Caitlyn's mom has a gun
“Now why don’t you run off and find that pretty fox you were with? I want you at the Last Drop tomorrow at noon. Not a minute before or after. Noon.” After a moment, she continued, “If you don’t show, I wouldn’t bother stepping foot in Zaun again.”
Vi’s chest heaved, her body trembling as she staggered out of the room. Anger bubbled in her chest mixing with a toxic cocktail of humiliation, frustration, and the faintest thread of exhilaration she refused to acknowledge. She hated being told what to do, especially by a traitor like Sevika. The thought of it made her stomach churn.
But beneath the fury, something was stronger: the gnawing ache of desperation. She wanted—no, needed—to see her sister again. And if enduring this humiliation was the only way to find her, Vi would grit her teeth and take it.
Her neck throbbed where Sevika’s bite mark burned against her skin, the sting radiating outward. With all the adrenaline that had been pumping through her, the pain had been dulled but the chemical was quickly leaving her system. But it wasn’t just the pain that bothered her, it was the humiliation. Seared deep into her flesh, as though Sevika had branded her.
As she rounded the corner into the main room, a few women Sevika had been entertaining earlier spotted her. Their eyes widened in recognition and then narrowed in suspicion and excitement. Without missing a beat, they hurried past her as they made a beeline for Sevika’s room.
“Good luck,” Vi muttered under her breath, watching them go before shaking her head and making her own beeline to the exit.
It had been daylight, or what was constituted as daylight down here, but now it was dark. In all honesty, there wasn’t much difference.
Her boots crunched against the gravel as she made her way out into the street, her thoughts racing. She couldn’t shake the image of Sevika’s smirk or the way her voice had wrapped around her like a chain. For all her bravado, Vi couldn’t deny that Sevika had rattled her.
“Vi!”
She glanced up to see Caitlyn standing just a few steps away with the two men from earlier, her fox mask dangling loosely from her fingers. The sight of her was almost laughable: pristine, put-together, and completely out of place compared to Vi’s disheveled state.
“What happened in there?” Caitlyn asked, her eyes immediately locking onto the mark on Vi’s neck. Concern flickered across her face as she stepped closer, tilting her head to get a better look. Her hand raised up as if she was going to touch it, “And are you alright?”
Vi instinctively raised her hand to cover the mark, her fingers brushing the edge of the wound. Her other hand knocked Caityln’s away. “It’s nothing,” she muttered, her voice brusque. “I’ll tell you later. When we’re alone.”
Caitlyn’s frown deepened, but she didn’t push. “Fine,” she said, her tone edged with worry. “I know a place we can go.”
Without another word, Caitlyn led the way down the dimly lit street. In all honesty, Caitlyn wasn’t 100% sure how to get back up to the surface, but she wasn’t going to let Vi in on that. They’d get there eventually.
The walk to their destination was quiet, Caitlyn’s movements getting more confident once she was out of the undercity. Vi tried to piece together where they were headed, her gaze darting to the increasingly polished buildings around them. The further they went, the more out of place Vi felt. Everything looked so…expensive.
Caitlyn finally stopped in front of an imposing wrought-iron gate. She glanced around briefly before pulling a key from her pocket and slipping it into the lock of a smaller side gate.
Vi raised an eyebrow as Caitlyn pushed the gate open and gestured for her to follow. “And I thought I was a criminal…’” Vi muttered, stepping cautiously inside.
Caitlyn gave her a sharp look but didn’t respond, she moved to the side of the building gesturing for Vi to follow.
“Alright, what’s the deal?” Vi asked, her voice low. She glanced around at the meticulously maintained grounds, “Whose house are we breaking into?” It didn’t even cross her mind that this might be Caitlyn’s home.
“It’s fine,” Caitlyn whispered before climbing up the wall of the mansion, “Just stay quiet.”
Vi’s eyes narrowed as she followed Caitlyn up and into the house. There was an unlocked window, and the two slipped inside. The interior was even more extravagant than the outside, with gleaming marble floors, towering ceilings, and artfully arranged furnishings. The only sign of life was papers spread out across the floor, and a half drank cup of tea.
Vi’s confusion deepened as Caitlyn led her to a large bed in the center of the room. “Seriously,” she hissed, keeping her voice low, “what is this place? You know the owner or something?”
Caitlyn sat down, ignoring Vi’s comments. “Alright,” she said, her voice quieter now. “We’ll talk in here.”
Vi sat down next to Caitlyn, her gaze darting around. “You didn’t answer my question,” she said, her tone suspicious. “Whose house is this?”
Before Caitlyn could respond, the door to the room burst open with a sharp click.
An older woman busted into the room. In her hand was a rifle…leveled directly at Vi’s chest.
“What are you doing in my house?” She demanded. Her piercing gaze swept over Vi, narrowing as she took in the younger woman’s rough, disheveled appearance. She glanced at her Caitlyn, a frown forming.
Vi’s eyes widened as she raised her hands instinctively, “Whoa, whoa,” she said quickly. “Let’s not get trigger-happy, lady.”
“Mother!” Caitlyn exclaimed, jumping up from the bed and in front of Vi with her hands raised. “It’s fine! I brought her in!”
Vi blinked, and her brows furrowed. Her mouth agape, as she processed the information. “Mother?”
