Page 4 of Chasing the Night
Chapter Two
Beautiful Strangers
Chalice
It took two more days to gather the courage for another trip over the bridge. The ground was covered in dew but cleared of corpses this time. On either side of the bridge, dead men had been strung up. It was the only remaining evidence of the recent attacks.
People bustled about, chattering and shopping as they went. It was refreshing and reassuring all at once. I doubted anything would remove the fear of another attack from the back of my mind, but that didn’t change anything—I had to keep going. The world didn’t stop for me or my anxiety.
The three silver I made off Blazian and Reverie were my only incentive to return. It was enough. I'd never made that much off a sale, and while I suspected part of it was charity, I was now emboldened enough to demand such prices for my time and goods.
With the basket cradled before me, I slowly made my way across the damp surface of the bridge and peered to the left. Something about that little shack near the dock teased at my curiosity, but it was so far in the distance, I feared I might find some ill fate in the shadows.
Daytime or not, one shouldn’t linger near the water’s edge. There were many things on the docks, but fishermen were few and far between them.
Smiling and nodding toward the occasional person who met my glance, I paved the way towards the gate. No one of substance lingered out here by the tavern and traveling wares. There were far better shops inside, and of course the customers up there had far more coin to blow.
Just beside the gate, a tall uniformed man lazed against the wall. His eyes were hooded, and a serene smile stilled over his cultured features. He looked capable, but harmless. Likely too deep in the Nirvana Root to be of any threat to me. And yet his eyes followed me.
The closer I came to the gate, the more exposed I felt beneath his gaze. It was the weirdest feeling. Unnerving, and yet exciting.
He said nothing as I passed, which inspired a backwards glance that I wished I’d never taken. He, too, had turned to face my retreating form. His glossy green gaze carried me to Blazian’s shop, where I disappeared into the back, bumping tables and sending spoons to the floor as I went.
“Sorry. Sorry!” I whispered, holding my hands out in front of me and quickly righting things. Blazian stared at me like I had three heads. A knowing look passed from me, to the guard and then back again.
With a rag still in her hand, she moved around the counter and started toward me.
“What did you do to alert Ender?” she whispered, sliding into the other side of the booth. The rag travelled in slow, polishing circles across the top of the table.
“Do? I didn’t do anything,” I whispered again. I started to feel silly with the hushed tone and cast a look over my shoulder. That Ender man hadn’t given chase; in fact, he was very much engrossed in the foot traffic around him. “I just arrived, is all.”
Her eyes narrowed and sparkled. The assessment stretched for what felt like an eternity before she gave a superior nod and sat back a bit.
“He is a good one. Do him right, and he will do you better,” Blazian encouraged. She slapped the table as if it had been a good talk and hauled herself back to her feet. “If you are ever in trouble, Ender is the one you call on.” She stared at me until I felt obligated to nod.
Long before I saw her, I heard Reverie’s infectious laughter. It rang through the market like a burst of sunshine, brightening everyone and everything around her.
“Chali!” she squealed, having almost walked right past me. She turned on her heel and hurried back. Her long slender arms engulfed me before I could scold her for the childish nickname. “How are you, love? I haven’t seen you in days… I declare! Blazian! Blazian sweetie, a drink. We must toast. It’s always a good day to celebrate with friends!”
Her bubbly personality almost drowned me. I found myself shifting back in the seat, but it wasn’t far enough to escape the environment she held under her spell. I opened my mouth to speak but all that came out was a gasp and a laugh when Blazian slid the drinks across the table like they had been waiting on us all along.
I stared down into the thick wine and took the glass by the stem. A simple roll of my wrist made the liquid dance and coat the sides of the cup. That was when I noticed the fingers scissoring for my hair. Reverie pinned a few strands and ran her thumb over the silky dark tresses.
“You’ve beautiful hair. Like my momma!” She said the woman’s name with a proud possessiveness. She stroked the length of the strand until the ends curled around her fingers and spilled back down around my breasts. “So rich and well kept.” She sighed and sat back, finally seeking out her drink.
“I…” Fuck. She had rambled so long, I forgot what I was about to say. “What are we celebrating?”
She paused with the fine-cut glass a few inches from her mouth and dead panned me. A waxed brow chased the question, as if it didn’t deserve an answer. Meanwhile, she set to chasing the bottom of her glass.
“Dare say, that one doesn’t need a reason to drink like a louse.” The voice was crisp and refined.
I, however, stared dumbly at the man before me. I was still trying to figure out how he had gotten off the gate, cut his hair, and shoved his incredible ass into a pair of snug, expensive pants, when he abruptly grabbed his drink and left without paying.
Blazian’s narrowed gaze followed him, as did mine. All the way back to his twin at the gate. My jaw fell, only furthering my ridiculous appearance.
“There are two of them,” I whispered as if I had just discovered one of the wonders of the world.
Reverie giggled, but it was Blazian whose honeyed whiskey voice responded, “Undeniably, exquisitely… doubled.”