Children ran around her, chasing a domesticated Wacca as it flew low enough for them to reach. Jule smiled.

Widemill by day resembled Lorinda, if only a bit dirtier.

People worked in the streets, loud music coming from one of the apartments right over the flower shop.

Jule quickened her pace, because the divine smell around that door put her in a good mood, every time. Katara followed, silent but aware. She didn't visit as much as Jule, but she knew her way around, too.

At the same time they worked way more in Widemill than any other council, chasing criminals who would never be imprisioned otherwise, the people over there were the friendliest. They cared for one another, the children played freely.

Poor people couldn't worry about the same things wealthy people did. When they had to feed a son, a daughter, or a sick mother, they didn't care about the sun burning the back of their neck at the square; they couldn't be bothered to throw dinner parties when every week, one of their babies fell sick. Still, they danced in the streets, shared food with each other, and allowed their kids to play outside.

No worries about Phillip Boza running those streets at night.

When she asked, the answers always came back vague or they'd shrug at it. No concerns for their lives. It's a slow learning experience to realize the people in Widemill didn't fear him.

He trafficked drugs made from a local plant called Portza through his many restaurants. The guards, the government, and the people were aware. But he remained untouchable, the Gods only understood how.

Katara had her theories, of course, that he had dirt on politics, sold to guards, and all the bargains he made... Boza was no fool.

But some of his actions didn't quite fit in with his despicable behavior. He bought his restaurants' produce at Widemill's central square, many of the local craft shops around only opened because he'd invested.

They had also investigated one of the biggest robberies at Lorinda's religious museum, where only a centuries-old gold statuette representing Cascal disappear. No thief had more manpower and resources to do that than Phillip.

Katara touched her shoulder when they stopped in front of the restaurant.
"We'll go in together, talk to Phillip, see what he wants. Then, when you meet Carrillo, it's on you to try and get as much info as you can."

"Sure."
Jule moved her head, taking in the beautiful scenery of Widemill's riverside square. The taverns and wine cellars and bars, already bursting with people for lunch, made for an interesting meal. All turned to the river, bursting with yellow flowers climbing the walls, they all looked simple compared to Virgo, Phillip's restaurant.

In the middle of a tavern and a wine bar, Virgo stood utterly misplaced. The clean, wooden walls had the yellow flowers on them too, the same Della liked to take home.

The doors and windows arched, and statues rested above them, with despictions of beautiful man in different degrees of... strong emotions.

Some shouted in silence, at nothing. Others cried tears that would never be wiped out from their faces. Only one of the statues showed bliss.

"This looks so out of place." Jule muttered, noticing the polished uniforms of the waiters, coming out to serve people who sat at the terrace.

"He didn't try to blend in at all. This man has no fear of being caught."

The clients were the big discrepancy in the scenery. Some sat there wearing casual clothes, with a few not even bothering to change their muddy boots after coming from the river. And the rest of them showed fancy clothes. No jewelry, nothing shiny, just dresses and suits.

She and Katara had dressed nice. She had chosen a short, white dress, with a deep shaped neckline that gathered under her chest. It had puff sleeves and the flared skirt flowed around her legs. Although simple enough, the bodice and cuffs had some hand-sewn flowers. The mixture of simple and classy had won her heart.

Katara had chosen a two-piece black suit with a white blouse, a ruffled collar giving it a timeless charm. Her usal sapphire necklace had been successfully hidden.

The Felinae never asked for money from the women they saved, but they received gifts like those all the time. Beautiful clothes, food, crafts. People always wanted to give back as they could.

They all worked outside of Felina. Jule had quit her last job at an artifact shop in Lisandra a few months before because of the schedule, but she had her fund. They're capable of keeping Felina running, but the gifts helped. The easels, the garden tools, the furniture of the rooms the women stayed in...It had solve them some issues.

"Alright. We have less than one hour until the meeting's supposed to start. First, we deal with Phillip."

