Heart pounding so hard that her ribs hurt, Jade followed Briar, her eyes on his boots as she kept a death grip on her own sack of purchases. Of all times. Of all places. Why would Weston be at the marketplace? He had servants for that! Her fear of being here this morning had been that a guard would see her and inform him of her presence—not that he himself would show up!
Her nerves jittered as Briar paused to let other pedestrians cross in front of them. Shivers ran down her spine from every little breath of breeze that swept across the hairs on the back of her neck. She glanced back and only saw Ben, closer than she expected, his eyes sharp as they roamed the crowded market street.
They broke through to the edge of the square, and Jade tried to suck air into her tense lungs. Just need to—she caught Briar’s wide-eyed expression and followed his gaze, only to have ice shoot through her veins.
Prince Weston and his guards were following them.
They weren’t actively looking at Jade, but they were close enough that she could see the silver gleam of piping on Weston’s guards’ uniforms. A shopkeeper bent, revealing Weston’s gleaming white grin as he leaned over the counter, presumably ordering the poor soul around.
Jade whirled, heart hammering in her chest. She tugged on the black scarf to reassure herself it was still covering her hair. Why was he taking his time catching her? Was he trying to prevent a scene?
Jade broke into a run, dodging a horse and its rider as she darted into a nearby alley. She wouldn’t let him touch her. He wouldn’t get that close again. Not in any way. Never.
The worn cobblestones darkened with the dirt of less use, and the sounds of the crowded outdoor shopping faded in favor of the clatter of their mad dash. Briar pulled ahead of her and pointed which direction to turn as they came up to a T.
They pounded down the next narrow alley, and Jade slowed her pace a fraction. The sound of her harsh breathing masked almost all others, and she needed to be able to hear. She slowed to a fast walk, and the guys kept pace.
Briar caught her eye. “We’ll be back to the Sapphire soon.”
“Hey, wait!”
Ben’s arm swung her against the wall, and she shrieked. He blocked her body with his. She stared at his back, trembling. Briar stood side by side with Ben, providing the best screen they could to hide her. At this point she couldn’t even feel ashamed for her weakness, not with the fear flooding her system. Had they been followed after all? Best she could do was hope that the wall and the guys would provide enough cover.
Briar spoke first. “Geist?”
Ben’s tense shoulders relaxed, and he stepped back, letting her see past him and Briar. Ben offered her a sheepish “sorry,” but she shook it off with a trembling smile. She didn’t move from where she leaned against the cool bricks as she watched Geist jog up to them.
“Where have you been?” Briar asked.
His question blended with Jade’s “Where did you go?”
Geist hesitated, then shrugged as he shoved his hands in his pockets. “I went exploring. Did you find everything?” He raised an eyebrow at Jade. “And what did I miss? Why were you all running?”
“Exploring?” Ben challenged. He half lifted the bag on his shoulder. “We’ve been working and trying to stay out of sight of…” He glanced back at Jade, and the skin around his eyes tightened before he looked back at Geist. “Unwanted attention.”
Geist took a step forward, hands fisted.
Jade closed her eyes and leaned her head against the wall. Did they have to start on this right now? Deep breath. “We’ll tell you on the way.” She pushed off the wall and scooped up her small bag of goods. “And you can tell us where you disappeared to.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Ben
Cream-colored walls towered above Ben as he followed the Sapphire crew through the crowd. Multiple sets of stairs led up to the stadium seating that lined the bowl-shaped Aerugan tri-discus arena. Ben smelled roasted meat, and he stopped to look for the source. Kerlee stepped in front of him, effectively blocking the view of the sausages on sticks.
“You’re going to get lost here if you stand around and gawk,” Kerlee admonished. He waved a crimson-sleeved arm at the rest of their group. “Don’t worry about your stomach. Briar tends to sneak in snacks, and once we get our seats, we’ll send out a team to grab food.” Kerlee clapped a hand on Ben’s shoulder and steered him to walk between Victor and Zak. “And there’s food from all over the land here, so maybe you’ll find something familiar from home.”
