Page 8 of Queen of Wrath

That wasn't the type of person I could trust with covering up my marking.

All it would take was the proper bribe amount, and he would sing like a canary.

“No, thank you.” I raised my hand and shook it from side to side as I sunk into my shoulders.

“Then stop gawkin’ and keep walkin’!” he shouted, pointing me in the direction opposite of his shop.

My face twisted, disgusted by how quickly his personality changed the moment he realized he wasn’t about to get anything from me.

At least I know my intuition still works.

I continued on through the city until the buildings began to change from beautiful pure white stone to older gray stone, and then the stone gave way to wood. I had clearly wandered into one of the city's less affluent areas, and found myself more at home than I had felt in many years.

Since no merchants were about, trying to sell their wares, it was quieter around these parts. They wouldn’t exactly get top money for their efforts around here, so likely stuck to the “nicer” sections closer to city central.

Instead, children were playing in the streets while the elderly were sitting at tables playing cards and laughing.

There was a peace here that I hadn't found anywhere else in the city before.

A flood of joy came over me.

An unfamiliar place that feels like home… There must be a word for that.

Just then, a splatter of blue powder hurtled onto my robe and the side of the building I was walking by.

My heightened senses were triggered, and I turned to the culprit with a low growl in my chest. My nails peeled away from my skin as claws formed.

That was until I saw who had thrown it.

Before me stood a young girl. Her blonde hair was wound up into tight curls, and her big brown eyes blinked at me tearfully.

My eyes scanned her up and down, getting caught on the satchel at her side. It was open. Was that where she’d pulled the powder from? I just stood before her, too stunned to move.

“Uh-oh.” She clenched her teeth together and turned as an older woman came running up behind her.

“Darby!” The older woman, likely the girl’s mother, grabbed a hold of the child and pulled her into her skirt. “I’m so sorry, miss! I told her she shouldn’t be playing with those powders out in the open like this.”

Darby was shaking at this point.

Why does she look so frightened?

“We don’t have money to replace your robes, but I know a wonderful cleaner.”

Confused by both their resigned and fearful gazes, looking at me as if they thought I was going to hit them or something, it took me a few seconds to realize that they were expecting me to punish them over this.

Oh, right. I probably look like a noble to them with these clothes on.

I wasn’t sure how to respond. I wanted to comfort them, but my social skills were a little more than rusty. So, I did the only thing that felt right.

A chuckle passed through my lips as I looked down at my robes. “I think it’s a rather astonishing shade of blue don’t you think?”

My eyes flashed up at Darby and winked. She smacked her little blue-stained hands over her mouth and giggled.

“In fact, I think this robe looks much better now than it did ever before.”

“Are you—sure it’s alright?” The mother’s breath was as uneven as her words, still clinging to her child protectively.

“No harm done. It’s just clothing after all. It doesn’t matter.”

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