There was more to say, but she’d meant it before. They really didn’t have time for it, and neither of them were exactly in the right state of mind. He looked like he’d been awake for months, and when she saw her reflection, she didn’t look much better.
He eased his body as close to hers as he could, so that she could feel the heat of him. He had to be careful not to touch her with his hands, or let her still-goo-covered hair touch him, but that small bit of space somehow didn’t matter. The corner of his mouth turned up in a somewhat sad, yet reassuring smile.
“Always.”
CHAPTER 9
Trystan hadn’t stopped staring since they’d stepped out of the back room. He even weaved his way through the main floor, dodging moving customers and chairs that had been pulled out too far without once taking his eyes off her.
“Cut it out,” she sent through their fitting, trying not to let on how uncomfortable his attention was making her. “It’s just hair.”
“It’s brown,” he said, emphasizing that second word like he was talking about garbage instead of a color.
“Yeah, which was the plan.” When he still didn’t look away, she sent him a glare. “What? Would you have preferred I’d been made a blond?”
He scowled. “I would have preferred you to not have been altered at all.”
Delaney didn’t know how to respond to that, so took the opportunity to observe her surroundings. As she’d thought originally, the room was set up much like hair salons were back on Earth, with two rows on either side. Each station had a chair, a mirror, and a large enough counter space to hold plenty of products. The colors were a mix of metallics and different shades of green—not too surprising—and there were at least five women currently helping out the same number of customers.
It was how they were doing it that really caught her attention, though. Unlike back home, none of the stylists were using scissors. Or combs. They each had a single device, shaped like a helmet three sizes too large, which was propped up on a stand to the right of each chair. A computer screen faced outward, toward the middle aisle, so Delaney got a good look at all of them as she and the guys passed.
The stylists were inputting different instructions, some using one finger to tap away at the screen, others two or three. A digital image of whoever was seated in the chair was displayed, and the picture altered every time a button was pushed.
Delaney paused when the stylist she was currently walking by tapped one last time and then pulled back. The machine was wheeled behind the chair, and then lowered over the person’s head. The stylist asked if the woman was comfortable, and once she received an affirmation, hit a large triangular green button on the side.
The sound the machine emitted wasn’t loud at all, more like a low buzz. Sort of like a bee was flying around Delaney’s head. It wasn’t anything compared to the sound of multiple blow-dryers that would have been heard in a salon back home.
Realizing that she was no longer with them, Ruckus turned and came back, glancing between her and the machine.
“They don’t dye hair. Only cut and style it. If you’d needed a French braid, we could have used one, but…” His voice filtered through her head, and when she looked at him, he shrugged. “I told you, people here don’t really change their hair color. That’s more an Earth staple. Don’t ask me why.”
She’d been about to, so the fact that he’d caught her made her smile. “Don’t hate me for saying this, but blue kind of suits you.”
They’d changed into their Kint uniforms before leaving the back, coming out to find Trystan had changed while waiting for them in the hall. Everyone knew that his Sworn was female, so the hope was that anyone who did spot and recognize him would just assume he was walking around with Sanzie and another Teller.
Ruckus grimaced and flicked at the hem of his navy shirt. “It’s awful, I hate it, we’ll never speak of this again.”
She laughed, but made no promises.
Trystan was tapping his foot impatiently by the door, scanning the streets through the large windows at either side. He barely spared them a glance when they joined him, pushing the handle and stepping out onto the walkway.
As soon as her feet hit the marble ground and she looked up, Delaney gasped.
Buildings towered overhead, far higher than she’d ever imagined. She’d visited New York City once when she was younger—one of the few business trips her parents had decided to bring her along on—and she remembered feeling so small, thinking the skyscrapers went on forever.
That was nothing compared to this. And it was almost every building. There were a few, like the one they’d just exited, that were regular sized and clearly only housed one or two floors at the most, but they were hard to spot among the giants. The streets were also larger, about twice as wide as back home, and lined on either side with a row of flashing pale yellow lights. The glow wasn’t too bright or distracting, just light enough not to miss.
Those lights, along with the slight dip downward, were what helped differentiate the sidewalk from the road. They were both made from the same type of marble, and it would have been difficult to tell otherwise.
Above, carefully spaced out between buildings, was another street of sorts. The same lights that lined the ground hovered some hundred or so feet in the air, making paths for flying cars. She’d seen one of the cars before, so knew they existed, but it was different actually witnessing them in the air. The speeds they traveled were baffling—she wasn’t sure how they managed not to crash into one another, especially when they took sharp turns around the corners of buildings. The only thing not spectacular about them was the fact that it seemed like they only came in three colors: silver, gold, and a metallic black.
The rest of the capital definitely made up for it, though. Lights flashed from every structure, some projecting moving images onto the sidewalks in front of them. A hologram of a strange animal with two heads similar to a cat’s, though on a body more closely resembling an eagle, flickered directly across the street. It blinked its wide blue eyes at Delaney, even as a Vakar man walked through it. The image became a little blurry, but that was it.
