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“Leon, stop!” I yell. I pull his fingers from the creature, letting it sit in my hands. It’s shivering in fear. Leon allows me to take it, his brow furrowing in response.
I glare up at him. The bond tightens at my annoyance, and my knees go weak. Still, I don’t return the creature to Leon. Instead, I speak to it in a soft, soothing tone. “You’re okay. He won’t touch you again.” I don’t chance stroking its fur in case the contact will frighten it even further. Without looking at Leon, I reach into the bushes, careful to avoid the razor-sharp thorns that edge at me. The creature hops off my hand and scrambles up a branch. I can still see it, watching us from about ten feet up. “Will you please let us out?”
Leon grumbles. “It’s going to take ages for it to come down again so I can make it open the door.”
I ignore him, looking at the creature imploringly. A second later, the hedges before us unravel and open. I thank the creature before walking through the exit, not bothering to look back at Leon. Once the wall closes behind us, Leon sighs and grabs my hand again, pulling me back to face him. He looks like he’s trying to figure out how to explain something to a child. “Vivian – you’re being a hypocrite. The garden sprite is vermin. The equivalent of a rat in your world. Are you seriously going to tell me you’ve never used a rat trap, or would condemn those who do? Really?” His voice has that same mocking undertone, and I grind my teeth at it.
Still, the fog from the bond grows thicker, and the heat between us pulls me to him. My frustration is ebbing away by the second, the void it leaves behind replaced with desire for him. Stepping into his arms, I kiss his cheek. “I’m sorry.”
Maybe I am being judgemental. The bond hums, and my body fills with heat at our closeness. Leon huffs at my apology and wraps an arm around my waist.
“We are going to get nothing done tonight if you send those thoughts down the bond.” He tells me, his gaze darkening.
I step back at his words. I want to work through the mission.
I need to finish this so I can be free.
The thought is a whisper, somewhere far off in my mind.
Leon watches me step away, looking at me like he’s considering whether to pull me back into the maze again. Instead, he grabs my hand and pulls me into the forest that lies less than a dozen feet ahead.
As soon as we break into the tree line, my feet leave the ground as Leon apparates us out. We land in an empty alley.
I wobble for a second. I think I’m getting better at this whole supernatural teleportation thing.
Our new destination does not disappoint. I mean, if you’re going to house something as seedy as a black market, there are expectations to be met. The roads are cobbled stones, chipped with sharp edges extending up from them.
I’m thinking there are no cars in the Otherworld. There’s no way in hell my vehicle would ever make itthrough here without getting a flat. On either side of the narrow alley, there are dilapidated buildings, all in various stages of decay – the stench of rot clings to the air.
Do people actually live here?
As if on cue, there’s a noise above us, and someone slams a set of shutters shut.
Okay. I guess people do live here. Evidently, though, they aren’t much for paint and flower boxes. The dingy grey and brown colours cling to every surface. Whether from grime or a colour palate preference, I can’t tell.
Leon pulls me closely into his side. “You do not leave my side. You speak to no one. Understood?” His tone is stern, leaving no room for argument.
Looking around us, I’m quick to agree, despite the whole ordering me around thing. “You got it. No getting distracted by new things.”
Satisfied with my quick agreement, Leon pulls me along to the mouth of the alley we apparated into. There are faint lights and crowds of people not far ahead of us on the right side. Leon pulls my arm, and we start towards the populated side of the road.
I stay silent as we enter the bustling street. There are hundreds of people, and I try not to gape at the stark contrast between the folks here and the people in the council’s castle. Most people on this street are dressed in rags, and many are armed with swords, daggers, and axes.
Someone is spinning a morning star as if it’s a freaking fidget spinner.
Pirates. They all look like honest-to-goodness pirates. Or should it be dishonest-to-no-goodness? I guess we’re about to find out.
There’s a dangerous air about the people here – like anyone on this street can murder for the right price. The threat looms, and everyone looks like they’re on edge.
Stalls line each side of the road, and as Leon leads me through throngs of people, I see merchants selling weapons, potions, and something that might be food. Notably, all of that is child’s play compared to the next stall we pass. A small, thin man operates the stand. He’s dressed in dirty, stained, grey robes. He pauses what he’s doing to grin at me, showing off his blackened, stained teeth. Looking at my dress, I imagine he thinks I have a lot of money to spend. “Interested in some new staff, my lady?” He asks as he steps aside.
Bile rises in my throat. Behind him is a group of souls. All of them are women chained together. Their heads are bowed, and they look terrified. “They’re fresh. Harvested them myself, so they’ll last a good long while before decaying.” The thin man says, taking my pause as interest.
Leon continues to pull me forward as he calls back behind him. “Not interested.”
I think I might throw up. I shouldn’t be surprised, given the state of soul slavery I saw in the council’s castle. But there is something the merchant said that did surprise me. “What did he mean by decaying?”
Leon keeps his eyes on our surroundings, his body language indicating that he’s on guard. Still, he answers me. “Souls do not last indefinitely. Eventually, they break down, their energy leaching from them into theearth. They go mad and are sent to Morgana’s realm, so they can’t do any damage here.”
