Page 32 of Unbetrothed

Oh, Ancient One, help!How did Zichri and all the men get past the wards? The wards should have held soldiers back unless … another ward disappeared. Maybe, a ward would not prevent men dressed like merchants from passing into our city even if they were Himzo soldiers. I should have paid more attention to my brother’s friend at the ball. All I had thought about was how Cosme pulled me away from Lux.

Milo got to his feet, and I saw the warrior in him. The stern expression, his muscular form, the way he carried himself. All of it screamed soldier. How daft of me for not noticing before. The clerk trembled under Milo’s cold stare. I might shake too if I was the recipient.

Standing to break the tension, I said in my daintiest voice, “Good sir! The men only mean to retrieve what was stolen from us ladies.”

The clerk didn’t break eye contact with Milo. “Miss, we’re an independent village. We take care of our own and allow visitors to pass through as long as they stick to themselves.”

“What of justice for someone like me?” I lifted my chin.

“Justice is a funny thing. Everyone seeks it for themselves and twists it for their cause. We are no different here.” The clerk dared to look away from Milo and met my gaze. “You have a pretty face. I can see why the Himzos took to you and your friend, but I wouldn’t trust them. They travel outside their borders, and I ’spect they’re looking to stir trouble abroad.”

“That’s enough, old man.” Milo grimaced. “You presume much.”

Milo insisted I gather our things upstairs. I hesitated but obeyed him even though my heart pounded as I scampered to our rooms. I collected the little Zichri left behind and my small satchel while begging the Ancient One for the clerk to be wrong. The weight of the old clerk’s words stiffened my shoulders. I raced down the stairs and halted before reaching the last step.

The clerk laid on the floor, cheek swollen and shouting at Milo, leaving me no doubt about what had transpired.

Blas plowed into the dining room. Upon seeing the clerk, his face enlivened with a smirk. I didn’t blame him for it either. The clerk reminded me of a beetle stuck on his back, trying to get to his feet. He spat foul words in Blas’s direction while flipping over to his knees.

“We didn’t want to stay in your dirty old inn anyway,” Blas said.

“I mean it!” The clerk pushed up and stuck his rear in the air, attempting to stand. “You can never come back to this village.” The foul edge to his words lost their bite as he was still bent over.

We exited the inn and were met by Gonzalo, who was readying the horses and wagon. Zichri held a dagger to one of the men’s throats. Behind them, Jaime carried our stolen trunk. Laude barked orders at Cata and Mattha, who had been hiding by the doorway. They carried the other trunk and heaved it onto the wagon bed.

Laude, smiling from ear to ear, hopped on the wagon, impervious to the anger seething from the other servants. She waved me over to join her. My throat tightened, and I stepped onto the road and back onto the sidewalk. What if the clerk was right?

Zichri threw the vile man to the ground, kicking dirt at him. Cata tugged the man by his elbow while Mattha scrambled to Cata’s side. The other despicable man rubbed his swollen jaw and backed into Mattha. The sight of the wicked servants getting what they deserved spurred confidence into my step, and I crossed the road.

I lifted my chin and strode near our four previous guides, cocking a satisfied grin on my lips.

Zichri, Milo, and Jaime climbed on the wagon bed behind me, whooping in victory. Gonzalo clicked his tongue while tugging on the reins. The wagon jerked and rolled out of the town. Blas rode the Himzo horse behind us. Pride for Laude’s loyalty overtook any other emotions welling up inside of me. She leaned over the side of the wagon, the breeze tousling her curly hair from her pins. I joined her.

The men and Laude sang the whole ride until there was almost no sunlight left. Laude improved in her ability to follow the lyrics. The words began sounding familiar since the men broke into song rather often. Gonzalo pulled over to a grassy area. Without an order, the Himzos jumped out the wagon, working together like a well-trained team.

Though everyone still exuded the joy of victory, the word “soldier” bounced through my skull, pumping fury in my blood. It stole my relief at getting our things back.

The men continued their songs while kindling a fire and readying a campsite. Laude opened a trunk and gasped at the sight. Complaining about grimy hands undoing her hard work, she plucked out dresses and refolded them.

Zichri, finally, sauntered over while the other men gathered wood. His self-satisfied manner struck a nerve. He might have saved us and our things, but he also lied to me.

I crossed my arms and held my chin high, relishing in my rather high position on the wagon. “When were you going to tell us you all are soldiers?”

His smiling eyes rounded into moons at my question. I assumed he had hoped for a thank you. He should know the adage: when one discovers a lie, etiquette ceases to be an obligation.

CHAPTER 16

ZICHRI’S MOUTH HUNG OPEN.He stuttered for the first time since I had met him. Instinctively, I pursed my lips and raised a brow, but I remembered him asking me why I pouted. I relaxed my facial muscles. Laude still fussed over the trunks.

I crossed my arms, blood pulsing in my temples. “Well? Are you going to weave more lies and say it’s all right since you saved us poor, helpless girls?”

“No, it’s not that.” He raked a hand through his hair. “Please sit so we can talk.”

“No, I demand an explanation.” I stomped my foot. The sound vibrated across the wagon bed. Uncle Uly’s gift for sensing truth would have been a nice thing to have at that moment. Even Cosme’s ability to levitate people would have given Zichri a good scare. Instead, I needed to use old-fashioned lady powers, so I maintained a hard edge.

He looked behind me. “Laude.”

“They should have throttled those—those scoundrels. Who does this to lace?” She got to her feet. “I’ll be pulling apart those threads for hours.” She turned around, still rambling to herself before she saw Zichri, and snapped her mouth shut.

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