The City of Veils

by S. Usher Evans

  "Perhaps because I never envisioned I'd be sitting on it," I replied icily.

  Felix shot me a look of warning.

  "We'll see how much longer you'll be on it," he said, adjusting his coat and walking away with his husband casting me a scathing look.

  I caught Felix's eye, sure a lecture would be coming about how it was important not to piss Garwood off. Luckily, I was saved by Zuriel who took great pains to tell me how sad he was about my father and how happy to have me back. General Godfryd offered her condolences but nothing else, before assuming her spot in the front row.

  Once alone, Felix turned, his shoulders still straight and his face alert. "Just a few more then we'll leave."

  "Was there a lottery or something?" I muttered.

  "There was, actually."

  "Oh, boy."

  "Your Highness," the woman said. Her dress was a patchwork of black fabric, perhaps hastily sewn together, and although her hair was washed and combed and pinned, the pins were rusted. She'd given all she had to be here and make herself presentable for me.

  "What's your name?" I asked softly.

  "Henriette," she said, amazed, perhaps, that I was speaking to her. "My brother and I own a small shop that deals in ship needs. Ropes and sails and that sort of thing. We don't make a lot, but it's an honest living." She clamped her mouth together then laughed nervously. "Apologies for babbling, Your Majesty."

  I reached forward to take her hands, ignoring the look of annoyance on Felix's face. "I'll come visit your shop soon, all right? I'd love to know what you do. Where is it?"

  "Down by the docks. Green's Supplies." She was now bright red. Felix gave me a look to send her along.

  "Thank you for coming," I said as Joella appeared to escort her away.

  "Please be careful who you touch," Felix muttered. "Someone might try to poison you through skin contact."

  "She's so precious, though. Wouldn't hurt a fly." I imprinted her shop's name in my mind. Perhaps The Veil would…

  I lifted my gaze to the next well-wisher and my heart stopped in my chest.

  "Your Highness," Lord Beswick himself bowed low before me. "It is most wonderful to see you back in your rightful place."

  Chapter 12

  I blinked several times, sure that I was dreaming. The man I'd spent months searching for, unable to get within striking distance, was now less than two feet away. So close, I could count the pores on his nose. Smell the sickly sweet cologne that always wafted from him.

  Felix cleared his throat beside me, and I cast him a look. "Princess, this is Johann Beswick. He's one of the most prominent businessmen in the town. Perhaps you've heard of him?"

  I looked at him, having found my tongue but not sure I trusted it. "Pleasure to finally meet the man behind the reputation," I said after considering my words carefully.

  "Brynn," Felix whispered harshly, warning in his eyes.

  "It's quite all right, Captain," Beswick said, giving me a once-over. "It's been quite a day for her, I'm sure. I can only imagine how difficult her position must be."

  "You have absolutely no idea," I said, calculating what moves I could make to subdue him. Would Felix back me up if I ordered him arrested?

  "Perhaps it's time for the princess to leave," Felix said. "All this excitement has made her faint."

  I glared at him, but was flanked by his two lackeys and escorted away from Beswick before I could say another word. I watched over my shoulder as he met with Vernice and Garwood, even giving Octavius a warm hug. That son of a bitch had the entire Council in his pocket.

  The doors shut behind me, and I was finally released.

  "Brynna, calm down," Felix said.

  "Calm down?" I spat. "Calm down? There's a wanted criminal in our midst."

  "Yes, but nobody knows you're a vigilante," he said with a smirk.

  I opened my mouth to argue, but then realized what he was saying. "That's not funny, Felix. Beswick is a wanted criminal. He's a thug. And he's out there shaking hands with the Council? Talking to me like he's some kind of titan of the kingdom?"

  "As far as you and the kingdom are concerned, he's just a businessman."

  "The kingdom knows what he is," I said. "And I can't believe you haven't taken care of him yet. He ruins people's lives."

  "You have no proof of that. Nothing I could take to a magistrate that would hold up in court." He sighed. "Believe me, if I could, I would do something about it. But my hands are tied."