Zak half-turned to acknowledge Ben’s arrival. His eyes flicked to Ben’s, then away, his lips pressed into a flat line. “Any luck with remembering anything recently?”
“None.” Any hope that Zak was over his funk from last night sputtered and died. Clearly whatever progress he’d made in befriending Zak had returned to square one. Who knew that Jade would be such a touchy topic? He had to somehow let Zak know that he had no intentions or interest in Jade in that way, and that he specifically wanted to get close to her for the purely selfish motives of trying to figure out his own past.
“Back home, we had a brew that was helpful for memory loss,” Victor commented. He rubbed his bald head and shot Ben a small smirk. “You’re not grossed out by desiccated lizards, are you?”
The mental image of a withered and dried lizard flashed through Ben’s mind, and he wrinkled his nose. “If they’re not something I’m supposed to ingest, I have no problem with them.”
“Oh. Well, I’m not sure how interested you’d be in this particular recipe.” Victor chuckled.
Zak’s eye twitched as he looked over at Victor. “Note to self, never ask you for any potions or memory help.” He waved at Jade, and let her, Krista, and Briar cut in front of him in line. “I can think of much better uses for dead lizards.”
Jade whirled and stuck a finger under Zak’s nose, her eyes blazing. “If you think you’re going to get away with that little prank in my engine room, one more time, so help me, you are going to regret it!” She stepped closer and glared up. “Let me remind you that I have the power over all the hot water in the ship, and it would be very, very easy to make sure you have cold showers for the next month!”
Ben swallowed his snort as Zak raised his hands in an exaggeration of wide-eyed innocence. Zak as a prankster. Unexpected, and yet unsurprising. After all, it was always the quiet ones who seemed to cause the most trouble.
“It’s always the quiet ones, you know.” Laughter framed the words.
Ben grabbed a nearby glass and guzzled it, water dribbling down his chin as his mouth burned with what had to be liquid fire. Tears streamed from his eyes and rendered the faces of the guys around as nothing but blurs. “I hate you all. That was the last mug they had.”
“Hey, man, ever heard of Mexican hot chocolate?” Someone plopped down next to him, but Ben ignored him in favor of blowing his nose, then grabbing at a water bottle. “I just added a touch more spice than typical.”
“My tongue is numb, Laurent. You better watch your back.”
“Ben!”
Ben squeezed his eyes shut and tried to block out Jade’s voice, desperate to hold on to the memory. A name. Laurent. His gut told him it was a friend. And a prankster, at that. What happened to Laurent? Where were they when that memory had happened?
“This is your first tri-discus game, right?” Jade bounced into view, and the wisps of recollection faded from Ben’s mind. Red paint swirls with gold highlights covered most her face, and she wiggled where she stood.
“First to my knowledge, yes.” Ben raised an eyebrow as she twirled in place with a happy laugh.
“You need to sit with Zak and me!” She spun around and grabbed Krista’s arm. “Don’t sit with this traitor or Briar.”
Krista’s face was painted with purple and green floral patterns, and she laughed as she released her arm from Jade’s grip to walk into their aisle of seats. “Just wait. He’ll suddenly remember that the only team worth cheering for is Perenn
ia.”
Jade gasped in outrage and threw herself in the chair next to Krista. “Traitorous fiend!”
Ben didn’t follow her lead, and instead stood by Zak at the end of the row. “I take it they’re really into the sport?”
Zak grinned. “What gave them away?”
Victor stopped by their row, squinted, then raised an eyebrow. “I’m actually going to sit somewhere else,” he smirked. “I just saw someone I know.” He waved and disappeared into the crowd of people streaming up the stairs.
Wait. Had Geist disappeared again too? What was with that guy? Ben pivoted to look at the row that the Sapphire crew had taken over. No short brown hair. The spearman had left without saying anything. Again.
Zak shifted his feet awkwardly and glanced over where the bickering girls sat before nodding at Ben. “I owe you an apology. I may have overreacted last night.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s fine for you guys to be friends, and it’s not like you need my permission for that. I genuinely hope that she can somehow help you with your memory. Just,” his eyes strayed toward Jade, “be careful with her.”
