I went to speak, but the grip on my pinky tightened, halting me from releasing the wrath of words restlessly bouncing on my tongue.
“We’re finished here.” Hunt looked to his partner and calledover his shoulder as he started walking down the street. “Come on.”
The female guard avoided our gaze as she passed, the slump in her shoulders indicative of the same defeat plaguing me. She picked up her pace, jogging to catch up to her partner, who was already halfway down the block.
For several minutes, I stood frozen, ruminating on the morning’s events. Even if Hunt wasn’t Kamden's executioner, he’d unintentionally added himself to the list of people I was going to kill.
2
AUDRYN
Fae flooded the marketplace, their arms filled with sacks of produce, breads, and other necessities. Only the wealthy had enough money to purchase the luxuries of scented soaps, faerie wine, and dyed fabrics. Most barely scraped up enough coin to feed their families.
“Is this all that’s left?” Jezelle inventoried the near-empty crates on my cart. “You hardly saved anything for me.”
“You’re late.” I shrugged and eyed those within earshot. “I can only assume that’s because you were getting what I asked for.”
“As I’ve told you,” she huffed, “I only have access to so much intel. I’ve even asked those with higher clearance, and I’m still coming up empty.”
I palmed a tomato, tossed it into the air, and caught it. If I didn’t keep my hands busy, I might’ve strangled her out of pure frustration. Six months had passed since I’d made my request, and she clearly hadn’t taken it seriously. It didn’t even matter that I’d offered her a week’s worth of wages in return. And with two jobs, the money would have been enough for her and her family to live off of for several months.
“When I get a name, you’ll be the first to know.” Her finger traced the curve of a melon.
“Don’t think I’m foolish enough to believe that for a second,” I snapped. “We both know you’ll run to Jaspar first.”
“Don’t you think the resis—” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “Don’t you think we want to know just as much as you do? We’ve been trying for years. Before you even cared. And now you expect us to just have a name because you’ve finally been affected? Not to sound callous, but we’ve all been suffering far longer than you.”
She was partly right. I cared little about King Sutton and his henchmen until they trampled my life and took everything. I’d been stewing over their abhorrent antics after I lost my brother, but losing my mother was the final straw, and I could no longer stand idly by.
“Was there something you wanted to purchase?” I tilted my head and restlessly played with my long brown strands. “Or did you just want to waste my time?”
She tentatively eyed the produce, taking her time and testing my patience. Rarely had my offerings changed, and when they did, it was simply an additional variety of fruit or vegetable or a reduction of a less popular item. Tapping my foot on the ground, I scanned upward, watching the light blue canopies ripple in the salty coastal breeze.
“I don’t have any coin,” Jezelle said, looking over the items and not letting her eyes fall on mine, “but I have this.” She reached into her bag and partially pulled a bottle of wine out, letting it quickly dip back down.
“And who was that stolen from?” It wasn’t like I cared; anyone with enough money not to realize the bottle was missing probably didn’t appreciate the burgundy liquid anyhow. And theft by members of the resistance occurred as often as I laced up my boots.
“My parents need food,” she barked, “interested or not?”
Despite her attitude, her eyes remained sad. She looked over the goods once more, and her mouth nearly salivated. Whether she needed the food for herself or her parents didn’t matter. For all I cared, she could pass it out to those in need from her group of misfits. There was no need for anyone to go hungry, even if I despised them. Especially since I would just replenish my supply later.
“I’ve never seen a bottle I wasn’t interested in.” I gestured with a hand. “Take whatever you need.” Her eyes met mine. “For your parents or whoever else you need to feed.”
For a moment, her eyes welled, threatening to betray her tough exterior. She drew in a breath, straightened her back, and schooled her features again. She handed me the bottle, the partially peeled label displaying a section of Rivale’s sigil.
“Sutton’s vineyard?” I gasped, knowing the punishment for carrying the item would likely be death.
“Would you like to make an official declaration to everyone here?” She gawked. “Maybe send out a bulletin?” Jezelle looked around as if she were about to be arrested for the crime.
Shaking my head, I tucked the bottle into the wooden compartment in the underbelly of my cart and gestured once more to my remaining produce—a silent invitation to rummage through the lingering orphans.
“I’m sold out.” Benton moved to my side and flicked his chin to his empty bread cart. “You almost done over here?”
Before I could respond, a familiar shrill voice interrupted, one I’d unfortunately known longer than anyone should have to endure. My mood instantly soured as I turned to meet the blonde-haired woman’s face.
“What do you need, Maris?” I asked, trying to ignore the emerald jewel dangling from the gold chain around her neck. My hatred for her outweighed my love for the craftsmanship of beautiful jewelry.
She pursed her lips. “Is that any way to speak to a payingcustomer?” Her brown eyes swung to Jezelle, whose bag was beginning to overflow with produce. “You’d think you’d appreciate someone actually paying for things around here.”