  "Yours are," I said, adjusting my black sleeves. "Mine aren't."

  "As princess—"

  "No, as The Veil."

  He exhaled loudly. "Later. The only thing you need to do is wipe that murderous look off your face and go back out there to greet your people," he said. "Or you're going back to the castle. Your choice."

  In the end, I opted to return to the castle, feigning distress at the thought of being in that room any longer. In reality, with Felix tied up at the service for a few more hours, I could sneak out early and enjoy some well-deserved alone time.

  My stomach rumbled, reminding me that I'd skipped dinner. So with my head bowed and cloak still tucked under my arm, I ventured into the dwindling market. In the day, the place was packed with shoppers. Now, it was limited to a few people here and there, which meant I needed to be quick. A gold coin rested in my hand.

  I spotted a small child tending her family's stand, an assortment of meats and fruits on display. Keeping my head down, I crossed the square and began pointing at goods I wanted her to package up for me. If I was lucky, she'd think me mute and not engage. She gave me a kind smile and took the coin. When her shirtsleeve slipped, I spotted a tattoo and my heart fell.

  "You're one of hers, aren't you?" I whispered.

  The girl's eyes widened, and she quickly replaced her shirtsleeve. "Not anymore. My family bought my freedom back."

  I wished I had more than one gold piece to give her, but that was all I had in my cloak. Instead, I thanked her and moved along, unable to shake the fear in her eyes and the way the ink looked on her young skin. I could've probably guessed the rest of her story—perhaps her parents had died, or perhaps she'd been kidnapped. Celia said children came to her, but I never believed it. Once there, the child would've been inked as a member of the gang and pressed into service. This girl was lucky her family had the coin to pay for her freedom. She was lucky she had a family at all.

  I climbed onto the roof with my purchase, sitting down against the ledge and allowing the remaining light from the dying sun to warm my face. I pulled down the cloth on my left arm, pressing my fingers to the unmarked skin. Celia never ordered me marked, perhaps knowing one day I might return to the throne. It was one thing to kidnap peasant children; quite another to hold the princess of the kingdom captive. My father might've put a little more effort into disrupting her operations had he known.

  Maybe.

  "It's not dark yet."

  I cursed my bad luck and covered my arm again. "What do you want, Felix?"

  "You aren't allowed to leave until the sun sets," he said, standing next to me in that infernal black tunic and pants. "And there the sun is, still up."

  "Close enough," I said, sitting back and unwrapping my sandwich.

  "People might see you."

  "Oh, no."

  Another sigh was brewing, but he stifled it. "I thought you said you were going to wait to talk to Poole?"

  Smiling, I dusted the crumbs off my hands. "Three days, per my agreement with Titta. Tonight, I'm going to do my rounds."

  "Rounds?"

  "Rounds," I said, pulling my hood over my head. "You can't fight crime if you don't find it, Felix."

  If I'd been by myself, I might've taken the extra hour or two of sunlight to catnap on a roof somewhere. But since Felix was determined to babysit, I gave him a good show. Sitting on rooftops, watching high-crime spots. I hoped he was bored out of his mind and would end this ridiculous obsession with watching my every move.

  "So this is w
hat you do," he said. "You sit here and wait for crime to happen."

  "Sometimes," I said. "Sometimes I sniff it out and prevent it from happening. You have to mix it up, or things get boring."

  "If I were you, I wouldn't be wasting a night watching for crime to happen. Surely, you have more leads than just Poole."

  "You aren't me," I said, glaring at him. "And no, I don't. I didn't expect that I would have to finish this thing in ninety days, so I'm not quite prepared for it."

  He opened his mouth to respond but I lifted my finger to silence him. There was movement below, two figures moving in the darkness. I crept to the edge of the rooftop to get a better look then relaxed when I saw it was just two old women rushing home before things got dark.

  "So terrifying, Brynn," Felix whispered in my ear.

  "They know The Veil is out there," I said. "Crime's down in the city."

  "Says who?"

  "Ssh."

  A voice had carried over the wind, but I couldn't make out who was speaking or what they were saying. I closed my eyes and listened. Another muddled cry, coming from my right.

