Remembering her brass knuckles and how confident she went at the fae by the carriage, Lora could definitely see that.
“Maybe someday,” Lora said, answering his question. The knife, if nothing else, gave her an added sense of security. More so than the small pocket knife that was still hidden in her jacket. “Let’s get this over with.”
Pushing the fear aside as best as she could, Lora clasped her pendant, reminding herself why she had to get through this. To get back to her own goal. To get back home. She might have been wrong to assume all fae were bad, but she still knew where she belonged. Who she was. Her family was waiting for her and she couldn’t let them down. There were more people relying on her than she wished.
* * *
They walked through a wide, sand-coloured archway into the heart of the Void as if they had every business being there. Lora forced her face to remain stoic as her eyes took in her new surroundings. The booths, unknown objects, and fae wandering around reminded her of the black market in Chrysa. Except this one was above ground. Out in the open. No one seemed to care to hide anything here, and why would they when there were no guards around to enforce laws?
Lora was scared someone would stop them and ask how they had found this place, but it was quite the opposite. Every time they walked by a booth, the fae would rattle off prices or special offers. They must think they had silver to burn and everyone wanted a piece.
“Fortae. Buy 10, get two for free,” a fae shouted to their left, trying to draw their attention. Lora took in the small pills, flashing silver and red in the sun. This was why they’d taken her, why they’d put her in a cage. All for this drug, for the amusement of fae. She twisted her fingers into a fist.
An arm brushed hers and Lora tore her eyes away from the fae’s disgusting products. Her eyes found the calming blue of Eyden’s. The warning in them made her come to her senses. She must have shown her discomfort more than she realised. Eyden picked up his pace as they passed this particular booth. Lora trained her eyes straight forward, matching his steps.
After walking through what seemed to be the main market area of this place, Lora could tell Eyden was getting restless. She imagined it was more than the fear of not finding the captives, but knowing that Elyssa was waiting for them to return.
They had slowed down, taking in the stone alleyways leading away from the busy market area. Eyden seemed to consider exploring the less populated pathways. But the Void wasn’t a small place. How long until someone questioned what they were looking for?
“We should ask,” Lora whispered, drawing Eyden’s gaze to hers. “We’re rich buyers, right? Why not ask where we can find what we’re willing to pay for?”
Eyden stopped in a corner. His eyes travelled around the market before he met Lora’s gaze. “It’s worth a shot. Who should we ask?”
Lora didn’t expect the question, thinking he’d already made a mental list of everyone here. She turned to size up the fae nearby while trying to appear disinterested. Every seller had the same hungry look in their eyes. And the buyers would most likely not know—or worse, would question them.
Her eyes landed on a man in worn-out clothing, sweeping dirt mixed with sand to the side. He was working by himself, not bothering to look at anyone. It seemed like senseless work to Lora. The wind would keep blowing in more sand over the stone wall no matter how hard he worked.
“Him,” Lora said, keeping her voice a bare whisper.
“Agreed.” Eyden started walking towards him.
The fae didn’t look up as they stopped a short distance away. Eyden cleared his throat quietly. “Apologies for troubling you, but would you be inclined to give us some directions?”
The fae’s hand stilled on the broom. “I don’t sell nothing.” He resumed his work. His shaggy blonde hair hid most of his face.
“You know this place well, don’t you?” Eyden asked. “Would some silver help our case?”
The fae’s movement stopped abruptly. “Nothing. I don’t wantnothing.No silver.” He turned his head. Lora almost gasped out loud. There was something behind his misty gaze, a forgotten power shining through. She didn’t know much about fae powers, but somehow, she knew this fae held a high level even though his appearance said something else entirely.
“We didn’t mean any offense,” she heard herself say. The fae’s eyes met hers. There was intrigue there. She had his attention. “We’re looking for someone who provides human blood. Who sells…them.”
“You’re one of those, huh? I don’t want no part of that. And if you were smart, girl, you’d stay away too. It’s no good. Nothing is.”
“Unfortunately, that’s not an option.” Her eyes stayed on the fae’s. She could feel Eyden drawing closer, maybe to stop her. “Please, tell us.”
There was a subtle shift in his eyes, as if a fog lifted and he could read her true intention. The fae exhaled slowly, his gaze flickering to an alley close to them. “Follow that path, turn left at the end. There’s a door close by, red like blood.”
“Thank you.” She turned to Eyden and he nodded. After giving the fae one last grateful glance, she set her eyes on the path before them.
Before she could take more than a couple of steps, the fae’s faint voice followed them. “Be warned: Nothing good is here. Nothing escapes.”
Lora and Eyden didn’t turn back. They both knew they were walking right into danger, but there was no other path for them.
They followed the fae’s directions until they could spot the blood red door. Two fae were guarding it.
“Let me do the talking,” Eyden said under his breath as they approached the fae.
Both of them saw them coming. One of the fae went so far as to draw a knife. “What’s your business here?” she asked.
