“Is everyone—” I went into a coughing fit as I choked on a mouthful of smoke.
“Everyone is fine, milady,” Pamela said. She pulled out a spare handkerchief, which I gratefully accepted. “Our shops, on the other hand...” She heaved a sigh as she regarded our bleak surroundings. “We are fortunate to have magic. Otherwise, reconstruction would take a great deal longer.”
“Do you know how the fire started?” Maddox said. His voice was muffled by his tunic which he had lifted over his nose. “A rioter, perhaps?”
Pamela shrugged. “You’ll have to ask the others. I woke up in the midst of it.” Her gaze softened when she looked at me. “We owe you many thanks, Lady Narcissa.”
I expected to feel pride at her words—some sort of accomplishment—but I couldn’t muster anything of the sort. My palms were raw and throbbing from the rough rope. “I wish you the best in reconstruction,” I said. “The crown prince will be notified. I’m sure he can aid you and find the culprit, if there is one.”
She nodded. “Thank you again, milady. The two of you will make great rulers.”
My stomach twisted at her parting words. Perhaps I would no longer be engaged to the crown prince by the time the witches had repaired their market. I turned to Maddox, who was looking at me strangely.
My limbs suddenly felt leaden. The past sleepless nights had not helped, either. If only I had listened to Misty and—
“Misty!” I grabbed Maddox’s arm. “Have you seen Cozbi?”
“Who?”
“The speckled mare with a dark mane. She had a saddlebag. My cat—” I was taken over by another coughing fit.
Maddox furrowed his brow as I righted myself. “I’m sure she’s back at the canal with the other horses. I don’t see any of them here,” he said. “But are you—?”
I dashed down the way we came, chest constricting. How could I have forgotten Misty? What if she had been caught in the fire? Had I been so desperate to prove my worth that I abandoned my only friend?
The buildings blurred together. I wasn’t sure if it was due to my speed or the throbbing in my head. The lampposts grew nearer. Cozbi was drinking from a bucket of water with the other horses. I caught a glimpse of Misty sticking out of her saddlebag, alive and well.
Rough hands grabbed me from behind before I could let out a sob of relief, jostling me into the side of a building. I stumbled, having no energy to resist.
“Don’t move, princess, or I might cut you,” a gravelly voice said in my ear.
I fell limp against my attacker when I felt the cold bite of a blade against my neck.
“Who are you?”
She laughed, a throaty, unpleasant sound. “An unsatisfied customer.”
I didn’t dare to turn and look at the speaker. “Don’t play games with me. What do you want?”
“Simple. Tell the crown prince and the king to banish those witches. Or we might have to banish them ourselves.”
So there were others, assuming she was the one who set the fire. But no sign of other assailants appeared in the dark corners of the street.
“They won’t be scared away by pesky little fires,” I said, mustering as much venom as I could.
“They would’ve been ifyoudidn’t show up. They’re an unorganized lot, spoilt by the conveniences of their own magic,” the rioter spat. I flinched as she pressed the dagger harder into my neck. “Get rid of them. Exterminate them like the vermin they are or my hand might slip.”
I steeled myself, too exhausted to bother coming up with a plan. Perhaps my future was doomed to the dungeons even if I managed to escape. My death might even make me a martyr of some sort—a heroine. Mayhaps the best crown princess Olderea ever had, one willing to sacrifice herself for the kingdom. I smiled humorlessly at the thought. Even my own death had selfish reasons.
“No.”
My assailant stilled. “What?”
“No,” I said louder. “There’s nothing you can do to make the royals bend to your will, not even take me hostage.”
She forced a laugh. It sounded nervous. The hand at my throat was rough and calloused. Underneath the odor of smoke was the scent of earth and flax.
“The witches are not sourcing from your fields, are they?” I said.
