by Nicole Adamz
Nothing happened. Placing it back on the podium, I stared at it. Amazing! I thought excitedly. There are so many applications for an object like this, and it would fetch a heap of dosh. Reluctantly, I left it where it was and walked to one of the tables, picking up another bottle. The blue liquid inside swirled on its own. Holding it eye-level, I inspected the contents. Confounded, I frowned.
A voice above me growled, “That is not for a novice.” The baritone voice was so deep I felt it rumble in my bones.
Startled, I jumped, and the bottle almost met its demise. Turning cautiously, I was nose-to-chest with a large man. I looked up—and up—until I met the somber gaze of the dark, mountainous man. His towering frame made me feel small for the first time in my life and it was unsettling.
The mountain hadn’t bothered with a mask, but his wings were dyed a deep red. His wide chest shifted, muscles rippling as he gently took the bottle and placed it on the table. A faint musky scent wafted toward me, and a vague memory stirred.
Looking me up and down, gauging the depth of my sachet in one look, the man spoke again. “What do you want?”
I blinked. What do I want? I’m a customer. Shouldn’t he convince me I want what he’s selling? I looked at around the tent. Whatever that is. Trying to appear nonchalant, I shrugged.
Unperturbed, the giant snorted and lumbered to the podium. I studied a vial hanging in the air, watching it glow in the pink light of the glass orb. It was red—no—purple. I shook my head; it was hard to tell in this light.
“Wish I’d known you were into this stuff a long time ago,” Niles chuckled dryly behind me.
Surprised, I raised my eyebrows and turned. Into what? Niles winked suggestively, his teeth flashing white. Puzzled, I looked at him. With his tracking skills it wasn’t surprising Niles had managed to find me. Searching my eyes, the humor on his face slowly faded.
“This tent isn’t for you, little owl,” he said firmly.
I knew that tone. It was Niles’s brotherly voice. Rolling my eyes, I turned toward another bottle, but Niles firmly grabbed my arm. I looked at him irritably.
Pursing his mouth, he pointedly said, “It’s for the boys and girls who aren’t so squared away on their morals. Especially the unscrupulous ones with unusual…tastes.”
It was the way he emphasized the last word that made understanding dawn. This was a tent for the type of person that frequented Larrikin. I looked around again. But it doesn’t look that way, I speculated.
Niles tugged on my arm, “Come on, I invited you to this festival, so it’s my self-appointed duty to keep an eye on you and make sure you don’t get into trouble. Even if it means I can’t get into trouble.”
His pained expression was so exaggerated it was comical. Grinning, I let Niles walk me toward the exit when a flap behind the merchant opened. In the fleeting moment it parted I saw a faint blue light illuminate a hallway. Shocked, I stared.
The tent is against a wall. There can’t be room in the back for a hallway…is there? I tried to get another glimpse, but the curtain was closed, the fabric blending so perfectly the passage didn’t seem to exist. Curious, I glanced around and froze. I wouldn’t have recognized him with his mask, but the glinting emerald earring buried in his golden hair was seared into my brain. My heart constricted fearfully. Heir Talon.
Rigid, my heart drummed in my ears. Heir Talon swept past the merchant, carelessly tossing a bulging sachet of dosh onto the podium as he passed. The merchant didn’t comment at the insolent gesture, merely scooped up the sachet and quickly weighed it in his hand.
“This is short the agreed amount,” he growled.
Heir Talon paused, raising a brow. “I took out three bars for a paltry performance.”
The giant merchant stepped from behind the podium, cracking his knuckles, and towered over Heir Talon. Niles, feeling the rigid set of my body, stopped trying to tug me toward the entrance. Frowning, his gaze darted between me and the men at the back of the tent.
“Our workers don’t give paltry performances,” the merchant said menacingly, stepping closer to Heir Talon.
“Well, this one did,” Heir Talon said with a careless shrug, “maybe next year you’ll bring better workers.”
Before the merchant could respond, the flap opened again, and a blonde-haired Anomaly in a red dress stepped through. She hurried to the merchant, whispering in his ear and darting glances at the masked Heir. The merchant looked thunderous when she finished, and the Anomaly quickly swished back through the flap.
