As we approached, my heart raced, and I reached down to give Kaja’s hand a squeeze.
This had better work.
Dark Row resembled flea markets I’d seen on TV. Stalls stretched further than I could see, their walls a variety of colors and materials: painted wood and stained canvas. A myriad of scents perfumed the air: the yeasty scent of bread, roasted meat, and bitter herbs. Beneath the recognizable lay other smells, some acrid and others sweet.
We passed a stall filled with vibrant blue flowers, and the wafting scent made me yearn for something I couldn’t even name. I reached out to touch one of the petals, and a woman smacked my hand away.
“Don’t touch unless you’re going to buy, missy!”
Ouch.
I nodded and murmured an apology.
“I smell wolf blood,” a man said. Stumbling out from the shadows, he sniffed the air as we passed. Reaching out, he tried to lift the blanket covering Kaja, and I drew one of my blades, pointing it at his neck.
“Touch it, and lose your hand,” I warned, pushing the long dagger into the sensitive flesh of his neck.
His gaze dipped to my chest, and he swallowed hard. “Yes, ma’am.”
Okay … that was a first.
Oh, cursed mages.
I’d forgotten. One glance downward confirmed my theory. The tip of my new fire mark poked out from the neckline of my tank-top. I pulled it up and narrowed my eyes at the creeper.
“If you want to sell her for parts, it would be far more merciful to slit her throat now—before you go into the market,” he said, eyeing Kaja’s body with longing.
I tightened my grip on the sword and growled. “She’s going to be healed.”
Luckily, he got the message and offered a wide-eyed nod before melting into the crowd.
Holy-frickin’-mage. This place was a nightmare.
“Why do they call it the black market if it’s out in the open like this?” I turned to Nell. Clearly, the high mage knew what was going on here and didn’t seem to care.
Nell shrugged. “It’s a necessary evil. Even the high council uses it at times.”
Hypocrites.How did allowing an illegal market to exist keep the peace or encourage playing by the rules?
Kaja coughed, a wet gurgling sound, and fear gripped my heart in its icy grasp.
“We need to hurry.”
I kept my attention fixed on Rue’s shoulder as we made our way into the bowels of Dark Row.
“This is Madam Surlama’s,” Rue said as we approached a tall, black, silk tent. “You two can go in. I’ll stand guard outside.”
The black tent appeared uninhabited, no soft light beckoning us to come in and no one standing outside either.
“Are you sure?” I asked.
Rue nodded, and her breath quickened. “Just be careful, Nai. She’s a dark mage.”
“Rue! How do you know that?” Nell gasped.
Dark mages were bad, but the high mage had said Madam Evil-Magic was the only one who could heal Kaja.
“Do we have another option?” I asked Nell.
