The fingers on his arm tensed. Jin followed the Azara’s gaze to the man yanking a chain at the end of which was a collared woman. He grimaced, wishing some official would come by and see the abuse, which went against the laws for the treatment of slaves in the Empire. One hand unconsciously clenched into a fist. If he could confront the man out of the way, somewhere they wouldn’t be seen—
“Don’t.” The quiet word was accompanied by her fingers digging further into his skin. “It’s not worth exposing ourselves over.”
He stared at her, not liking the stony gaze she wore. How could she, someone who had her whole family pulled apart by slavery not want to help someone like that? How could she be this cold?
Azara leaned into his arm, turning them away. “I want to see if there’s a market where we can find ribbons. I could use a new one for my straw hat. The current one is too dark.”
Jin wanted to shake his head over her sudden change into what sounded like a spoiled, empty-headed creature, but knew better. She was good at hiding who and what she was, and he would do well to imitate her. Even if the thought of being like her at this moment made him shiver.
They continued their walk in silence, both glancing around at the people and goods they passed. They had reached the last little square that lay between warehouses and a few small shops that gave way to the road up to the city proper, this one full of little stalls and people selling goods on cloths laid out on the ground, when Jin felt a prick at his back. He didn’t get a chance to do more than half-turn when a voice hissed, “Don’t move, don’t say anything, don’t do anything except what I tell you. Understand?”
The voice was rough, a faint scent that was disturbingly familiar emanating from his assailant, almost enough to cover the stink of the man. That sickly sweet smoke scent told Jin this man was into Milk Tears, which made him all the more dangerous. Rather than antagonize the man in full view of people, Jin nodded slowly.
“Get walking.” A little prod from the knife in his back got Jin moving, the hand placed on his shoulder directing him towards a narrow alley ahead of them.
Inwardly cursing, Jin ran through the offensive spells he knew, wishing they didn’t require time to cast. This was why he needed a mage nearby, someone who could do something fast to keep people busy while he set up a larger attack. He glanced at Azara. She walked ahead, face calm. That made him go a little cold, wondering what was going on behind her brown eyes. She was nowhere near as easy to read as her sister, and he found he wished Anali was here instead.
Then they were in the alley, the two warehouses that made up either side so close that he and Azara could only just walk side by side, the far end open but showing the blank rear of another building. The knife pressed harder against his back, and Jin feared it would penetrate the heavy clothing of Nalbin. “Now,” the man said, getting closer to Jin, his attacker’s sweaty hand felt through his jacket. “Hand over your money, and I won’t cut you and your woman up.”
* * *
The last line had Azara raising her eyebrows. The stranger had all his attention focused on Jin, though his free hand dropped off long enough to scratch the arm holding the knife while he shifted his weight rapidly from one foot to the other. That combined with his gaunt features, deep shadows under his eyes, and the way he couldn’t keep his gaze from drifting all around Jin, told her what kind of person she was dealing with.
She nearly choked when she saw Jin’s hand go towards the pocket she knew held his purse. Her veins warming, Azara took a quick glance behind them, and seeing none of the people visible from this angle looking in their direction, decided this had gone on long enough. She used her hold on Jin’s arm to yank him forward, out of the stranger’s grip.
As the man turned towards her, face contorting, she didn’t give him the chance to do more than raise his knife. She lashed out with one hand, barely needing to picture what she wanted. The crystal burst out of her hand to slash into the man’s throat.
Crimson flared and dyed the crystal red as the man reached ineffectively upwards, gurgling something unintelligible as his knife dropped from numb fingers. Azara gave it a heartbeat for good measure before she pulled the crystal back into her skin, leaving a splatter of his blood on the ground. More joined it as he collapsed. A few shudders and he was still, while a red pool continued to grow.
Azara glanced at her hand to make sure she hadn’t gotten any blood on her and hissed instead. “Pig-tupping pisser!” She held up her hand, glowering at the remains of her grey glove, the thing shredded with more hole than kidskin.
Jin choked, eyes wide as he stared at her. She frowned, not sure if the look was for the body or her language. Either way, it annoyed her. “We should get moving.” Already she was pulling the remains of her glove off then taking off the other one so as not to stand out too much. She shoved both into her reticule.
“W-why?” He jerked one hand in the direction of the rapidly cooling corpse.
Azara sighed. She hoped she didn’t have to continuously explain her every action to him, or she might find a way to get rid of Jin so she could work in peace. “We have limited funds, and had you given him the money, there was no guarantee he’d have left us. So I dealt with him quickly and quietly.”
“You could have captured him! You did exactly that when your brother was attacked.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “I could have. We’d have had to explain to the local officials why I have crystal coming out of my skin, and that story would have gotten around and we would likely lose all ability to move unnoticed. I could have tried to knock him unconscious, but that is one, incredibly difficult to do without causing permanent damage or death, and two, we return to the problem of people finding out. It was easier to remove him.”
Jin shook his head. “You didn’t give him the chance to be judged properly. You’re neither the law nor order here.”
