Before I can respond, something light brushes against my hip. I reach immediately for my coin purse only to find it gone. A flash of movement catches my eye. A small figure darting through the crowd.
"Stop! Thief!" I call out, pushing through the throng of market-goers.
The boy glances back, my coin purse clutched in his dirty hand. He flashes me a devilish grin and flips me off before slipping into the crowd and vanishing between the stalls.
He's quick, but I'm quicker.
My hand shoots out, catching him by the back of the shirt, and when he whips his head around to bite me, I grab his wrist. His shrill cry pierces the air, but he still isn't letting go of my coin purse.
"Let me go!" he shrieks, twisting like an eel.
The commotion draws attention. Heads turn, and I see other children—three of them—converging on us from different directions. A coordinated effort.
"Please, mister," one of them, a smaller girl with hair bleached white by the sun, begs. "Let him go. He didn't mean nothin' by it."
"This is no place for children," I growl, keeping my grip firm but careful not to hurt the boy. "Not even thieves."
The children exchange glances.
"We just sneak in sometimes when the guards fall asleep," another child admits grudgingly. "No harm in it."
I sigh, releasing the boy but snatching my coin purse back in the same motion. There are no schools out here, but these children should at least be somewhere safe, not running wild in an underground den of criminals and degenerates. But that's life outside the sheltered walls of Surhiira.
"Perhaps you can help me. I'm looking for someone," I say. "A woman with silver hair and violet eyes. An omega."
They exchange a look. "That'll cost ya," the boy who tried to steal from me says quickly, already recovering his bravado.
I pull two large coins from my purse, their value more than a month's wages in these parts. Their eyes widen at the sight.
"Information first," I say, holding the coins just out of reach.
The girl with sun-bleached hair steps forward. "There was an omega lady," she admits. "Real pretty, with hair like you said. She was with a giant knight."
"There's no such things as knights,Cynthia," the other boy corrects.
"Well, what else would you call a giant alpha wearing metal armor,Jason?" she challenges, mimicking his tone.
The thief rolls his eyes, clearly tired of them both.
My blood runs cold. "Where did they go?" I ask, fighting to keep my voice steady.
The girl shrugs. "You should ask Geo. He knows everything that happens around here."
"And who is Geo?"
"He runs the market," the thief supplies. "Big grumpy guy, only has one eye."
"But don't tell him you saw us down here," the girl adds hurriedly. "He doesn't think we can look out for ourselves. He'll be mad. Please?"
I drop the coins into her palm, then add a few more. "I won't tell him if you go home," I tell them firmly. "This is no place for children."
They scatter like startled birds, vanishing into the crowd before I can say anything more. I stand for a moment, processing what I've learned. Cosima is with a masked, monstrous alpha—this "knight"—and apparently under the protection of whoever runs this market. Otherwise, its denizens wouldn't refuse to give me any information, even when I've offered to pay.
What could she have done to gain such protection? And why? The Cosima I know would never willingly associate with the types that populate this place.
Unless she isn't willing at all.
I need to find this "Geo" first.
