Page 67 of For the Strange and Surprising

Don’t stay! Get out! Run while you can!

But what if Spiran brought me here to solve this problem?

21

Adelaide

Day Sixteen

Over the last couple of days, the guys have stopped escorting me from my room to my next destination. They’re still keeping an eye on me, but I don’t know how obvious it is to the villagers.

This is all an attempt to lure my assumed stalker closer to me; I get it. The only reason why I’m okay with playing the bait is that it’s giving me some time to be alone and observe the Mongrels.

It doesn’t have a single thing to do with raging hormones and needing space.

It definitely doesn’t have anything to do with Imryll’s clinical explanation or Connak trying to soften the deal.

And the decision most certainly didn’t come from Talodus saying that this would ruin the prince’s day.

But that’s when I agreed.

While I’m thankful for the small freedoms and silver linings, I’m growing bored.

People-watching has been my sole activity for the last three days. I haven’t had the guys around to keep me busy or occupy my thoughts, and I dare say I miss their company.

The Mongrels are still hesitant of me, not that I blame them. Most of them avoid me, which is fine. I don’t want to chat; I want to learn. They do study me while I try to hide my apparent interest in their daily lives, though.

The adults don’t attempt interaction, but the children smile and wave shyly. I’ll never understand why kids like me.

So far, I’ve been able to narrow down several types of behaviors that aren’t worth noting. The people who show polite but distant mannerisms are the first to be knocked off my list. Second, are the odd few who look at me like I’m carrying a plague.

Everyone shows fear differently; that’s not a complex concept to grasp. I happen to know that it makes me reckless.

I’ve witnessed some intriguing things as an amateur sleuth, though. I have to force myself to stop watching the raven-haired woman who walks into the square holding a blonde man’s hand. As he enters a shop, she strolls across the way to kiss another man, and then returns to first to help him carry his purchases. No one bats an eye at the blatant infidelity.

Beyond that occurrence, one other person sticks out more than the rest.

Pavelo Blackwater.

He still rubs me the wrong way. I don’t know why, but I want to get to the bottom of my issues with him.

I’ve only been sitting in the village square for a few hours a day, and for the last three days, I’ve noticed his suspicious behavior. When I spot him, I pull a book in front of my face to peek over the top. I scoff at myself when I think about how shady I must look.

If I have to explain what I’m seeing to anyone, I’ll probably need to find a better descriptive word. He’s acting shady could be a death sentence here.

He wanders around, glancing over his shoulder every few steps until he gets to the footpath between two businesses. Then he leans against the side of the building, his shrewd glare taking stock of who’s watching him. I avert my gaze to avoid eye contact, but I feel his attention like a brand burning my flesh.

Maybe Pavelo makes me uncomfortable because he doesn’t know how to act around people?

I abandon that thought the moment it crosses my mind, because his movements become irrationally jumpy. He’s the weird kind of sketchy that I’ve seen countless times with my sister’s friends.

His posture tenses as he casts one last glance at the Mongrels and pushes away from the wall. I place the book on the bench and slowly move to follow him.

I have no doubts that he can be in the forest on his own, so why does he look so worried about people seeing him?

It’s not the daily trips into the wilderness that make me curious… It’s Pavelo’s body language. Again, sketchy pops into my mind.

I maneuver between the buildings, poking my head around the corner before I emerge. He disappears into the treeline, and I crouch down as I slink behind him.