Ben hadn’t realized he was tense until Zak’s words eased the rigidity of his spine. “Of course.” He lowered his voice, hoping Zak would be able to hear him over the din of the crowd. “And I know she’s yours. I won’t be making a move on her or anything.”
Zak jerked and stared at Ben. “What?”
“Nothing.” Ben gestured at the row of seats. “After you.”
Zak shook his head with a small scoff. “No, you can sit between us. She’ll love the opportunity to convince you Doldra is the superior team.”
“Joy.” Ben settled in the smooth stone seat and arched his spine into the back of it. For being a solid piece of rock, it was surprisingly comfortable. He scanned the arena and gestured a lightly bandaged hand at the green. Grassy ramps and mounds littered the ground, with no symmetry or discernable equality. “Nothing here looks familiar, so I’ll need you to explain why the field is uneven.”
Zak crossed his ankle over his knee and leaned back in the seat. “Well—”
Jade tapped Ben’s elbow. He turned, and she held out a bag for him to take. “Pass those to Zak.” She reached out, and Briar handed over another sack. “These are for you. If you want anything more, you’re on your own.”
“Thanks.” Ben dropped the bag in Zak’s waiting hand. Ben pulled the paper apart to peer into his bag and grinned at the mix of nuts and fruits he saw. “Thanks, man,” he called over the ladies. Briar’s dark hand waved over Krista’s head.
Zak pulled a bright blue piece of rock candy out of his bag and dropped it into his mouth. “Just like it should be.” He stared down at the field and absently rubbed the heel of his hand against his chest. “When I was a kid, the game was only Discus, as it hadn’t grown into a three disc sport yet. My brother, Zane, would take me to games and let me fill up on rock candy.” A bittersweet smile crossed his lips as he popped in another small piece. “Briar found out a while ago, and has kept me supplied during games ever since.”
Ben nodded silently. What was there to say?
“But you asked about the game.” Zak dropped his feet to the floor and leaned an elbow on his knee while he pointed. “The teams draw sticks to see who has first pick. The team that wins first pick gets to either choose which side of the field they want, and get only one disc at the throw-off, or they can let the other team pick which side, and then they get the advantage of two discs at throw-off. You follow?”
“So far, yes.” Ben fished a raisin from the bag and chomped on it. “What are the obstacles for?”
Jade leaned into Ben’s seat, interrupting whatever explanation Zak would’ve given. Her eyes glowed in the stadium’s gaslights. “Those are for the extra challenge. And it’s awesome.” A shrill whistle sounded, and she whipped back to join the rising cheer.
Zak chuckled at Ben’s furrowed brow. “Watch, and you’ll see.”
The two teams filed out on opposite sides of the field, the green and purple of Perennia on Ben’s right, and the Doldran red and gold on the left. The Doldran team knelt on their side of the field, while the Perennian team huddled together, passing something white among them.
“Most Doldran teams pray to the Author of Life before playing, whereas Perennia may pray to Ganum of Determination, or Gladus of Honor.” Zak nodded to the field. “Looks like they’ve got a gladiolus tonight, so I’m guessing Gladus.”
A leader from each team met in the center of the field with a referee in gray, and after a few moments with the sticks Zak had mentioned, the Doldran team was given two discs.
Jade whooped and Ben twisted away, ear ringing. He rubbed at his head with a wry smile.
His ears rang as she cheered. She jumped from the bleacher and wiggled her hips in a little dance as she pumped her arms. The stadium was doing the same, everyone on their feet, yelling and shouting as a man in a blue jersey ran across the field, kicking a white-and-black ball in front of him. The player kicked, and the ball flew into a net. Sara shrieked, and her popcorn went flying as she danced.
“Sara.” Ben whispered.
Zak waved his hand in front of Ben, leaning close enough for Ben to hear him over the crowd. “Are you feeling all right?”