  "Let's go," I said, pulling my hood over my head. After creeping toward the edge of the roof, I shimmied down and listened again.

  "What is it?" Felix asked.

  "Could be nothing, could be something," I said. "Until I find it, I can't tell you. So shut up and let me find it."

  A scream echoed in the night, and we both took off running toward the sound. Three streets over, there they were. Two large figures and one smaller one stood in front of a young girl—the same girl who'd sold me a sandwich earlier that afternoon.

  "P-please, I already paid my debts," she said.

  "Ah, see, my records here say you still owe a thousand gold pieces."

  I turned back around the corner and shook my head. It wasn't Beswick's man, but it was just as bad. Jax was one of Celia's henchmen, carrying out her directives with as much ruthlessness as Beswick. But unlike Beswick, Celia didn't condone bullying. Which was why she wouldn't mind if I roughed up her favorite man.

  "That's not true, Celia said—"

  "Then how about we all take a trip out to the forest and ask her about it," Jax replied sweetly.

  "N-no," the girl whimpered. "If you take me there, you'll charge me two thousand gold pieces to let me out. I know how it works."

  "Then we'll just take the gold out of your hide."

  "How about I take it from yours?" I said, appearing in the alley with my hand on my sword.

  "Ah, Larissa," he said with a chuckle, turning to face me. "Still masquerading around in that hood, are we?"

  Out the corner of my eye, I saw Felix getting into position. I just hoped he wouldn't show himself; the last thing I needed was for Celia to find out I had the captain of the King's Guard following me around. Although she'd probably heard I was back on the throne.

  "It works," I replied with a shrug. "Now we both know I can dispose of all of you, so how about you let this nice girl go and we can talk it out amongst ourselves?"

  "Celia sent me on a mission to retrieve her," Jax said. "Can't have the locals thinking they can get away with stiffing the Pirate Lord."

  I folded my arms across my chest. "The girl says her debt is paid. And I doubt Celia would've let her out of her sight if there was anything outstanding." I chuckled. "As you well know, no one leaves until their debts are repaid."

  My insinuation landed as I wanted it to, and his face darkened as he pulled out his sword. "Almost no one."

  I pulled mine and tested the weight as I surveyed him. "Must we really come to blows, Jax? You know how it's going to end."

  "You forget, I have backup—" No sooner were the words out of his mouth than I pulled my small knives from the belt and flung them at the two bodyguards, pinning their shirts to the brick wall. A figure moved behind me—whether one of Jax's or Felix, I didn't know until I shot my foot out to kick them backward and heard his familiar oof. I just hoped Jax hadn't noticed the new figure in the alley, or, worse, recognized him.

  Luckily, his attention seemed to be all on me.

  "Why don't you take off that mask and we can talk about it?" he snarled. "It's not as if I don't know your face."

  Yes, but it had been several years since he'd seen it, and I didn't want to chance him noticing that the new princess bore a striking resemblance. Still, his distraction was enough to give me an opportunity. In one fluid movement, I found his outstretched hand, pulled it to my body, and forced it downward until I heard a crack, followed by a howl of pain.

  "You bitch," Jax growled, grabbing his arm. "You broke my arm!"

  The two bodyguards wrestled free and hurtled toward us. I fell to my knees as they barreled over me and into Jax, sending him backward. Before they could recover, I grabbed the girl by the arm and we dashed out of the alley, finding a hiding spot behind a large pile of garbage, and waiting. She clung to me, pressing her sweaty face into my shirt and panting with fear and exhaustion. I patted her head, holding her close and listening for Jax and his boogeymen to run by. But I doubted they would—not with Jax injured. They'd go crawling back to the forest and Celia could add to the number of goons I'd sent back to her in tatters. Served him right.

  "You're fine," I said to the girl. "Now tell me the truth. Do you owe Celia or was Jax just being a shit?"

  "W-why does it matter?" she asked.

  "Because I need to know if Celia will be sending others."

  She shook her head. "No, I know for a fact that I paid my dues. Why would he come and tell me I still owed?"

