Page 54 of Queen of Nothing

Like here, in this town, I’m just plain old Mary.

I hit the answer button and lift the phone, firm enough that the pressure immediately aches the shell of my ear. But it’s so loud out on the street with the parade thumping by and Sal screaming above my head.

I shout into the phone, “Hello?”

Serena hisses a curse. There’s a fumble, then, “Can you hear me?”

“Hang on.”

I side-step along the brick façades, weaving around shopfront doors and people, until I reach the lane between the pharmacy—closed for the parade—and the butchers.

I dip into the lane.

Just a couple of steps. If I move away any further than that, Sal will have a fit. He’s too absorbed by the parade.

“Better?” I ask.

“Better.” Serena’s voice comes sharper, not in tone, just in sound. I don’t hold the phone so tightly to my ear now. “I pulled off the highway a couple of minutes ago. I’ll be there in ten minutes.”

“We’re near the pharmacy,” I tell her. “We can meet you at the markets—”

“Where are the markets?”

“Out the front of Town Hall. It’s packed here. You’ll be better off parking at home, then walking to—”

“Wait. Sofía’s calling.”

My brow furrows. “Didn’t she get the deposit?”

That’s the whole reason she heads into the cities. The whole point of Serena changing her illusion, leaving me with Sal, then driving out of town. So she can deposit cash for the monthly fees.

The risk with going into the cities so often is more than we can afford.

But it’s not like we have another choice.

Can’t transfer from apps on our phones, or from bank accounts, because Sofía said that’s easier to trace.

“I’ll call you back.” That’s all Serena says before the line cuts off.

I wait.

Bordered by brick walls, in the echoes of the lane, I stare down at the screen and wait for her call.

Sofía might not be happy with the deposit for some reason. Maybe she’s increasing the fees. Again.

She’s done it twice already. Just a few hundred dollars each but it’s too much. We can barely keep up.

She says we are a great risk to her and what she does, and the safehouse, that she doesn’t have to work so hard to keep other rogues shielded, just us.

I think she’s an opportunist.

A serpent, like any other.

But gentry.

And rogue.

Trackers probably aren’t getting close to us at all, she just moves us around all the time so she has a reason to extract more money from us.