Veiled Innocence (Book One, The Soul Cycle) (10 page)

The M
arketplace
overflowed
with the hectic hustle and bustle of business as Accalians bartered with one another while others tried to draw more attention to their booths. Everything from fresh fish to fine silks was represented in the square, which served as the main outlet for shopping within the city.

Lian looked at her sister and half-smiled.
Oh, the irony.

When Ana was younger, she would rather be caught dead than to be seen amongst the peasants. Now that knowledge of Asilee’s recession had spread and trade had dwindled next to nothing, Ana never hesitated to splurge the citizen’s taxes on whatever new trinket caught her eye.
Luckily for her she’s marrying a rich husband,
Lian thought dryly. While Ana-Elise had never wanted for anything, Lian had been lucky to rec
eive a simple “Happy Birthday.”

Though it was still well above midday, the busiest time, it had already become
a hassle just to walk around, but despite the increasing noise
,
their attendants remained steadfast and alert. The guards, led by Gabriel, cleared paths through the throng so they could move about more freely, and the servants carried the purchases of Ana-Elise. 

Ana-Elise took her time examining wares, and she made no
attempt
to hide
her disdain when something didn’t meet with her expectations, often to the sorrow of a disgruntled merchant. 

The earlier excitement of her sister asking her to go still bubbled inside Lian, concealed by a layer of nerves she had not expected. Several times she started to say something only to back into silence once more. She studied Ana-Elise as they walked and listened intently to her conversations, trying to figure out something to say. To her dismay, the more she observed her, the more she came to realize she knew absolutely nothing about her, save for the fact Ana had a taste for the elite, the expensive, and the rare. She bought only the finest items, a jeweled broach, exotic dyed fabrics, and delici
ous pastries Lian had never heard of or tasted before.

Lian kep
t to herself and bought nothing. N
ot that she would be able to afford anything at the booths her sister chose anyway. Upon their arrival, Ana had given her a small satchel that would have gone a long wa
y at another part of the market
but would not even buy her half the monetary worth of the items they now browsed. She wondered where Ana’s spending money came from, with the
duke
falling further into debt every day. It irritated her. She wondered if Ana
had asked Alastor for the money
or if he had given it to her out of some misplaced adoration. Either way, if he indulged her whims, he was much too kind and simple for his own good.

That wasn’t the only problem. Even if she did like what she saw – and she didn’t –
she
was too distracted to focus on shopping. Gabriel hovered at her side, making it increasingly difficult to pay attention. Each time she turned her head, she caught him watching her with a small smile on his lips and the same intensity in his eyes she had seen after her lesson before Orris had interrupted them.

She peered
over
her shoulder
,
and there he was, casually leaned against a table a few feet from her with his arms crossed over his chest. His eyes instantly met
hers
,
and he smiled. Blushing, she
quickly pretended to
gaze
down the row of booths past him. He chuckled, deep and warm, making her heart pound that much harder.

“Did you hear me?”

“Pardon?” she blurted, snapping her head forward. Ana-Elise was staring at her with clear an
noyance. “I’m sorry,” Lian said.
“I don’t believe I caught that.”

Ana-Elise closed her eyes and sighed as shadows flickered across her face. When she opened them, her cool composure had slipped back into place. “I said, ‘Do you not see anything to your liking?’”

Lian’s mouth gaped open for a second before she snapped it shut. Ana-Elise hadn’t realized how little money she had given her. 

“Oh,” she said, struggling to piece together an acceptable explanation for her lack of purchases. “I’m simply enjoying spending time in your company.” In a way, it was true. She couldn’t pinpoint how actually being around her sister made her feel; something close to pride and hope mingled with happiness. Yet it was also disquieting and made her incredibly anxious. “I confess, I don’t have much of an appetite for shopping,” Lian said softly, suddenly filled with the urge to reveal pieces of herself to the beautiful stranger before her.

Ana-Elise wrinkled her nose and eyed
Lian’s
cream-colored dress with cold scrutiny. “Yes, I can see that.” Then she turned, gathered her skirts, and stepped onto the street toward another booth. 

Lian turned
deep crimson and ducked her head as she slid into place several paces behind Ana-Elise. Gabriel walked alongside her, his earlier nonchalance replaced by a grim frown.
I must look like an imbecile to him.
She twisted the skirt of her dress in her hands, soaking the soft
cream material with sweat,
and watched
the way Ana’s lavender chemise caught what little light managed to escape the dense cloud cover.

Since when do I care what she thinks of me? Ana’s indifference never bothered me before.
Could her nerves still be edgy? Or…

She looked at the necklace, tucked away on her bosom.

Could it be this crystal’s tampering with my emotions?
No, that’s completely ridiculous.

Miserable, she looked around,
trying to avoid Gabriel
’s eyes
. A young girl not much older than
her
stood
by one of the booths across the street.  She was of some social status; her clothes were fine enough, but they looked ragged and faded. Lian didn’t miss the mud ca
ked around the hem of the skirt
nor the small babe in the girl’s arms. 

One of the guards halted the carriage traffic long enough to let them slip across the street. They were about halfway across when the girl rushed forward and fell to h
er knees before Ana-Elise. “My L
ady,
” she said, “p
lease help me. I’m recently widowed. My husband was a brave man, and faithfully served the
duke
for years. I have no means of supporting myself and my children. Surely your ladyship can spare a few coins?”

