I didn't respond when he said that and didn't even blink. I was nervous about something else, something more than a silly little man that thinks he was some sort of all powerful being that didn't take orders from anyone.

No, I was more worried about the man that they wanted to call, to see if I was at my house and not here with them. I had no idea what he would do if I wasn't there and how suspicious they would be of me as the Viper.

"Salem is at your house," Anthony said, and I slowly relaxed, while I waited for Levi to answer Bryant's call. "They will play you. Your grandmother and Bea are there too."

I held back an eyebrow being raised when I heard that Bea was at my place but grew stiff. I had no idea why and wondered if it was because of Filip and whatever bond they had, no matter how much Filip denied it.

"And why is Bea at my house?" I asked. "Also, why wasn't I informed that there would be guests over?"

"Because you are busy, and you are only connected to us two, Love," Corey said cheerfully, "as is protocol when you are the lovely Viper."

I held back an eye roll and stayed silent while I continued to wait for Levi to answer the call, but he didn't, and I had a feeling that he was staring at it, his heart pounding hard in his chest.

Bryant growled and bared his teeth while he gripped his phone tighter. "Force him to answer the call," he said while he looked at his boss.

His boss, the Puppetmaster, stood taller and narrowed his eyes while he scowled. "What?" he asked, threateningly, and I grinned while I sat up on the bike.

Oh, this was going to be fun...

"What did you say?"

Bryant's eyes grew wide while he looked at him, and his whole face grew white while he looked at me before he looked at his master. "Uh..." He cleared his throat and looked down, his face turned red. "I apologize, Sir," he said, stuttering a little, and I bit back a smirk. "Please forgive me."

The Puppetmaster rolled his eyes and scowled before he looked at me. "Do you mind if he answers the phone?" he asked, and I raised an eyebrow and leaned my arms on my bike.

"And why would I have a problem with it?" I asked and raised the eyebrow higher. "It would be the best way to make sure that this lovely lady is comfortable in my presence." I looked at Mindy and grinned. "Though, I would much rather have her be afraid of my presence." I winked and blew her a kiss.

Mindy shifted on her feet and looked away from me. She pressed her lips into a thin line and didn't say a word.

The Puppetmaster chuckled and nodded, and I had a feeling that he was pleased that I made Mindy nervous. "Of course," he said.

His eyes changed colors, and I leaned forward a bit more and watched him, focusing on the magic that was coming from him.

"Are you getting this?" I asked my group, watching as the air changed around him and the power that clung to him like a warm blanket.

"Yes," Anthony said, and I had a feeling that he nodded. "You should see the tendrils that are coming from him. Some of this stuff is dark shit, and I don't like it one bit."

I pressed my lips into a thin line, started to feel uneasy but made sure that they couldn't pick up on it. "Make sure to record this, and I will look at this later," I said.

"Do you want me to contact the people that owe you favors?" Corey asked, and I could tell that she felt uneasy too. She wanted to take me out but knew that she wouldn't be able to do it.

"Do it, but do it later," I replied coldly. "I want to make sure that he doesn't know that you two are close by."

"Yes, Alrornan," they said in unison, calling me by my title that I gained in the sector.

After a few minutes, the Puppetmaster blinked and relaxed, the magic feeling leaving him as soon as it came. "Now, call him," he said and looked at Bryant.

Bryant nodded and called him again, and this time, Levi answered.

"Hello?" he asked in pain, and I made sure not to bristle or bare my teeth at them, hating the fact that he was in pain. "What is it? What happened?"

"Why didn't you answer your phone?" Bryant asked, not answering his questions. He scowled and narrowed his eyes at his phone. "Where are you?"

"My room, Sir," Levi replied, "where Mindy left me before she went to the meeting between the two of you."

"Have you left the room?" Bryant asked, dismissively.

"No."

"Are you alone?"

"Yes."

He looked at the Puppetmaster and raised an eyebrow. "Is he telling the truth, Sir?"

