“Who are they?” Dyna asked.
“The Azure Guard,” Zev said as they watched a pair of uniformed men inspect wagons and carts before allowing them through. “They keep the King’s peace. Something must have happened to bring so many together.”
“They are searching for someone,” Cassiel said warily.
A nervous jitter grew in Dyna with each step they took closer to the gate. Zev and Cassiel visibly stiffened. But why should they worry? The Guards weren’t looking for them.
When it was their turn to enter, the Guards only glanced at them fleetingly before waving them through. Her apprehension melted away, Zev exhaled and Cassiel’s shoulders loosened.
They passed through the city gates where more Guards were handing out notices. She received one and found that it held the sketch of a man.
His face was all angles, expression indifferent, cold. His eyes were outlined and devoid of color, leaving them to appear almost piercing. A distinct, long scar ran diagonally across his face from his right brow to the left side of his chin. She found him attractive despite the disfigurement. He appeared young, but those hard eyes made him seem older. Large black script was stamped across the top of the page.
WANTED BY THE CROWN
REWARD OF 10,000 GOLD PIECES
DEAD OR ALIVE
Ten-thousand gold pieces? Dyna couldn’t imagine having that amount of money. She had five russets in her pocket, which was the common currency. Five hundred russets were the equivalent of one silver coin, and fifty silvers equaled one gold piece. Why was this man worth so much?
The notice listed his crimes; theft, obstruction, murder, and several others. Under the man’s sketch was his name: Tarn Morken.
“He sounds a most dangerous man,” she said.
“Oh, aye,” the Guard agreed. “Pray you’ll not cross paths with him. But don’t you fret none, miss. The Azure Guard will soon have him in irons.”
Zev frowned at the sketch. “And you believe he may have come this way?”
“Rangers spotted him in Landcaster. His only path is east. We’ve men patrolling each village, town, and city from here to Hallows Nest. Including every seaport in the kingdom. I reckon he’ll be noosed and hooded in The Blue Capitol before winter’s end.”
“Noosed and hooded?” Dyna repeated.
“He’s destined for the gallows, miss, if the King is in a merciful mood. If not, Tarn will meet the royal executioner to be drawn and quartered. Then he will be beheaded,” he added with a shrug.
She gasped in horror, reaching for her neck. Cassiel glowered at the Guard and Zev quickly steered her along.
She soon forgot about the wanted man’s fate as they followed the crowd into the marketplace. A blend of exotic spices and the smell of fried fish filled her nose. A chorus of accents from all over the country blended in a hum. Stalls lined the streets, merchants selling and auctioning a panoply of wares. Their hawking shouts blurred together in a roar.
Colorful banners and canopies hung between the buildings. Flags fluttered from the rooftops displaying the King’s colors; deep navy with Azure’s golden sigil of a woven seven-pointed star.
Tiny pink sprites flitted overhead, zipping through the air like curious dragonflies. Dyna gaped at the sight of an enormous Ogre with blue-tinted skin and a mace resting against his shoulder. It stomped by, causing the ground to tremble under his heavy steps. Inhumanly beautiful women with flowers and leaves in their moss-green hair rolled past in their chariots pulled by steeds made of smoke.
“It is impolite to stare,” Cassiel told her, and she promptly closed her mouth.
“There were only humans in Landcaster.”
“You’ll find the deeper we travel through Urn, the more variety of folk you’ll see.”
She looked in every which way, trying to take it all in. “This is amazing.”
“This is another filthy market.”
Zev read the signs marking each street. “I think the inns are ahead.”
“We need to find the merchant traders to secure a ride to the Port of Azure,” Cassiel said. “I’m not keen on traveling the rest of this journey on foot.”
“Don’t we need to secure lodging first?”
“It’s midday. Most likely any rooms that can be let, have been.”
“We may still find something available if we hurry,” Dyna told them, trying not to show her disappointment. She wanted to look around, but they had other obligations. Tomorrow morning would be better suited to explore and replenish their provisions.
