Rose
It doesn’t takeme long to sell out of Ma’s herbal potions and powders. The villagers know our stall, and many have standing orders they pick up regularly. Today, most of them approach slowly, looking around for Ma, but lose their wariness when I tell them she’s only resting. They grab their purchases and leave, not hanging around for small talk.
All around the market, giant Alphas stand guard. I’ve never seen so many before. Normally they’re easy to avoid, but today they’re everywhere. Good thing Ma isn’t here, or she’d make me hide under the counter.
I need to get her to tell me why Alphas have her so freaked out. I haven’t probed because I get the impression there’s some trauma there. They’re bigger and badder than everyone else, and everyone treads lightly around them, not just Ma.
A trio of merchants sweeps past my booth. One of them is waving his hands, his tone heated. “And now the king expects a tithe. In his father’s day—”
The speaker’s buddy nudges him, calling his attention to the knot of guards standing by the fountain. The guards glower at him and he drops his hands, swallowing his outrage. As one, the Beta merchants turn and duck into the nearest tavern.
That’s why people seem tense today. It’s their equivalent of tax season.
A customer raps on the side of my booth to get my attention. “Do you have anyjahroroot?” His voice is raspy.
“No.” I don’t need to check my empty baskets. “I’m out of everything.” I love what Ma is teaching me about herbs and tinctures, but today, the marketplace vibe is weird. It’s time to count my coins and move on.
The customer leans in and grabs my arm. “Please, I need medicine. The curse has come again—”
I shrink away, freeing my arm, leaving the man clutching at air. The Ulfarri is in my face and his hood has fallen back to reveal yellow skin flushed scarlet on his cheeks and neck.
A shadow slides over us. An Alpha guard pushes close, towering over the smaller Ulfarri. He grunts something, and the Beta cringes and shuffles away.
If I had anyjahroroot left, I would have given it to the Beta. I didn’t want him grabbing at me, but the guard’s behavior was harsh.
Now I have to deal with the giant Alpha. If Ma hears about this, she will shit a brick.
He towers over me, his impressive muscles glistening in the sunlight. His skin is pale green, and his hair, beard, and markings are all various shades of blue.
Even though I should be used to it by now, I still can’t get over the way Ulfarri people have such a wide range of skin and hair color combinations. I have yet to see anyone with typical human skin tones—from any region on Earth—but Ma says there are Ulfarri with dark hair and skin like mine, far up the coast. Ulfarri also have full-body, tattoo-esque markings, which I obviously lack. I can blend in, as long as I wear my cloak so people don’t look too closely. One more reason to wear a hood.
The Alpha turns his head and meets my gaze. His eyes narrow and I take a step back.
My hood has slipped off. A prickle of panic tickles my spine. I bend, pretending to fuss with the pouch at my waist, where I’ve hidden the silver coins I’ve earned today. The knife is tucked into my belt beside it, still in its sheath. I let my fingers play over it for a moment. With my head still bowed, I slide the hood back up, praying the soldier will stop paying attention to me.
The Alpha grunts something I don’t catch. I dip my head in answer and hope that’s the right response. It must be, because after a few endless seconds, he moves on.
I grab my baskets. Time to skedaddle.
It’s sweltering hot, especially in this cloak. Sweat trickles down my back, making my dress itch. Too bad I can’t jump in the river—I’m burning up in this midday heat. I should head straight home, but my stomach won’t let me pass by my favorite booth that sells sweet cakes. I stop to buy some for lunch. Leelah, the one who bakes them, is distracted, constantly peering around and beyond me as she puts together my order.
“What’s going on?” I ask.
“Tensions are high,” she says in a whisper, tucking a strand of bright orange hair behind her pointed bronze ear. “They always get like this when it’s time to pay the king’s tithe. Not to mention, there’s some kind of sickness going around. My father says he hasn’t seen symptoms like it since—” She falls silent, lowering her head and busying herself with wrapping my cakes. A shadow falls over the stall.
It’s the Alpha from before. Did he follow me?Shitshitshit—
“Here you go,” Leelah chirps, handing me my package. She turns her smile to the soldier. “What can I get for you?”
He mumbles something that sounds more like a growl than words, but she obviously understands him just fine, since she nods and starts putting items together.
When I first arrived, I was able to understand Ma even though there was no way she was speaking English. After looking me over carefully, she deduced I had been given some kind of translation chip. I can feel the bump behind my ear, but I don’t like to touch it so I avoid it as much as I can. It took me a while but now I’m used to it translating speech in my head, although I don’t think I’ll ever stop struggling when I hear the Alphas talk.
The soldier and I are both watching Leelah fill his order. I should leave but I haven’t paid yet, and I want to know what else Leelah has heard about this mystery illness. Knowledge is power, after all, and if Madoeshave it…
The hair on my arms lifts. The Alpha is staring at me. His eyes are slightly unfocused, and his nostrils flare as he inhales slowly. Is he…smellingme?
I take a step sideways, away from him, and surreptitiously duck my head to sniff my cloak. Did I sweat off my deodorant? Ma makes this herbal balm that works wonders, but maybe it’s worn off.
