Page 14 of Of Glass and of Gold

Any onlookers who didn’t know us would assume I was the help, and my stepsisters were the upper class based on our attire. Though their capes and matching gloves were out of season, they were in nearly pristine condition. Easy to keep them that way when they weren’t the ones running all the errands.

“Let’s go see that one!” Kenzie pointed excitedly, yanking Melody’s arm to follow.

I rolled my eyes. We’d already stopped at four booths on the outskirts of the market, a reason I dreaded taking Kenzie. “We need to get your mother’s thread,” I groaned, knowing my lecture wouldn’t make a difference.

“Oh Mel, look at this!” Kenzie picked up and stroked a scarf made of fur. Once upon a time that could have been a luxury we afforded, but unless Melody married rich, fashion like that was now a pipe dream.

My gaze wandered around the market from boredom. Kenzie would look at every singular piece for sale before we could move on. I sighed.

Through a break in the crowd, I spotted Alejo at the bakery stand. A flashback to us huddled in the darkened corner of a busy bar sprung to mind. They’d told me to reach out to them if I was interested.

The excitement of snooping around for clues about the recent abduction had distracted me, plus kicking a random dude’s ass. I bit back my smile to avoid looking like a fool. Now that a new day had come, and I’d been reminded of the interaction we’d shared at the tavern, a new set of doubts weighed heavily on my shoulders. It was dangerous, the things they’d spoken about. If the wrong person had so much as overheard, I think we all could have been hung.

Truthfully, I didn’t have an answer yet. Their plan sounded great in theory, but I had responsibilities to take care of. I highly doubted that Hamish Caine would simply forgive my father’s debt if I couldn’t fulfill it. After all, my father dying wasn’t enough to absolve it. It’d just been passed down to me since the age of fourteen. If Caine thought a child working at a pub reasonable, who knew what else he’d inflict upon my family?

My gaze flitted to Melody, whose golden hair glistened in the daylight. She adorned that sweet, warming smile, even while interacting with her brat of a sister. Melody didn’t deserve to be subject to a grueling life of labor for no pay. Plus, I didn’t know if she could handle it.

While it made me a little giddy to envision Kenzie working off the debt, I knew it’d break her, too. The thought of Eucinda stepping up was laughable. Getting out of her beloved chair to work on her feet in a tavern filled with the lower class? Never.

If none of them could shoulder the burden, they’d lose the house. Maybe even their lives if Caine wanted to make examples of welching on a debt. If forced out on the streets, I feared what their lives would be subjected to, especially with the slew of kidnappings still happening.

Resolve bubbled in my gut. As much as payback made my skin tingle in an exhilarating fashion, the pull to save my family and find out who was behind the kidnappings was stronger. Alejo and Gregory said they had others, so maybe they wouldn’t need me after all. If they could succeed without me, I’d still revel in their glory.

Increased chatter in the already vibrant afternoon crowd drew my attention. As soon as I saw the line of approaching carriages and the telltale blue flags, my mood curdled like old milk.

“Let’s go,” I barked at my sisters in an attempt to get out of here without delay.

Melody turned, looking me up and down to figure out the reason for my abrupt declaration.

“What has gotten into y—” Kenzie paused, catching sight of the navy banners as quickly as I had. Except, unlike me, her face lit up. “Oh! It’s the prince!” She jumped up and down in place, rattling Melody’s arm.

Melody also brightened with intrigue, and my abdomen tensed. Getting them to leave before the royal show would be more difficult than getting drunkards at The Thirsty Tankard to quit spilling their ale.

Part of me considered fleeing. Walking the half a block to the house, shutting myself away from whatever insensitive display was about to unfold here. But returning without my sisters would only mean more trouble, and I’d be damned if the prince was the reason I endured reprimand.

The parting crowd making way for the castle’s convoy tossed us around like a ship on the sea. My vision could spin from the anger brewing inside me. What a perfect representation of everything the prince stood for; his people being pushed around, forced to suffer, all so he could do whatever his heart desired without repercussion.

If I had any magic in my blood, I’d curse the royal line for treating us this way.

Though that would come with its own set of problems. Dislike of magic was common in South Harbor, hence why Melody had such trouble finding a suitor that accepted her gift. With her first husband, Eucinda had thought blessing her daughter with magic could help them survive, give them an advantage in this world. Then she’d found my dad and insisted Melody hide away that part of herself for fear of societal ruin.

Once the convoy moved past, the crowd eased, filtering toward the stage.

“Let’s go!” Kenzie grabbed Melody’s hand, and together they sprinted toward the square.

Stiffening muscles wanted to lock me in place, but if I lost the girls in the sea of people and we arrived staggered back at the house, I would only suffer. Fuck the prince.

“Wait!” I shouted as they weaved into the crowd. I hurried to catch up, dreading that I’d be forced to listen to, and see, that pompous cad.

6

Nicholas

The smile on my face didn’t reach my eyes, even after the crowd erupted in deafening excitement.

They rejoiced, joy sparking anew for their future like the the reviving warmth of a summer sun after a harsh, cold winter with this juicy piece of gossip. Exactly as Ricks devised it to be. After today’s tour, it wouldn’t take long for the entire kingdom to be made aware. My morning meal sat like a rock in my stomach.

Resistant or not to the idea, I had agreed for a reason. I could see the very shift before my eyes. Faces once bearing an annoyed look at my presence were now alight. Even broody old men seemed consumed by the news, if only temporary. Maybe if my lungs didn’t scream to burst out of my ribs, away from the caging restriction, I would also enjoy the thriving jubilation now filling the town.

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