“I didn’t save your life to see you throw yourself in harm’s way again,” a man said from behind me.
“No one asked you to,” I snapped in frustration at the way he handled me without my permission, life saved or not.
The man set me down. I turned to face a tall stranger cloaked in dark fabrics. Only the pale bridge of his sharp nose, lips, and jaw peeked from beneath his hood’s shadow. The cloak billowed around broad shoulders. My eyes fixated on the array of sharp blades tucked into an ornate belt cinched to his waistatop tailored garments. Even his bracers, now tucked under his folded arms, were adorned with fine stitching. For all the man’s quiet confidence, he exuded clandestine power.
Perhaps more importantly, danger.
His lips flattened into an unamused line. “So much for these Geminian manners I keep hearing about.”
“Reserved for gentlemen not like yourself,” I quipped. I dragged my gaze away from the ominous man and to the shattered glass that continued to crumble beneath the stampede of hooves and wagon wheels.
The little girl sniffled at my feet, reminding me of her terrified presence.
The stranger didn’t utter another word as I crouched down to address the girl finally. “Are you alright, little one?”
She wiped the snot from her nose with her sleeve. “My mama, I want my mama!”
“We’ll find her,” I said gently. “Can you tell me your name?”
A sniffle. “Novah.”
“Novah.” I smiled at her. “What a beautiful name. Can you tell me what your mama looks like, Novah? Or her name?”
“She’s pretty,” the girl cried.
I covered up a soft laugh at her not-so-helpful description. “That’s sweet, but does she have a name?”
Her cries grew louder. No one seemed alarmed by the absence of their daughter. “Shh, we’ll find her. Don’t worry.”
The man’s boots shifted above the gravel. I’d assumed he’d left, given his gruff demeanor. He knelt beside us, his attention focused solely on the girl. His voice was deep as he spoke softly. “I know this feels scary, Novah, but I promise you will be okay. How about we play a game while we wait for your mama?”
The girl wiped at her bleary eyes. She didn’t seem at all afraid of this brooding stranger. “What kind of game?”
“The game where you tell me three things you can see, hear, and feel. Can you do that?”
“Okay,” she hiccupped. At first I was confused by this game the man proposed. Quickly, though, it calmed Novah profoundly. As she started rattling off the grayish-brown buildings and spotted a Hippogriff flying overhead, I sought her mother.
It didn’t take long, thankfully, for me to find a distraught woman in search of a little girl. A happy reunion was had. My eyes prickled at the sight of mother and daughter reuniting.
It was a sight I once dreamt of for myself, for Basil.
I turned to address the man, wanting to apologize for my curtness after he’d calmed the girl. Stars knew I could learn a thing or two from such a technique.
Only… he was gone. The strange man who had somehow saved us with profound ease was nowhere to be found.
I pushed away the tiniest glimmer of regret and continued onward.
Chapter 15
Raithe
For nearly twoweeks I had perused the bustling streets of Gemini’s royal city, Dioscuri, for whispers of a dancer associated with a black rose. Nothing significant emerged, especially as I remained discreet under the ever-present city guard, who seemed to pay more attention to a group of boys kicking a ball back and forth than a crying child in distress.
After the woman’s ill-mannered thanks, or lack thereof, I should have turned away. I did, in fact, try to, but she ran rightbackinto oncoming wagon traffic. A second later and she would have been trampled to death. Geminians had a reputation for impulsivity thanks to their quick thinking, but all thoughts seemed to disappear from that woman entirely.
She was lucky I’d been there in time.
Follow, my intuition insisted.
