The rest of us silently return to our tent. There won’t be a show tonight.
Kahina cooks us couscous and lamb, and though she’s outside at the fire pit, we can all hear her hacking coughs, a symptom of her snaking sickness, from inside.
She could die next. Or Hawk. Or Unu and Du. Or Nicoleta. Any of us.
I lean my head on Venera’s shoulder and stare at one of Blister’s toy tops lying on the table. Each time I finished making one of my illusions, Villiam gave me a gift for them from him. A birthday gift, of sorts. This is what he gave to Blister, and it always was Blister’s favorite toy. I grab it and spin it. The purple-and-pink-painted swirl spins in a never-ending spiral. Until it stops.
Venera strokes my black hair and twists it around her finger. “Do you think Kahina will mind if I don’t eat anything? I’m not very hungry,” she says.
“She won’t care.” I spin the top again. “Are you going out tonight?”
“I think so. I need to escape for a bit.”
I press my finger on the top’s handle until it slows to a stop. “Be careful.”
“Always am.”
After Venera leaves, Unu and Du gather everyone around for a game of lucky coins to keep us distracted. We clear off the table to make room for our play. The game is mostly luck with a hint of strategy, but, by far, the surest means of victory is a hefty wallet to purchase the best coins. Unu and Du, who save their allowances specifically for this, own the strongest collections. The Beheaded Dame has a nearly indestructible defensive bonus. And the Iron Warrior has no attack penalties. The only one with a collection formidable enough to defeat either of them was Gill.
Halfway through our third game, only my weakest coins still defend my playing field, leaving me wide open to attack. Someone clears their throat outside.
We all pause. “Who is it?” Nicoleta calls.
A man’s silhouette appears by the entrance of our tent. He is a member of Gomorrah’s guard, wearing all black. Villiam must have assigned him to watch over us tonight.
“There’s a boy out here who wants to speak with Sorina,” the guard says. “He calls himself a poison-worker.”
Luca? What would he be doing here? I’m not sure if I am more confused or annoyed that he’d have the gall to pay me a visit.
“What’s a poison-worker?” Hawk asks.
“Just wait here for a minute. I’ll be right back.”
“But the game isn’t finished,” Unu yelps.
“I was going to lose anyway.”
I slip outside to find Luca waiting for me behind the tent. He wears a grim expression. After one look at his hideous, quilted vest and his uncombed blond hair, I am reminded of the details of our conversation last night, and how his words so easily manage to be even more offensive than his clothing. I’m already dreading whatever he has come here to say.
The guard leaves to give us privacy.
“What are you doing here?” I snap. “You made it quite clear yesterday that I wasn’t worth helping.”
“I was wrong,” he says. “I heard about Blister. I’m so sorry, Sorina.”
I cross my arms and turn away. Now he decides that my case is interesting to him? I shouldn’t have sought him out in the first place. Had I been home, maybe I would have noticed Blister wandering off. Instead, I’d been wasting my time.
“You should leave,” I say.
“Please. I want to help you. How are you doing?”
“Are you only being nice because you’reinterestednow?” Luca reddens. Last night he was all wit and calm and I-have-better-things-to-do, but now he fidgets and avoids my gaze. I’m making him uncomfortable. Oh, well. It’s not my job to keep him at ease.
“No. I’m being nice because you look like you need it,” he says. “I have thoughts about what happened. Just hear me out.”
I can tell he won’t leave until he’s had his say, so I let him speak.
“So it could still be a disciple of Ovren, I suppose,” he says, his gaze focused on the grass. “But whoever they are, they do seem to be targeting your...family.”
