44. Zai
Zai
The city gates towered above us as we stepped through. The streets beyond were crowded with vendors hawking wares, children shrieking, and cart wheels clattering over cobblestone.
My stomach turned as a wave of smells hit me: sweat, roasting meat, burnt herbs, and something sour, like rotten fish.
Nine of us had left the Skydagger and walked through the final stretch of forest into the city—the same team as the last time we’d faced the Dual Wielder in Brookfalls. The captain had threatened to punish anyone who cowered before him this time.
The rough-spun tunic layered over my fighting gear scratched against my skin, coarse and cheap. I pulled the hood lower over my face, hiding my flaming-red hair. All of us wore similar hoods, drawn low.
Behind me, Mouthy Mara snickered. “Quit fussin’. Ye look like a raspkin with fleas.”
Heat crawled up my neck. “I’m not fussing.”
“Yeah, ye are.” She shoved past me, cloak swaying. “Just walk like ye belong.”
I huffed. That was the problem. I was used to walking like I belonged, only in fine silks and embroidered tunics, flanked by guards. The crowd would part at the sight of my royal garments, everyone bowing and averting their eyes.
A woman with a basket of fish knocked into my shoulder.
“Watch it!” She glared at me, her face weathered and sharp.
I opened my mouth to snap back, but she’d already disappeared into the throng. My jaw locked. These people had no idea who they were talking to.
Ahead, Tera weaved through the crowd with ease, her broad shoulders parting the stream of bodies. A hooded cloak had replaced her wide-brimmed hat, shadowing most of her face. She didn’t hesitate, didn’t flinch when someone shoved past her. Just kept walking like she owned the street.
Furious Flint and Jaded Jorgen walked side by side a few paces behind her, gruff voices rising and falling as they dodged carts and elbowed past strangers without breaking stride.
Every one of them moved through the chaos like second nature.
An elbow jabbed my ribs as another stranger hurried past.
“Lights above,” I murmured, fingers curling into fists.
The anonymity should have been freeing, but I just felt out of place.
We veered onto a side street, leaving the worst of the crowd behind, and my shoulders loosened. The noise dimmed to a dull murmur, punctuated by the occasional shout from an open window. Buildings pressed close on either side, walls stained with soot and age.
Ahead, Tera navigated the maze of narrow streets and many stairs like she’d memorized every turn. She’d mentioned visiting the Forbidden Archives once while working for the crown, so she knew the way.
As we rounded a corner deep in the eastern quarter, a woman stepped out of a doorway ahead. Her slender frame was hidden beneath a plain cloak, her hood pulled low. Something about the way she moved made my instincts prickle. Too careful. Too controlled.
She turned toward us, and my breath caught.
Iz.
My sister, dressed as a commoner.
Impossible.
Her eyes widened as they locked on mine. A few strands of flaming red hair curled loose beneath her hood, unmistakable even in the dim alley light.
She recovered first, jaw tightening as she closed the distance between us.
“Zai,” she hissed. “What are you doing here?”
My gaze swept over her worn garments. “I could ask you the same.”
She crossed her arms, tilting her chin up. “You first. What in the sunless void are you doing here? You’re not even supposed to be in the country, much less the capital.”
Annoyance prickled beneath my skin. She evaded my question as expertly as ever, still not trusting me with anything personal. The coin purse was never meant to be the start of something new between us. She’d handed it over out of pity, thinking it was the last she’d ever see of me.
My gaze cut to where the crew had disappeared around the corner. “I don’t have time for this.” I stepped around her. “I need to go.”
“Then I’ll walk with you.” She fell into stride beside me, not waiting for permission.
A growl climbed my throat, but I bit it back. Arguing would probably waste more time than letting her tag along.
“Now tell me.” Her fingers squeezed my arm, her voice gentle. “What are you doing here? It’s too dangerous for you.”
My chest tightened at the words. Did she actually care, or was she just pulling the strings of manipulation she’d mastered at court?
Glancing sideways at her, I drew a breath. “Did Father mention the deal he offered me before I left?”
Her brow creased. “No. What deal?”
Heat prickled beneath my collar. Of course he’d kept it secret, probably never believing I’d succeed anyway.
“He offered me a way back.” The words tasted bitter in my mouth. “If I capture the Dual Wielder.”
“The Dual Wielder? Seriously? He wanted you to get the scourge?”
“Mm. That’s why I’m here. The Dual Wielder is coming to Sunrise City.”
She raised one brow. “And you know this because…?”
“I’ve been tracking him. I almost captured him twice, but he’s traveling with a moon wielder who keeps interfering.”
“Interfering? How?”
“She’s protecting him, fighting with relentless determination.”
Iz grabbed my arm, stopping me. “Wait, you faced them in battle?”
My fists clenched at my sides. “Mostly her, really. He’s too weak to put up any real resistance.”