He touched the ring on his necklace, closing his eyes against the dizzying bright colors and noise. Sara. Who are you to me? His head spun, and determination welled up in his chest. Was this Sara’s? I will find you.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Ben
Ben breathed in the cool night air and enjoyed the invigorating fresh scent as he followed Zak and Briar. The tri-discus game had gone into the night, and it felt good to stretch his legs and get his blood flowing again.
Zak’s black clothes turned him into a smudge of darkness as he and Briar reenacted a play-by-play from the game.
Briar shot around Zak and mimed throwing a disc back at Ben. “He throws, he—”
“Interception!” Zak exclaimed, grabbing the imaginary air disc and squatting down to look around Ben to where Jade and Krista walked. “Jade! Catch!”
Jade’s head shot up at the sound of Zak’s voice, and she hunkered down before jumping up and clapping both hands together. She landed with a fierce grin made terrifying with her painted face. “Victory!” She bumped her knuckles against Zak’s, her eyes sparkling with laughter. “Team Doldra: one. Team Perennia: zero.”
Krista laughed. “I didn’t even know I was playing!” She reached out to Briar and twined her fingers with his, tapping his nose with a smile and a wink. “Next time, let your teammate know when we’re playing invisible games.”
Briar flushed and pointed to Zak. “He started it.”
Zak pointed back at Ben. “He was on your team, too.”
Ben slipped his hands in his pockets in silent mirth as Krista continued to tease Briar. Ben still didn’t fully understand the intricacies of the game, but it’d been fun and fast-paced. Parts of it seemed maddeningly familiar, though no more new flashbacks came to him.
Just who is Sara? Why do I remember her but not who she is?
Zak pointed to a painted wooden sign of seven cups tipped together. “There it is.” He flashed a bright grin back at the group. “The Tipsy Paladins is one of the few establishments where no one cares who we are. And it’s clean enough for our ladies to visit.”
Jade and Krista laughed at that as they entered. The pub had already started to fill with the crowds leaving the tri-discus game, so the girls claimed two seats at the gleaming bar next to another lady, while Ben followed Zak and Briar to a table offset from the center of the room. Zak sat facing the door, his eyes roaming over the people coming in. Briar chose the chair that let him watch the women, so Ben picked one of the two chairs left available and dropped into it.
He let Zak and Briar place their order once the waitress flitted over. He hung an arm over the back of his chair as he balanced on the back two legs and studied the decor. Globular gas-lantern
s lined the walls between each booth, casting shadows across the faces of the customers. Individual flames flickered and danced. Low-hanging metal circles with smaller gaslights illuminated each table in the middle of the room, like a miniature island of socialization. Wall-to-wall wooden floors gleamed in the ambient light. Nothing about this triggered a memory.
Briar stood. “I’m going to go clean up before food comes.” He looked pointedly at Zak. “Don’t start any fights without me.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it. Besides, you’re the troublemaker,” Zak snarked back.
Jade’s laugh cut through the din of the room, and Ben glanced over to see Krista waving her arms in some grandiose story. He turned away from them and shook his head with a small smile that slipped away a moment later. Did he have a close friend? Laurent, maybe? Was he worried about where Ben could be? Was Sara concerned about him?
A glass of frothy amber liquid slid just into range of Ben’s vision. He blinked at it curiously.
“On me,” Zak said, pushing it closer with two fingers encased in black leather that cut off at the knuckles. “Consider it a ‘thank you’ for helping the girls last week.”
“Thanks.” Ben reached out to the handle of the mug and grimaced when his stiff fingers couldn’t fully grasp it. Maybe he had overdone it this morning with hauling around bags from the marketplace. He rotated the mug and awkwardly picked it up with his left hand. Though his hands had recovered from the worst of the steam burns, he clearly needed to finish using the burn cream Jaxton had given him. Ben took a sip, closing his eyes to enjoy the heady rush of joy as his taste buds celebrated the rich flavor. He swallowed a second mouthful before setting the mug down. “That’s some good stuff there.”
Ben didn’t see Briar yet. He sighed and thumped his finger against his mug, wincing a moment later when the pain reminded him of his injury. “Hey, Zak?”
Zak stirred, as if drawn out of deep thoughts. “What’s up?”
Just get it over with.
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