by Nicole Adamz
I reached for the jeweled string and the merchant’s hand retracted, sliding behind his back. He clicked his tongue, and I glanced up irritably. His gaze was focused behind me.
“I believe the lady was going to make a purchase,” he said in quiet tones.
“I want them, and I’ll double whatever she offers!” screeched a voice. I winced, turning to face an elder stinking of wine and sweet body oil.
“There are plenty of wares on my table, lady,” the merchant told her, “but I can’t offer an item that’s been offered to another without a rejection first.” Didn’t stop you from hoisting the emerald brooch I was eyeing earlier, I thought crossly.
“Tell him you don’t want it!” the woman demanded. “By Aeolus, tell him!”
The stifling heat of the marketplace, and the stiffness in my wings had worn on me. I couldn’t muster anger, but I raised my eyebrows incredulously at her rude behavior. Her face darkened, her body lilting menacingly closer.
“You don’t need it, Tyro. In fact, you aren’t allowed to wear such things. I should signal a Warder immediately and have you reported to the Aerial Council!”
“You’re right, lady. A Tyro isn’t allowed to wear jewelry, but there’s no rule against owning it. However, it’s likely she’s purchasing items for her Caelum,” Gladys said stiffly from against the wall. Her interruption earned her a sneer.
“And who are you?” the woman huffed in annoyance.
Gladys answered amicably. “A seamstress who fulfills clothing orders for Ascension.”
The woman quivered indignantly, and her Anomaly reached over, patting her hand soothingly. The elderly woman snatched her hand away. “I want it,” she said obstinately.
The Anomaly smiled tiredly. “Your beauty is known among your friends without such things.”
She pointed an accusing finger at the merchant, “I’ll let everyone know how you refused to sell to me. You’ll be ruined!”
The woman flounced off, leaving her Anomaly to offer a weary apology before following. I pursed my lips at the smile lighting the merchant’s face. He’s probably going to drive up the price now.
“Pretty lady,” he said with amusement. I rolled my eyes. Try it on another girl. Your sales flattery is wasted on me. “I saved these from the clutches of that woman, so you could have them. What price will you pay?” the merchant said, displaying the delicately hanging gems.
I reached for the thin, metal wire, and the merchant’s fingers brushed mine. A tingling sensation flew up my arm and I swallowed. Disgruntled, I glanced up. Unruly ebony hair framed his lean face, waving against high cheekbones and a sharp jaw-line. The merchant’s untidy hair danced around his shoulders when he leaned forward, and a lock stubbornly fell into his eyes. My fingers itched to touch it.
“Sorry, lady.” he said.
The words sounded exotic, and I bit the inside of my lip. He leaned back, a charming, shy smile accompanying the bold tilt of his head. Skies! He has beautiful eyes. Like silver in the sunlight, I thought fancifully. Entranced, I stared at the unusual color before shaking myself, flushing all over. I dared another look at him, noticing the piercing look he gave my hands.
“A Tyro, huh?” he said. “What are you doing down here?”
I fidgeted, the topic catching me unaware. Shrugging, I held the jeweled string up and pretended to study it. The merchant traced my marks with his eyes again.
“She can’t speak, so I’d like assistance please, merchant.” Gladys said waspishly, batting her straggling hair.
“Of course, lady!” The merchant exclaimed, turning ruefully toward Gladys.
“Do you have any dye today?” Gladys said.
A solemn look settled into the merchant’s pale eyes, but he energetically said, “You’re in luck! I have several options today. I see your hands are full, so I will offer you a wonderful deal and discount the price of these small pots of dye.”
The merchant shook his dark, wavy hair, carefully laying an assortment of pots on the counter in front of Gladys. “Please, take your time browsing while I help other customers. I’ll be with you momentarily, sir!” He called over his shoulder to another customer.
“I’ll be back to discuss price,” the merchant said merrily, rapping his knuckles on the counter when he passed by. I wanted to grind my teeth at his carefree attitude. He was completely unconcerned that me or Gladys would palm his wares and run off.
I mulled over the dangling gemstones, running them through my fingers. They were looped through a malleable piece of metal wire that bent into any shape the wearer wanted. It’d be tedious to thread them into Maewyn’s wings, but easier than dying her feathers.
