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My determination to leave also came from a desire to get out of the palace. Oh, it was large and very nice, but I couldn’t shake the sense people were watching me. The whispers had dimmed since the first days, and on the occasion I’d stopped to question someone, they refused to say anything that might get them in trouble, from what I gathered. Which, with Cole’s volatile temper, could be anything.
Of course, if I’d thought that I would blend in on the streets of the capital, I was sorely mistaken. In the palace itself, people regarded me with hidden curiosity, a mix of mistrust, and natural caution.
There was nothing hidden about the looks Daphne and I received as we crossed the palace threshold and walked among the streets.
“Let’s check out the market,” I told Daphne, thinking back to the bazaar I’d gone to when I’d first come to the city. Maybe I could find the secret keeper again and bargain with the cat for more answers.
We were both clothed in modern styles. True to my demands, when I’d awoken that morning, the wardrobe had contained clothing my size and taste, just like the magical wardrobe back in the other palace had provided. Simple black leggings, a ribbed tank top, a leather jacket, and solid boots. Daphne wore a similar outfit with jeans, boots, and a long-sleeved tee.
Our clothing didn’t exactly have us blending in, but we didn’t stand out either. The denizens of Hell were in an unnatural mix of styles. Some wore modern clothing like Daphne and I wore, while others wore distinctly older fashions. Not by a decade, but by centuries. Others, like Cole, tended to wear classic pieces that were harder to place and could be older or newer depending on the cut of the fabric.
“I can’t get over this place,” Daphne mused, openly taking in our surroundings. “It’s sobig.”
Honestly, she’d taken being in Hell much better than I’d expected. We chatted like it was old times as we walked, like it was the most natural thing in the world for us to be in this magical metropolis instead of the Moon-Ghost territory that had been our entire world.
“It’s pretty cool,” I agreed.
We reached the edge of the market and began to examine the stalls. Once again, I felt the stares and whispers, but I did my best to tune them out. It was easier with the bustle of the city noises drowning out the bulk of them while vendors called out to sell their wares and haggle with customers.
“They’re obsessed with you,” Daphne murmured.
I nodded reluctantly. For a lifetime, I’d wanted to be invisible and occasionally succeeded. There was no chance of success here.
Worse, there was also no sign of the cat’s tent. Instead, we browsed the aisles.
We paused at one stall to admire the jewelry. Daphne examined a pair of earrings, which were useless since our healing ability wouldn’t actually let us pierce our ears, while my attention was drawn to a necklace on the edge of the stand.
“You like?” the shopkeeper asked. He was a gruff-looking male, maybe two feet tall, though he stood on a stool behind the counter, bringing him up to my shoulders. His face was covered in a braided beard that reached halfway down the stool.
I smiled in response, feeling a bit awkward. “It’s lovely.”
And it was. In fact, it was the most exquisite piece of jewelry I’d ever seen. Gold wire wrapped around small, red stones at varying lengths, dropping down the centerpiece which resembled the inside of a geode, with more red stones of rough cut on display.
“Oh, that is nice,” Daphne said, looking away from the rings she’d switched her attention to. “It would look great with your hair.”
The shopkeeper made noises of agreement, sensing our interest.
“It’s magical. The chain is enchanted not to break and would expand to accommodate any shape changing. The rubies were harvested from the far lands of this realm and are said to help hone one’s natural gifts.” He pushed the holder towards me. “Try it on.”
“Oh, I shouldn’t,” I protested, but Daphne simply plucked the necklace from the holder and moved around.
The shopkeeper held up a broken mirror shard for me to examine myself once it was secured.
I had to admit, I liked the necklace. Still, I reached behind so I could unlatch the chain.
“It looks so good on you, miss. You should take it.”
“I have no money,” I explained.
“No, no,” the shopkeeper chastised me with outstretched hands. “No charge. A gift from a humble citizen of the kingdom to our queen.”
I froze. “I’m not the queen.”
“Keep it. I will not take it back on my table now that you’ve worn it,” the shopkeeper insisted.
The interaction left me more unsettled than all the whispering in and out of the palace.
Daphne didn’t seem half as troubled as we walked about. We looked at several other stalls, but I didn’t allow us to linger. The last thing I wanted was more gifts.