“I’ve been informed the woman you were with needs a Healer,” he said ominously.
Heir Talon sighed, throwing a few bars of dosh in the air, and said disdainfully, “Fine, here is the extra dosh. To cover the cost of the Healer, but it’s her own fault. I asked for a girl with bi-colored eyes. They were the wrong color, and she wasn’t frightened enough. Completely ruined the experience.”
The blood leeched from my face, leaving a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. Bi-colored eyes, I thought in horror. The merchant’s hand tightened around the dosh he caught, and I vaguely wondered if the soft metal had molded into a clump. Beside me, Niles stilled. Drawing in a deep breath, he carefully shifted until he blocked my view of Heir Talon. The movement was so careful it didn’t draw the notice of the two men.
“This dosh is what you already owed. Now you owe more. If you refuse to pay for services rendered and the aftermath, you won’t be leaving here with both wings intact,” the merchant snarled.
I couldn’t see his face, but I knew the steady, somber look in his eyes had disappeared, leaving rage in its wake. Swallowing, I looked at Niles’s face and found him carefully watching me, lips pinched tightly. He rolled his shoulders as though easing an ache and spread his wings, covering me from view. Heir Talon wouldn’t see me unless he walked around Niles.
“I didn’t impregnate her,” Heir Talon said peevishly.
“No, you didn’t. She can recover from that. Instead, you burned her. She’ll be lucky if the Healer can repair the damage you did, and likely be disfigured for the rest of her life,” the merchant said harshly.
Bile climbed up my throat, and I desperately wanted to disappear. Instead, you burned her…be disfigured for the rest of her life, rang in my mind. Because of me, some other woman had been harmed. There was another long-suffering sigh and the clink of dosh. The merchant merely hissed, unhappy with the amount Heir Talon had given him.
There was another clink and the swish of fabric as Heir Talon whooshed by muttering, “Think they’d give better service to an annual customer.”
A low whine of fear tried squeezing out of my throat at the proximity, but I pushed it down. Shifting with Heir Talon’s movements while he made his way out of the tent, Niles placed a steadying hand on my shoulder. When the flap closed, I drew in a shallow breath. He still wants revenge, I thought dimly. Niles waited a moment, still covering me from view, before he bit out a curse.
“Skies! The scum,” he seethed.
Niles inhaled heavily, checking the street before gently escorting me outside. He leaned me against wall, keeping an eye on me in case I collapsed while he paced. Niles kept running his hands through his disheveled hair. Numb with shock I watched, soothed by the repetitive motion.
“That night—that night when I found you and Maewyn. I knew her story was a lie. Your clothes, those wounds,” Niles stopped, jaw working hard before he continued, “he had something to do with it, didn’t he?”
Tears welled in my eyes, and I blinked hard. Nodding once, I drew in a shaky breath. Seeing Heir Talon again brought back unwanted recollections. Memories I thought I’d dealt with, but the fear coursing through my veins said differently.
Niles threw out a few choice words, kicking at the wall before he turned, “I’ve heard rumors. They always seem distant from your own reality until it’s someone you know. Skies above, Ari. Did he…?”
The question hung in the air, and I shook my head quickly. No, thank the True One.
No. The pained expression on Niles’s face eased, and I cast a bitter smile at my ruined hand. Niles followed my gaze, and his face hardened.
“The burns. He burned that woman,” he said darkly.
My stomach heaved and twisted, tying into a giant knot at the thought of what Heir Talon had done to someone else because of me. Acidic bile climbed my throat again, and I turned away. Leaning over, I released the contents of my stomach.
I wiped my mouth on my sleeve, shaking allover. Niles hovered a few feet away uncertainly, and I smiled wanly. I appreciated his concern and anger, but it wouldn’t change the situation. Or the fact that Heir Talon has my pendant and knows I’m a True One worshipper—and where to find me.
“He’s the next High Lord. Welkin help us all,” Niles whispered fervently.
I agreed that having Heir Talon rule Summit wasn’t ideal, but there wasn’t anything we could do but live our lives. The nomination of next High Lord shouldn’t concern us. It wouldn’t if Maewyn hadn’t made a choice to go to Larrikin. Now, I needed to keep my head low and steer clear of Heir Talon, but I knew that wouldn’t work forever—I’d enraged him.