My gaze slid to Gladys, carefully perusing the collection of ink pots. She separated two, smiling tightly when she caught me staring. The merchant, finished with his customer, turned toward us. Gladys absently waved him in my direction, studying the ink she’d selected.
The merchant’s lips quirked when he noticed the trinket in my hand. Novice move, I berated myself. Pretending disinterest is the first step in bartering, I thought touchily. I nonchalantly set the piece down.
The merchant steeply priced the item. “Five and a half dosh for the beautiful trinket you want to keep, pretty lady. It’s a one of a kind piece you won’t find elsewhere,” he said, displaying the item in the sunlight. The sun touched his hand, giving it a silvery hue. I blinked, and the merchant’s hand was back in the shadows. I frowned. My eyes are playing tricks on me again. Seeing shadows where there aren’t any.
“Will the lady buy it? Five and a half dosh and it’s yours,” the merchant said. I regarded the piece, my lips thinning.
Counting dosh in front of a seller let them know how much there was to spend. Holding up two fingers, I pointed at the jewelry. The merchant lifted a brow, and I reached into my sachet, breaking a soft metal bar in half.
Two and a half triangular dosh were placed on the counter, and the merchant chuckled incredulously. As far as he knows that’s the amount I have. His crystalline eyes flickered toward my hand, narrowing.
“You wound me, lady.” he said, placing a hand on his chest. “I can’t accept this amount.”
Our gazes clashed, and I struggled to breathe when his pale eyes stared intently into mine. My heart thudded heavily, and the merchant grinned. He doesn’t know the effect he has on you, Ari. Keep your head on straight. He slowly held up four fingers. I shook my head, breaking from his gaze. Don’t let him win!
The merchant’s glowing eyes danced merrily, and I struggled against an intense pull. A merchant doesn’t purchase one rare item from his suppliers. The wise merchant buys more if he thinks it will fetch a high price. I tapped the counter where the jewelry sat, opening my hand in a motion indicating more.
A wicked smile slid across his face. “Perhaps there are more. For another five dosh each,” the merchant murmured playfully.
I raised a sardonic brow. Of course. His slender fingers fished out a dark velvet bag housing three coiled lengths of the gemmed wire. They twisted delightfully on the counter.
My lips scrunched while I compared them to the original. The pulse at my throat beat unsteadily, and I held up two fingers.
“Sorry, lady, but no. You’re trying to rob me blind, and I’m tempted to let you because of your beauty. These are the only four I have.” the merchant said.
He gestured toward two bejeweled coils, “Add another eighteen dosh and we’ll have a deal, yes?” He leaned a hip against the counter, folding his arms across his chest with a charming grin.
I leaned back at his proximity. Instead of adding more dosh, which he suspects I have but isn’t sure of, I took one off the counter. The merchant laughed delightedly at my tactic.
“What a bold lady,” the merchant said admiringly.
He shook his head, amused, and his untidy hair brushed his face and neck. My teeth clenched at the instantaneous, unfamiliar desire to run my fingers through it. It crackled through me like lighting, and I determinedly squashed it down. W
hat is it about him? The smile, the hair, those pale eyes that see through me? He’s a random merchant and this feeling is nothing. Just a ploy to make the customer feel better about losing dosh.
Gladys cleared her throat, her lips tight with disapproval as she impatiently tapped her fingers against the ink she’d chosen. The smile on the merchant’s face dimmed, a serious expression brushing his features. I hesitated, caught by the gravity I read in his eyes.
“Twelve dosh for four jeweled coils is the best deal I can offer, and the best deal you will find because no one else supplies these,” he said briskly. “I’m almost out of merchandise for the day, lady. Please, make your choice.”
Realizing that the offer was firm, and there would be no more haggling over the price, I slipped eleven bars of dosh onto the table and took the dark velvet bag. It hadn’t been part of the bargain. The merchant smiled wryly, inclining his head at my cheek.
He gathered the dosh, depositing it beneath the counter away from potential thieves, and turned his dark head toward Gladys, giving her a sardonic bow. The gesture, so unlike his earlier manner, made me hesitate. I placed my purchase in my satchel and casually looked at the other displayed items.