They merged into the current of people that carried them further through the marketplace. The narrow streets became more crowded as they went. Crammed bodies shoved and elbowed past her. She lost hold on Zev’s arm. The small opening between them quickly filled with more people, and she fell behind.
She tried to slip through, but the mass of bodies swallowed her up. Unfamiliar faces drowned her in a blur of color. Pushed and jostled helplessly along, she struggled to find her footing. Another sudden thrust from behind knocked her down. Someone grabbed her elbow before she hit the ground, jolting her with a batch of fiery energy. A band constricted in her chest when she heard a familiar voice and the threatening curse it spat. The mass quickly parted.
“Did you trip over your own feet again?”
Dyna met Cassiel’s cool gaze and smiled feebly, limp from relief. “I tripped over half the population of Corron.”
He hauled her to his side. “What am I to do with you?”
His arm clamped around her waist and pulled her protectively against him. She blushed under the stares of those watching. Cassiel ignored them. He guided her along until they reached a wide road where the crowd had thinned. There, she found her cousin waiting by a wagon.
Zev exhaled in relief when he spotted them. “Dyna, stay close to us. Any man here is likely to throw you over his shoulder and whisk you away if you’re not careful.”
An awful shudder crawled down her back. The fates forbid.
Cassiel took her hand, eliciting more ripples of energy. “I will not let that happen.”
Dyna’s stomach pitched by the fierce way he looked at her. She glanced down at where his hand circled hers, an electrical current dancing between them. His fingers slipped away before she could study the feeling further.
“Good sirs! Miss!” A woman waved at them from the doorway of her shop. The tall windows displayed an assortment of stunning dresses, like the scarlet one she wore. Her round face was a rich cedar color complete with a motherly smile. She popped her hands on her hips as she sighed at Dyna. “I do hope you mean to tend to this one. She is honey wine to those in dire thirst for it.”
Cassiel’s expression darkened. “Your pardon?”
The woman strolled over to them in a huff, black ringlets bouncing on her head. The sunlight shone on the lace trim of her dress embroidered with gold flowers along the collar and sleeves. A gold chain circled her curvaceous waist, dangling down the front.
“I speak the truth, milord,” she said, switching to a more respectable title once she noted Cassiel’s air of nobility. Dyna saw it too in the way he held himself, in the authoritative raise of his chin and cold assertive glare. “She will attract the wrong attention in that garb.”
All eyes landed on Dyna, and she tried not to fidget as they inspected her. The oversized tunic sagged off her shoulders and her torn petticoat exposed her thigh. She blushed, tugging on the tunic’s hem to hide it.
“And what attention would that be, wild-cat?” Zev asked irately.
The woman’s eyes flashed lime-green and the pupils thinned into black slits. Her ears were pointed and dusted in soft fur.
“Don’t you growl at me, wolf. I only mean to give you a fair warning.” She looked Dyna over, tsking sympathetically. “Shame on you lot for leaving her to trod about in her undergarments. It’s only asking for trouble.”
“It’s not their fault, madam. I was unprepared for our journey and my only kirtle was ruined.”
/> The woman smiled and patted Dyna’s cheek. “Well then, I suppose that means you need a new wardrobe. My name is Namir. Come to my shop, and I’ll see that you leave it looking as a Lady should.”
“Thank you, but we haven’t the time.” Or the funds, by the look of Namir’s dress.
Cassiel sighed and rubbed his forehead. “She is right. What you are wearing isn’t suitable.”
“I agree,” Zev said under his breath, “but I don’t have the coin to afford her shop.”
“I’ll bear the cost.” Cassiel dropped three gold coins in Namir’s palm. “Whatever she needs.”
Namir’s long fingers grasped the payment with a wide smile. “With pleasure, milord.”
Zev shook his head. “I can’t ask that of you, Cassiel.”
“Think nothing of it. I insist. Go on, Dyna, and be quick about it.”
“But—”
Namir wrapped an arm around her and whisked her away. “Now, now, lass, you mustn’t refuse the offer of a gentleman,” she said in her ear. “Especially one as attractive as that one.”
