ILLICIT: The Hooded Quest (Pariche) ✔️ COMPLETE!

31 Pariche

31 Pariche

Parlings arrived at the place where he kept the Pedlar. To his surprise, Joseph was sitting there, waiting for him to show up. Parlings reached for his dagger in his garments to defend himself if needed.

"Please," Joseph said, getting on his feet. "If I wanted to harm you, I would have done so a few days ago when I found your hiding spot."

Parlings swallowed hard. "If you found me days ago, why didn't you hurt me?"

"It was unnecessary."

Parlings laughed, which was odd. "Unnecessary," he mocked Joseph. His laugh was out of anger. "Dear Lord. I have never seen a man so achingly spineless and irritating." He approached Joseph. "You knew she was a woman all along. You knew her identity and kept it a secret."

"Do you blame me?"

"You could be treated as a traitor to the crown."

"Says the man who was assigned to kill the only heir."

"You are the silliest, most aggravating man I've ever encountered. You don't even dare to do what you must."

Joseph shook his head, choosing to stay silent.

"I must let the Pedlar leave," Parlings said. "But you will live knowing you did nothing for her. Like you did nothing for your wife and son."

He walked to the house, turned the key into the lock and opened the door.

"When the moon becomes two," Joseph said, and Parlings' hand clutched around the lock. "You will find what you're looking for. But it comes with a price."

"Are you reciting my fortune?" Parlings said, turning around. "Don't you have better things to do?"

"Don't interrupt, Parlings. It had a following sentence."

"Trust me. I have it memorized."

"Perfect. What was the rest?" Joseph asked, putting a hand under his chin, acting like he was trying to remember the rest. "Ah, yes. But it comes with a price. The price is both evil and good."

Parlings clenched his jaw.

"Don't you wonder what Bibi Banoo meant?" Joseph asked.

"It doesn't matter anymore."

Joseph shook his head. "I beg to differ." He put his hands behind his back, standing straight. "Don't you ever wonder why you were assigned to kill the King's offspring and not someone else?" Joseph asked. "The Queen chose you for her most important mission to murder the heir."

Parlings listened without interrupting Joseph.

"King Simon," Joseph said, "had many mistresses. None of them were banished. Only the Pedlar's mother was. Why do you think that is?"

Parlings was thinking. "Because Pedlar's mother became with a child," he said.

"No. The King has other possible bastards. Why was only this particular mistress banished? Perhaps the King grew to love her."

"Why would I care about the King's whores?"

"This whore was banished to another side of the world because the Queen couldn't tolerate her. She must have been too important. And if she was important, her child would be just as important, hence why the Queen has been looking for her for such a long time."

"What are you implying?"

"You were promised a new title and state by the Queen if you killed the Pedlar. But you never thought about what the king would do to you. He would be furious. He would have your head. Perhaps he'd order someone to murder you without anyone knowing."