Spirals of color twisted around some of the larger buildings, starting at the top or bottom and making their way to the opposite end. There were shots of gold, green, red, and even purple.
“They help larger ships dock on the roof,” Ruckus explained when he followed where she was looking. “They also help keep other crafts from flying into them when the weather is bad. We don’t get a lot of snow here, but we do have a fog problem around the end of every year—”
“We need to eat,” Trystan interrupted, his eyes taking in their surroundings as well, though for a different reason. What trouble did he think they’d run into? Was he looking for Tellers from the palace? “And even with hair like that, you won’t blend in with that expression, Delaney.”
She snapped her jaw shut, and her stomach chose that moment to rumble angrily. When he finally tugged his gaze away from the streets long enough to set a smug look on her, she rolled her eyes and motioned down either side of the sidewalk they were on.
“Which way?” Even though she wanted to keep staring, take everything in, she forced herself to turn to Ruckus and not allow her eyes to wander.
He thought it over for half a second and then pointed to their left. “There’s a place a couple of blocks from here. They’ve got good food.”
“Won’t we run the risk of stumbling on Tellers from the palace?” Trystan asked, proving that was exactly what he’d been searching the crowds for. It was sort of comforting, to know he was always paying attention, even when Delaney allowed herself to get distracted.
They might not be actively hiding now, but that didn’t mean they wanted anyone walking up to them and asking the Zane questions about what he was doing.
“No.” Ruckus shook his head and started off. “There’s a place that’s just as cheap closer to the palace. That’s where we tend to coagulate after shifts. It’s
rare for any of us to come this far into the capital, not unless we have a reason.”
They turned a corner, and a woman dressed in a strange black coat lined in gold practically slammed into Delaney. Trystan yanked her out of the way and into his arms just in time. He caught her against his chest, glaring over the top of her head at the woman, who stumbled a bit when she looked at him.
She was in the process of apologizing, but Trystan started forward again, taking Delaney with him. Once they’d rounded the corner, he let her go, yet still keeping close. For the rest of the walk, everyone who came within a five-foot radius of her got the same terrifying warning glare.
“Now who’s drawing attention?” she asked from the corner of her mouth, shaking her head when he merely grunted.
On her other side, Ruckus wasn’t exactly being any friendlier. Though his glare wasn’t as frightening as the Zane’s, and he was more careful about who he set it on, the tense air around him gave away that he was dangerous.
“Chill out,” she told them both.
They traveled the rest of the way in silence; fortunately, the trip wasn’t long. At a four-way, Ruckus pointed out a small building that was practically being squished between two skyscrapers. It was another one of the few single-floor structures, but there were a decent amount of people crowded around outside it.
“Kind of looks like a diner,” Delaney mused as they waited to cross the street. There were crosswalks here, but instead of hanging from wires, the lights seemed to hover in place on their own. There also weren’t three of them, just one, triangular and about the size of a Frisbee.
The light shifted from a steady purple to a flashing bright orange, and Ruckus took her hand and led her across.
“When you took me to that one back home,” he told her, “it reminded me of this place.”
“How adorable for you,” Trystan drawled sarcastically behind them.
Inside, the smells hit her with as much awe as seeing the city for the first time had. It was a heady mixture of sweet and salty and tangy, so that she could never quite put her finger on any one scent for longer than a moment before it altered.
Trystan took one look around, and then stepped back toward the door. When she frowned at him in silent question, he smiled reassuringly. “I’ve got to go find us a Kint ship. Eat—I’ll return as soon as I’ve completed my task.”
“You’re going to do that now?” Ruckus moved in closer so it’d be harder for the three of them to be overheard. The place was packed with enough bodies that there wasn’t much space between them and prying ears.
“The sooner I get a ship and transport the bodies onto it, the sooner we can confront the Basilissa and get this over with.”
“Hey.” Delaney eased herself between them, facing the Zane. She lowered her voice. “You said you were hungry.”
“I’m eager to get us what we need.”
“Fine, then we’ll go with you.”
“You can’t do that.” He shook his head. “Trust me, I would much rather not leave you, but I’ll have to get close to the palace, find a Teller I trust, and procure a Kint ship without drawing too much attention to myself. It’ll be harder to do with you two. I’ll move more quickly on my own.”
They needed a Kint ship so they could fly directly into the palace’s landing zone—Delaney knew that. They’d talked about it. They couldn’t exactly bring Ruckus’s there without someone seeing and alerting the Rex.
She also knew the real reason he didn’t want her to come along wasn’t because she’d get in the way. They’d agreed on the plan to get a Kint ship. They hadn’t talked about separating in order to do so. Wherever he was going, he thought it might be too dangerous to bring her along. That made her uncomfortable.
He lifted a hand to her face and traced the left line of her jaw, stopping at her chin for a second before pulling away. “I’ll be fine. There’s no cause for concern.”
“Trystan,” she sent to his mind, hoping to prompt him to explain, but he’d either caught on to the fact that this was a tactic she used, or he was simply too hell-bent on keeping this secret.
