There was one small dagger in their midst, out on an open case. The thing looked deadly sharp, coming to the smallest point at its tip. The handle was fairly plain, unadorned apart from a single blue jewel at the cross-section. The steel it was made from looked like a dark silver.
I touched it absently along the edge.
“That's not a very nice one, you know,” came a woman's voice.
My hand jerked back immediately, eyes flicking up.
The girl who'd spoken was down the aisle against the wall in front of me, leaning with her hip against a table. I had to click my teeth the keep my jaw from dropping.
She was one of those exceptionally gorgeous girls you hear about but never expect to actually see in real life. Her hair was black and thick, pulled up into a messy ponytail with a bandana. Her skin was tanned, eyes dark, lips red. She was polishing one of the daggers with a slick cloth. From her clothes and greased arms it looked like she might be the smith's assistant.
“Oh. Sorry . . . I didn't know anyone else was here.”
She lifted a shoulder. “It's fine. I gave up on trying to keep people from fingering the merchandise a long time ago.”
I winced slightly, though not showing much — she had her eyes on me unabashedly.
“Do you work here?” I asked, moving closer.
She grinned. “What? Couldn't you tell by the outfit?” She spread her hands out shrugging her hip to the other side.
I bobbed. “Yeah, I guess I should have known.”
She smirked, setting the weapon down. “So are you with that boy that just came in?”
I looked over. “Oh, you mean Ikovos, err . . . the one with the blond hair?”
She smiled. “Yeah.”
I nodded, feeling a little more confident just at the idea that I knew the boy.
“Oh.” She frowned. Then stuck out two fingers, swirling them between each other. “So you guys are like . . . ?”
I looked at her confusedly, then my eyes widened. “Oh no. No, no, no.” My face must have been turning red. “Just friends.”
She raised her eyebrows, looking over to the other side of the store intently. “Really. . . . He's pretty cute.” She bit her lip. “Is he single?”
My eyes hardened instantly, but then her gaze narrowed back to me, despite the uneasy feeling, I blinked them clear enough to look half normal. “Ah . . . yeah, Yes. He's single.”
She grinned ruefully. “Good, good. You'll have to introduce me when he comes back. My name's Amy by the way.” She stretched out a hand.
I shook it. “Evelyn.”
“Are you guys visiting here, or? . . “
I nodded. “Yeah.”
“Will you be in town long?”
My head shook. “I don't think so. Just till tonight.”
She pouted her lip. “Too bad. . . .” then picked another stone up and began to polish it.
I tried to quell the knotting in my stomach. What’s my problem? This girl is just being nice . . . And it’s completely understandable that she'd want to meet Ikovos.
What do I care if she likes him anyways?
Two knocks on the glass behind me pulled me out of my internal dispute. I spun around to see Jaden leaning around the edge of the glass. His hair was hanging sideways into his eyes, looking as unnaturally dazzling as ever.
“Eve. There you are.” He smiled just slightly as he said it.
It made me feel happy all of a sudden. I smiled back. But when he walked around the edge and his eyes moved past me I got a not-so-happy feeling.
My head turned to Amy who was staring up directly.
“Make a friend already?” Jaden asked.
I shook my head out, looking to him. “Ah . . . yeah. This is—”
“Amy,” she finished for me, walking up towards us.
My chest tightened substantially as she reached her hand out.
He took it. “Jaden.” Then relaxed casually, turning back to me. “Is Ikovos around?”
“Ah . . .” I fumbled under his stare. “Yeah. He went in the back. He’s checking the order.”
Jaden nodded, glancing off. “Okay. I'll just wait for him to get back.”
I wish you wouldn't.
“So, I interrupted.” He gestured towards us. “What were you guys talking about before I came?”
I looked to Amy. “Well, we—”
“I was trying to get Evelyn, here to stay in Rizenn longer . . . there's quite a lot to miss out on if you leave before dark.” She leaned up as she said it.
My eyes tightened, I couldn't help it. I don't think I was just imagining that her voice had gotten about fifty times sultrier since Jaden had arrived.
“Any particular suggestions?” he asked.
She threw a hand out. “Well, the club down by the south plaza is nice. . . .”
“Vigarow?” he tested, lifting his head.
“Yeah.” She grinned. “You've been there?”
He nodded.
“What about the Shardon?”
His eyes skewered. “Is that the one with the—”
“Tank,” she finished.
“Where you can get the lobsters.”
She laughed shortly. “Yup. Hey, you must get around.”
He shrugged. “This isn't my first visit to Rizenn.” His eyes moved down to me as he said it, casually. I forced a fake smile.
Amy continued. “It's too bad I didn't run into you before.”
He smirked dryly. I don't think he was oblivious to what she was doing . . . but she was gorgeous and charismatic, I'm not sure he minded.
“Have you been working here long?” He asked, pointing around.
She grinned. “Six months now.”
“Unusual job for a girl.”
She leaned to one side artfully. “It makes for a lot of excitement.”
“I'll bet,” he said, humored smirk resurfacing. When he finished his eyes slid to me again.
