Cora said nothing--she didn't have to. That stare of hers turned icy with bitterness as Magnus spoke. His ultimatum echoed in her mind, and while his offer was reasonable for a woman who'd come to Whitby with nothing but the clothes on her back (and in the middle of summer, no less), she knew it wasn't something she could do. The connection she'd felt with Marcus was too strong and too real for her to casually cast aside in search of more information for Magnus.

"No," she said, and her tone was certain. She shook her head, a few blonde curls bouncing with the movement. Her jaw clenched and she repeated herself, though a bit more eloquently. "I'll take my chances in the cold."

The courtesan--or rather, now ex-courtesan--couldn't hide the smirk that stole across her lips, though she tried. As she stepped around Magnus, she became acutely aware that she sounded like a fool. Any woman with half a brain and in her position would take the opportunity that had been graciously offered. Hell, had Marcus been a party to this conversation, Corine felt deep down that he would have encouraged her to do what was necessary to keep her off the streets; he'd expressed that exact concern when she mentioned leaving with him a few nights ago.

When Cora reached the door, she glanced over her shoulder at Magnus and furrowed her brow slightly. Her mouth opened as if she were going to say something else, but ultimately, the woman said naught.