Maddox sighed. Probably too tired to chide them for it.
“The carriages will take us to town.” Seraphina rested her hand on the hilt of the small tomahawk strapped to her belt, gaze pinned to the knights. “I suggest being on your best behavior. Would hate to give any of these warriors a reason to think you’re a threat.”
Baden and Duke pulled apart instantly, their playful moods tumbling into something colder. Callum watched Seraphina’s hand on the hatchet, his tightening into a fist in response.
“Understood,” Baden said, jaw clenching.
Jarring how things could be so light one second and heavy and thick with tension the next. Maddox pulled me and Briar against him, one arm resting on each of our hips. Rowan stood beside Lake, closer to his side than normal.
Oreo sat at my feet and looked between Seraphina and the knights, his ears perked. He then sneered at Maddox and wedged himself between us, pressing against my leg. I reached down to scratch his ears.
The strangest noise reached my ears; a horse’s whinny followed by the dinosaur-like rumbles of an alligator. Ghost stamped his front leg and bobbed his head up and down.
“There’s my handsome boy,” I said, stepping toward the stallion. Oreo padded along with me and sat once we reached the carriage. I got the feeling he’d follow me everywhere. My little protector.
Ghost lightly butted my hand and emitted another throaty rumble.
“Hope you don’t mind taking us to town,” I said, petting his neck. He exhaled through his nostrils and bumped me again. “I’ll find something yummy to give you as a thank you.”
“He’s quite remarkable,” Briar said, joining me at the carriage. He placed a hand on Ghost’s back. The demon stallion didn’t seem to mind. “This realm is unlike anything I imagined. It’s beautiful and filled with the most fascinating of creatures.”
I leaned against Briar’s side. “Just wait until you see the market.”
His eyes sparkled.
Our group divided ourselves between the two open carriages and started down the road, passing fields of flowers, a pond, and rolling hills. Maddox sat beside Seraphina in the front of ours, while I sat on Callum’s lap in the back, Briar on one side and Rowan on the other. Oreo lay at my feet, his tail wagging up a storm.
Lake sat beside Duke in the other carriage, having missed the knight he’d become such good friends with, and Baden was on the outer right side. Quincy sat beside Borus up front, and though I couldn’t hear a word he said, I saw his mouth moving ninety-to-nothing, talking the demon’s ear off.
I smiled and tipped my head to the sky. Earlier tension aside, I felt like it was going to be a great day. Lord Onyx had told me peace between our kinds was highly unlikely, but I had hopewe were moving in the right direction. Even small steps still got you to where you needed to go.
Eventually.
***
The market in the Shadow Realm moved at a more casual pace than that of the one in Bremloc. There were no merchants shouting at passersby to buy their wares or heckling by patrons for better deals.
“Good day,” a female demon greeted us. She sat behind a wooden stand selling colored fabrics and yarn. Half of her head was shaved, while the other side of her dark hair fell longer and clipped the top of her shoulder. Two blue horns jutted from her temples.
“Good day to you too,” I responded before continuing down the street.
It was crowded but far from bustling. People stopped to chat with friends, and families leisurely shopped, going in and out of the shops. Various types of stands were scattered down the lane, some offering fruits and vegetables and others selling leather pouches, fragrant oils, and decorative combs and hair clips.
“What’s the currency here?” Callum asked, watching a demi-falcon pocket one of the combs. “I’ve not seen any exchange of money.”
“Money isn’t a thing in this realm.” I walked between him and Maddox, holding each of their hands. “People trade goods. Fane said it varies between people too. There’s no set price on anything. Just whatever the seller thinks is a fair trade.”
Briar seemed impressed. “Everyone helps each other. The way a community should be.”
“I thought the same thing,” I said. “Makes more sense to me.”
“Wonder what they’d trade for one of those meat skewers,” Quincy said, one hand resting on his belly. His gaze was pinned to a nearby food stand. “They look delicious.”
The trio of knights walked in front of us. More than likely to help guard me, the protective dorks, but probably also so Maddox could keep an eye on them. Ensure they didn’t get into trouble.
“Might wanna ask the type of meat first,” Duke responded with a slight shudder. “Could be human.”
I rolled my eyes. “It’s not human. Lake and I ate meat from that place the other day. Tasted like boar.”