I had to look away immediately this time. I'd never been able to talk to him like she was now, and . . . my stomach was just really starting to feel not well. . . .
I tried to blink clear once, then turned further to re-examine the knife in the glass case. It was a thankful distraction to the scene, until Jaden moved in closer to me, almost immediately.
My chest twisted.
“Know anything about knives?” asked Amy, clearing her throat.
Jaden picked up the one in front of me. “A bit.”
“I tried to tell her that that wasn't a very nice one,” said Amy, moving in to my left. “She seems to like it anyways.”
Jaden fingered it carefully, then flipped it around a few times in his hand. “Well, Evelyn has a way of seeing things other people don't.” He stopped it by the blade and held it in front of me. “You wanna get it?” His voice was soft.
I looked up, body melting. He smiled down knowingly.
In that moment I couldn't have been more in lo- Stop, Evelyn.
I took it weakly, strength lost, then looked down.
“We'll take it,” said Jaden, glancing back up towards Amy.
She moved back. “Great. I'll just . . . go ring it up for you.” She grabbed it from me, the sudden irritation in her tone quite obvious.
By the time she'd disappeared around the corner, my heart was beating uncontrollably. I can't believe what I'd just thought . . . and now I was alone with him. In this state I was likely to say something I shouldn't.
. . . Evelyn. He called me Evelyn and it sounded wrong. I didn’t realize it till now . . . that he still calls me, “Eve . . .” I whispered.
He looked down. “What?”
I thought about all the times . . . then turned up. “Eve. You never stopped calling me Eve.” My eyes were intense. His were too.
His jaw clenched for a moment, but then he forced a slight smirk. “Don't you like Eve better?”
My chest rose . . . and his smirk fell. I didn't really care in that moment what was smart or not.
I took a breat
h. “Jaden, I—”
“Evelyn, are you back here?”
My head cleared immediately at the voice. I looked down, shaking it.
Ikovos came around the corner shortly. “There you are. Oh. You're back too?” He looked to Jaden whose eyes were still on me. I caught them once, curious and hesitant, then his head turned.
“Yeah. . . . I came to tell you we have a problem.”
Ikovos glanced at me oddly, then back. “What is it?”
“I went to get the parts for the socket, but most of them were special order. The earliest they can be here is tomorrow.”
“Did you—”
“No one else had them.”
Ikovos nodded.
I took a slight breath, trying to keep up, but still recovering somewhat from what had just happened.
“Well, what are you thinking?”
Jaden shrugged. “I ordered all the parts either way. But I know Master Boron needs them pretty bad. I think we should just stay here an extra day.”
Ikovos considered, nodding once. “It's probably is the best idea.” He looked at me. “Evelyn, would that bother you, if we stayed?”
I shook my head quickly. “Oh, no. That's fine. I'll just go with the flow.”
Ikovos looked back to Jaden. “Okay, sounds good. Ah . . . I still have to check the mail at the tavern. We'll get the room there too.”
Jaden pursed his lips. “Slight problem.”
Ikovos narrowed. “Another one?”
Jaden eyed him. “It cost quite a bit extra to express order the parts.”
“We don't have money for a room?” guessed Ikovos.
Jaden's head rocked. “We have some, just not enough to stay in the usual place. We'll have to go further downtown.”
They both looked at me, though I couldn't think of any particular reason why. I was mostly trying to figure out why Jaden had bought that knife for me when they were already running so low on money.
Ikovos sighed lightly. “I suppose that's fine. We should look for a place now, I don't want to be wandering around when it gets dark.”
Jaden nodded.
My eyes narrowed. The comment brought up a very upsetting rule I used to have to follow. “I don't understand. What difference does it make whether it's dark or not? I've never gotten that idea. You know, until I was fifteen I wasn't allowed to walk to town by myself at night. What's so unsafe about it?”
Both boys eyed me derisively.
“How are you still alive?” asked Jaden after a moment. Ikovos just shook his head.
My brow narrowed. “Hey, I—”
Jaden rolled his eyes and started off out of the room. “This is gonna be an interesting night.”
“No kidding,” added Ikovos, following behind.
I did the same. “Come on, you guys already said that earlier!”
*
After paying for the knife and repeatedly attempting to get the boys to explain what was so treacherous about night time, we started down the road in search for a cheap place to spend the night.
Now that I’d seen how swoony Amy had been over Ikovos and Jaden, I started to pay closer attention to the girls around us as we walked by. With the number of gawkers I could hardly believe I'd missed it before.
I studied Ikovos and Jaden covertly while they talked back and forth. They both looked quite different, but, well . . . Since meeting them, I'd considered them exceptionally handsome. Still, it was just a fact that I hadn't really seen that many boys in my lifetime, living in a small town and all. I half owned my opinion up to my own ignorance.
Now, looking around this city, passing probably a hundred guys already since this morning, it obviously wasn't just me. They were exceptional and all the girls we passed knew it.
My eyes scrunched a bit.
“How much for that one?” asked Jaden, nodding to Ikovos who had just walked out of another inn.
“Too much,” he answered.
