Total pages in book: 161
Estimated words: 153795 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 769(@200wpm)___ 615(@250wpm)___ 513(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 153795 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 769(@200wpm)___ 615(@250wpm)___ 513(@300wpm)
“Easy,” Algar whispers. “Slow movements—and only rub her body. She’s picky about how her head is touched.”
“Right. Of course. Sorry.” The boy reaches in slower this time, and Zephra cocks her head. His smile widens as his tan fingers find their way to her fur and caress it. “Wow,” he breathes, laughing. “She is so soft. You are such a lucky man.”
I can’t help smiling at the exchange as a warm feeling comes over me. Seeing the proud smile Algar wears. The brightness in the boy’s eyes. Their shared interest in Zephra. Perhaps I’ve read Algar all wrong and shouldn’t write him off as some lowly thief. He seems like a person who genuinely cares about others in need.
“What’s your name?” asks Algar.
“I am Dulan.”
Zephra bounces up to Algar’s shoulder, and he folds his arms. “Are you going to snitch on us, Dulan?”
Dulan’s excitement morphs to pure shock. “Of course not.”
“How can we be sure?” Thane narrows his eyes at him. “You turn us strangers in, and you could get a good bit of coin.” He may as well have stabbed the boy with how sharp his tone is.
“Well, in that case, I should turn myself in, too.” Dulan releases an anxious laugh. Then he gestures behind him. “My nan lives in that building. She is sick, but the medicine she needs is not allowed in Ruvain. They don’t want us getting better on our own, you see? They want us to keep paying their healers more and more money so they can pocket it. So sometimes I have to sneak to Meriva or Winstoft to get it.” The boy digs into his pocket and fishes out a glass vial with shimmering green liquid in it.
Thane studies it while Algar mumbles, “I see.”
“Are you trying to reach the tunnels?” Dulan asks.
“We are.” I move past Thane. “Is that where you’re going?”
“I just came from there. But I have to say, this route you are taking is risky. Many watchers in the towers. Follow me. I know a quicker way.”
“No, we’re good,” Thane retorts.
“Sure,” I respond at the same time.
Thane glares at me. “Come again?”
“Well, he clearly knows what he’s talking about,” I murmur, gesturing to Dulan.
“Yes, but at what cost? People around here don’t help others unless they want something out of it.” Thane bumps Algar out of the way and closes the gap between him and Dulan. “So either this is a setup, or he wants something from us. What is it that you want, Dulan?”
“Absolutely nothing at all,” he pleads, looking at me and Algar for backup. “I—I just know what it is like to need help. And this is not a safe place for such beautiful creatures. Believe it or not, a lot of us Ruvainers are not as bad as other kingdoms think.” He eyes Zephra and Pearl. “The sooner you get them out of here, the better.”
Oh my goodness. He’s so sweet.
Thane doesn’t ease up on him, though, despite how genuine he sounds. I want to punch him for being such an asshole…but I can understand his defensiveness. Dulan is a stranger…and Thane clearly has trust issues.
“I know a liar and a con when I see one.” Algar gives Dulan a thorough scan. “I don’t think he’s lying. If he wanted to rat us out, all he’d have to do is scream and the guards would come running. He’s willing to help. Some people do that, you know? Help others because they’re nice.”
“Yeah.” Thane shoots me a pointed look. “I’ve witnessed it with her firsthand.”
I scowl at him. “I don’t regret being a nice person, Bane of My Existence.”
“Ha! That’s a good one.” Algar chortles. “Bane of My Existence. I’ll have to use that one.”
I smirk.
“Well, come along,” Dulan urges, marching past us. “If we go toward the forest, it’s much quicker. There is another entrance to the tunnels. It’s sort of a secret passage only the lower-bred Ruvainers know about. We do lots of trading and meetings there.”
Thane exhales deeply behind his mask while Algar trails Dulan. We near the forest again and cross a creek, approaching a different set of pillars. They stand before us, giants in black, split and chipped from all directions. I’m positive they won’t stand for much longer, but they are majestic, nonetheless. Too marvelous to be in a territory this shitty.
“Just over there.” Dulan points ahead. My eyes follow his finger, and I notice a gap in the trees. At first glance, I wouldn’t have been able to make it out, but as I stare harder, I notice curved branches crafted into a makeshift passageway.
The opening is shrouded with bushes and vines, and the passage is much too dark to see very far in. This area doesn’t seem like the sort of place where people congregate. It’s desolate and swarming with wasp nests.