I cross my arms. “Do you think I didn’t notice the glances you two were throwing at each other? I know you were talking mind to mind. I expect you know as much as I do.”
“And here I was thinking we were being discreet,” he teases as we near the door.
“You weren’t,” I murmur.
He looks around, making sure no one will overhear. “How have you ever landed yourself in that situation?”
“I… needed to run away from Uncle Filip, and the portal backfired.”
“What happened?”
I blush. “I was asking him to get my coins.”
He studies me and shakes his head. “I will sort it out for you.”
I nod.
“Are you planning on cutting the deal?”
Panic. That is what I feel, and I am shocked by it.
“It’s the smart thing to do,” I reply, perfectly aware it’s not a real answer.
“Right, and here goes the hope,” he sighs, like I am a hardship, and stops before he enters the corridors.
“I will let it unfold first,” I say.
I know the smart thing would be to cut the deal right now, but for some strange reason, I do not want to, even if I’m not sure Gorok would grant me his favour and destroy the blood bond.
It feels kind of… nice to have someone bonded to me. Pathetically less lonely.
“Sure, if you ever decide, I will go with you to the temple,” he offers, and I nod and pivot to leave, but he surprises me with another revelation. “Sels, I found you a tutor.”
“What?”
“I found you a tutor,” he repeats with a big ass grin on his face.
“You’re pulling my leg.”
He shakes his hand, his grin transforming into a knowing smirk. “I will introduce you two at today’s celebration.”
“Oh, I can’t wait to waste my time with another pretentious asshole,” I hiss before I can stop myself, and guilt sinks in. He only means well.
“Do you prefer a replay?” His tone is gentle, considering the question cuts my very soul.
Of course not, you stupid fuck. “No, but I don’t need any tutor.” I turn on my feet before I can see the disappointment on his face.
“Sels,” he starts, but I don’t care for his meddling anymore.
“Send me a boy to carry my bags,” I shoot without turning back and leave. Even if my stupid heart begs me to stay.
Chapter 7
The market is known across the entire continent for its ability to provide whatever one desires, legal or not. If you know where to look and are ready to pay the price. Today, the streets are louder than usual, a cacophony of voices, clattering carts, and haggling merchants spilling into every corner.
Locals set up the stalls with pompous decorations, flying balloons, and confetti. In the further alleys, ostentatious temples of Gorok and his twin, Chaos, draw both travellers and locals alike, creating a maze of marchers and petty peddlers, the air thick with the scent of herbs and spices.
Enchanting decorations ensure the Trading Festival brings the Temples plenty of profit. A fat percentage of every sale goes straight into their purses. No wonder the priesthood is the second-richest class in Rhodria. If someone tells me it’s not a business, I’ll laugh my face off. No one dares deny the Gods what they’re ‘rightfully due,’ even as more and more people start questioning why the divine would need gold in the first place.