"Let's go in." She grabbed the sculpted hands on the handles and pushed the double doors.

Inside, the walls were beige, but occupied almost all over with realistic paintings of... Men again. All of them carrying deep and various expressions. Happiness to the left, anger right over the bar, even pleasure to the few lucky who walked up the stairs.

Phillip had an obsession with men. Either that or he had a deep understanding of art and all that male face worship made sense.

"Do you like them?" She dragged her eyes off of the paintings and watched as a brown-haired man approached. "Painted them myself."

Phillip Boza had no issue standing out in a crowd, no fear of ever being imprisioned. His skin fade cut ended with the head of a snake tattooed at the side of his head. It slithered all around his neck, its tail resting on his chest.

He showed them an insufferable smirk and gestured for them to follow. The black suit complimenting his thin body had to be as expensive as Lucca's. From Lorinda, no doubt.

"Welcome ladies. No need to ask who you are, the aura speaks for itself."

Jule noticed the art got increasingly disturbing the higher they got. From pleasure, to concern and, at the top of the stairs, raw fear. She shuddered.

He guided them to a black, polished desk. Haunting the wall right behind it, the largest painting of all, occupying most of the wall. A crude despiction of three men being taken by Luthos, the God of Death. The shadow had movement, like it worked for the reaper as well. It licked at their almost transparent bodies and dragged them near the God.

How could something be so terrifying and beautiful at the same time?

"Please, have a sit." He occupied a velvet swivel chair and a blonde woman positioned herself right behind it. "This is Matilda, my right arm."

She nodded, her curls tangled in a huge, complicated braid falling down her back. Her bronze skin had tattoos in almost every visible inch of it.

"Let's just get right to the point." Katara sat to her left and straightened her jacket. "Fergus Carrillo will be here any minute."

"Of course." Phillip leaned back and stared, no intention of being the first one to speak.

"Whatever he might ask you, Jule will be your offer. She's an excellent fighter, if he needs protection; she's the one who's travelled the most, if he needs a guide; she can go collect the money if that's what he needs, a loan."

Phillip arched his brows in interest.
"Is it valuable? The book?"
"Not to you, it isn't." Jule hissed.

Katara sent her a warning glance, but Phillip just chuckled.

"Alright. But, you do realize all this trouble I'm going through... It ain't free."

Katara shook her head at him.
"Lucca Taylor told us he'd already taken care of the bargaining."

"He did. For him, at least. You," he pointed at her and then at Jule, brown eyes glinting "are a whole 'nother deal."

She moved around in the dark green chair, frowning.
"I don't think we have to bargain with you."

Jule ignored Katara's sigh.
"Really?" He stared at her, amused. "Then, perhaps it's all good if I tell that fine piece of man, Fergus, you're a Felina. He'd feel so safe with you around that book."

"Wouldn't that put you in a complicated position with Lucca?"
"Not at all, dear. You see, Lucca only asked me to give you the chance of coming here with a plan. I did. My part of the bargain's done. From Fergus I want nothing... Unless he asks." He winked at her, and she noticed a tiny scar on his right brow.

Jule bit her tongue hard to keep a curse in. Next time Lucca graced them with his presence, she'd tell him to go fuck himself. What a stupid bargain he'd made.

"You let us work and infiltrate with no issues, you won't ask us for the book or any amount of money. All we have to offer you is our services as the Felinae."

He rolled his eyes at Katara's words.
"That's not a bargain, you offer that to any women in the city."

"There's nothing else for us to give you."

His smile stretched so slowly Jule couldn't help but think of a wild animal encaging its prey.
"There is, actually. But I'll ask my part of the bargain in due time."

"We're not accepting a bargain we know nothing about."
Katara's calm tone and posture contrasted so much with Jule's own rage. She could only clench her fists, since there's no chance of leaving.

"I won't ask for money, and nothing that could damage your reputation. You'll be playing the heroes, as you so much love to do."

