“Blood, Vencrin area,” she whispers so softly I almost don’t catch it.
“Vencrin?” I ask.
“A local gang, bunch of criminals who sell drugs like Bloodlurst to anyone with a piece of silver to their name.”
I’ve heard of Bloodlurst before, a red powder that can enhance one’s power. One medical report at the academy detailed how addictive and destructive the substance is. It’s killed people. I try to remember its exact effects while the girl continues.
“I don’t know why they would be interested in firelight unless…”
“What?”
“Unless they’re trying to undermine the Belwars.”
“Or simply turn a profit,” Kalyan suggests.
“Yes.” She nods. “That’s more likely. But this feels personal.”
“Personal?” I ask.
She doesn’t answer my question, just gives Kalyan a determined look. “I need to go.”
“Are you sure you—”
“Please, I can’t go to Azure Palace, or wherever you are headed. I need to get back.”
Kalyan turns to give me a look, then thumps on the carriage three times in Samik’s direction. The coach slows and then lurches to a stop. The boy scoots close to the door, ready to burst from his confinement.
The girl glances at the boy and then shuffles closer to me. For a moment, I believe she wants help out of the carriage and I reach for her extended hand.
“Can I have the firelight?” she asks. I pull off an awkward maneuver to mask wanting to hold her hand. Read that one wrong.
“Oh, ah, yeah.” I give the firelight to her and feel cold again.
“Here, kid.” She tosses the orb and he catches it with fumbling hands. “Tell your mom if she has any red magic to add a little every day and it can light a whole fireplace formorethan two months.”
“Thanks.” The boy smiles and then plunges into the street.
The girl hops down. “Well, thank you.” She pauses and I can see she’s clearly deliberating. “I’m sorry this was such an…awkward meeting.”
“Are you sure you’re feeling okay?” I want her to say no. I want her to keep talking. There is obviously so much I don’t know, about firelight, the Belwars, and her.
“Yeah, I’m fine. You could say I’m the kind of person who when knocked down can get right back up again.” She stares pointedly at Kalyan. Then something amazing happens: her eyes shift to me, and she smiles, a laughing smile, like we have shared some kind of joke. In the next sweep of a second she’s gone. It’s like magic vanishing into thin air as you’re still trying to determine the spell. The carriage pitches forward again as if nothing has happened at all.Did any of that just happen?
“Blood!” I curse.
Kalyan starts. “What?”
“I never asked her name.”
I can’t believe he didn’t recognize me or at least suspect who I was. While I’m shocked, pride also slithers in. I’m winning this one. I have the upper hand after all. But how could he not have figured it out? I gave him such clues, practically waited for him to ask.
At the end, a part of me wanted to tell him, let him off the hook so our next meeting wouldn’t be even more awkward. But I couldn’t do it. I’ll let the awkwardness fade, the memory settle so that it can wear away a bit at the edges. I only now seem to process that I met Jatin, sat across from him. It’s almost laughable, but my anger at the Vencrin balances the scales or absolves the embarrassment. Five silvers!Five.
It takes me ten minutes of hard walking to get back to Basu’s. I had hoped the hike would calm me and get my head straight so I can properly threaten Basu and get to the bottom of this. Nope, the issue dwells for half a mile.
Children run up to me, materializing from the alleyways and into the bright streaking sun. I’m dirty, with a tear in my skirt, but the gleam of my silks must still smell of opportunity.
“Ten coppers, ten coppers,” they say, all smiles and big eyes. Hands reach upward, some with a Touch wrapped around their wrists, others naked. I search for my small sack of coins. But it’s gone. That boy, whose arms wound around me, tears rolling down his checks. That sneaky little—
