“Fifteen.”
Lochlan stopped again, set the cart handle down, and came over to lean against the side of the cart. “Say it again.”
“Fifteen,” I repeated and Lochlan shook his head.
“Lie. Try again.”
Eel’s eyes. He must be much more astute than I’d given him credit for.
“Twenty-one, but my birthday is in a few weeks.” I hesitated, then added, “Though I could be wrong. I don’t actually like tracking my age. Your turn. How do you pass information? The papers in those skeins are blank.”
“I can write on them with various compounds that burn faster than the paper around it. The purchaser will see the message appear when it is held up to a flame but only has time to read once before the paper burns. Lemon juice works well, as do a few tree saps. It helps to pass information without risk of an outsider intercepting it.”
It was worth telling him my name and age just for that bit of information. That was pure genius.
“My turn,” he went on, and his expression turned shrewd. “Are you here to steal our pixie dust?”
“That’s not my end goal,” I answered. “I’m not opposed to stealing some if the need suits me, but I have other priorities.”
Lochlan swept his hair out of his face. “You were actually telling the truth that time. If you aren’t here for that, then why are you here?”
I steeled myself. This was an awful risk I was taking. He had kept my secret for a few days already, and I only needed a little more information to find my family. Once I got that, it wouldn’t matter what I’d told Lochlan. I’d already be across the country.
“You can tell me,” Lochlan prompted. “You must be here for a reason; otherwise, you wouldn’t be hanging around. I gave you every opportunity to leave. I even tried to dump you at the hospital to save you from a life of crime when I thought you were a boy. You want something from us. What is it?”
Something tight and aching in my chest loosened. Even since that day in the hospital, I’d thought Lochlan framed me because I was a convenient scapegoat, but instead he’d been trying to push me away from the darkness that he had to live with daily. It should’ve infuriated me that he’d manipulated me at all, and yet all I could think about was the dangerous, terrifying realization that no one had ever cared enough to try and save me before.
“Well?” Lochlan pressed. “What is it you want from us?”
I held my breath then said in a rush, “Your father was involved in slave trade in past years. Does he keep track of the people he’s sold in the past?”
“Ah, so that’s it,” Lochlan said. “Did he sell someone you know?”
“You didn’t answer my question. And we’ll never get to market if you continually stop to talk.”
Lochlan went back to pull on the cart. “Yes, he’s done slave trade, but hasn’t for several years. It became less profitable once Ebora’s government was overthrown since they were the largest buyer. I don’t remember a lot of it. I was pretty young when he was involved in those things.”
“There are many things I wish I could forget,” I said softly, then raised my voice. “But you still didn’t answer my question. Does he keep records?”
“Yes. There are records in our vault, but we rarely open it.”
I’d opened my mouth, ready to ask, and Lochlan cut me off. “I won’t divulge where it is, but I might be persuaded to get you some information.”
“Persuaded how?” I asked cautiously. What exactly was he thinking I would do to convince him to divulge information?
“I’m currently undecided. But we’ll have to finish the conversation later. We’re almost there.”
He nodded at the thinning line of trees and the sunshine spilling onto the road ahead.
“I’m walking the rest of the way,” I insisted. I would not risk anyone else seeing me ride in the cart like a pouting toddler, incapable of walking long stretches on their own.
This time, Lochlan didn’t protest but held out a hand to help me down. I considered ignoring it and jumping down, but I knew that doing so would likely make my side split open all over again, so I accepted his hand and my stomach immediately exploded with butterflies. I wouldn’t be able to touch him for much longer without breaking out in an active sweat.
When I was on the ground, I tried to pull away, but Lochlan didn’t let go of my hand. He nodded at my injury. “Need me to check that before we get any farther?”
“Does that count as your next question?”
“Only if you say yes.”
