Page 10 of Cage of Destiny
She had to make sure her tunicconcealed the bulging fruit sitting around her waist. No doubtanother aspect of Nathenek’s ridiculous test.
“Here’s your fish,” Kreksaid. “Are you okay?”
She shook her head, still kneeling onthe ground. “I’m going to vomit.”
“Don’t do ithere,” Jarak said. “Noone will buy our food if you do.”
“I’ll… be… right… back.”She crawled away from the cart, her arm wrapped around her waist,trying to keep the tangerines in place and praying no one saw thebulges under her clothes.
“She’s probably withchild,” Larek mumbled.
Allyssa coughed, unable to believethey’d think such a thing. However, it could work in her favor.Crawling into the alley a few feet away, she pretended to throw up.The boys made noises of disgust, turning away from her. Knowing shewouldn’t get a better chance, she stood and ran, not daring to lookback.
Guilt consumed her. She’d just stolenfrom that family. Damn Nathenek and his stupid task. One day, shewould pay those boys back for what she’d stolen. Turning thecorner, she slowed, not wanting to attract attention. Based on theposition of the sun, she had about twenty minutes to reach theguard station in the center of town.
Now that she had committed a crime, itfelt as if everyone was watching her. That somehow they knew shewas dishonest. Needing to get as far away from the market as shecould, she headed south.
Up ahead, a woman with three childrenhanging on her legs dropped her jug of water. Allyssa rushed over,picking the jug up and handing it to her.
“Thank you,” the womansaid.
“Can you tell me thequickest way to the guard station?”
“Is everything all right?”the woman asked.
“Yes. I’m meeting someonethere.”
One of the kids started screaming forhis mother’s attention. “Head down that street.” She pointed to herleft before readjusting the jug of water to her right hip andpicking up the boy, placing him on her left hip. The other twochildren still hung on her legs. “After eight blocks, turn left.You should run right smack into it.”
Allyssa thanked the woman and hurriedon her way. After two blocks, a prickly sensation coated her skin.She glanced over her shoulder and saw two men following her. Shequickened her pace. The street became crowded and maneuveringaround people was difficult. The men drew closer.
She turned into the nearest alleyway,running to the opposite end. On the next street, she franticallysearched the buildings until she spotted a ladder hanging on theside of one. Running over to it, she climbed as fast as she could,not knowing if the two men still pursued her. She jumped onto theroof and sprinted to the other side.
The last time she’d run on a rooftoplike this, she’d been chasing a thief with Grevik. Not wanting toget emotional right now, she pushed those thoughtsaside.
The end of the building came intoview. There was a four-foot gap to the next building. She couldjump four feet. She’d jumped farther. Pumping her legs faster, shehit the edge and launched into the air, landing with a jolt on theadjacent rooftop. After making sure she still had the tangerines,she took off running. The rooftop had lines of laundry strewnthroughout that provided a decent amount of coverage. The sunglared overhead, the air becoming sticky and hot.
The guard station was a largebuilding, standing taller than those around it, making it easy tospot in a city where almost everything looked identical.
The end of the rooftop came into view,and she jumped, landing better this time. In three buildings, she’dhave to climb down and traverse the rest of the way on the streetssince she needed to head east and the distance between thebuildings in that direction was too great to jump.
A shout rang out behind her, and sheglanced back. Two men still chased her. Not having the time to stopand confront them, she continued. Nathenek was probably already atthe guard station waiting for her. Expecting her to fail. Well,she’d show him. Her shirt came loose and a tangerine slid down herpants leg. She stopped and pulled her shirt out, tying it in a knotaround her stomach, securing the remaining tangerines in place. Themen were only one building away. Grabbing the fallen fruit, sheshoved it down her shirt and started running again. Sweat drippeddown her forehead. At the edge of the next building, she found theladder and descended it as fast as her legs could carry her. Backon solid ground, she spun in a circle, trying to get her bearings,needing to go east. That was to the left. She ran.
After two more blocks, she franticallysearched for the guard station, not seeing it anywhere.
“Guard station?” she askedthe crowd around her.
A man passing by pointed to his left.She ran that way until the guard station came into view. Skiddingto a halt, she panted, trying to catch her breath. Standing on thesteps leading to its entrance was one of the men who had beenchasing her.
ChapterFour
What was he doing on the steps of the guardstation and how had he arrived before Allyssa? Scanning the facesaround her, she searched for Nathenek, not seeing him anywhere. Shebacked up, seeking an alcove to hide in, and bumped intosomeone.
“I’m sorry,” she said,turning around and looking into the eyes of her secondpursuer.Blimey.They’d split up, and she hadn’t even realized it. Hererror.
The man smiled and shoved her forward,toward the guard station. “You gave us quite a chase,” hesaid.
She considered fighting him butthought better of it. The goal was to find Nathenek, not create ascene. They crossed the street. Although not familiar with thisfacility, she was used to delivering prisoners to the City Guard inLakeside and had a general idea of what to expect. They joined theother pursuer and went inside. The room was dark, lit only by a fewcandles. A man in his thirties sat behind a desk littered withpapers.