“Great,” mumbled Jaden.
“Further down then?”
Jaden looked around distastefully.
The area was beginning to deteriorate at a rapid rate. Not so bad, just . . . somewhat trashier streets, older shops, crack here and there along the much more sporadic pavement. The buildings were also getting more cramped, almost like an alley.
“A little further,” he finally said, and we started on.
“So,’ started Ikovos, “now that we have some extra time, what should we do the rest of the night?”
I didn't answer.
After a while Jaden shrugged. “Find an inn.”
Ikovos gave him a sideways look. “That's no fun. Evelyn's never been to a big city before, we should think of something.”
It was quiet for a second, then Jaden nodded back to me. “Well, what do you want to do?”
I felt a little awkward, but thought about it dutifully. “Well . . . ah . . . I liked the ramen a lot. . . .”
They both smiled. Ikovos looked like he was about to say something, but a loud cry ahead interrupted him.
“Come one, come all! Step up for your chance at a one-hundred cash prize.”
Huh?
“Well this sounds promising.”
That was Jaden. Both boys had their eyes fixed forward to a large crowd stopped around something in the center square.
“Our current champion has reigned through the last six matches. Does no one have the courage to fight him for the win?”
Jaden started to walk forward, Ikovos too.
“We're going in there?” I asked incredulously.
Ikovos just grabbed my hand. “Stay close.”
Great, that answers my question.
We pushed through the group as the announcer continued. “Fantastic! We have a contender. Now, sir, if you'll take a seat. . . . We'll begin in three, two, —” The one was drowned out by a loud cry from the crowd.
As we moved deeper, things were getting more cramped. Luckily we reached an opening from which Jaden was already looking on speculatively.
I followed his gaze.
From what I could see there was a table with two men on either side, hands gripped and elbows down.
“Arm wrestling?” I muttered.
“Oh, yeah. This'll do nicely,” said Ikovos with a grin.
Jaden smirked.
I looked to the spectacle, then back at the boys. “What are you guys talking about?”
Ikovos released my hand to take off the pack hanging over his shoulder.
My head shook. I pointed off. “You aren't actually thinking of doing that, are you?”
He shrugged. “Why not?”
I looked at the table. One of the men had just slammed the other's into the wood top, the one the announcer had named the reigning champion. The guy was huge, like . . . huge.
I studied Ikovos who was wearing a ribbed, white, t-shirt. He was muscular, yeah, but not that big.
“Ikovos, I don't think that you could beat that guy.”
He stepped forward, grinning back at me. “If you want we could have you do it.” He was serious.
My head shook confusedly. He just walked towards the table.
“Ikovos!”
A hand grabbed my arm from behind me. It was Jaden. He looked at me calmly. “Just watch.” Then turned his eyes turned forward.
I still didn't think this was a good idea, but . . . I don't think I stood much of a chance against both of them.
I turned back ahead in time to see the announcer climb back to his high post.
“And our champion still reigns! Will anyone challenge him? Or will he be the winner of the tournament?”
Ikovos reached the edge about this time, dropping under the railing smoothly.
The announcer eyed him, climbing down to converse. He made a couple dubious looks throughout, but eventually hopped back up to announce the new challenger.
An hour later, to the disbelief of me and the majority of the crowd -Ikovos had defeated twelve men in succession.
I’d realized after the first impossible victory that he was using magic to assist. Jaden confirmed this. As he went on the crowds grew, but the challengers lessened. The announcer was now trying to get more men to take on Ikovos.
“Isn’t this sort of like cheating?” I whispered, leaning in towards Jaden.
He smirked immediately. “How did I know you were thinking that . . .”
“Maybe your conscience told you,” I braved. The announcer continued.
“Or maybe your fanatically high-barred virtue is just that obvious,” he said smugly.
I laughed once, looking over to him. “So now I’m too virtuous.”
“I didn’t say that,” he shrugged, “it’s probably not a bad thing to have a lot of.”
I couldn’t keep from smiling as I turned to watch the announcer make a final call for more challengers.
“Still,” noted Jaden, so close that his breath hit my ear. “It might be good for you to try breaking the rules just once.”
My body tensed. The soft exhale of his smile as he pulled away made a shiver run the length of my spine. I was so rocked that when the announcer declared Ikovos the victor, I missed out completely on the cheering.
Once Ikovos reached us and the crowd had dispersed, we talked about what we would do for the rest of the night. Of course, now that we had enough money, we planned on going back up to the tavern where they usually stayed to sleep. But it was still a few hours till dark.
They decided on a plan with little help from me, I refused to give any input barring another trip to the noodle place. We ended up pretty much just exploring through the city, stopping here and there at different stores. We quickly discovered that none of us were big on the shopping thing . . . which was normal for them being boys just not me.
All in all it really wasn't like any time I had spent with them before. For once I felt like I was on the same level as them, rather than something less. It probably boosted my confidence a bit that they glared severely at any boy that tried to talk to me, or even look at me, for more than a couple seconds. I figured this had to do with their lack of faith in my self-preservation abilities. There wasn’t another reason I could think for it.
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