“Oh, well, I—I um …”
Namir laughed, guiding her through the ornate door of her shop. “Ah, so he’s the one you fancy! I was wondering which of the two it might be.”
Heat rushed to Dyna’s cheeks. “Fancy?”
“They’re both handsome,” Namir said, peeking out the store’s front window at them. “But that one is finer than a spool of silk! A bit stiff, but at least he’s wealthy. Take it from me, one can’t be too fussy when finding a good husband that’ll treat her well. Be sure to marry that one in a trice.”
The blush filled Dyna’s face. She peered out the window as well. Cassiel and Zev were outside, appearing to be having a mild argument. Undoubtedly, about the purchase of her clothes. The Prince caught her looking, and she quickly ducked away.
“There is nothing of the sort between us, madam. He’s … an acquaintance.”
Could she call him a friend?
“Silly girl,” Namir sang as she ambled further into the shop, her heels clacking on the wooden floorboards. She waved her arms at the exquisite pieces on display, their colorful fabrics shimmering under the chandelier hanging from the ceiling. “Men don’t buy dresses for acquaintances.”
Dyna had no reply for that. If anything, it sent a nervous quivering through her.
“Now,” Namir clapped, turning to her with a grin. “Let us begin, shall we?”
Chapter 33
Dynalya
True to the madam’s word, Dyna left the shop looking like a Lady. An emerald dress with tapered sleeves fit her perfectly. The satin material flowed around her like water, much lighter than her wool kirtle had been. “To match your eyes,” Namir had said when she chose it.
Zev stood from the bench outside the shop when he saw her, a grin lighting up his face. “You look lovely, Dyna.”
She smiled and took the sides of her skirts, dipping in a curtsy. She looked past him for Cassiel, but he was nowhere in sight.
“Here is all that I’ve picked out for her,” Namir told Zev, handing him a large bundle wrapped in brown paper and twine. “Everything she should need. Some more suitable for travel.”
“Thank you.”
“Yes, thank you, madam,” Dyna said.
“It was my pleasure.” Namir winked playfully. “Should you pass through Corron again, come see me.” With that, she slinked back into her shop.
“All you need now is a cloak, but it’ll be at my expense.” Zev made a grand show of bowing and offering his hand. “May I escort you milady?”
Dyna giggled and laid her fingers in his palm. “Why thank you, milord. You’re far too kind.”
“Think nothing of it, I insist,” he said, mimicking Cassiel’s cool manner. He curled her hand around the crook of his elbow and ushered her along the street.
Admittedly, she felt self-conscious that Cassiel offered to pay for her new clothing but also grateful. “It was very kind of him.”
“Unusually courteous, one might say.”
“Oh, stop it.” Dyna playfully smacked Zev’s arm. “Where has he gone? I must thank him.”
“He wandered off somewhere hereabouts. We’ll find him.” Zev veered toward a merchant stall selling capes and cloaks. He riffled through them, frowning thoughtfully. “See anything you like?”
“Hmm.” Dyna lifted a capelet about her size, but her thoughts drifted to Cassiel. She searched for him in the crowd. Why would he wander off when he had been in a hurry to seek lodging?
Her gaze drew to another stall draped in a black canopy. From its bearings hung dried herbs, crystals, and clinking glass chimes. An old woman sat behind the counter. She was pale and wrinkly as a dried date. Deep purple robes enveloped her small hunched frame. She wore a matching turban over her white hair and a dirty sash tied over her eyes. The old woman must be blind but appeared to look right at Dyna, as she beckoned her forth with a knobby finger.
Under thrall, Dyna crossed the street to her.
“Good evening, deary,” the old woman said. She spoke with the Azure accent but underneath, lingered the faint hint of another. “May I interest you in a charm for luck, or perhaps a potion to capture the heart of your unrequited love? I have amulets, enchanted baubles, and the like.”
On the counter were neat rows of glass jars containing shimmering powders and bubbling liquids. In bowls, she had desiccated newts, ground-up beetles, and foul-smelling herbs. Followed by baskets of polished bone carved in the shape of people, and flat stones painted red with curses. These were the wares of a witch.
