“No, but… Okay, fine,” she said with a sigh. “So I’ll try and find a gem, and you try and steal a key, and then…”
“And then we meet back here. We wait until nightfall, when the town’s quiet. Then we sneak over to the cage, free your sister, you turn her into a human, and you both hightail it out of town.”
“That’s got to be the worst plan I’ve ever heard. But before you say anything, no, I don’t have a better idea. Okay, fine.” She stood up. “I guess I’ll go start wandering around, staring at people’s jewellery.”
“Wait, before you go…” He rummaged about in his pocket, then pulled out a small leather pouch. “Take this. It’s money. Obsidian’s plenty expensive in this world, and I doubt anyone’s going to give it to you for free.”
Gantalla took the pouch, stuffing it down into the side of her bag. But then she turned back to Nalyx, looking him over quizzically. “Why are you helping me?” she dared to ask.
Nalyx didn’t hesitate even a moment. “Because you’re the most amazing woman I’ve ever met. And I couldn’t live with myself if I just stood by and did nothing.”
Gantalla felt herself blush. “Well… Thank you. For everything. Now I’d better get to work. I’ll catch up with you later.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Finding someone wearing an obsidian necklace was easier said than done. Gantalla spent two hours wandering around the square, taking advantage of the constant trickle of people coming and going. But as far as she could tell, none of them were wearing any obsidian jewellery. Or if they were, they were keeping it well hidden – which was not a surprise. Gantalla had done her best to keep her own necklace out of sight, not only to keep her identity a secret, but because a wanderer in need of money and a job arguably shouldn’t be wearing such an expensive piece. There was the option, of course, of setting hers out on display and seeing if anyone happened to comment on it. Other people from Chalandros would certainly recognise the gem and perhaps want to make contact?
Or, on the other hand, she could just attract attention from nosy busybodies who wanted to know if Hallix had given it to her and delay her for hours talking about the wedding.
Or if she was very unlucky, she might even run into a nefarious Chalandrian who decided to out her as a demon, having spotted the tell tale sign that she wasn’t what she appeared to be. She’d learned well enough on the journey to the gate that there were plenty of people who could not be trusted, and after the shock of Nalyx finding out about her, she wasn’t prepared to risk going through that again. This time around, it might have a far less favourable outcome.
Giving up on the idea of just flitting about the square, Gantalla started to wander in and out of the local shops. Staring at the racks of goods on display gave her more opportunity to covertly watch the other customers, to see if she might spot something they were trying to keep hidden.
But after another hour of that, she had still failed to find what she was looking for. She headed outside again, her mind running in circles as she tried to come up with a plan that would still save her sister if she couldn’t get her a gem. She could dress her in her cloak, the long sleeves and hood keeping her skin and face hidden. They could travel by night – though that carried risks of its own. And when they reached Palashran, they could find a quiet cottage away from the city where Alithmain could live away from people, to minimise the risk of anyone finding out about her.
But it would be a sad life for her, not able to talk to anyone, not able to leave their own house without the risk of discovery. And Gantalla would have to be constantly on alert for well-intentioned visits from the neighbours. It was a sorry plan, but as a last resort, it was still better than letting her sister be murdered in front of a crowd of gawking humans.
She still had a chance, though. There were several more hours before the shops closed and her opportunity was lost. Ignoring her growing despair, she headed for the next row of shops, determined to keep searching until night fell and she ran out of time.
But just then, she spotted Gosta heading her way, though she didn’t know what the woman would be doing out of the hospital, given that she’d swapped to give Gantalla the day off. She glanced up at the clock on top of the town hall. Midday. It must be Gosta’s lunch break. Gantalla briefly thought about turning around and going in the opposite direction, then thought better of it. Gosta had been kind enough to swap her shift, after all. It was the least Gantalla could do to bother to say hello.
Unless, of course, Gosta was coming to tell her she was needed back at the hospital for the afternoon? Impossible. Not a chance. No, she had far more important things to do…
“Afternoon,” Gosta said as she arrived. Then she looked Gantalla up and down. “You look like a rabbit that’s run ten miles up a narrow path with a dog on its tail.”
Gantalla opened her mouth to answer, and found that words completely failed her. “Sorry,” she said, after a pause, not even sure what she was apologising for. “It’s been a busy day.”
“No apologies necessary. Here,” Gosta said, holding out a package wrapped in waxed leather. “I brought you a slice of quiche. Figured maybe you could use a bite to eat.”
It was a kind gesture, but an unexpected one. “What made you think that?”
Gosta turned to point up towards the hospital building. “See all those windows on the second floor? They give a prime view of the town square. And I’ve watched you wander about for the past three hours, going this way and that, ducking into shops, coming out again with nothing to show for it. Now, I’m not entirely sure what you’re looking for, but it’s clear you haven’t yet found it. And given that you were supposed to be spending the day arranging a wedding dress, I was thinking… Perhaps this young lass needs a willing ear to listen to whatever’s on her mind. Shall we?” she offered, gesturing to one of the nearby tables.
“Yes, I suppose so,” Gantalla agreed. She was making no progress here anyway, and the truth was, she was hungry. But as she sat down, she failed to think of a single thing she could say to Gosta. As unexpectedly pleasant as the woman was being, she couldn’t ask for her advice on how to find a magical obsidian necklace, nor on which city would be safest to house a pair of on-the-run demon women.
Thankfully, Gosta seemed more focused on the food to begin with. She laid out the wax wrapping, carefully splitting her large slice of quiche in two, then placed two apples next to it. “Apples are your favourite, am I right?” She picked up her quiche and took a large bite.
Gantalla managed a weak smile. “They are. But I’m surprised you noticed.”
“You do tend to go out of your way to avoid attention.”
Gantalla looked shocked for a moment, then covered the expression quickly. “I’m new in town. I’m just trying to fit in and not make waves.” She picked up her own food and began eating.
Gosta watched her shrewdly for a moment. “Not in the mood to chat, are you?” Gosta’s words were blunt, but not said unkindly.
Gantalla glanced over at the cage again, then quickly looked away. “Sorry. I’ve just got a lot on my mind.”
“No doubt you have,” Gosta said. “What with the gate opening again, and planning a wedding to a warrior, and now there’s this green demon in the middle of the town.” She fingered a leather cord that was hanging around her neck, but Gantalla couldn’t see what sort of jewel was attached to it. Come to think of it, she’d never even noticed Gosta wearing a necklace before.
