Lora returned his steely glare with one of her own. “Do I have to repeat myself? I’m not foolish enough to trust you with this.”
He shook his head, his dark hair shifting with the movement, reflecting the soft sunlight filtering through the trees. “It’s not about trust. It’s about increasing your chances of not losing it. If there’s one thing you can count on, it’s that I’m no easy target to pickpocket.”
“What makes you the expert?”
“Years of being a skilled thief.” The proud smirk on his face was both irritating and amusing.
Lora furrowed her eyebrows. So, she was supposed to put her trust in someone who was not only a fae, but also a common thief? He could call it whatever he wanted to, agreeing with him still required a certain amount of trust that Lora didn’t have in her to give. Especially not to him—afae.
“What will it be, special one?” Eyden asked.
“I’ll take my chances.” She thought she saw disappointment dart over his face, just for a second. Maybe he did want to steal it from her. She swiftly suppressed the thought and shifted her focus to the next step. The black market. “Will I be fine without the cloak?”
“There are a lot of fae wandering around the market around this time. They’ll assume you’re a buyer.” He looked her up and down, the smirk gone. “Or someone in desperate need of some silver, trying to sell something to a trader.”
Lora glowered. “Let’s get this over with.”
Eyden opened the door, a glint in his eyes. “After you.”
Lora immediately noted the shift in the air as they stepped into the stone corridor. Gone was the quiet, peaceful atmosphere from the woods; in its place grew the hustling noises of a busy market. When they rounded the corner, a mass of people came into view. Fae were hurrying along, walking in all directions. Some looked satisfied, clutching various items that Lora couldn’t all identify. Others were arguing with fae traders, silver coins and notes catching the light.
If only she had her cloak from last night to hide behind. Too many eyes were on her. Never for long, merely passing glances as she walked beside Eyden into the heart of the chaos, but it was enough to leave her on edge. She was all too aware of the vial lying heavy in her pocket. Lora was paranoid of anyone she crossed paths with, Eyden’s words echoing like a steady warning.
She noticed several fae nodding at Eyden as they walked past trading booths. Eyden returned the gesture without breaking his stride, fitting in seamlessly with the crowd. Lora wondered if he’d ever stolen from any of the fae he had greeted. If he had, he was probably proud of it.
Lora followed Eyden’s gaze to a dark-haired fae standing behind one of the wooden booths. As they got closer, she could see he was finishing up a deal, handing an onyx box to a young female fae who eagerly accepted it as she put a pouch of silver on the table.
“Begone in fortune, my dear,” the trader said. The girl nodded and all but sprinted past them.
The fae took the silver and stored it somewhere Lora couldn’t see. When he looked back up, he noticed Eyden approaching his booth. A friendly smile stretched across his face.
“Good day for trade, isn’t it? I love busy weekends.” He shifted his easy smile to Lora, who kept close to Eyden, the side pocket with the vial next to him. Protected from other thieves, she hoped.
“I’m hoping you can make this a good one for us too,” Eyden said, one corner of his mouth lifting up in a half smile. “Ilario, meet special Lora.” He looked at her for a brief moment, but she was taking in Ilario’s lively dark emerald eyes as they widened in surprise.
“It’s just Lora,” she clarified, smiling politely, hoping for a different result than their last meeting with one of Eyden’s acquaintances.
Ilario’s smile never faltered as he said, “Well, just Lora, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Dare I ask how you two know each other? Eyden has never introduced me to anyone. I was beginning to think I’m his only friend.”
She fought a laugh, but felt the urge to correct his assumption right away. “We’re not friends.” Ilario raised his eyebrows, his eyes questioning. “Or anything else,” she added immediately. He didn’t look convinced.
Eyden seemed amused at their interaction, now fighting his own grin. He leaned against the booth and simply said, “It’s strictly business. Lora and I are working on procuring a special kind of remedy.”
“Let me guess, you need some arentae?” Ilario asked, assuming correctly. Lora figured the trader must be familiar with healing magic and she wondered if he was a healer himself. She was under the impression that healers were quite rare, at least in Turosian. What were the chances Eyden knew two of them?
“A small amount should suffice,” Eyden replied.
“I’m currently out of stock, but I was going to get more next week, after all the commotion from Falea Night is over. I’ll set some aside for you. No problem.”
Lora didn’t think before she said, “I need it now.” The eagerness in her voice caught Ilario’s attention, his curious eyes searched her aquamarine ones. “I mean,weneed it.”
“The buyer put a time restraint on his offer,” Eyden said, the lie running smoothly from his lips. Lora knew she needed to keep her surging panic under control, sealed shut.
“I can’t make the trip before then. I’m sorry. But I’ll drop it off at Eyden’s or here as soon as I have it,” Ilario said, looking at Lora apologetically. She pressed her lips together in a tight line, telling herself she needed to let Eyden handle it, as much as it pained her.
Eyden seemed to sense Lora’s breaking restraint and took over again. “What if we got it ourselves?”
“You, who barely tells me anything, are asking me to share my hidden sources?” Ilario asked. There was a lightness to his voice that made Lora think he wasn’t all that bothered by the question.
