His deep chuckle vibrated against her chest. Suddenly her biggest desire at the moment was to repeat steps one through twenty and never leave the sleeping cushion.
“You’ve wanted to travel since you were little. You have done so much for Zirdai. No one will blame you for being selfish.”
True. Yet the King couldn’t help anyone without the taxes. “I can’t be selfish,” she said.
“I know. But you can be smart.”
“I can?”
“Before you agree to investigate the theft, you can negotiate and set some terms.”
“What type of terms?”
“Things like you’ll only do this one job and then you’re done. We go on our merry way.”
“I knew you were more than just a big brute,” she teased.
“Sunbeam, I’m a man of many talents.”
“Oh?”
He moved, and she was pinned beneath him within a heartbeat.
“Allow me to demonstrate.” He dipped his head low and his lips touched very sensitive skin.
“Oooh.”
They woke again at angle zero. Taking their time, they dressed and went out to use the collection stations. They had plenty of angles before they needed to give the King an answer so they descended to level twenty-two to search for Lota’s market stand in the main bazaar.
After a number of inquiries, they found the huge cavern filled with every possible item that a person could ever need or want. Shyla marveled at the sheer scale of the chaos. Rows upon rows of stands lined up with merchants hawking their wares. Shoppers clogged the aisles, bargaining over prices as coins clinked. The noise echoed off the walls and ceiling, amplifying the buzz of voices.
She gawked at the array of clothing. In Zirdai, almost everyone wore a tunic and pants woven from gamelu wool. The fabric was warm and durable and they tended to be dyed in muted colors like brown, tan, dark red, and deep green. Here the citizens’ clothes were dyed in a variety of bright colors. They wore skirts, robes, capes, and wrapped multicolored scarves around their necks or heads or both. Not wound quite like the mercenaries who’d ambushed them, but similar. The women who didn’t cover their heads had styled their hair in elaborate knots. Some had braided their hair in multiple thin braids that hung down their backs.
Rendor clasped her hand before they joined the flow of people.
“Stay close,” he said, inclining his head toward a group of young men. “Thieves.”
“Surely they won’t try anything,” she said.
“Not on me, but you stand out, and they know you’re new to the city—a prime target.”
She touched her hair with her free hand. “But you said—”
“They’re accepting, but sun-kisseds are still rare. They probably know all the local ones.”
“I can take care of myself.”
“I know, but if you hang close to the big brute, they won’t bother you. And you can save your energy for later.” He winked at her.
She laughed. “The big brute comes in handy, doesn’t he?”
“Oh yes. Not many physical challenges. And if they think you’re big and stupid, they’ll underestimate you every time and the advantage is yours.”
They wove through the market, searching for Lota’s stand. Shyla stopped at one place selling scarves. She admired a long thin scarf that was orange and yellow with black silhouettes of sand rats.
“I’ve much prettier prints, my dear,” the seller said. “That design is for the boys. They think rats are creepy and wear it to upset their parents and scare their sisters.”
“Actually, rats are intelligent, loving creatures.” Shyla couldn’t help defending the animals since they’d saved her parents’ lives.
