“For those we miss.”
“And for the lights still waiting to find us,”Rue said.
Brice’s throat tightened unexpectedly as she turned on her lantern.
“For the lights still waiting to find us,” she whispered with everyone else.
The square brightened as the final lantern came to life. Warm gold shimmered against the snow. It was a beautiful sight to behold. Brice scanned the crowd, searching before she could talk herself out of it.
She found Keena near the edge of the square. The enforcer stood half in the shadows. Her face turned toward the lanterns. She wasn’t smiling. She wasn’t even pretending to, but there was something in her expression that made Brice’s heart squeeze tight.
Pain.
Not anger or dislike. Just raw pain.
Then Keena looked toward her. The distance between them felt enormous. Brice didn’t know what passed over her own face, but Keena seemed to see too much of it. Her shoulders tensed and her jaw tightened.
Before Brice could even think about lifting a hand, Keena stepped backwards into the shadows and vanished.
Again.
Brice let out a breath. This time she didn’t feel offended. She was curious.
Why had there been so much pain on Keena's face? She had to be running from something and at the moment, Brice was suspecting that it wasn’t her.
The sky had deepenedto a rich navy blue. The stars glimmered above while snow lazily fell in graceful spirals. The crowd had thinned out and vendors were starting to pack up.
Brice’s feet and back ached.
Her fingers were cold and her cheeks hurt from smiling.
Her book supply was nearly wiped out.
“Not bad,” she murmured. She looked over at the few remaining books and nodded with satisfaction. She had sold far more than she had expected, handed out flyers and had about ten people promising to stop by the store this week. The market had been a great idea.
She began packing the unsold books into two sturdy boxes. She hummed along to thedistant holiday music that played from the bakery stall. Around her, vendors broke down their stalls.
Brice’s voice vibrated. She pulled it out of her pocket and saw a text from Nandi.
Hey! I’ll be over in a sec to help. I’m helping a few others right now then I’ll be over to help break down your table.
With as much as Brice had sold, she should be fine. She sent a quick text back to her.
I can get it. Go home and enjoy the rest of the night.
She tucked the last of the books into a box then bent to lift one of the heavier boxes onto her wagon. It shifted awkwardly in her arms.
“Oh, come on,” she muttered. The box was heavier than it looked. It was packed with the hardcover books and a few holiday anthologies. She managed to get it on the wagon, but when she tugged the handle to test the weight, one of the wheels caught in a rut of packed snow near the curb.
The wagon didn’t move.
She pulled again.
Nothing.
“For the love of all that is holy,” she muttered. She planted one boot against the ground and tugged harder. The wheel jerked free all at once and the wagon lurched toward her. The top box tipped dangerously off to the side as Brice stumbled backwards. “Oh!”
A strong hand caught the edge of the box before it could fall. Another arm slipped around Brice’s waist and steadied her with barely any effort.