The Puppetmaster stayed silent while he stared at the phone before he nodded. "He is," he confirmed.

"Sir," Levi said, and I shifted on my bile when I heard how nervous he sounded. "I did not realize you were there. My apologies for not answering sooner."

"It's fine," the Puppetmaster said dismissively and cleared his throat. "We also have the lovely Viper with us. I suppose you two met last night. Correct?"

"We have," Levi confirmed and cleared his throat. "What is she doing there? Is she ok?"

"We have a meeting that you aren't welcomed to," he said. "It seems to me that you are going to need some... help with Miss Delamont, and she is the best option for it."

Levi stayed silent, and I had this weird feeling that he held his phone tighter in his hands.

"Do you think she is Alexandra?" Bryant asked. "If my memory serves me right, and it never fails, but you ran after her last night. What did you find out?"

Levi sighed and cleared his throat. "The Viper isn't Alexandra," he said coldly. "I saw her, Alexandra, with another man and the Viper had disappeared somewhere."

The Puppetmaster raised an eyebrow and looked at me. "Did she now?" he asked and raised an eyebrow further. "And how did she do that?"

"I don't know," he replied. "I haven't met her again."

I leaned on the front of my bike and rested my arms on the handles, smirking a little. My gaze was focused on him, and I had a small smirk on my face. "If you must know, I too have friends on the other side. And these friends are... quite helpful for the right price."

The Puppetmaster raised an eyebrow, and a new look of interest filled his eyes while he studied me. "I could be of use to you if that is the case," he said and sneered.

"D-" Levi choked on what he was about to say, but I had a feeling I knew what he wanted to say but couldn't.

Don't.

"Hmph," I said and smiled sadly while I shook my head. "Unfortunately, I don't pay for these... services if I am "working" for them. Thanks for the offer, but unfortunately, I won't be able to accept it this time."

The Puppetmaster seemed to be ok with that answer and looked at Mindy. "Now, would you like to explain why we had called him?" he asked.

Mindy looked nervous and shifted on her feet. She dipped her head closer to her chest and cleared her throat. "I want to make sure that Alexandra is still at her grandmother's house," she said. "Can you go see?"

I raised an eyebrow at this meekness coming from her and wondered if it was because of the Puppetmaster or if everything else was an act.

Did she really have a heart?

"I want to make sure that Alexandra won't ruin our plan and so that I can kill her slowly."

Definitely, not.

Levi sighed and cleared his throat, holding back a growl. "Do I have to?" he asked, and I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, mildly impressed by his tone.

"Yes," the Puppetmaster said, using his powers on Levi, and Levi whined slightly. "You will do it and see if she is there. If not, then it looks like our... "little friend" is Alexandra." He looked at me, and I grinned.

"Or it could mean that she is doing something that she isn't supposed to be doing," I replied while I cocked my head and stared at me. "Maybe you should get a way to track her if she allows you to."

"And what do you mean by that?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Simple, really," I said and looked at my nails. "She is a King's Guard, is she not?" I raised an eyebrow in question.

"She is," he confirmed and nodded. "However, what does that have to do with anything?"

"She is an Alrornan," I replied. "If my memory serves me correctly, and it hasn't failed on this, but that is the highest level they can reach unless they want to be a tutor to the newer ones that come up ranks. She is also the youngest to have received the position."

"And you know this... how?"

I shrugged and smirked. "I keep an eye on people," I replied. "She... interests me, a lot, even though we have never crossed paths before."

"Is it because you are her?" Mindy asked.

"No," I replied and cocked my head while I looked at her. "It is because she is too "precious" for me, and the king doesn't want me to... sway her, if you know what I mean." I winked and gave her an air kiss.

Mindy pressed her lips into a thin line and didn't say a word. She looked away from me and looked at her master to see what he had to say.

"Go to her house, and see if she is there," the Puppetmaster ordered. "Call us again when you are there. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Master," Levi said through gritted teeth. "It does."

Click.

And with that, the line went dead.