Azara gave him a hard stare. “No, I’m not. But people like him expect death every day. That’s how you survive as a thief, how you make your way through the dark sides of cities, the places law doesn’t dare walk.”
His jaw worked, eyes on her. They didn’t have time for this. Azara stepped towards him and grabbed his arm in one hand, ignoring the little flinch he gave when she reached for him. She had a harder time ignoring the sharp prickles invading her stomach over his move. “We need to get out of here before someone notices. I don’t have a problem killing his type, but I’m not comfortable killing innocent witnesses.”
That got him walking, stiff though his gait was. She aimed him towards the road they’d been following, the one that snaked up the little hill that the city sat on top of, the whole of it bisected by the river rushing towards the sea. Jin waited until they were away from others. “You spoke as if you know thieves.”
Azara gave him a look. “You’ve heard the general story of what happened when my family was taken?” At his nod, she continued. “Then you know that I was left alone, without anyone I knew, and had to survive. I was thirteen. I knew enough to gather food and clothes and what remained from our village. There wasn’t much, they looted the houses when they took everyone.”
Her jaw tensed as the memories of the early days rose. She’d give him the general idea, no need to give the details or remember everything that had happened. “The crystal and me didn’t know how to work together, and it was only just understanding my need to eat and sleep. I had a rough idea of where the nearest town was and went that way, but no one there could help me. Or rather, most people ignored me, thinking me some vagrant or pickpocket. So I moved on to the nearest city, somewhere I thought I could find word of what happened to my family, maybe find them.”
“I’m sure you can imagine what the city was like for a young girl with little knowledge of how to survive and no knowledge of the dangers of cities.” She rubbed the back of her hand, remembering the first time she’d
discovered that her body only contained so much crystal. “I was kept physically safe by the crystal, but I had to find a way to feed myself, a way to find shelter. There weren’t a lot of options. And I wasn’t about to sell myself.”
He wasn’t so stupid as to need it all spelled out for him. “So you survived.” Jin’s voice was quiet, his face unreadable.
“Yes, I did,” she replied, with more force than she’d intended. But she wasn’t about to let him look down on her or what she’d had to do over the last decade. She’d only done what was necessary, had learned as she grew, had given up the thieving except in emergencies. She’d gotten this far on her own and would get even farther. She’d found her siblings without help and she’d find her parents the same way, and she wouldn’t let anyone get in her way or drag her down.
“You don’t think that man could have survived?”
She glared at him. “No. You fall into the grip of those drugs and it’s only a matter of time before you die. Any thief worth anything would have noted that I’m not carrying weapons and you only have a short saber. That’s the sign of people who are confident in themselves.”
“You’re correct about the drugs. I could smell the Milk Tears from him. It’s something the emperor has been doing his best to keep out of the Empire, but I’m afraid more than one has decided it’s an easier way to make money.”
Azara eyed him before she exhaled in a long stream, forcing herself to relax. There was no reason to continue a non-argument. “I’ve heard of it to the east, where they grow the flowers that produce it, and I know it has some medical use, but I haven’t heard of widespread use. Some of the extremely rich indulge, if what I’ve heard is correct.”
He grimaced. “That is unfortunately true, and one of the things we hope to stop.”
“That I can appreciate.” She let the subject stay changed, while hoping Jin didn’t question her actions like that again. There were times where they would have to act quickly, and they would very likely end up with more than one body on their hands. Especially if they found her parents. Most people refused to give up their fire mages, which required her to be...forceful in her requests.
Neither said anything for a moment, before a thought occurred to Azara. “There is one thing I would like to look for in the city markets.”
Jin looked at her quizzically. She offered him a smile that was equal parts ruefulness, dry humour, and predatory darkness, and held up one hand. “I need a new set of gloves.” His choking and eyes widening warmed her, far more than it should have.
Chapter Eleven: Reflections
The room was almost completely black, the gentle sway of the ship in the waves soothing, but still Jin couldn’t sleep. He stared up at the ceiling, the gentle breathing of the crystal woman combining with the soft creak of wood and the occasional footstep of those on watch. It had been a long day.
Dinner off the ship had been good, and Hekou had proven lively enough. As the main port for foreign merchants, there was a great mixture of cultures and goods. Some of the combinations he heartily approved of, like the spiced and thin fried potatoes or the felt and wool coats in Imperial design. Others were strange. He couldn’t imagine who was buying the black drink that, while it smelled good, had been so bitter he’d almost spat it out. They claimed it could keep you awake, and Jin thought that might be correct by taste alone if by no other means.
They’d managed to keep up their facades, and no one seemed to question them through dinner and their wanderings. Jin sighed and shifted so he could lay his hands over his stomach. They’d managed to find a new set of gloves for Azara, which had pleased her. She could haggle as well as any true-born merchant.
He glanced over at her almost invisible sleeping form. She was on her stomach again, her face pointed towards him, her unflinching eyes closed. He hated to admit that he felt more comfortable with her this way. Azara was all sharp edges. Sharp eyes, sharp features, sharp tongue and sharp temper. It almost felt like the crystal contained within her was poking out in thorns, and if he touched her wrong or said the wrong thing, he’d end up skewered.
