CHAPTER 1
Nadia came bolting through the crowd, terror in her eyes and hands clutching something so hard her knuckles had turned white.
“Thief!” a voice behind her thundered. “Stop that woman!”
Scales, what had she done now? Her long hair was tangled and dirty and I immediately suspected she’d been involved in some sort of scuffle before escaping.
“Quick! Hide me,” Nadia gasped. “They’re coming.”
“Again?” I hissed. I snatched her wrist and dragged her sideways into the thick crowd bustling around the market. Barkers called customers toward their stalls, their items positioned to catch the light and sparkle invitingly.
“Walk, don’t run,” I told her. “Slow your breathing.” With a cautious look over my shoulder, I pulled off my shawl and threw it around Nadia’s shoulders.
“They’ll still recognize me,” she fretted.
“What did you take?”
She opened her hand to reveal a perfectly circular, glittering amethyst.
“Shoals,” I cursed. “You’ll be in huge trouble.”
Guards had entered the market, the feathers on their helmets easily visible through the crowd. We’d never make it to the worship center in time, and my shawl haphazardly thrown around Nadia’s shoulders wouldn’t be nearly enough of a disguise.
“Give it to me,” I snapped at my sister. She handed over the gemstone and I turned to one of the shopkeepers. “I’ll give this to you right now if I can have that dress behind you and use your changing room.”
The shopkeeper’s eyes widened and he held out his hand for the jewel. “Deal.”
I shoved Nadia behind the changing curtain and threw the dress in after her.
“Tell me about your wares,” I told the shopkeeper, angling my body so any guards that came searching wouldn’t see the jewel.
“Fine stitches for even finer ladies,” he said, raising his voice so the other women nearby would hear. “Dresses that turn heads and steal hearts!”
“You have such beautiful craftsmanship,” I told him, placing my hand over his when he tried to hold the jewel up to the light, forcing his arm back down. “How long did it take to learn to make dresses like these?”
“You, there!” a deep voice rumbled behind me.
The shopkeeper and I both froze, but I didn’t turn around. The shopkeeper looked over my shoulder and cleared his throat. “May I help you?”
“We’re looking for a young woman who stole a jewel. About this tall with long brown hair. She was wearing a dirty blue dress. Have you seen her?”
The shopkeeper glanced fearfully at me, and I gave myhead the tiniest shake from side to side.Please, please, please,I prayed. We’d made it this far.
“Yes,” the man said, and my insides seized. But then he continued, “She ran that way.” He pointed to the other side of the market. The guards hurried away and I was able to breathe again.
“Thank you,” I whispered once they had gone.
“Always glad to help my customers,” he said with a smile.
Right. More like he was always glad to help himself. At least the gemstone was his problem now. I ducked behind the privacy curtain and found Nadia finishing the last buttons on the dress.
“You aren’t finished yet,” I told her grimly, then pulled out my short knife, preparing to cut her hair short.
“Alia!” she shrieked, but I clapped my hand over her mouth.
“It’s too recognizable.”
“Then hide it under a scarf,” she said, wriggling away.