Jule huffed.
"We're no heroes. We judge real life abusers, not made-up villains."

"Right. Either way, I'll ask for a mission I can't do myself. You get someone out of jail for me, I'll do easiest job in the world and get out of your way while you work on Carrillo."

"With Taylor and with you too, we're always the ones who get to do the most for the smallest prize. Men are absurd." Katara chuckled and her hand played with her collar. "As long as we're not freeing a murderer or a pedophile, we can work something out."

Phillip clapped his hands together and stood up, inviting them to do the same.
"That's a wise choice! Perhaps we can go downstairs and have a celebratory drink before the handsome men arrive?"

Matilda stepped forward and whispered something in his ear.
She had no fear of him. In fact, her eyes softened when they landed on his.

"Let's cancel that. Our guest of honor has arrived. Jule, was it? This is your time to shine." He lead the way downstairs, with Matilda leaving right after them. "What if he asks for a lady to spend the night with? What'd you do?"

He arched one brow at her, smirking in defiance. She threw him a sweet smile.
"Then I'll lay next to him, until he can't resist to have me for another night. And then another."

She would never. Without feelings, she couldn't lay with a man so easily. But the job, sometimes, asked for seduction, illusions they'd plant in the minds of men. And she wouldn't put it past her to pretend to be in love to save a girl.

Phillip nodded, and when they reached the dining floor, he gestured for her to go first.
"We're not that different. We do whatever it takes to save our own."

Jule huffed and shook her brown hair back, fixing her dress before walking to where he'd pointed.

"We are nothing alike."

She found Carrillo in an instant. She'd seen the sketch, but the intensity of his brown eyes didn't come across. Neither did the vibrant red that coloured the tattoos on his right arm.

He'd glanced at Matilda, then at Phillip, and then stared at her. His sunken expression still there, as if he'd just came out of the mission and not the contrary.
He'd lost his father. Hiding grief proved a to be a difficult job.

He'd tied up his black hair and changed his shirt for a button up one. Jule waited for him to stand up, and only then another man came into view for her. Right by Carrillo's side, a handsome man smiled at her, sprawled on the chair as if he owned the restaurant. His short and curly undercut hair shone darker than night. Only his eyes and his skin had a shade of brown, his clothes too, were black.

Phillip dragged a chair right by her side and extended a hand to the two men. Matilda growled when they still didn't move, but Phillip waved it off.

"Forgive Matilda. She's born and raised in Libera, she knows nothing of Naligo's costumes. You can stay seated. This is Jule."

She straightened her back, hands slightly sweaty resting on her lap.
"If Matilda's my right arm, she's my left. I'm skillful with both my hands."

She nodded and Carrillo nodded back at her.
"Well, if you asked to see me is because you might know who I am." Phillip waved at a waiter and asked for a glass of wine. "Can I offer any of you a drink?"

"Yes!"
"No." Carrillo stared his friend down. "My father worked with you a couple of times."

Jule's neck almost turned to Phillip, but she held back the need. That's what they all got for making bargains with a thief. He hid things, and lied, only for his convenience, for the pleasure of having a governor and the Felinae owing him favors.

"Oh, right!" Phillip smirked, glancing at her. She faked a sweet smile and held back on spitting on him and ruining their plans. "That's a long time ago, must've forgotten!"

Carrillo's friend arched a brow.
"You've forgotten stealing one of the heaviest, most sacred books in Margui with Carrillo?"

Oh, dear Onza, she'd jump on that table and end everyone's headache by ripping Phillip's head off his shoulders! She clutch on her dress so hard her fingers started to numb.

"I'm a busy man." Phillip winked at the guy. "How can I help you?"
"We have something to collect, and I need a guide for the job."

Katara had guessed right, after all. They'd argued it could be a bodyguard, or money, or even a bigger team if the place in question was of no easy access. But a guide... the easiest way for Jule to infiltrate.

