Lupine's Diamond (girlxgirl)

Chapter Twenty

Vic stormed into the hall. Fighting with Geneviève was never fun. The woman knew how to argue. It was one of the reasons that Vic respected her so much. She didn't argue for the sake of it; only to prove her point. There was elegance in that.

Making her way back to her room, Vic noted that the door was left slightly ajar by the cleaning staff who must have come by while she was away. The cleaning staff—Lupine. She rushed into her room to check her keepsake box. Hopefully Lupine hadn't found it. That little thief would take it for sure. She pulled open the drawer and searched furiously for the box. Had Lupine taken the box too? She couldn't bear the thought.

The box had been her grandmother's most prized possession, which is why Vic had been so shocked when it had been willed to her. Inside this box had been a gorgeous diamond, known to the world as the Beatrice Diamond. Thankfully, it seemed that the box had not been disturbed at all and Vic's own paranoia had been her own undoing. Just as she went to close the drawer, she noted that something was sticking out of the box. Something that looked suspiciously like a note. She pulled it loose and read over the rushed script.

Victoria,

It is time for us to speak to each other truthfully. No more lies. No more skirting around answers. No more aliases. It's time for me to tell you what's really going on. It's going to sound crazy—insane even—but you have to trust me. I need your help and I think you need mine as well.

Come meet me out back behind your house, down a little bridge that runs over the stream at midnight. Only there I am certain that we will have complete and utter privacy. It's time for me to confess. I think you should be there to hear it.

Until then,

Freya

Vic cursed. Had Lupine been telling the truth when she said that her name was Freya? Certainly not, though yet again there was the proof right before her eyes. Lupines would have to confirm it herself she decided at that moment. Vic would meet Lupine at the bridge. She would discuss what was going on. Come midnight, that's exactly what Vic did.

---

Vic approached the bridge, heart pounding. She could see Lupine's silhouette in the moonlight as she gazed down at the water below, seemingly in another world. Vic took a deep breath before stepping onto the wooden bridge and gathered her courage. All of the lies end here. She thought. If only she trusted Lupine enough to believe it.

The boards of the bridge were old and crackly, though after years of living in the area, Vic was certain that they would hold her. Perhaps that was a metaphor for life: no matter how old the bridge, you can always rely on the sturdy to support you. It's the newer ones that you must watch. Vic laughed to herself. Now was not the time to philosophize. It was time to focus on the matter at hand: Lupine

"Victoria," Lupine said as Vic approached. "So good of you to meet me here. I trust finding this place wasn't too difficult?"

Vic mumbled an agreement. Why was she so stressed? It was a simple meeting—a discussion even—and therefore there was no need to be flustered. Well, she told herself that, though when Lupine grasped her hand, she found it difficult to breathe. It wasn't a romantic grasp—despite Vic's hopes—but rather something more to imply something genuine. Truth rather. Lupine is serious about this. Vic thought. She means to tell the truth.

"Victoria," Lupine started. "I promise from this moment on that I will tell the truth. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. Ask me anything. But first, I need to get something off my chest." She took a deep breath. "My name is Freya. Freya Myers if you must know. Lupine was the alias that my employer gave me because he figured that I was loyal to him, much like the wolf. Unfortunately for him, this is not the case. I want you to help me take them down, Victoria."

"Vic," was all she could manage to say. "Call me Vic."

"Vic then," Lupine—no, Freya—agreed. "Will you...will you help me?"

There was a silence in the air while Vic took in all the information. Crickets called. Night animals scurried among the trees and roots. The stream gurgled. Vic's heart raced with every passing second

"Why?" Vic asked after a moment. "What did they do to you that warrants their destruction? Sure, it's illegal but I was under the impression that you didn't care."

"Tax fraud," was all Freya said, dipping her head. "I was trying to pay for my mother's surgeries and I thought I was stealing from no good rich people—no offense."

"—None taken—"

"—But instead it was all to help them get even more rich. Here I am, my mother in the hospital, and they're just filling their pockets. I'm..."

"Disgusted?" Vic guessed. Freya nodded. "Who's your boss?" the question seemed to startle Freya.

"Uh...John Hicks," she said after a moment. "But I knew him as Corvus—the cunning crow. That's why he called us the Kingdom; because we were a Kingdom of powerful beasts."

"When did you last see him?"

"Earlier today. Or I suppose, yesterday." Freya glanced at her watch. "He met me at a diner to discuss the heist. It's set for two days from now."

"So just don't do it."

"My partner is a little more keen than I. Plus, he said that I'm just meant to stand guard anyway. It'll be Na—my partner that'll be doing the actual heist."

"Of...?"

"Your diamond."

"My diamond? You came here to steal my diamond!"

Freya nodded. "Just for the insurance value, nothing more. That is why we need to take them down. Will you join me?"

"I'll think about it," Vic agreed. "But um...about your mother...if you don't mind me asking..."

"Brain cancer," she whispered, tears seeping into her voice and falling down her cheeks.

Silently, Vic reached her hands up and held Freya's face, wiping away her tears with her thumbs. Maybe it was just her imagination, but she swore that Freya leaned into her touch. The next thing Vic knew, her arms were around Freya's neck and she was kissing her. Freya's hands settled around her hips. At that moment, Vic felt at peace. Just her and Freya and the night around them. It was perfect. 

So...it's been a while...

Welcome back to my little corner of the internet. 

I told y'all this was a gay story. It just took me so damn long to get there.

I think I'm supposed to ask you some questions now but I honestly can't remember for the life of  me. 

- Do you think Vic will help Freya?

- Is Freya going to defeat the Kingdom?

- Is Corvus an asshole? (the answer is yes)

- Of course, what do you think will happen next?

As an aside, I really suck at writing romance (mostly because I never read it because it makes me uncomfortable), so if that last scene was poorly written, please let me know. If you have any suggestions to improve it, please PM me or leave a comment. 

Anyhow, I hope you're enjoying this story, even though I'm not posting it nearly as much as I should. Until next time!