Page 28 of Starlit Bargains

“Follow her?” Briar asked, already knowing the answer.

“Naturally,” Kai replied with a grin, his earlier frustration momentarily forgotten.

They kept a careful distance, Kai moving quietly through the underbrush, Briar occasionally flitting ahead to keep the woman in sight when the forest grew too dense. She followed no path that Kai could discern, yet moved with the confidence of someone who knew exactly where they were going.

After nearly half an hour of winding through increasingly unfamiliar territory, the woman paused at what appeared to be a solid wall of thorny bushes. She glanced around—Kai ducked behind a large oak just in time—before pushing aside a section of the bushes to reveal a narrow passage beyond. She slipped through, and the thorns sprang back into place behind her.

“Well, that's not suspicious at all,” Kai murmured.

“Secret passages usually lead to one of two things,” Briar said. “Treasure or trouble.”

“And in my experience, they're often the same thing.” Kai approached the wall of thorns cautiously. Up close, he could see that they weren't ordinary brambles—the thorns had an unnatural bluish tint, and tiny flowers bloomed among them despite the season. “Magic,” he noted. “Old magic, by the feel of it.”

He extended his senses, feeling for the edges of the enchantment. The barrier thrummed with protective energy, but it wasn't designed to keep everyone out—just to remain hidden from those who weren't looking for it. Kai ran his fingers lightly over the thorns, wincing as one pricked his skin. A drop of his blood fell onto the nearest flower, which suddenly glowed and then wilted.

The wall of thorns parted silently, revealing the same narrow passage the woman had taken.

“Blood magic,” Briar observed uneasily. “Always a good sign.”

“It's just a simple recognition spell,” Kai said, though he wasn't entirely confident in his assessment. “Probably checks if you have magic in your blood.”

“Or takes a sample for more nefarious purposes,” Briar muttered, but followed as Kai stepped through the opening.

The passage twisted downward, the forest canopy overhead growing denser until it blotted out most of the daylight. Phosphorescent fungi lined the path, providing just enough illumination to avoid tripping over protruding roots. The air grew cooler, heavy with the scent of damp earth and something sweeter, almost intoxicating.

As they descended further, sounds began to reach them—distant music, the murmur of voices, occasional laughter that didn't sound entirely human. The path finally opened onto a small clearing nestled in a depression that hadn't been visible from above. What Kai saw there made him stop in his tracks.

Stalls and tents of various sizes filled the space, illuminated by lanterns that burned with flames in impossible colors—deep purple, acid green, icy blue. Between them moved figures both recognizably human and decidedly not: tall, thin beings with elongated features; short, stocky creatures with too manyfingers; ordinary-looking people who seemed to flicker at the edges when viewed from the corner of the eye.

A night market. Not just any market, but one clearly catering to those with connections to the supernatural world.

“I've heard rumors,” Briar whispered, her tiny form pressing close to Kai's neck. “The Hidden Market. It moves locations, appears only at certain times. They say you can buy or sell anything here—information, artifacts, even memories.”

“Who are 'they'?” Kai asked, equally quiet.

“Other sprites. We gossip. It's what we do.”

Kai took a cautious step into the clearing, half-expecting to be challenged, but no one paid him much attention. The market's patrons seemed absorbed in their own business, examining wares, haggling with vendors, or conversing in small groups.

“What now?” Briar asked. “We don't even know what we're looking for.”

“Information,” Kai said decisively. “About Eliar. About fallen guardians. About whatever prophecy Madam Wisteria thinks I'm part of.”

They moved through the market, Kai trying not to stare too obviously at the strange goods on display. One stall sold bottled emotions—tiny glass vials containing swirling mists labeled “First Love,” “Perfect Contentment,” “Righteous Fury.” Another offered small, living shadows that followed their purchasers like obedient pets. A third displayed what appeared to be ordinary objects—combs, keys, thimbles—but each had a card detailing its supposed magical properties.

“How do we know which vendors might have actual information rather than just trinkets?” Kai murmured, feeling increasingly overwhelmed by the options.

“Look for the ones selling nothing,” Briar advised. “In places like this, those with the most valuable commodities often display the least.”

Following her suggestion, Kai began to pay more attention to the less obvious presences in the market. He noticed a tent slightly apart from the others, its fabric a deep midnight blue that seemed to absorb light rather than reflect it. No wares were displayed outside, no signs advertised its purpose, but a steady trickle of patrons entered and left, many looking either troubled or triumphant.

“There,” he said, nodding toward the tent. “That looks promising.”

As they approached, Kai felt a strange pressure against his skin, as if the air itself was assessing him. The tent's entrance, a simple flap of the same light-swallowing fabric, rippled slightly though there was no breeze.

"Welcome, seeker," came a voice from within—neither male nor female, neither young nor old, but somehow carrying the weight of considerable time. "Enter, if you dare to know what you seek."

The dramatic invitation nearly made Kai roll his eyes, but he pushed aside the tent flap and stepped inside nonetheless. The interior was larger than the exterior suggested, illuminated by a single lamp that cast a pale, steady light. The walls were lined with shelves holding books, scrolls, and strange artifacts that seemed to shift in appearance when not observed directly.

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