“Flames alive, Nadia, we don’t have time to argue. The guards are certain to come back.”
“Then let’s go. But you aren’t cutting my hair.”
Why did my sister have to be so difficult? I poked my head out then pulled Nadia back into the street.
“It would’ve made you less recognizable,” I told her in an undertone.
“It would’ve made me uglier,” she said. “I like my hair long.”
The guards were interrogating more shopkeepers several stalls down and questioning passersby, so I set my feet the opposite direction. Nadia kept acting like she was going to break into a run, and I kept my hand locked on her wrist.
“Walk,” I told her again. “They’ll notice if you run.”
“They’re looking for me,” she said, her voice tight and tense.
“They’re looking for abnormal behavior and a woman in a blue dress with long hair. You have a red dress and you should have had short hair if you had just listened to me.”
“I’m growing it out,” she muttered.
“You can grow it as long as you want in prison if you get caught,” I told her through gritted teeth. “Now stop and look at some merchandise.” I stopped to look at some small mirrors at a sorcerer’s booth before continuing on.
Nadia rolled her eyes and jerked her hand away. “I can walk by myself.”
“As long as you act natural. Now, what made you take a jewel like that? It would be too easily traceable. There’s no way you could sell that without people knowing it was stolen,” I scolded her. “How many times have I told you that if you’re going to steal, only take a few coins or an item that isn’t unique?”
“Sorry,” she grumbled. “That old codger looked rich enough that I didn’t think he’d notice. I just wanted to help us move up in the world.”
“I know. But you don’t need to. I have enough clients now that we don’t need to steal. You could get arrested.”
Nadia shot me a withering look. “You could get arrested for making and selling illegal potions on the black market.”
“I told you I sell health remedies,” I said evasively.
“I’m not a child anymore,” Nadia snapped. “You don’t have to pretend. I know what you’ve been doing. I’ll be of age next month?—”
“Which is all the more reason that you should be extra careful,” I interrupted. “Adult prisons aren’t the same as juvenile detention centers. Now keep your head down.”
More guards were coming toward us. We moved to the side, heads bowed respectfully and let them pass.
“Almost there,” I murmured. “Once we’re out of the square, we can make it to the worship center. Father Eldridge will be?—”
“Halt right there!” The barked order came from behind us.
“Don’t turn,” I told Nadia, and I pivoted with a wide-eyed, naïve expression on my face that shifted to horror when I saw the dress shopkeeper pointing at us.
“They’re the ones you want!”
Nadia didn’t hesitate to bolt. Immediately, guards followed, tackling her within seconds. She fought against them, but to no avail. She was no match for them. They pulled her to her feet and a man with a dark, bushy beard approached her.
“Let her go!” I said, starting to run to her, but another guard caught me from behind. “Nadia!”
“Rahil, is that the woman?” The guard holding Nadia had addressed the bearded man.
Rahil…I knew that name. My eyes widened as dread stole over me. I’d heard rumors about Rahil, a fantastically wealthy man who had an unexplained trail of vanished wives, including one of my former clients.
“Yes. It looks like she changed her dress, but it’s her,” he said, running a finger down her face. “She has a scar on her cheek in the same place.”
Nadia jerked her head away and kicked the guard nearest her.