Her perceptive eyes darted over my face. “So the scourge himself isn’t causing you trouble. It’s the woman he’s traveling with?”
The questioning tone stirred a need to defend myself.
“She’s very… formidable.” I practically growled the word.
“She wields faster than anyone I’ve ever seen.
Thinks ahead, adapts instantly.” My jaw worked.
“Fearless. Reckless. Fiercely protective. She throws herself into life-threatening situations without blinking. She’s absolutely—” I cut myself off, throat tight.
Captivating.
The thought slammed into me.
“Infuriating,” I finished.
“Uh-huh.” A smirk tugged at my sister’s lips. “She sounds quite formidable indeed.”
Grunting, I started down the street again.
She kept pace behind me, her voice deceptively calm. “Actually, she sounds like a catch.”
I almost stumbled as I sidestepped a woman with a bread basket. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Well…” Her smirk deepened. “I’ve never seen you so smitten before.”
“Smitten? I’m not—” Heat flooded my face. “That’s ridiculous.”
“Is it?” Her dark eyes gleamed, dancing with mirth.
My hands curled into fists. How could she so casually suggest I’d be infatuated by someone from the Moon Queendom? The very idea was unthinkable. Impossible. Forbidden.
I cleared my throat, squirming beneath her probing gaze. “What about you? What are you doing out of the palace in commoner’s clothes?”
Her expression closed off, shoulders drawing inward. Just as I expected, she wouldn’t tell me a thing.
But then her voice softened to a low murmur. “I sneak out sometimes.” She picked at the rough fabric of her sleeve. “Father doesn’t know, of course. He can’t. He’d be furious.”
I barely dared to breathe as her confession slipped out. For the first time ever, she’d handed me something real, something vulnerable.
“Why do you do it?” My voice was a hoarse rasp.
“Mostly to stay up to date with what’s really happening in the city.”
“Why would you need to do that?”
Her gaze dropped to the cobblestones. “It’s just… nice. To understand how commoners live.”
Pink crept across her cheeks. There was something more to this than she was letting on. But before I could press further, she straightened, smoothing her cloak.
“I’m sorry, Zai, I need to go.”
I frowned, but couldn’t keep a smile from tugging at the corner of my lips. “What, I tell you everything and you give me nothing more than a sliver? That’s not fair.”
“Life isn’t fair.” She gave my arm a playful shove. “But it was great seeing you, brother. We should do this more often.”
I arched a brow. “Run into each other disguised as commoners?”
She smirked. “Exactly. Most fun we’ve had in years, don’t you think?”
Quiet warmth unfurled in my chest. “I suppose so.”
Her expression softened. “If you ever do return to the palace… how about we keep this little encounter to ourselves?”
A grin spread across my face. “Deal.”
Her arms wrapped around me, pulling me into a quick embrace. “Take care of yourself, Zai.”
She slipped into a narrow alley, disappearing up a curving stairway to the city tier above.
I caught up with the crew deeper in the eastern quarter, where they’d paused at an intersection.
My mind churned with thoughts of what secrets Iz was hiding. Was she really just interested in the lives of commoners? Or had she woven herself into some elaborate scheme? Whatever it was, it couldn’t be good if she had to sneak out of the palace to pursue it.
The buildings here were older, walls dark with soot. Aged warehouses, stone mason yards, and rigging houses lined the street, most of them abandoned since the newer western quarters stole all the glory.
A tall building towered above the others, too well-kept for this part of the city.
The Forbidden Archives.
Its impenetrable stone walls radiated proud authority. The obsidian-reinforced door stood shut, flanked by windows barred with thick rods.
Tera gestured toward an alley across the street. “There.”
The crew filed into the cramped space between sooty walls. The alley reeked of rotting vegetables and stale piss. A few crates and barrels provided decent cover and a clear view of the Archives’s entrance.
I settled onto a crate, its rough wood digging into my thighs. Thoughts of my sister’s strange secret faded away, replaced by moon girl and the Dual Wielder. When would they arrive? How would they try to get in? What would happen when I came face to face with her again?
Lora. The name curled through my mind, leaving a quiet ache in its wake.
Flint dropped beside me with a grunt, scarred face twisted in discomfort. “How long d’you reckon we’ll be stuck here waitin’?”
“No idea.” I kept my gaze on the obsidian door. “Depends how long it takes them to find this place.”
A cork popped beside me, and Flint tipped a bottle toward me in salute. “Luckily, I brought rations.”
He took a long swig and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, then offered the ceramic bottle to me. The sharp scent of cheap rum hit me. Exactly what I needed. Something strong enough to drown out the churning chaos in my head.
Thoughts of her.
The way she moved. The fire in her eyes. Her full lips.
By the blaze, I had to get her out of my head.
I snatched the bottle from Flint’s hand and took a deep gulp.