  I sighed as I stood upright, brushing the wrinkles out of my tunic. "Because Jax is a liar. He'd pump you for that money then keep it himself. He won't be back to bother you, as he now has to explain to Celia why he has a broken arm. And he surely won't tell the truth."

  "You said…you said that no one leaves," she said. "Does Jax still have a debt to Celia?"

  "Until he dies," I said. "You're lucky you were able to get out with money. Now make sure you keep yourself out of trouble, understand? Go home and stay there."

  She nodded, gathered her skirts, and raced out of the alley as fast as her little feet could carry her. I made a note to come back and check on her this week.

  "You kicked me," Felix grunted behind me.

  "Well? Stay out of my way," I said, adjusting the hood over my head. "I told you I didn't need your help. And you damned near gave me away. When I say stay hidden, I mean it."

  "You kicked me," he said again, rubbing his stomach. "I'm probably going to have a bruise."

  I rolled my eyes and turned to him. "Are you really so delicate? Do you need a tincture or something to get you through the night?"

  "No," he said, dropping his hand from his stomach. "But I'd appreciate it if you'd not attack me when I'm trying to keep someone from murdering you."

  "And I'd appreciate it if you'd just go back to the castle and let me do my job."

  "Your job is being queen. This is just nonsense."

  "It's not nonsense to the girl I just saved. Jax would've extorted her poor family for the next six months. Now he's nursing a broken arm and Celia won't have her favorite henchman to send out for a few weeks."

  "How do you know so much about her?"

  I stared up at the sky, debating if I should share and then deciding it was pointless to hide it.

  "Because Celia is the one who trained me."

  Felix spun me around, his wide eyes a hair's breadth from mine. "Are you…Celia trained you?" He turned my wrist over, pulling the cloth back, no doubt looking for the brand. "Celia, the forest pirate who steals children and holds them for ransom."

  "She knew who I was. She wasn't going to brand me," I said softly, taking my arm out of his hand. "But I'm sure she'll appear soon enough, wanting a favor in exchange for the food and shelter she gave me as a child. Surprised she hasn't come to the castle yet."

  But Felix wore a look of pure horror, as if he were envisioning some terrible childhood.
"Brynna, I had…no idea."

  "You said you never lost track of me," I said, hoping we could get off this subject quickly.

  "I lied," he said. "I'd heard rumors about a vigilante two years ago. I saw you fighting some thieves and followed you home to arrest you."

  "Gee, thanks."

  "I didn't arrest you, knowing who you were," he said. "But I thought you'd been in Forcadel this whole time. I had no idea… Celia. Why didn't you come to me for help?"

  "It wasn't so bad," I said, climbing a nearby drainpipe. It was too hot in the alley, and hard to breathe. I stood on top of the roof and inhaled the warm night air, allowing the memories to disappear on the wind.

  "I can still save the rest of the children there," Felix said, coming to stand next to me on the roof. "Tell me where her fortress is. I'll send the best I have. They'll—"

  "Despite what you think, most of the children are there because they have no other choice," I said, interrupting him before he got rolling. "Celia may be depraved, but there's food and shelter for every child. Most of those kids would rather die than change their loyalties."

  "You did."

  "My loyalty was never with her," I said, walking to the edge of the roof and crouching down to watch the street. "I got what I wanted from her and got out."

  "She taught you how to use a sword?"

  I looked down at the streets below. "She taught me how to survive."

  "And why did she let you go?" he asked, after a moment.

  "She didn't," I said, my pulse quickening as we drew closer to a secret I wasn't ready to share with Felix. "I left."

  "And she let you?"

  "I'm sure she knew, eventually, I'd be back on or near the throne," I replied, letting my feet dangle on the ledge as I sat down. "And when she needs a favor, she'll come knocking. Then we'll have some decisions to make."

  He stared at me as if he were just seeing me for the first time. "Did you really break his arm?"

  "Easiest way to take someone out of the fight," I said, trying to shake off the way he looked at me and the memory of a dead man's eyes. "Now if you aren't dying from a kick to the stomach, let's continue on our night."