27. Chapter 27
Izmari’s capital, Nuiwen, was a sprawl of mismatched buildings lining the streets.
Tall buildings, short buildings, their colors ranged from the brightest colors to the darkest black.
Uniformity didn’t seem to exist in Nuiwen, which was a perfect fit for the city’s residents whose appearances were just as diverse as their architecture.
They streamed in and out of the city in a mosaic of colorful garments, like tributaries joining the main street’s rainbow river.
Their group had passed through the gate without a hitch, blending in seamlessly with the crowd while the guards’ gazes slid over them. Yareli walked alongside Erick, hiding her face with her hood while scanning the area. Shops lined the street, advertising various products from their windows.
“We’ve entered through the merchant district,” Augrys whispered, materializing next to her.
Caught by surprise, she stumbled. He stopped her fall, holding her arm to keep her upright. His touch seared her skin, leaving behind a bruise only she could see and butterflies only she could feel. Traitorous heart, she chided herself. He isn't August.
“Thank you,” she mumbled, adjusting her cloak.
Flashes of silver drew her attention; it was a jewelry merchant, his wares in his hands.
She remembered the night of the fall festival and the bear Leo had gifted her.
Her heart clenched. When she returned, she would meet with him to resolve their argument.
She was angry he had put her in danger, but she missed him and his easygoing laughter.
It was a complicated matter, liking Leo but still…
feeling things for Augrys. She peered at him.
Augrys’s fake blond hair caught the light from the midday sun, glowing golden. He had donned a disguise to enter the city unannounced, but she couldn’t help the snicker that came from her mouth.
“What?” he asked, but his eyes remained fixed ahead. He took her elbow and guided her through the crowd.
“An odd thought came to me—you remind me of a surfer,” Yareli answered.
“I may not be from California, but I am an avid swimmer. The Water Court does have something similar to surfing, you know. You’ll find I’m quite skilled.”
She tried to imagine him on the water, but all that came to mind was Augrys surrounded by the shelves at their college’s library.
“Hmm, no. I can’t see it.”
“Grew up by the ocean.”
She brushed past a group of Fae crowded around a shop. “Mhm, nope. Still can’t.”
“Then, I have no choice but to show you the wonder of water waking.”
“Sounds like fun,” she said, taking his hand as they made their way through a particularly dense part of the crowd.
A quiet current of energy buzzed where their hands met.
Her shoulders drooped—against her will—when he let go of her hand.
She eyed his hand, tracing his slender fingers.
Once, she had wished to have them woven through her hair, tracing every line and curve of her body.
She clenched her fists. She had accidentally fallen into a rapport with him that was eerily similar to their old interactions as August, the college student, and Yareli, the ignorant human.
Erick tapped her shoulder, his eyebrows raised.
He gave a pointed look at her hands, where blood dripped.
Her eyes widened, and she wiped her palms on her cloak.
She had dug her nails hard enough to draw blood.
Had it been fueled by magic? Her body was undergoing changes she wasn’t entirely aware of, but she didn’t have time to think it through further.
The crowd thickened, and it took her entire focus to keep Augrys in front of her.
He took a left at the intersection and immediately took a right into a narrower, quieter street.
Instead of shops, cafes were interspersed between residential buildings with patrons idling in the outdoor seating.
Their chatter was a nice lull compared to the roaring crowd they had left behind.
A large inn named The Ox’s Tail awaited them at the end of the road.
Yareli followed Augrys and Erick inside to a homely waiting room with rich browns and reds.
Augrys walked to the front desk, checking them in without a hitch, and the concierge led them up the stairs.
Yareli noted their rooms were adjacent to each other, but before she could scurry to her room, Augrys said to her, “Be ready to go in an hour.”
He disappeared into his room before she could ask him why.
She turned to Erick, ready to interrogate him, but he gave her a thumbs-up and waved good-bye, closing his own door.
Annoyed, Yareli stomped to her bathroom, shutting the door behind her and ripping the cloak off.
Her anger faded at her reflection, submerged in the stillness that settled over her.
Earlier that day, Augrys and Erick had performed the transformation spell on her, masking her humanness under a Fae facade.
She had been given a mirror to inspect the results, but this was her first private moment since then.
Here, in the rustic bathroom with no bathtub—much to her dismay—she could finally take in her new reality.
Although mostly unchanged, her face glowed with a Fae’s ephemeral beauty; any skin blemishes were gone except for a beauty mark under her right eye.
She had fought to keep it; her mom had its matching twin under her left eye, and she wanted the one thing that connected them.
Her eyes traced her perfect eyebrows straight to her—very much pointed—ears.
She tentatively touched the tip of one, feeling strangely nauseated at the flesh she felt.
Yareli closed her eyes while her feelings warred with one another.
She had refused to change her appearance, only allowing the ears and the perfect skin because she had to.
Her reason for doing so was simple: she wanted Tuom to see her face when he died at her hands.
And yet, the woman who stared at her from the mirror was a stranger.
It was not the face she was accustomed to seeing every morning.
This face exuded effortless beauty, and that frightened her.
The truth was hard to swallow, but it scraped its way down her throat anyway, leaving it raw.
Her face no longer matched the one in her memories.
An hour later, Yareli sat next to Augrys in a dimly lit, underground bar.
She played with her sleeve’s hem, picking at a loose thread, while absentmindedly drinking her beer.