However, if I was going to continue living my life, then seeing him was a possibility. Except, it wasn’t one I was willing to entertain. He’s twisted, I thought with a shiver. Why hasn’t he come after me yet?
Turning away from the odd tent, I walked up the street. Niles fell into step beside me, both of us subdued. I almost missed the clinging women. When we reached the Main Holding, I motioned to Niles that I’d be leaving.
Nodding, he asked, “Do you want me to walk back with you?”
I shook my head. Once I hit the Private Holding, I could fly to Ascension. I didn’t need someone to walk me there. I needed time to think. Alone.
“At least send a letter tomorrow letting me know you made it back, alright?” Niles said.
A woman walked up to him, and I forced a smirk. I didn’t need him to mother hen me. Ignoring the woman, Niles held my gaze until I nodded. Turning, I disappeared into the crowd. If I wasn’t wearing a mask, I might have wanted him to escort me, but if I kept my eyes down the mask provided anonymity. People were only concerned with indulging themselves.
My stomach, now empty of its contents, growled in discontent. I paused, rotating my shoulders and stretching my wings. Why did I even come out? My legs ached, and exhaustion kicked in when I made it to the Outer Holding. The noise of the festival was behind me, and I was glad for the silent reprieve of the empty streets. Troubled thoughts tumbled through my mind. When did my life become so complicated?
Until I’d become a Tyro, the most complicated parts of my life had boiled down to my eyes, father’s treatment of Zora, and keeping mum about being a True One believer. Those days were looking good right now. A light bobbed up ahead, bringing me out of my thoughts. I didn’t have a lantern, counting on the moon above, so I watched the light turn down another block. The glow weakened before being snuffed out by distance.
When I got to the same crossroad, another light hurried toward me and I was surprised to recognize Gladys. Despite wearing a mask, cropped red jacket, and flaring grey skirt the air of disorder and urgency clinging to her was recognizable. A large sack crossed her shoulders, weighing down her petite frame and making her steps stilted. I paused, watching Gladys take quick, measured steps designed not to bounce the contents against her hip. Gladys’s steps slowed, but she didn’t recognize me.
“Hello!” she called, keeping her eyes down, “Are you getting a late start on the evening too? Have fun!”
Not waiting for a reply, Gladys skirted around me holding her bag tightly. Puzzled, I watched her until the night swallowed her. I looked down the lane Gladys had come from. Only residential daises with Anomaly housing at the base stretched down the road. Maybe Gladys lives in this area.
Although, she’s walking in the opposite direction of the festival. Telling myself not to worry about other people’s issues, I continued up the street. I made it to another crossroad when someone collided with me—hard. Flaring my wings, I landed on my butt.
Disentangling my legs, I stretched my wings to assess the damage. Minor twinge, but nothing broken or disjointed. Irritated, I glanced at the Anomaly wiping dirt from herself. Muttering, the girl brushed her hands and stood.
Pushing a riot of copper curls over her shoulder, she glared at me with hazel eyes, “Didn’t you see me?”
Her rudeness and hostility shocked me. Stunned, I stared at her. Did I see you? You were walking through the crossroads without a lantern! I grimaced. But so was I.
Exhausted and wanting to be back at Ascension, I made a dismissive gesture. We were both at fault and no damage was done so explanations weren’t needed. I want a cup of pekoe and my bed, I moaned tiredly. Determined to make it to the Private Holding, I took a few steps when the girl’s quiet words reached my ears.
“I guess being grounded for the night messed with your brain,” she muttered resentfully.
Turning, I hissed in annoyance. We were both wrong, there’s need for insults. The girl stalked down the path, copper curls swinging past her stunted wings to her hips. Her hostile mutterings went with her. A dull throbbing picked up tempo in my skull, and animosity thumped against it. Clenching my jaw, I picked up a small rock and chucked it at the girl. It smacked her shoulder. If I wasn’t so angry, I would have congratulated myself on my aim. Instead, I was itching for a fight.
