Page 45 of Marked

Sley slowed to a stop in front of me and held up her finger. She bent over and braced her hands on her knees, breathing hard.

“Are you okay?”

She nodded and continued to wheeze. Nala leaned forward and sniffed at her head as if to make sure she was alright.

“That was a pretty impressive run, there, Sleyer.”

“Phaan…you.” She reached out to scratch behind Nala’s ear.

“I’m not your type,” I said.

She chuckled and shook her head before finally straightening. Her gaze sparkled with mischief.

“Did you just want to run dramatically across town, or…”

She leaned in. “Or I found another clue.”

My eyebrows rose.

“And maybe I’ve always wanted to dramatically run through town.”

“In your head was I a seven-foot phaanon warrior?”

She waggled her eyebrows at me.

I snorted, shaking off my unease from my conversation with Maria. I didn’t want to tell Sley about it, because she’d rampage through town and chew everyone out for doubting me, which may or may not help my case as far as my reputation in this town went. “What did you find?”

“It wasn’t just dry storage,” she said. “They also took wool and leather.”

I froze, my mind instantly travelling to thoughts of the men from the forest attack. “What colour wool and leather?”

Sley grimaced. “Undyed.”

I scrunched my nose. It wasn’t definitive proof linking the two events, but it definitely made me pause. The wool could’ve been dyed green. Someone in town could’ve supplied the rogue hunters with Perga’s supplies.

Sley waited patiently in front of me while my brain worked.

“The hunters that attacked me wore wool and leathers,” I explained.

“Everyone wears wool and leathers. It’s winter.”

I nodded. “But there might be a connection.”

“It would be a phaan of a coincidence if they’re unrelated.” She paused and bit her lip. “You killed them all, right?”

“All the ones that attacked me, yes.”

“I guess if the thefts stop, we’ll know why.” Sley tapped her chin.

“Agreed,” I said. “Assuming the thefts you discovered all occurred before the attack. But…” My mind went over the chain of events.

“But?”

“But you found the door open to the storage house after I killed those hunters.”

“So there’s at least one person involved who survived?” She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. “What now?”

Warmth spread across my chest as my plan formed in my mind. “I’m going home to eat and then I might go see what I can find out about the rogue hunters. Maybe I’ll find your thieves along the way.”