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As villagers passed by and glanced toward the group, Kallie noticed Myra from the corner of her eye pulling at the sleeves of her dress. Dani's head turned around at Kallie's voice and glared at Myra, sending daggers with her eyes. Myra's hands fell instantly.
Finally, Graeson answered her, "You'll see soon enough."
Fynn passed the two shops, heading down an alley off of the main street that sank into the shadows. At the end of the alley, an old man sat atop an empty barrel, carving slivers of bark off a small chunk of wood outside a door. As they approached, he jerked his head toward the door, barely glancing at them.
"Always a pleasure, Jinks," Fynn said, then headed inside.
As Kallie passed Jinks, she observed the piece of wood in his hands. The man's body cast it in shadows, but from the light that seeped out the opened door, Kallie caught a glimpse of a tiny, wooden dagger in his hands. His eyes snapped up to meet hers, and the wooden dagger snapped in his eyes. His blade knocked it just right.
Jinks looked down, his brows knitting together in the center of his forehead. He glared at Kallie as though it was her fault the wooden object broke in his hands.
Kallie quickly looked away and hustled inside, shrugging off the feeling the man’s accusatory gaze left on her skin.
On the outside, the entrance gave off the impression that it was the back door of one of the shops. And in part that was true, for one of the main shops did have access to it. But instead of turning toward the shop door, Fynn led them down a set of cobblestone steps and toward another door.
Kallie asked Graeson again, "Now will you tell us where we are?"
"The Cavern of Catius," he said nonchalantly as if she would know what that meant.
She didn't.
"Who's Catius?" Kallie asked.
Graeson smiled. "One of Pontanius' many children. He was a little more . . . rebellious than his siblings. The place is named after him."
As Fynn stopped before the door, a small rectangular piece of wood slid across. Inside the small window, a pair of green eyes peered through.
Graeson bent down toward Kallie and Myra to not disrupt the conversation between Fynn and the green-eyed figure. "The cavern of Catius is a place where everyone's identity is as deep of a secret as the barrels of alcohol—and the barrels here are endless."
Kallie raised her brows in question, but before she could voice it, the door opened, and the smell of cigar smoke wrapped around them.
As she walked through the threshold, she felt a sensation brush over her skin. She stopped in her tracks. "What was that?" Kallie asked, scanning the room in alarm.
Graeson smiled and whispered so only she could hear. "That, little mouse, was the doorman's gift. He is the one who hides people's identities. The only people who will recognize you are those you walked in with—and the doorman, of course."
Kallie surveyed the doorman who had returned to his seat, a newspaper in hand.
"Seems like a strange use of such a gift," Kallie mumbled to Graeson.
If Domitius got his hands on this type of gift, there was no doubt in Kallie's mind that he would use it to his advantage. But Kallie supposed that was one of the ways he and Esmeray differed.
Graeson shrugged. "We're not at war. And even then, no one is forced to use their gift a certain way."
Kallie hesitated, wanting to ask more questions, but with Graeson urging her forward, she set her questions aside.
The others were gathered around a table with an array of masks scattered on it. Some resembled the gods, while others took the shape of a variety of animals.
Kallie whispered, "If our identities are secret, then why the masks?"
At the same time, Myra picked up a mask in the shape of a bull, turning it around in her hands. Graeson reached past her, claiming a matte black mask with silver embellishments.
And Kallie's attention was glued to the mask in Myra's hand. It had been three weeks since she had seen Domitius. The lightness she had been feeling before dwindled. Her skin itched as guilt perpetrated through her veins. But before she could worry too much about the past, Dani's voice dragged her back to the present.
"For fun, of course! Because if we're being honest, even if our identities were not kept secret, a small mask would do nothing to protect it." She grabbed a mask that resembled the top half of a fox and held it to her face. Fynn made quick work of the tie at the back of her head, securing the mask in place. "So it's ironic, you see?"
Myra put the bull mask down, grabbing another one. This one was a golden faun with intricate beading. She turned around, and Kallie tied the golden ribbons into a bow that flowed down her waves.
Scanning the table, Kallie's gaze locked onto a black mask made of stiff lace that was adorned with red gems throughout in the shape of a wolf. She smirked to herself. If Graeson wanted to play a game, then tonightshewould be the predator. Kallie reached back to tie her mask underneath her ponytail. As she began to tie it, a pair of coarse hands slid over hers, stealing the ribbons from her fingers. Graeson stepped closer to her, the heat of his body pressed against her. Kallie swallowed and adjusted her mask. Graeson tightened the ribbons and tied them around the ponytail.