He shook his head again. “I’ll return shortly.”
“And if we aren’t here?” Ruckus asked.
“Then you meet me. Where we parked your ship. I’ll try to have the new one loaded and ready to go when you arrive.”
Ruckus eyed him. “I don’t like this.”
“Don’t you?” He quirked a brow. “I would have thought you’d like the idea of being left alone with Delaney. For a time.” He glanced at the food lines, thought for a moment. “Use my code to pay.”
Ruckus’s spine stiffened. “I don’t need your money, Zane.”
“We don’t know if they’re tracking your accounts,” Trystan shot back. “Why risk it if we don’t have to? Use my code.” He rattled off a string of numbers and letters quickly before he could be argued with further.
Sighing, Ruckus gave a curt nod and then flicked his fingers toward the door, clearly dismissing the Zane.
Trystan’s jaw clenched, but surprisingly he didn’t take the bait. Instead he let his gaze linger once more on Delaney, and then he stepped back out onto the sidewalk and disappeared among the crowd.
* * *
APPARENTLY, money wasn’t something carried around on Xenith. It wasn’t even something one needed a card or a phone app for. She let Ruckus choose the food, unsure what any of the words or symbols meant, and after placing their order, all Ruckus did was enter Trystan’s code into a little bar at the bottom of the screen. Within a second it was paid for and done.
They picked up their food at a window inside, near the section where they’d ordered from a large touch screen. As far as she could tell, there weren’t any actual employees up front, though the cooks could be seen in the way back.
They ate quickly, and Delaney tried not to watch the door the entire time. She didn’t want to give Ruckus the wrong idea, and she trusted that Trystan could handle himself, so it was stupid to be worried.
By the time they were finished and had stepped back out onto the street, it was getting dark. Now the lights everywhere lit the place up like Christmas, and Delaney took another moment to admire it before allowing Ruckus to lead the way to their next destination.
“We don’t have time to see as much as I’d like to show you,” he told her as they walked, “but there’s one place we absolutely have to stop at.”
“Yeah?” She was only half listening, too distracted by their surroundings and the various people milling around. Most of them were garbed in shades of green or gold, though some wore black and grays or whites as well.
In Inkwell, the cold had kept everyone in long sleeves and long pants, but not here. While it wasn’t hot out, it was warm enough that people wore short dresses with high heels, or sleeveless shirts that zipped up the front. Almost everyone held a shing in their hand. Some wore small devices in one ear, a tiny screen attached to it and placed over their eye. The device was clear, so the person could still see, but there were pictures and moving words flashing across as well.
“Here.” Ruckus pulled up short in front of a massive building with green tinted windows. Then he took her hand and entered.
They passed through the circular lobby, straight down a narrow hall to a set of double doors. They opened automatically at their approach, exposing a bustling marketplace within.
“You thought the rest of the capital was impressive,” he whispered in her ear as he bent down. “This place puts all that to shame.”
He was completely and totally right.
The room was huge and dome shaped, with a curved ceiling. At the center, there was a large gap that exposed the night sky.
A swirling pattern of stars peered down at them, a mixture of greens and pinks and purples. The sky at night was one of the few things from her first experience on this planet that she’d enjoyed. She’d even looked forward to it. She would walk out onto her balcony—Olena’s balcony—and just stare up and b
reathe.
“I thought you’d like it.” Ruckus grinned at her, and when she smiled back, he shot into the crowd, tugging her quickly after him. Unlike back on the street, he didn’t seem to be concerned with the people here or how close they got, and he squeezed the two of them between clusters of bodies with ease.
Music came from every direction, some tunes upbeat and lively, others calm and melodious. People danced around tables, and others laughed, their arms linked as they traveled between booths. Occasionally someone could be spotted not having a good time, either frowning or walking away from a seller while shaking their head, but for the most part, everyone here seemed to be enjoying themselves.
She pulled on Ruckus’s hand to get him to slow, and then leaned up to practically scream in his ear. “What is this place?” It was too loud between the music, the movement, and all the other chatter for them to talk at a normal volume, and it only got louder the deeper in they went.
“Zephra Viya,” he called back. “Loosely, it translates to the Dust Market.”
“The what?” She pressed her cheek against the side of his arm, stepping out of the way of a man swinging a long swath of crimson silk. He winked at her as he passed, even though he seemed old enough to be her father, but she smiled in return and didn’t miss a step.
Ruckus repeated himself, and she had to admit it was the perfect name for such a place. The market was thriving and full, colorful and crowded, yet didn’t overload the senses. Vendors were set up in rows, and there were too many to count, branching off and connecting at seemingly random intervals, so that there was no real method.
Delaney lost their way back within minutes, but she didn’t really care.
It was hard not to feel giddy, not to be excited when everyone else seemed to be feeling the same. They placed odd instruments to their lips and played, or stroked their fingers across ones that had strings but weren’t even close in appearance to guitars.
And the food …
Within Ash and Stardust Page 10