"Oh? And here I thought you wanted some protection for the journey." Phillip sipped his wine, eyes glued to Carrillo.
"I have protection. Phineas is my friend and my bodyguard as well."
The other man waved at the mention of his name.

Jule's eyes travelled to Carrillo again, and slid down to his arm, where the intricate tattoo shone under the lights like a beautiful painting. Peaceful and strong, unlike Phillip's terrifying and dark paintings. The lines curved around his arm, the clear form of a falcon taking shape through the smoke and the detailed motives. The deep red color reminded her of blood, but also passion, for whatever reason, and it went up to his upper arm, a lot of it hidden behind the sleeve of his shirt.

The eagerness to follow those lines, if only to discover where the falcon ended...
Someone cleaned their throat.

She blinked.
Four people stared at her, waiting.

"Jule," Phillip dragged her name, arching one brow "I was just telling Carrillo how good of a guide you are."
"Yes," she turned to Carrillo, cheeks warm "I've travelled around Pietra more times than I can count, I can surely get you wherever you need to go."

He just stared at her, but she wouldn't back down or look away.
Men stared at her with want all the time. The kind of wanting that meant possessing. But Carrillo didn't have that glint in his eyes.

It came out as genuine curiosity, instead, his stare. Or maybe assessing if she'd be a good choice.

Phineas snickered right beside him.
"If she studies a map the way she just studied your tat, we're good to go."
"When can we meet alone? To talk about the trip." Carrillo directed the question to her, not Phillip. She was in.

"I'm here, right now. Tell me where you want to go, I'll tell you any shortcut, how long until we get there and if there's any possible setbacks."

He sighed.
"I don't like to share my plans. So, if I must, it'll be only with you."
"I'm not opposed to being alone with you." She shrugged, crossing her legs and smiling when he glanced down for a crushing second. "Do you wanna meet right now?"

Phineas masked a chuckle with a cough and Carrillo sent him a fierce glare.
Abusers were easy to sway. Mostly because they had a need of control, especially if the pathological ones. But with Carrillo... She couldn't get in his mind.

He stood up with no words and Phineas followed.
"We'll pick you up tomorrow, just tell us where. It must be early."
Jule opened her mouth, no sound coming off. That man had a nerve, no doubt.
"Do you actually believe I'll just go with you somewhere without knowing where you're taking me?"

"I won't take you anywhere before telling you where we're going."
The patience in his tone, as if talking to a child, raised her anger so fast she had to physically push her feet against the floor to stay grounded.

"There's something else I'd like to ask." Carrillo focused on Phillip. "What can you tell me about the Felinae?"

If she hadn't practiced her skills for years, that'd be the moment her façade would crumble. But no way she sat beside Phillip and pretended for more than an hour to destroy the plan because of a question.

Phillip shrugged and shook his head, not a feeling in his eyes.
"They're a nice myth we have around here. There's a council pretty close to here where women meet when they flee their homes or people who harm them."

"You think they're not real?" Carrillo arched his brows.
"If they are, they certainly don't want me to know." Phillip smiled.

Carrillo watched him, for a while longer, and then nodded at her.
"Where do we meet, tomorrow?"
"19, 1st street, in Highford. Can you get there?"
"We'll find it. We'll be there around eight." Carrillo grabbed a backpack from the floor. When he put it on, his shirt raised enough she found a dagger belt around his waist.

Not totally harmless, after all.
He took a brown envelope from a side pocket on his backpack and gave it to Phillip.

Phineas leaned and smirked at her.
"You like tats? I got some blue ones all over me."
"Good for you." She rolled her eyes and he snickered.
"You're a red kinda girl, huh?"

Would she lose her chance to be their guide if she punched him in the chin? Perhaps not, but Carrillo called him right over. They left without another word.

"Well," Phillip stood up, giving Carrillo's gold to Matilda "I can't blame him for being careful around me. It seems like you didn't get what you wanted."

Jule grimaced and stood up, too.
"Maybe not today. Tomorrow's another day, another try."