The girl swung around, her eyes narrowed, “Apologies, Tyro,” she said in a loud, saccharine tone, and lowered her voice to mumble, “for the fact that your large ears heard me.”
Her shoulders were hunched defensively, but despite the feeble posture I knew she was fuming. Her hate radiated in the air, spilling from her mouth. Good, I thought forcefully. I’m angry too.
My head pounded with it, and I grabbed my hair and tugged, trying to ease the pressure. I wanted to scream, venting my rage to the sky. The copper haired girl growled, rushing at me. The air whooshed out of my lungs, and a warm trickle slid across my cheek when she tackled me.
A scream of helpless fury filled the air, the wind around us whipping hard, and I stared into the girl’s livid, glazed eyes. She raised her fist to punch me when a small pop exploded in my head. Everything went black.
Chapter 43
Maewyn
ISUSPECTED DRAKON wasn’t from a High Family. He had too many odd questions about my status as a Caelum. Which seemed a rather societal topic for a man that carried daggers tucked into the belt of his tunic. Having a Blood-Bond with a High Family member could have been useful against Greerson. I thought, pushing my annoyance aside.
I pondered the weapons, knowing Niles carried some as well. It was possible Drakon was a Warder. It wasn’t a class I’d mingled with often because my family saw no reason to associate with them. They were beneath us. However, I felt safe when I was with him. Drakon exuded danger and mystery wrapped in a self-contained package of reliable manhood that could keep my troubles at bay.
An entire month had passed since the Accolade of Blooms, and my stomach was growing larger. It wouldn’t be long before I delivered this fledgling, and I needed protection. I needed an edge over Greerson too badly to care who Drakon was, but there were warning bells I chose to ignore. If Drakon took me away from Summit, I knew we’d survive. He’d fight everything that came for us and win. I looked at my gloved hands, hating the shimmering gold lines beneath the dark lace gloves. They kept the secret of my Life-Bond from others.
We met at an uninhabited dais at the edge of the Private Holding. Only wealthy Merchant Class families or a High Family owned a dais here. My family owned one, but I’d never been to it. This one had a structured garden, ripe with blooming colors.
I sat at our meeting place, waiting to see his rich, wine colored head appear around the corner. Being early a few times had given me a better idea of the direction he came from, plus I got to stare at him a little longer. Drakon never touched me, and his gaze never hinted
at desire.
I’d been insulted at first, then intrigued, and now I was grateful. With my burgeoning stomach I didn’t want to be touched by any man. My hand slid along the curve of my abdomen, and I grinned when I felt my fledgling kick. Drakon isn’t from a High Family, that much is apparent. But I still need to know how he can help me—help us. My mouth thinned at the thought.
I don’t think Drakon would look at me with horror or disappointment if he knew the things I’ve done. I grimaced. I could feel Greerson somewhere in the heart of Summit, an unwanted reminder of our Bond. Greerson would feel the tether of our Life-Bond and know which direction I was in, even if he didn’t know specifically where I was.
Drakon’s dark red hair rounded the corner of the unlit dais, and I perked up. His steps made no noise while he approached me, and I admired his lethal stillness in the moonlight. Everything about the way he moved screamed predator. I considered those dark eyes when he sat next to me, wanting to make them lilt upward with a smile. He’s so stoic. Does he have someone to make him laugh? I wondered. A small part of me was bitten with jealousy at the idea.
I didn’t want to mate with Drakon—or any man—now, but maybe after my fledgling was born, we could have…something together. Maybe lovers. All I knew was that I felt like I could be myself around him, even if I couldn’t tell him everything. But maybe one day, I thought wistfully.
Drakon cocked his head, reading my expression. I stared into the unfathomable, dark pools. Sometimes his eyes look like the same mauve color as his hair. He’s so…exceptional. Drakon was keeping secrets, but I desperately needed his help. He said we could help each other.
How will he react if I ask him to Blood-Bond with me? Will he dodge the question? I took a deep breath, deciding to get straight to the point, “Can you help me?”
Drakon’s brows rose, but he remained quiet. Watching me intently, he examined my mood; deciphering how much I would push the topic. I abstained from putting a hand on my protruding belly, draped in a loose, flowing gown. I’ll push as far as I need to, I thought stubbornly.