The bar bustled with the energy of a rowdy crowd; Fae crowded around barrels used as tables, beers in hand.
On the other side of the room, there were ongoing card games, and the audience hooting and hollering whenever someone folded.
Yareli wanted to ask about the game, but nerves held her tongue.
They were meeting Hale, the leader of the largest organized crime group in Nuiwen.
His group, the NightSingers, held the largest monopoly in the shadow market, which meant they also had the best information brokers.
How Augrys knew Hale was beyond her, but it did not surprise her that powerful people—which Augrys undoubtedly was—had unofficial channels to conduct their shadier business.
Just as she had gathered enough nerve to open her mouth to ask about the game, a figure slipped into the seat across from them.
Tall, slim, with bright blue hair swept to one side, his long face matched his body.
Hale was dressed in a pressed blue suit, and Yareli caught a whiff of a strong, sweet scent that irritated her lungs.
She cleared her throat and took a sip of her drink.
He glanced at her, his gaze resting on her ears for long enough that she had to resist the urge to cover them up.
The transformation was solid, she reassured herself.
“Auggie, what a pleasure to see you again,” he drawled.
“Hale, the blue suits you, but I do miss the green,” Augrys responded, sipping his drink.
“Green is out this century, and you know how I like to stay on top of the current trends.”
“Well, lucky for me, gold never goes out of fashion.”
Augrys slid a velvet purple pouch toward Hale. He flicked it open and nodded. It popped out of existence a short moment later.
He leaned forward, his eyes flicking to Yareli once more. “Rumor has it, gold might lose its crown to something far harder to come by.”
“What could be more valuable than gold?” she asked, the question slipping from her lips before she could stop herself.
She resisted the urge to flinch when Hale gave her his full attention. “Ah, so she can speak. Well, darling, the only thing more coveted than wealth is the taboo. Fae want what they can’t have, and nothing is more forbidden than human goods. It’s why the shadow market exists.”
“Human goods have been smuggled since the Prohibition Decree,” Augrys countered, his eyes narrowed. “Unless you are implying the unthinkable.”
“Oh, Auggie, you know I’m not a fan of exaggerations. I speak the truth. Human pets will soon reign supreme.”
Yareli clutched her mug. Human pets? The thought disturbed her, but it wasn’t implausible. Hadn’t she, herself, suffered at the hands of a Fae abuser? A sobering thought crossed her mind. Tuom was only one bad apple in the rotten bunch. Others like him enjoyed the degradation of humans.
“We have to stop them,” she whispered to Augrys.
He glanced at her, giving her a curt nod. Smuggled human goods were one thing, but enslaved humans? Yareli couldn’t allow it to happen; no one deserved to go through what she did or worse.
She turned to Hale, asking, “Do you know when to expect the fall of gold?”
He shrugged. “Might be tonight. Might be in two weeks. Who knows? But I suggest you keep an eye on the courts.”
That was all the confirmation Yareli needed. The Watchers were behind it all, but the scope of their threat was intensifying. Even if she went home, the threat would linger over her like the drab gray skies of winter, but without the promise of spring. They had to be stopped.
Augrys pivoted the conversation, asking, “What of the two requests I made?”
Hale handed him a card. “It’s embarrassing to admit, but we were unable to find out much about either. You’ll find there’s a scroll in the care of Mr. Manie that you’ve placed a deposit on. I’d suggest heading there before the end of the day. He’s quite fickle, that man.”
Augrys tucked the card away. “We’ll make sure to do that.”
“As for the general, we lost one of our best to him, and our findings were minimal.” Hale took a long sip of his drink. “He’s a frequent visitor at Stone Prison.”
“Stone Prison?” Yareli once again interrupted; she really sucked at keeping quiet tonight.
He raised an eyebrow. “Where did you happen to find this dazzling gem, Auggie? She must have grown up in the most secluded village in Izmari.”
She laughed, rushing to try to cover up her mistake. “You’re right. I grew up very sheltered. I’m an only child. Since I was always sick, my parents were overprotective and kept me at home.”
“And pray tell, how did you manage to get away from your parents to make it to the capital with Auggie?”
She looked down at her beer. “They, um, passed away in an attack. Auggie found me and took me in.” Yareli was surprised at how easily the lies came to her without guilt. Emboldened, she decided to add some more flair to her story, taking a swig of her beer. “It’s only been a few months.”
Hale seemed to buy her story, giving her a sympathetic nod. “A story is becoming more common these days. Take heart. I heard the council was called to enact action against the ghastly creatures preying on our innocents.”
He held his own beer up in a cheer. She returned the gesture, clinking her mug against his and taking another long chug.
Augrys interjected. “Thank you, Hale. Your information has been most valuable.”
“It’s been a pleasure working with you as always, Auggie, and…” Hale turned to Yareli, a pointed look on his face.
Shit. He wanted her name, but giving her real name to an information broker seemed dubious.
“Ines,” she replied, choosing her middle name.
“Ines,” Hale said, giving her an appraising look. “A fitting name for such an exquisite flower.”
She smiled, pulling up her hood to hide her discomfort, and waved goodbye.
There was something off-putting about Hale’s attention.
Augrys pulled her in front of him, his hand on her lower back to guide her to the exit, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that maybe Hale didn’t buy her story after all.