Dyna took a step back. “Oh, um, no thank you, madam.”
“Nothing to your liking? What are you seeking on this fine day? I have a great many things, some too dreadful or too rare to leave out on display. Who knows, I may have what you desire.”
Dyna gave the question some consideration. The mention of rare items surfaced a thought. “Do you perhaps have Stardust?”
The woman’s lips thinned. “I don’t sell mage magic, deary. Stardust is much too costly to acquire and I am but a poor, poor gypsy.”
The sun caught on the edge of a pendant that peeked out from a fold of her robes, glinting on what looked to be a diamond. Somehow, she must have sensed Dyna looking because she quickly tucked it away.
The old woman held open a wrinkly palm, long yellowed nails curling at the end of her fingers. “For a russet, I’ll read your fortune. Yours seems to be an interesting one.”
Dyna hesitated but she wanted to know what the woman may see in her future that was so uncertain. She took her hand. The moment they touched a zap clashed against her Essence. It was the same sensation she felt when Dalton had grabbed her.
The old woman inhaled a sharp breath. Her wrinkly face creased with shock, her mouth falling open. She reached up and pulled down the sash to reveal a stunning pair of eyes the color of lilac petals.
A realization washed through Dyna’s mind. The old woman was not a witch at all. The meeting of their Essence and the unique eye color revealed one unquestionable fact: the old woman was a sorceress.
They gawked at each other in silence. Dyna could hardly believe it. Mages were one thing but seeing a sorceress outside of the Magos Empire was incredible. Impossible even, yet here she was.
Dyna wanted to embrace the old woman and tell her she knew of the dreadful ways practiced in Magos. But she only managed one breathless word, “Oh …”
Zev approached the stall. “What are you doing, Dyna? I told you to stay close.”
The old woman gasped and leaned back as she took in his size and many scars. Her eyes lingered on his muscular arms and broad chest before rising to his face.
He scratched at the stubble on his cheek, unnerved by her stare. “Um, we should go.”
“She was reading my fortune,” Dyna said. “For a russet, she’ll read yours too. Go on.”
He too hesitated then held out his hand. The old woman tentatively reached out. She tapped his fing
ertip and immediately recoiled as if it had burned her.
“What did you see?” he asked warily.
Her vivid, wide eyes bounced between them. Had she sensed what he was?
Cassiel appeared beside them and glared at the wares, pulling Dyna back. “Nothing good will come in any dealings with a witch.”
“She’s not a witch.”
He frowned at her, but then did a double-take. Whatever he was going to say was forgotten, his gaze slowly traveling down her dress then back up.
The old woman smirked. “My, aren’t you a pompous lord.” She snatched his hand and the color drained from her face. “God of Urn.”
Cassiel ripped his hand away, wiping it on his coat in disgust. He scowled at the others. “Stop dallying. Let’s go before the taverns are full.” He stalked away into the throng.
Zev placed two copper coins on the counter. He turned to leave when the old woman grabbed Dyna’s wrist and wiggled her fingers over her. An electric tickle sprouted from her scalp and floated to her toes with a shudder.
Zev yanked her away. “What have you done?”
The old woman shrugged. “A little spell.”
Dyna’s heart jolted. “You cast a spell on me?”
A menacing growl rumbled in Zev’s throat, his wolf eyes surfacing as fur rippled along his arms. The old woman gasped and quickly jumped out of her stool. But she didn’t run. She glared at Zev as a stream of palpable energy crackled in the air, and static raised the hair on Dyna’s neck. Purple electricity sparked at the woman’s fingertips.
Zev leaned on the counter, his sharp claws splintering into the wooden surface, baring his teeth. “Undo whatever you’ve done to her,” he snarled. “Now!”
The old woman snapped her fingers. The world came to a standstill, and the buzz of the market vanished. Dyna spun around, finding people like statues. Some were mid-stride on the street, merchants with their hands cupped around their mouths, birds suspended in the air, tarps, and canopies caught mid-flutter in no perceivable wind. Her cousin’s face had stalled in a wild glare.
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