He smiled back. “She flies.”
16
Maren
Reija opened the paddock gate and I led Kolibri out to Kye’s side. He merely watched, back straight in Sero’s saddle.
We rode an unhurried lap around the market together. Kye kept a trained eye on the hooves of both beasts, his spine erect and head tilted faintly to the side, listening with his body rather than his ears for the sign of anything amiss. A long circle brought us back, and Kye dismounted to shake Reija’s hand.
The Rivean man seemed surprised by the gesture. “I love my horses, just as my brother loves his jewelry,” he said, his gaze drifting to meet mine. “I hope they serve you well. Be careful though. The mare bites.”
Veles grudgingly accepted the trade of the two rings for a thousandúcet, and we spent the next two hours filling our new saddlebags with gear for the road.
Clothes, boots, a pot and pan, water canteens, two bedrolls. Watching our coin dwindle, I tried not to squirm as Kye checked the prices of woolen cloaks, then opted for spools of it instead along with a pair of knitting needles. A fur pelt for each of us, Kye moved on to pile apples, celery, a wedge of cheese, and asmall bag of potatoes into my arms. He added a loaf of bread wrapped in waxed paper on top.
“Don’t buy too much,” I muttered as he mused over a bin of cabbage. Across the field, Sero trotted in wide circles, gaily swishing his tail. Kolibri ignored him, her gaze on me. She perked as our eyes met; her ears twitched forward.
“This is it,” Kye promised. "Though I wouldn't mind a jar of salt and pepper."
After weeks of bland fish and hardtack, I couldn't argue. "There's none in this market?"
"Traders on the sea lost a shipment when pirates stole their ship," said the merchant behind the nearest stand. "You might find spices in smaller markets, but they won't be in Vranna for another week."
Kye clicked his tongue, nodding at the man before we determined we'd loaded ourselves with everything we could. Passing through the stands, I stopped when I spotted a table laden with hats.
“This one.” I snickered, fitting a squashy sheepskin cap on his crown. He raised a brow. Then mashed a ladies’ sunhat with a brim wide enough to make the horizon envious over my head in retaliation.
“Perfect for mountain riding,” I mused in faux enthusiasm.
Kye nabbed it off me. “This one’s better, actually,” he said, dropping a straw hat over my head. Too large, it flopped halfway down my face.
We took turns fitting hats on each other and ignoring the unamused hat merchant until I equipped Kye with a leather riding hat that matched his new black leather jacket and boots, taking a step back to study the effect. The brim sat devilishly low on his forehead, and his lashes somehow looked twice as long over his golden eyes.
My breath hitched, and I caught my mistake too late.
Under the dark edge of that hat, he could ask me for anything with those eyes, and I’d give it to him. I’d bury myself alive if he told me to. Biting my lip, I reached to take it off again, but he spun away, a wry grin spreading the crescent scar over his lip as he paid the merchant for it.
Mihaunaalive, I hoped we didn’t have any arguments on the road. I’d surely win none of them if he opposed me while wearing that.
“Do you need anything else?” he asked. When I shook my head, he licked his lips and opened his mouth, hesitating. “No…womanly…items?”
Slowly lifting my gaze from inspecting the skin of a crimson apple, he met my eyes and raised a brow. Luckily, my last cycle had ended the day we’d arrived at Cynthus Castle. But it would reappear any day now, a certain inconvenience when traveling the open road.
Tucked into a corner of the farmer’s market, people milled around us. Kye’s mouth quirked.
“I’m going to browse over there,” he said, pointing to the carts just across the aisle. “Come find me when you’re done.”
“Alright,” I said, gazing down at the money he dropped into my hand. I didn’t know how to countúcet.Rolling the coins in my palm, I glanced up to find a merchant’s wife watching me from behind a rack of petticoats and bustles.
The woman smiled. “I can help you with that,” she said, her accent as heavy as Reija’s. She held out a pouch, the inside lined with a fabric that reminded me of my old tapa cloth. “Bamboo,” she said, tapping the clean white cloth. “From the Eastern Isles. Very absorbent.”
She sold me three of them, her eyes flicking to Kye as she took myúcet.“Lucky wife, your husband knows a woman’s body.” I opened my mouth to answer her, but surprise knocked the words from my tongue.Wife.
The woman didn’t notice. She’d already turned away, ready to seek out her next customer. I tucked the bamboo cloth into my pocket, turned from the table—and collided into the hard body of a man.
My mouth opened to apologize just as my eyes met his, and I choked on the word. Pockmarks, scars, deep-set eyes. Cold. Tall.
Demyan.