That thought brought up the memory of the body, and Jin had to hold in a shiver.He’d seen death before, but he’d never seen someone so casual about it, someone who killed without warning and for a reason lighter than he was used to. He couldn’t deny her rationale but wondered what would happen if he disagreed with her. In that way, she reminded him of his mother.
They needed to protect their identities, and it would be difficult to get extra funds without arousing suspicion, but killing someone because of that seemed too cold. The man might very well have been put to death if arrested, but that would only have been after a trial.
Jin sighed again, closing his eyes. Her rough explanation of what had happened after her family had been taken explained some things. Not just her interference in everything, but also her obsession with finding a way to talk through him. He didn’t know why he was surprised. He’d heard what Anali and her brother had said about their lives since enslavement, but he’d somehow thought that Azara would have had an easier time of it.
Maybe it was the way she moved when not in disguise, head up, eyes forward, radiating confidence and competence. She didn’t show any hint of weakness or vulnerability, the way Anali sometimes did.
Except Jin saw the cracks. They were few, but they appeared when she felt strongly about something, or she felt he was questioning her. She acted as if she was his leader and his questions were insubordination. Jin might be used to taking orders from the emperor, but he was used to leading himself, as well as working with others of the same rank. Questions, sharing information, creating plans together was the only way to ensure things ran smoothly. That was something he’d have to find the right wording for if he wanted her to accept it.
A rustling noise beside him was almost immediately followed by a touch against his shoulder. Jin froze, glancing over at Azara. She still slept, but now her forehead was pressed against his shoulder, her breathing even.
Moving as slowly and carefully as he could, Jin moved his hands away and shifted over so he was in the thin sliver of space between his current position and the edge of the bed. He couldn’t wait until they were in Lound and got a bigger bed, or better yet, two beds. It would save them from some awkwardness. But that was something for later. For now, Jin needed to sleep. Who knew what the morning would bring them?
* * *
Tucked into the prow of the ship with Jin beside her, Azara sighed as the sea breeze wrapped around her. It tugged at the hat Nalbinian propriety said she had to wear, but she wasn’t concerned. Not when she finally had some fresh air.
Behind and above them, crew members swarmed, pulling lines, tying things off and cleaning the deck. Azara didn’t understand half of what they were doing, but she did know that they had a good enough wind they were relying only on the sails. Part of the reason they were up there. She couldn’t abide the smog that came out of the engine. It smelled acrid and made her, someone who was technically a fire mage, cough. It was unnatural.
Leaning forward, Azara stared down at the water. The deep blue turned green and white as it broke up against the side of the ship. Little eddies of foam formed and dissipated as she watched, all of it almost hypnotic. Mixed with the tang of the sea air and the sunlight that kept the breeze from being too cold, Azara felt relaxed for the first time in a while.
Jin seemed to feel something too, if the way he had his arms propped on the rail was any indication. When she glanced at him, his eyes slid from the horizon to meet hers. He gave her a quizzical look. “I had hoped my willfulness in coming out here hasn’t bored you too terribly much.” He was sharp enough that he should pick up on her wording and be wary of any potential ears.
He gave her a slight smile, something she knew he had difficulty faking, but worked well enough for a man trying to act Nalbinian. “
I’m quite enjoying the fresh air and change of scenery. The same four walls does get wearing.”
She smiled again, ignoring the faint twinge her cheeks gave her. They always hurt when she was forced into keeping up the kind of false cheerfulness that was best for putting others at ease. Azara turned her attention to the water and relaxed her face. It was unlikely anyone could see her face from where she stood, and if they could, it could be mistaken for concentration.
Staring down at the water, she noted a different colour below the green. Azara frowned and leaned farther forward. The thing burst out of the waves to leap up before disappearing again. She shoved backwards, her veins warm, the crystal ready to attack before she got a hold of herself.
“What was that?” she asked Jin, who was watching her with a frown.
“What was what?”
She looked forward in time to see another of the pale, sleek creatures explode up out of the water and go diving down. “Those!” She pointed.
Jin moved so he was half over the rail, eyes widening as two more of the fishlike thing jumped, one of them more pink than white. “Those are dolphins. It’s said they are the souls of sailors beloved by the sea, who could not bear to be without them so gave them forms to live always. They’re often attracted to ships. I read they’re considered a sign of good luck.”
Azara shook her head but moved back to where she’d been before, eyes on the water and the dolphins leaping beside the boat. She’d never seen or heard of anything like them, but she was the first to admit she generally avoided the water. Most fire mages were made wary of the sea for no reason that any of them could articulate.
Watching one of the dolphins jump, it dawned on Azara they were having fun. There were half a dozen of the creatures, and looking at their faces, she could have sworn they were grinning.
Against her will, her lips curved up in answer, and soon she was grinning. With the way the dolphins gambolled in front of them, it would have taken a harder heart than hers to resist. She heard shouts from above. A few moments later, and several of the crew crowded beside them, peering out for a glance at the animals.
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