Mrs. Kiramman raised a brow. “Care to explain why you’re sneaking a… stray into my home in the middle of the night?” There was a brief pause “Again?” Her gun was still raised, although Caitlyn knew it was just to intimidate Vi. She wouldn’t actually shoot her.
“She’s helping me with the investigation,” Caitlyn said quickly.
Mrs. Kiramman’s expression remained icy, but she lowered the gun slightly. “Uh-huh.” She clearly didn’t believe her. “Just make sure to notify the cook if she stays for breakfast.”
With that, she turned sharply on her heel and left the room, the door clicking shut behind her.
The silence that followed was thick and heavy. Vi let out a low whistle, glancing at Caitlyn with raised eyebrows. “Mother, huh? Didn’t peg you for the rich kid type. Or well, this type of rich kid.”
Caitlyn sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “It’s complicated.”
“Yeah, no kidding.” Vi shook her head, “So…What’s your cook making me for breakfast?”
Caitlyn gave her a tired look but didn’t respond. Or at least not immediately. “You said you’d explain what happened back there,” she said finally, her voice soft but insistent. “So? What did Sevika do to you?”
Vi hesitated, her hand brushing over the bite on her neck. She wasn’t sure how much she wanted to say. “It’s a long story,” she said finally, her voice low. “I managed to get her alone…We fought a little. Then she offered me a job?”
Caitlyn looked confused, her brows knitting together. “A job?”
“Yeah… I need to meet up with her tomorrow at noon,” Vi muttered, her voice low, her frustration evident.
Caitlyn let out a long sigh, her arms crossing tightly over her chest. “She offered you a job, and you took it?” Her tone hovered somewhere between disbelief and irritation.
Vi shrugged, the motion stiff and defensive. “Look, I’m not taking the job because I want to. I don’t want to work for her, let alone Silco.” She spat his name like venom, her jaw tightening as a shadow crossed her face. Silco. The man she blamed for everything—Vander’s death, the destruction of her family, the years of abuse she endured in prison. Every ounce of suffering that had unfolded while she was gone. “But he has my sister. So, I don’t have much choice.”
Caitlyn’s expression softened slightly at that, the sharp edge of her disapproval giving way to concern. “Your sister?” she asked, her voice quieter now.
Vi nodded, her gaze dropping for a moment as the weight of it settled in her chest. “Yeah. Powder.” Her voice wavered slightly on the name, but she pressed on, forcing herself to hold Caitlyn’s gaze. “I think Silco has her. And if working for Sevika gets me one step closer to finding her, then fine. I’ll do it.”
Caitlyn stared at her for a moment, her mouth opening and closing as though she wanted to say something but wasn’t sure how. Finally, she spoke, her voice measured and cautious. “Vi… you don’t have to do this alone.”
Vi huffed, her lips pulling into a bitter smile. “You got a better idea, Cupcake? ‘Cause right now, this is all I’ve got.”
Caitlyn hesitated, her brow furrowing as she got up from the bed and began pacing the room. Her mind worked quickly, the pieces of a plan clicking into place. After a moment, she stopped, turning back to Vi.
“What if we use this?” Caitlyn asked, her voice firm.
Vi raised an eyebrow. “Use what?”
“This… job,” Caitlyn clarified, gesturing vaguely. “You’re in a unique position now. If Sevika is giving you tasks, then you’ll have access to information I can’t get. We could use that to our advantage.”
Vi frowned, her arms crossing over her chest. “You’re saying I should spy for you?”
“Exactly,” Caitlyn said, stepping closer. “Think about it, Vi. You’ll be working directly under Sevika, maybe even close to Silco. That’s valuable. You could feed me information—leads I can use for my investigation. You could help me bring them down.”
Vi was quiet for a long moment, her gaze flicking to the floor as she considered Caitlyn’s words. The idea had merit, but there were risks. Sevika wasn’t stupid, and if she caught even a whiff of betrayal, Vi knew the consequences would be severe.
“And what happens if she catches on?” Vi asked, her voice low. “You think she’ll just let me walk away?”
Caitlyn hesitated but held her ground. “You’ve handled worse, haven’t you?” she said, her voice softer now. “You’re strong, Vi. I wouldn’t suggest this if I didn’t think you could handle it.”
Vi snorted, shaking her head. “Yeah, well, you just met me. So how do you know what I can handle?”
Caitlyn stepped closer, her hand reaching out to touch Vi’s arm. “You’re not alone in this,” she said quietly. “If we do this, we do it together. I’ll be right here, backing you up. Whatever it takes.”
Vi looked at Caitlyn for a long moment, her jaw working as she mulled over the offer. The idea of spying for Caitlyn felt like walking on a razor’s edge, but the thought of bringing Silco down all while getting her sister back was too tempting to ignore.
“Fine,” Vi said finally, her voice firm. “I’ll do it. But if this goes sideways…”
Caitlyn nodded, her grip on Vi’s arm tightening slightly. “It won’t. We’ll be careful. I promise.”
Caitlyn offered her a small, reassuring smile, but Vi couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling twisting in her gut. This was a gamble. A dangerous one too. But for Powder, for even a chance to undo even a fraction of the damage Silco had caused, it was a gamble she was willing to take.