Page 5 of A Storm in Every Heart
“What was that?” Daemon asks cheerfully.
The boy pushes off the wall and turns to face us. “I said I’d take that bet. Fifty gold says the human will win.”
Daemon looks the boy over, then glances back at the fighters. He shrugs. “Done.”
My mouth falls open in surprise. “Do you have that much?”
Both Daemon and the boy ignore my question, neither of them seeming the slightest bit bothered by the enormous sum of money. I can’t even comprehend where an eleven-year-old would get fifty gold until I remember that Daemon’s father wasa baron. If his father recently died, then my cousin has already inherited more money and land than I’ve seen in my life. That still doesn’t explain where the strange cloaked boy got so much gold.
Daemon waits for the boy to climb up the wall beside us, then reaches out to shake his hand. “I’m Daemon Ashwater, and this is my sister, Odessa.”
“I’m Kastian,” the other boy introduces himself.
I scoff in disbelief. “Sure you are.”
The boy leans around Daemon to look at me, his brow furrowing in confusion. “Excuse me?”
“The crown prince of Hydratta is named Kastian. It’s written on the side of that ship over there.” I jerk my thumb over my shoulder. “If you’re going to lie about your name, at least make it convincing.”
The boy tilts his head up, looking past me toward the row of ships. Sure enough, the vessels flying the king’s green-and-white flag are all docked alongside the merchant ships, and the ship nearest to us reads:HMS Kastian Stormbreaker.
Daemon laughs. “She’s got you there, mate.”
The boy shoots me a reproachful look, his cheeks flushing amber. Before he can say anything else, the surrounding crowd erupts as the Fae soldier launches himself toward his human opponent. For a moment, it seems as if the boy claiming to be called Kastian is going to lose his money in less than ten seconds. Then, the human steps out of the way far faster than should be possible. The Fae man can’t stop his momentum, and with no one in the way, he dives straight into the cobblestone ground. Beside me, Daemon winces.
The Fae man, looking dazed, struggles to his feet. He charges the human again, and once again the man waits until the last second before dodging out of the way. This time, the Fae plows into the crowd, causing an eruption of shouts and swearing.
I grin for the first time in weeks as I look over at Daemon. “I think you’re about to lose your bet.”
His eyes narrowing, Daemon turns to the boy in the cloak. “How did you know?”
The boy shrugs, a smug smile on his face. “I’ve seen him fight before.”
“But how?” I ask, “He’s human. There’s no way he should be able to move that fast.”
“Helookshuman,” the boy corrects.
I glance back at the fight just in time to witness the so-called human spring forward, his muscles tensing as he launches himself at the Fae man. With a feral intensity, he pummels his face with relentless fists, each strike landing with a sickening thud. Blood spurts in vivid arcs, splattering the pavement in crimson droplets. As he draws his fist back, I can almost see a ripple across his otherwise ordinary human face.
“He’s a doppler,” I say on an exhale, finally understanding. “A shapeshifter.”
Daemon cocks his head, looking more curious than annoyed by the deception. “Dopplers don’t have any increased strength or speed, though. Just that of the average Fae.”
“Yeah, but they have the element of surprise.” The other boy grins smugly. “There’s an enormous advantage in being underestimated.”
A ripple of whispers passes through the crowd. The fighting abruptly ends as people scatter left and right.
“What—” I begin, but break off as the answer to my question becomes clear.
Six armed soldiers dressed in green military jackets are pushing their way through the crowd. They look at every face as if searching for someone.
“Damn,” the boy in the green cloak swears and leaps down from the wall. “Got to go.”
“Where are you going?” Daemon demands. “You won the bet. I won’t have anyone thinking I don’t pay my debts.”
The boy grins up at us from the ground. “You’ll have to owe me one.”
Daemon’s brow furrows. “But we’re from Vernallis. We’ll be leaving soon.”