Now that the girl was closer, Lian noticed the small bump beneath her dress. She was with child. 

The girl kept her gaze on the ground as the baby
in her arms
began crying. “Please help me,” she whispered. Her voice trembled. Lian blushed, not sure what to do, and tried her best not to stare.

Ana-Elise didn’t
even
look at the girl. She motioned a guard forward, and he seized the girl by the arm. He pulled her up and led her away while Ana-Elise continued across the street without a second glance.

The guard released the woman once she had been dragged what he deemed to be a safe distance away before
rejoining
the party. 

Lian took one look at him and then back at the girl, who
bega
n weep
ing
. People milled about her as if she wasn’t there at all.

Lian watched her with pity.
I know that feeling. It’s how I feel at
the fortress.
She eyed the small satchel of coins tied around her wrist.

Without another thought,
she
separated herself from the group and jogged across the street to the girl. “Here,” she said, undoing the coin satchel Ana-Elise had given her. “This should help.”

The girl’s face lit up with awe as she hesitantly reached out to take the satchel. “Th – thank you.” She smiled and started to bow.

“No,” Lian said, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. “Your gratitude is enough.”

The girl nodded, eyes shining. “Thank you,” she whispered. 

Lian smiled, feeling like a huge weight had been lifted from her. She turned and stepped off the curb, feeling light as a feather.

“That was very admirable.”

Lian grinned and turned around to face Gabriel, who had snuck up behind her. She shrugged. “
She needed it more than I did.”

Gabriel smiled. “You would make a good monarch. And a good wife,” he added softly.

Something in his tone caug
ht her breath, and for a moment
all the sights and sounds faded away
until
it was only the two of them in the square.
The way he’s looking at me now… could he actually feel the same way? Could he ever feel that way about me?

Lian
blinked, and the ruckus of the M
arketplace came rushing back to her. She shook her head and
cleared her throat
. “Shall we?
”
What’s wrong with me? Why do I feel so beside myself with butterflies?
It was true she s
ometimes grew nervous around Ga
briel when he was extremely close, but most of the time
,
his company made her comfortable.

He didn’t seem fazed by her sudden nervousness, and together they returned to their
shopping party
, walking side by side and chatting amiably with one another.

The afternoon wore on
,
and the day grew warmer as Ana-Elise’s purchases mounted. The servants stumbled about, straining under the weight of her goods, but Ana didn’t seem to notice. 

Near dusk, when no one was watching, Lian quietly slipped away. She rounded the corner of a large, old building and let out a long breath. The city air smelled bad, even in the square. The square was one of the nicer parts of the city, but she knew better than to believe that it could remain that way for long when the rest of the metropolis was falling prey to crime and decay. 

“
You would make a good monarch.
”

She could turn things around, rebuild the city to its former glory. But she would never get that chance. Alastor’s kingdom would merge with Accalia once he and Ana married, and they would assume leadership. She wasn’t so much worried about Alastor doing right by the people as she was Ana.

She paced in front of the stone steps, feeling restless and agitated.
She wanted to speak to her sister about the matter, but she knew that wasn’t entirely appropriate, nor was she certain Ana would listen. If anything, it would most likely offend her, and who could blame her? She would probably feel the same way if someone marched up to her and tried to tell her how to rule her kingdom.

A feather the color of oi
l glided on the breeze past her, interrupting her brooding and catching her eyes instantly.
It was beautiful and sad at the same time, but she didn’t know why it made her feel that way.

It danced in the air in front of her, inviting her to take it. She reached out and grasped its slender shaft.
Something
happened t
he seco
nd her fingers grazed the shaft;
a sharp, pricking sensation spread through her fingertips, like something burrowed inside her skin. Shaking her hand out, she examined the shaft, running a finger along it and finding no rough patches or briars
that could have
prick
ed
her. The shaft was sleek; the feathers smooth,
soft
,
and warm, like it had
recently
fallen from its owner. She ran her fingers over its glossy vane, thinking of all the places it could have been. Maybe it had dislodged itself from the wings of a great beast, or
maybe
it was an enchanted feather that would grant her special powers to save her people, l
ike in the old stories.
Smiling softly
at her silly theories
, she twirled the feather bet
ween her thumb and index finger, feeling something slick
along her thumb.

At
first, she didn’t see anything, and then she noticed a
thick, red smudge had appeared against her pale skin.  Intrigued, she held her hand up to her face to examine it closer. It looked like blood.
Had she pricked herself after all?

The feather became slippery and harder to hold onto.

What the –

It was covered in blood, so much that it
began dripping
onto the sidewalk.

She gasped, letting go of it, but it clung to her hand. The street began spinning as she frantically tried to shake it loose.
Blood, so much blood everywhere…
 

A shadow passed over her
,
and she looked up. A large, black animal with orange eyes a
nd jagged teeth loomed over her, as big as a bear but with the body of a lion.
Time slowed as she stared at the demon eye to eye,
her
mouth gaping open
in shock and terror
.
Time seemed to s
low, and t
he only sound she heard was the beating of her own heart.