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I wasn’t the only one to arrive early, and I nodded at the familiar faces as I passed. I’d arrived so early today that there wasn’t a line for once in my usual place, and I felt a sense of relief. I could take my time this morning, arrange thingsjust so.
And most importantly, I could keep an eye out for Lorik.
But the morning came and went. Lorik didn’t show. He was nowhere to be seen. And in between fulfilling orders and stashing away coins in my pouch, chatting with customers who always asked probing questions about the Black Veil and how I could stand to live in such a desolate empty place, and dodging any sympathetic comments about my sister—which I still received even now…I never saw him once.
As the morning stretched into the afternoon, I started to get worried. He’d never missed a market day, and he’d said his summoning was urgent. What if something had gone wrong? What if…what if he was injured?
I sold the last of my potions long before the market was over. And still, I sat at my stall. I ventured over a food stand selling smoked-meat sandwiches with root chips, and it tasted like ash in my mouth. I wandered the market, my purse of coins clinking noisily against my hip, though I tried to keep it muffled so a brazen thief didn’t get any ideas.
But as vendors began to pack up their carts, I felt a slump of defeat, worry, and disappointment. And I began to do the same.
I finished quickly, now eager to leave because the dark could come soon and I didn’t want to trek through the Black Veil at night. But I could hear the crunch of footsteps behind me as someone approached.
“I’m all out of everything,” I told them when they cleared their throat. I had my back turned, had been used to saying the words all afternoon. “I’m sorry.”
“Never thought I’d hear those words coming from your lips, Marion,” came a familiar voice.
My teeth grit, a surge of distaste going through me, even though I’d decided to try to move on.
Remember what you decided,I told myself.
When I turned, I saw Veras there. His guard stood a handful of paces away, giving us the illusion of privacy.
“Veras,” I greeted as politely as I could manage. Just because I’d decided to move on…it didn’t mean I had to like him. I likely never would.
His smile was small, his eyes assessing as he studied me and my cleared table. I imagine other females would find him very attractive—Aysia certainly had—but I just felt nauseous thinking about him in that way.
“Good day at the market?” he asked.
“It always is,” I said back, raising a brow. When his lips quirked, I blew out a small breath, casting a look to the sky, at the sinking sun. “Habit. Seeing your face just brings out the bitch in me.”
Veras barked out a sharp laugh. “I’m one of the only Allavari who wouldn’t take offense toyoutelling me to fuck off, Marion. For others? Not so much.”
“Why are you here?” I asked, ignoring what went unspoken—that he treated me differently than he treated others. Because of Aysia. “Market days aren’t usually your priority as you make your rounds.”
“I told you before—I’ve always watched out for you, Marion.”
“But you never needed to show your face to do it,” I said back, tossing the hole-ridden tablecloth into my empty cart. I needed to speak to the witch before I left, to schedule her to come to the Black Veil soon, and I was suddenly impatient to leave.
“I’ll walk you back,” he said after a lengthy silence. He wasn’t dressed in his usual clothes. He looked almost…casual. Gray pants and a black coat, though both were still expertly tailoredwith a talented hand. His boots even had a scuff on them. “It’s getting dark.”
“I don’t need your help.”
“I’m not asking,” he murmured, his eyes straying behind me to the line of trees in the distance. “The Black Veil has seen more and more Severs coming through.”
I jerked my head up to him. “What do you mean?”
“Just that the activity is increasing,” he told me, his gaze returning to mine. “My guard and I will escort you back to your property line. We won’t step foot inside. Then I’ll leave. You don’t even have to speak to me on the journey, but there is something I want to say to you.”
I knew it,I thought, both worried about what he’d tell me for Lorik’s sake and annoyed because he likely wanted something from me. An antidote for one of his men, perhaps? He’d asked before.
“I don’t have any more night nettle for antidotes,” I informed him.
“It’s not that,” he said, smiling.
“I still have to talk to the witch.”
He shook his head. “I’ll pass on your request to her tonight. I’ll be in that direction anyway for a dinner party.”