“Pretty lady,” The merchant said insolently. Gladys’s eyebrows rose.
“My purchase outweighs your pointless flirtation,” Gladys reprimanded stiffly, pushing her hair away. I flushed, strangely happy that she’d called our interaction a flirtation…and upset that she’d called it pointless. Gladys’s bolts of cloth leaned precariously against the counter.
The merchant’s eyes flickered, a dry smile curving his lips, “The lady has a point.”
Unexplainably hurt, I bit my lip. Gladys huffed, shifting the purchases stuffed into her satchel aside to take out a sachet of dosh. “I’ll take this blue and green, but I need two red pots. There’s only one here.” Gladys’s fingers sorted out an amount of dosh and laid it on the counter.
“That’s more than fair.” she said.
“Two pots, lady?” The merchant said warily. “Are you certain? It’s a daring color.” His crystalline eyes slid around the booth, hesitating when they landed on me. I discreetly turned away. Picking up a random item, I pretended not to hear what was said.
“Red is a fashionable color,” Gladys replied in a low, stiff voice. “I want two of them.”
Odd, I thought. Gladys seems…different from how I remember her at the tailor’s shop. Why is she pushing to purchase a second pot of red at this stall when she could find one somewhere else? I frowned, shaking off the peculiar sensation that what I heard wasn’t what was being said. It’s not my business.
The merchant sighed, the lean shoulders of his back contracting. Flushing, I swallowed hard. “I’m afraid I don’t have more than one red ink pot, but I’ll check with my supplier and inquire if there’s another available.”
Gladys nodded firmly. “Do that. I’ll leave the extra dosh as a forward payment for the second pot. When can I expect a reply from your supplier?”
“One week, lady. I’ll return with your second pot, or the dosh you paid for it.”
My ears perked at the information that the merchant would be returning, and I chided myself. It doesn’t matter. I’ll be busy helping Maewyn prepare for the Autumn Feyle, and I can’t spend any of my personal dosh.
“That’s a long time,” Gladys said, biting her lip. “It’ll be hard to complete the order currently waiting.”
“That’s the best I can do, lady. I’m sorry, but I don’t have more than one red pot today,” the merchant said stubbornly.
“I hope to hear differently when I return,” Gladys said nervously. She placed the single red pot, along with the others, securely in her satchel. They disappeared into the cushioned safety of her bag.
I wasn’t sure why I hesitated to leave. I had no intention of purchasing anything else, but…the pots of color Maewyn wanted! Maybe he has them. I sighed in relief. That’s why I was hesitating. I was forgetting something!
When the merchant turned my heart jumped into my throat. I avoided his knowing gaze, staring at his mouth. He can’t see into your mind, Ari. A corner of his mouth tilted up. Can he? My stomach lurched, and I blinked, fumbling with the metal trinket I’d been holding. A blush burned my cheeks.
I glanced at the merchant and swallowed, dropping my gaze. Why am I lingering? I don’t have to get the dye here. Steeling myself, I looked at the merchant and offered a weak smile.
A grin split his face and I nodded, pushing away from the counter. Staring ahead, I lingered. Why can’t I leave? Intent on my thoughts, I didn’t hear the merchant moving until the low murmur of his voice was near my ear.
“I agree. That’s an interesting piece of dirt. Particularly that piece,” he said, pointing a few feet away. Startled, my gaze met the merchant’s teasing silver eyes. The hot sweep of a blush rushed over my body.
“It’s so oddly shaped. What was Aeonian thinking by making it so lumpy?” the merchant said with mock seriousness, his eyes gleaming with mirth.
I wanted to cover my face in embarrassment. Instead, I shrugged awkwardly before shuffling away. Confusion coursed through me. What is wrong with me? He’s just a merchant…with crystal eyes, dark hair, and full lips on the verge of laughter. I frowned at my wayward thoughts, shaking my head. All he wants is my dosh.
“Have a good day, pretty lady.” The merchant called in dulcet tones as the crowd ate the space between us. I stubbornly pushed him from my mind, moving further down Ash Path.
