As Simon was slightly lost in his myriad thoughts, the crimson line running through the Murmur Bone flashed once, then it dimmed.
A few seconds passed.
"Are you still there?" the Voice finally asked, and one could hear the impatience in her tone.
"Or did the thought of attacking Black Horn frighten you?"
Simon leaned against the wall of the empty building and slowly turned the bone between his fingers.
"I was deciding whether you offered me a mission or invited me into a trap."
A quiet breath came from the other side. It almost sounded like a laugh.
"Does the difference matter if you can survive both?"
"It matters when we discuss the price."
The faint amusement in her voice disappeared.
"You have not accepted anything yet."
"And you have not told me enough to accept."
Simon's expression remained calm, but his attention was fixed on every change in her breathing. Shadow Sense covered the building and the narrow street outside. No one had approached.
