Page 1 of Bloom
Chapter One
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Jaime’s boots thudded as he sprinted along the boardwalk. From one of the ships moored for the night, a watchful sailor shouted his surprise. Jaime tried to think only of escaping, not what would happen if he were caught by the three chasing him. He was sure one was drawing nearer, and he swerved right to take a darker side street away from the docks.
“Hey!”
A lone man barely jerked aside in time to avoid him. Another shout came from behind Jaime as he continued despite his burning legs and aching lungs. If he could lose his pursuers in an alley, he could hide for a bit somewhere and escape the city afterward.
One of the men was too close for comfort. While Jaime could fight, three against one wasn’t fair.
He slipped into another sidestreet, thankfully free of people who might get in his way. Or worse, try to help his pursuers. The shops, mostly high and middle class, were closed for the night. Hidden Pearls was the only one lit up, and gauzy fabric covered the front windows so no one could see inside and peek at the treasures. One of the men grunted as Jaime slipped into the alley by it.
He would have sworn if he’d had enough air left. A few horses were being held by their bridles, and one snorted at the sudden intrusion in the space. An open side door made a rectangle of light on the cobblestones. Jaime pumped his legs, intending to make it by the few cloaked figures. Turning around wasn’t anoption, and if he was lucky, it might slow down the guys chasing him.
One of the horses let out a whinny as he spooked, a man shouted, and one stepped away from the horse that tossed its head and neighed. By the door, a man in a crimson cloak hastily sidestepped inside. With his hood up, Jaime only caught a glimpse of white hair and a sharp jawline in the light. The others were blocking the alley, and trying to slip by a spooked horse was a bad idea.
His plan was half-cooked since he had roughly two seconds to think about it. Forget refining it. Instead of running by, he followed Crimson inside.
“M’lord-please-I’ll do anything if-” Jaime tripped on the door jamb and pitched forward. Crashing into Crimson had not been a part of his plan to beg for safety.
Crimson snarled and shoved him back. Jaime stumbled back into the doorframe when a pair of strong arms grasped him in a bear hug. Behind Crimson and down the hall, a lady appeared and screamed when Jaime was shoved down.
Jaime’s face pressed against the polished flooring as he tried to twist away from the one holding him. The guard snarled, his weight vanished a moment later, and one from outside dragged him away.
“What the fuck are you doing? Get off him!”
“Get that damn horse away from here and calm him down. Idiot!”
“Arrest him!”
“I’ll kill you!” breathed the one who had been holding Jaime. “Fuckin’ thief!”
Jaime gasped for air as he managed to get to his knees. Crimson drew his boot back just a little like he was tempted to smash it into Jaime’s face.
“Let go of me!” shouted the whorehouse guard.
The second caught up and huffed as the rest babbled outside. The third man’s gasping voice reached them too, and someone said to move Aleric’s horse away.
“I didn’t do it, m’lord. They chased me all the way from the whorehouse-Salty Blower-I didn’t take the money-” Jaime tried to catch his breath and wondered if he should stay on his knees. It wasn’t a position he was used to taking, but considering the crimson-cloaked man before him had to be Aleric Monet, the son of the lord and future Earl of Côte, maybe he should.
Aleric’s lips suddenly curved upward in a smile. “What did you say before? You’ll do anything?”
Just about if it meant avoiding prison and a sentence of slavery. Soleil enslaved their criminals, and anything could be done to them.
A muscled, bearded man who had to be nearly sixty stomped in. He had the paunch some older men have, and he didn’t look like anyone Jaime wanted to mess with. “Are you all right?” he asked Aleric.
“I’m fine.” Aleric pushed back his hood as the lady who’d screamed spoke up, although Jaime didn’t hear her words. Another woman had joined the first, and Aleric turned a little. “We’re fine. Leave us be for a few minutes.”
“What’s all this?” Beard pointed into the alley as Jaime got to his feet and pressed his back against the wall. The third pursuer, the owner of The Salty Blower, wiped his sweaty forehead. The other two hadn’t drawn their swords since the Castle guards wouldn’t like that.
Jaime turned to Aleric who stared back with growing disdain. He was several inches shorter and slimmer. “I work at The Salty Blower and-”
“I’ve heard of it, not that I’d go to such an establishment. I’m sure the sailors make good use of you.” In the light of the lantern hanging from the ceiling above him, Aleric’s dark blue eyes weresharp against his light brown skin that was a little darker than Jaime’s and spoke of the Rowland half of him.
“As a guard,” said Jaime. “Not a whore. I’ve only worked there for three days-”
“Shouldn’t you be asking me?” The whorehouse owner swiped at his forehead again. “He robbed me!”