Chapter 13
Maewyn
WHEN ARI RETURNED from the Market District, I jumped up with anticipation. “Did you find everything?” I said with excitement.
Ari’s eyes filled with mirth, and she patted her bag playfully before tipping it onto the couch. I grinned. “You always find everything on my list. You’re a tremendous help!”
The contents spilled over each other and she pulled out a small, black bag. I clapped my hands. I knew by the bag it was jewelry, but I was confused when Ari produced four coiled lengths of metal studded with gems. These weren’t on my list.
Patting my shoulder, Ari extended a wing and pointed for me to do the same. When my white wing was fully extended Ari carefully wound a piece of the coil around the shaft of a few inward feathers. She continued this process until the entire coil was embedded.
The material felt odd brushing the delicate skin beneath my feathers, and I cautiously opened and closed my wing. Drawing in a surprised breath, I watched the gems twinkle. Standing, I pushed Ari out of the way, and turned toward the window. The sunlight bounced off the jewels like a hundred small, colored suns. I gasped in delight.
I extended my wing in fascination before squealing. “Where did you find it? Never mind!” I gushed. “It doesn’t matter. Can you get more?”
Ari shook her head, and I pouted. “Did you buy them all?” I said, calculating the cost. It would be worth it. They’ll be the perfect accent to my gown!
Nodding, Ari held up the other three coils. I laughed joyfully. “Good! Aeolus be praised you found them—and now they’re mine!”
My fingers lingered reverently over the jewels flashing between my white feathers. “This is the most exquisite jewelry I’ve ever seen. So exotic,” I said reverently.
Ari wiggled the coils, making the gems dance in the light, before laying them on the low table. I murmured in awe at the ingenious creations, examining them. Each one is different with no matching designs or jewels and the metal is malleable but sturdy.
“The metal bends in any direction without breaking,” I commented.
Ari nodded, demonstrating several potential uses for them. I twisted the coils up my arms and around my neck while Ari went to her room. She returned with a piece of parchment, and my leftover dosh. I glanced at the note, my heart tripping at Niles’s name.
“Is it okay if I go? I’ve never been to a Warding Station.” I said nonchalantly.
Ari’s shoulders stiffened, and she paused.
I frowned. Does she care if I go? She told me Niles was a friend. Does she care for him more than she’s admitting? No, I would have picked up on that while I was asking questions about him.
Smiling brightly, I jovially patted Ari’s shoulder. “It’ll be fun!!” I cajoled.
Ari nodded but didn’t smile. I ignored her reluctance, irritation tightening my gut at her attitude. If she has deeper feelings for Niles, she needs to tell me. If she doesn’t, there’s no harm if I flirt with him.
I deposited my purchases in my room, deciding to change. There are a lot of men at Ward Stations. If I happen to catch their attention…well, that can’t be helped. I grinned wickedly in the vanity mirror after donning a fuchsia tunic. The color was a bright contrast to my pale skin and hair.
On the flight to Niles’s Warding Station Ari’s distress was prominent in the agitated slope of her wings, and I rolled my eyes. She should stop being a priggish True One worshipper. She’d have a lot more fun. The Warding Stations were crafted around the Ward Stones, located at the farthest points of Summit: past fields, farms, and orchards worked by male Anomalies. The Ward Stones sat high above each station, with a barracks and living quarters behind them.
The structures were barely inside the Barrier but were safe for Warders to use in shifts. Ari dove for the Ward Station’s gate, getting closer and closer to the plain stone fixture. Her wings were tucked until the last minute, slowing her landing. She smiled. Maybe that impressive landing will lighten her mood, I mused. Landing gently, I primly snapped my wings closed.
“Show off,” I muttered.
Ari narrowed her eyes, and I smiled benignly. Ward Station Three was a sparse looking structure serving as a watch tower and lodging for Ward Units. It’s smaller than I thought it would be. Ari walked to a worn metal door jammed into the wall enclosing the compound.
When she knocked a small panel opened. “State your business,” a rough voice barked through the opening.
Ari looked at me with raised brows and I sauntered up. Standing on tiptoe, I smiled winningly at the man peering through a square hole. His eyes lit up, but he remained silent.
