People are right to be wary though. I might not have magic, but the gems I sellarespecial. They are imbued with their own natural power that is usually linked to an attribute. Most of the gems I sell are for good luck, health, or fortune. At least, this is what I tell my potential buyers. While the stones hum their own tune and are beautiful to look at, they do not give their owners magical powers. Amethyst might offer protection, but it will not make someone immune to pain or stop all bad things from happening to them. Yes, I twist the truth a tiny bit to encourage people to buy them, but I am always careful not to cross the line and suggest that I use magic.
A shadow falls over me, blocking out the sun. “You were only here last week. I thought you were going to lay low.”
I startle at the disapproving voice, knocking several gems from my cart, but release a long breath when I realise who it is that’s snuck up on me. Spinning around my eyes lock onto the figure cloaked in white.
“Caleb,” I hiss out, crouching down to pick up what I dropped. Gems in hand, I twist and place them back on the cart and grip onto the handles tightly to stop me reaching out and smacking him on the arm for scaring me.
He stands in front of my cart and pretends to look through my wares. “You can’t keep doing this Kiara.” Voice lowered, he raises a piece of rose quartz, admiring the way the sun lights it up and shows off the colours running through it. “If you get caught again there is nothing I can do to get you out of it.”
Caleb wears a bright white band that indicates he works for the gods and quickly raising him above us all. We grew up together as children, and for some reason he decided to continue our friendship after he received his rank. Having someone within the faith has been a life saver.
“I needed to make some money. The taxes were raised again,” I respond, trying to keep my voice low, however the singing of the gemstone in his hand is distracting me. “You should take that,” I dip my head, motioning the quartz. “It likes you.”
He lets out a hiss between his teeth and drops the stone onto the cart like it’s burnt him. “This is exactly what I’m talking about! I hope you know what you’re doing, Kiara. The royals are on the warpath and are killing first and asking questions later.” He shakes his head and steps away, his expression severe. “If you were killed…” He trails off, his stare intense before turning and disappearing into the crowd.
Heart pounding, I stare after him. What was that all about, and why has it disturbed me so much?
A glint of light catches my eye and I glance down.
On my cart, the quartz has now gone, and in its place is a silver coin.
Two
My interaction with Caleb has left me feeling unsettled, the feeling sticking with me all day, hovering like a dark cloud above me. He wouldn’t risk associating with me unless it was serious. We have all felt the strong hand of the law, especially recently, but my friends warning is something to take heed of.
I’m risking a lot, selling my gems when the law is clearly looking for excuses to arrest people. Usually, I don my disguise and sell in the market once a month, a strategy that seems to work, allowing my regulars to find me, but not making enough of a nuisance of myself for the guards to get involved.
Caleb was right though, I was only here last week, and if he’s noticed then it’s possible the guards will too. My reasoning is the same as what I told him when he was here. The royals have put the taxes up, meaning the price of everything else rises to cover it. I barely get by as it is, there is no way that I can survive without selling more crystals and gems. Which is why I’m risking everything to be here.
The market is busy today, but that tense atmosphere seems to be turning off buyers. I’ve been wondering if my unsettled mood was manifesting in my manor and putting people off, butI see that all of the stalls seem to be struggling. The females that usually browse the market are huddled in tight groups as they pass, their headscarves pulled around them tightly. Even the children who play by the fountain are uncharacteristically quiet. Has something happened that I’m not aware of?
Scanning the nearby area, I’m on full alert, shifting my weight to the balls of my feet in case I need to run. Nothing looks amiss, just a sea of bronze bands and the occasional white of one of the gods chosen. We don’t see many of the other designations around here, and if we do, it’s never usually for a good reason.
When we hit adolescence we receive a designation, passed down from the gods themselves. A coloured band is then affixed to our arms, showing off that rank. These bands cannot be removed, and even trying to is a crime. There are five of these designations; gold for royalty, silver for the lords and those who work in the palace, white for those who the gods choose as their own, and bronze for everyone else. Finally, there is the black band. Black bands are reserved for the sullied, citizens who have committed atrocities against the gods. They are shunned from society, denied services and generally left to fester and die in a ditch somewhere.
I am one of the sullied.
What did I do to deserve this treatment? I wish that I knew.
Just like those who are granted a white band, the sullied are designated by the gods, and no one questions the gods. One day, I was happily living my life as a bronze, and then I was dragged into the market square and redesignated. My entire life was flipped on its head.
Those that I thought of as friends rejected me, even my own father turned his back on me. My mother died when I was young and Caleb had already been called to work for the gods. I had no one and I had to learn to take care of myself.
Thankfully, I have always been able to think on my feet and adapt to situations. Shifting the dark veil that covers the lower part of my face, I carefully check to make sure that my band is obscured by the fabric. It needs to look accidental. As though my thoughts bring it to life, the band starts to burn and I fight the urge to touch it, to check it. Instead, I focus on the gems remaining in my cart.
It's been a slow day, having only sold a small piece of tiger-eye to a young man, and of course the piece of rose quartz that Caleb bought earlier. While I don’t want his charity, I won’t deny that the silver he left me for the quartz is going to be a huge help. That coin alone is enough to feed me for a week. He knows I wouldn’t have just taken the money from him, so he made sure to buy something from me. Not that he believes that my gemstones do anything other than look nice.
I wasn’t lying about the quartz though, the sweet hum it made when he touched it was enough to bring a smile to my lips. He had to take it, it was meant for him. Sometimes I just get this feeling, a tug almost, and I know what someone needs. It doesn’t always happen, but every time it has, I’ve always been right.
Rose quartz is one of my favourite gemstones, symbolising unconditional love in all forms, whether that’s for family and friends, oneself or a loved one. A calming stone that helps to strengthen bonds. It hums so sweetly.
I’m actually surprised that of all the stones, that was what had called to Caleb. He isn’t one for sentimental bonds, in fact, I would have expected Onyx to be the one that spoke to him. This is a stone of strength and intelligence, something that my stoic friend channels as easily as breathing air. However, when the stones do speak, it’s usually offering something that the clientneedsrather than what theywant.
Is Caleb interested in someone? Could that be why the stone spoke to him? Ever since he received his white band, I’ve neverseen him involved with anyone, his focus fully on his calling. If this is the case then he needs all the help he can get.
Smirking slightly beneath my veil, I glance around for potential customers. A group of three women and a couple of young children approach, the eyes on one of them snagging on my cart.
“May luck and health be bestowed upon you,” I call out, my voice lowered in attempt to make me seem older. “Gems from the dark mountains for all needs and ailments.”
