Rell waved her question off with a casual flick of his hand. “The kind that doesn’t like outsiders poking around. Lucky for you, I don’t care much for rules.”Why doesn’t that surprise me?“Just don’t blow the place up, and the boss won’t even know.”
“Fine,” she said reluctantly, crossing her arms tighter. “But while we’re on the subject... is there a spare bed there?” She gestured to her rumpled appearance, her voice carrying a note of wry humor despite her discomfort. “Or am I supposed to sleep on the floor of the lab?”
Rell chuckled, his laugh breaking the tension. “Yes, there’s a bed. Don’t worry, princess, you won’t have to curl up in the corner like a stray.”
Her lips twitched, the slightest suggestion of a smile threatening to break through before she caught herself and schooled her expression. “Good.”
Rell stepped to the door, jerking his head toward it. “Come on. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can get to work.”
The alley was eerily silent as Rell and Elora stepped cautiously into its shadows. The air was thicker here, the muffled hum of the city swallowed by the narrow walls pressing in on either side. Every flicker of movement in her peripheral vision made Elora’s pulse quicken. Rell’s grip on her arm was firm but not rough, though the contact unsettled her all the same.
“Is this really necessary?” She glared at his hand.
Rell didn’t stop walking, his eyes scanning the shadows ahead. “You don’t know Fane like I do,” he said quietly, his grip tightening ever so slightly. “He could grab you and disappear before you even had time to scream. Trust me, you’ll want me close.”
When the alley finally opened into one of Ravenpoint’s busier streets, the shift in atmosphere was immediate. The silence morphed into a cacophony of noise: merchants hawking their wares, cart wheels creaking over cobblestones, and the steady murmur of conversations. People in soot-stained clothes hurried tothe mines, their faces weary but determined, while others browsed the open-air stalls crowded with goods.
Rell steered her into the flow of people and she wrapped her cloak more snugly around herself, her gaze darting nervously over the crowd. Every sound felt sharper, every glance in her direction heavier. Her paranoia coiled tighter with each step. She couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching her.
Rell kept his pace brisk, weaving through the bustling crowd with ease until they stopped in front of a small, unassuming shop wedged between two larger buildings. Its faded wooden sign hung crookedly above the door, the lettering too worn to read.
But it wasn’t the sign that caught Elora’s attention, it was the image of a bee, its intricate design burned into the wooden doorframe. The carved wings and detailed lines gave the insect an almost lifelike quality.
“What’s with the bee?”
“Don’t worry about it,” Rell tugged her toward the door.
She frowned but followed him inside.
The air in the shop was thick with the combined aromas of herbs, smoke, and something metallic. The faint lighting cast long shadows over the shelves lining the walls, each one crammed with jars of powders, dried plants, and vials of strange, glimmering liquids. An old brass scale sat on the counter, its weights scattered haphazardly around it.
Behind the counter stood a man with sharp eyes and a wiry frame. His gaze flicked up from the inventory he was counting, his face breaking into a grin when he saw the mercenary.
“Rell,” the man said, his tone warm. “Didn’t think I’d see you back so soon.”
“Change of plans,” Rell replied, his smirk returning as he sauntered toward the counter. “Found someone better.”
The man’s grin faded slightly as his gaze shifted to Elora. He examined her with his penetrating eyes, his expression blank.
Elora fought the urge to shrink back, instead forcing herself to hold his gaze. Her shoulders tensed beneath her cloak, her instincts screaming at her to stay on guard.
“You sure?” the man asked, his tone quieter now, tinged with curiosity and suspicion.
“Oh, yeah.” Rell said smoothly, resting nonchalantly on the counter. “She might not look it but she’ll be far better than Marvin. Malvin? Whatever.”
The man’s brow arched, but he didn’t press further. Instead, he gave a short nod, turning his attention back to Rell.
“She’d better not bring trouble,” the man muttered.
Rell chuckled. “You know me, Orin. Trouble’s never far behind.”
The unnerving thing was… trouble very well could not be far behind. Fane was no doubt scouring the city looking for her, if he didn’t already know exactly where she was.
Elora followed Rell to a door near the back wall, almost invisible in the shadows. The worn wood blended into the stone, its edges barely discernible under the dim shop light. Rell produced a key from his belt and slipped it into the lock.
“After you,” he said, pushing the door open and gesturing for her to step inside.
She hesitated, her gaze flicking from him to the dark staircase beyond the threshold. The air grew heavier with each step, the faint scent of earth and dampness creeping into her senses. She trailedher hand along the chilled rock facade to keep her balance, but it did little to steady the growing unease churning in her stomach. Every instinct screamed that she was walking into a trap.
