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I stop cold in my tracks. My back muscles clench. I turn toward her slowly. “What if it is?”
Her expression turns fierce. “Where is he? I’ll talk to him.”
I snort asthatabsurd image comes to life in my mind. “No.”
Gretta strides to me and tugs me out of the crowd’s warpath. She gives me a serious look, and it catches me off guard. Gretta is hardly serious. Ever. “Zora, when’s the last time you let someone protect you?”
“I will protect myself.”
“That’s not okay. You need people in your corner.” She bites her lip, then lightly touches my arm. “I want to be one of those people. You’ve been kind to me, taken care of me, indulged my whims. You’ve been a true friend, a sister, and I want to return that favor to you.”
“I didn’t do those things to have them repaid,” I complain, and I know I’m being bratty, but I just want this interaction to be over with.
Gretta drops her hand from my arm. “My place is closer. You can change there, and then we will go find him.”
I look down at my boots. “I don’t want your pity.”
“Zora Vyner, don’t make me hit you.”
My head snaps up in shock. “What’s gotten into you?”
Gretta’s cheeks flame with anger. “Farrah dumped me. So maybe I have some rage I’d like to get rid of.”
“It’s her loss,” I say honestly. “You’re amazing.”
Gretta sighs. “I know. It makes no sense.”
I smile, finding the hurting pieces of myself feeling calmer. “I left my clothes and bag in an alley.”
“Forget them. I have everything you need at mine.”
We walk together quietly, her fingers brushing against mine every now and then. I appreciate it. All my years being alone, having Gretta makes it seem worthwhile somehow. Like Fate has granted me a friend for all my hardship.
We climb the stairs to her room, and we both dress in leathers and light clothes. Leather corsets for protection. Lightweight blouses and pants for a quick getaway. I keep my holster, while Gretta dawns red lipstick.
“I’m the distraction tonight,” she says simply, fluffing her hair in the mirror.
I snap a cloak around my neck and lift the hood with a smile. “By all means.”
When we hit the streets, the sun is two hours past its peak. We stop at Gretta’s flower cart, and she scoops her Magic Dust packets into a small bag from the cart’s hideaway hatch.
I raise a brow at the small bags of white powder. “That’s a lot.”
She shrugs. “Business has been slow, but I figure I might as well knock out two birds with one stone. Surely the Underground has plenty of buyers.”
I nod and scan the crowd. Everywhere I look, I expect to find The Prince lurking, watching. I frown when there’s no sign of him.Where did they disappear to?
“Any idea where we should start?” Gretta asks.
“I tend to find him when I’m not really looking,” I mumble and scratch the back of my neck. “I have until midnight to complete my task.”
While we changed, I filled Gretta in on my assignment from The Beast. I gave her the bare minimum. I have a job. I was willing to take the consequences of not completing it, but The Prince fucked up. Now, I have every desire to see him beg for forgiveness.
“There was a place he took me last night. He and his sister had their own tent, and it seemed to be where they did the bulk of their business,” I explain.
Gretta follows me to Mirror Cafe. “So we’re going back there?”
“It’s as good a place to start as any.” I lead her through the mirrored halls to the black curtains, then take her hand.
