now, ever since the Everhart guild attacked his winery to try and force him off his ancestral land which just so happens to sit on newly discovered oil reserves.
"Don't underestimate Astrid. She's a skilled assassin. If I were you, I'd pull my people from the protection detail before they risk their lives for some random mortal," Sonia warned, crossing her arms. Her tone carried a mix of caution and indifference, mostly indifference. Clearly, she mistakenly assumed the C.I.B. functioned like her own guild.
The middle-aged C.I.B. agent smirked, her confidence unshaken. "Don't worry. I've got a subordinate who specializes in hunting assassins," she replied coolly.
Sonia's eyes narrowed, and for a moment, the air between them seemed to thrum with tension. Both women stood their ground, locked in a silent standoff, their curse energy faintly rippling in the atmosphere.
The uneasy silence broke when a trembling voice piped up from below. "You're Mrs. Martin, Ava's mom, right? I saw your picture on her social media page. Please, don't kill me. I'm your daughter's classmate," Ace stammered, his voice cracking as tears streamed down his face.
"Fuck!" EAD Matthews cursed under her breath, the color draining from her face as she processed his words. This was not just any mortal—this was one of her daughter's classmates.
"Shit!" Sonia exclaimed, her expression shifting from smug amusement to outright disbelief. She lifted her foot from Ace's back and took a step away, staring at the agent like she'd grown a second head. "Wait… did you seriously bring me here to lay low with your family? Are you not worried I might harm them? Damn, you C.I.B. agents really are insane," she added, shaking her head in astonishment.
The agent's expression didn't change. If anything, her calm demeanor only added to the unsettling confidence she radiated. "I told you—you are a part of C.I.B. now and I meant it," she replied, her voice low and steady, leaving Sonia with more questions than answers.
"Damn, you're even crazier than Astrid," Sonia muttered, shaking her head in disbelief. Her crossed arms tightened, her brow furrowed as she tried to process how the agent could trust her—knowing full well what she did for a living and the bad blood between them.
When the C.I.B. had taken her hostage, Sonia had braced herself for a harsh, unforgiving road ahead. The agent had promised she'd work for the C.I.B., get a fresh start, and live a life free of crime. But Sonia hadn't believed it for a second. She was convinced she'd always be treated as nothing more than a criminal and a chip to keep her father in check, no matter how hard she worked to prove herself to them.
But to her surprise, the agent had proven her wrong.
True to her word, the agent brought Sonia into her hometown—her actual home—where her family lived and treated her like a colleague rather than a prisoner. Sonia had expected cold, distant professionalism, maybe even hostility. Instead, she found herself faced with warmth and trust, and it unsettled her more than she cared to admit.
Sonia glanced at the agent, trying to read her. Was this genuine, or just some elaborate ploy? Her lips parted as if to speak, but she hesitated, unsure whether she wanted to challenge the agent's motives or simply let it be.
"Young man, where do you think you're scurrying off to?" EAD Matthews asked, her sharp gaze locking onto Ace as he army-crawled to take cover under an SUV. Her tone was calm, but there was a dangerous edge to it.
Ace froze mid-crawl, his body stiffening like a deer caught in headlights. Slowly, he turned his tear-streaked face toward her, his wide, pleading eyes glistening with fear. Snot dripped from his nose as he sniffled and stammered, "Ma'am, please… please don't kill me. I didn't see anything. I didn't hear anything, I swear!"
He raised his trembling hands in surrender, his voice breaking as he practically groveled for mercy.