He was intentionally delaying things. I didn’t want to wait another night here. I wanted to head home to Lovero. I wanted to kill the Da Vias.
For now, I would stay on his good side. If I couldn’t get the bomb tonight, then maybe I could work on one of my other necessities. And Les was right. I was famished.
I smoothed the skirt of my stained dress. I desperately missed my closet of clothes. Each dress I’d owned I’d picked out myself, and they had been tailored to accentuate my good bits and hide the not-as-good bits. And wearing the same clothes over and over again just made it easier for Lefevre to spot me in a crowd. I needed a change, but for that, I would need more money. But there was nothing I could do about that problem.
I gestured to the back window. “Less chance someone will see us.”
We slipped outside, replaced the boards, and headed toward a city square. Alessio kept up a steady stream of chatter, pointing out landmarks and interesting facts of the city, and I nodded when it was appropriate and asked the occasional questions to make it seem like I was interested, but mostly I was lost in my own thoughts.
It seemed so natural to spend time with someone, a boy, Les, in broad daylight. Val and I had hidden in the shadows, kept everything secret. Which had been exciting, but looking back, it had also been stressful, sometimes, and tiring. It would’ve been nice to have Val court me for real, to go out in public with him and not worry about who might see us.
It didn’t matter. I couldn’t be with Val anymore. His Family had destroyed mine. Regardless of how I felt about Val, salvaging our relationship was not possible.
That didn’t mean, though, that I wanted someone else. I glanced at Les, his long neck, his large nose. He winked at me and pointed to a building where a priest had held off a dozen angry ghosts, armed with nothing but his faith, until the sun had risen hours later. Les was funny and kind, and he actually seemed to understand some of what I was feeling. But he also held the keys to the Da Vias, and I wasn’t here for friends.
Les paused and handed a beggar woman a coin.
“Why did you do that?” I asked when we were far enough away.
“Because she needed the help.”
“But she’ll probably just spend it on chetham leaves or something else.”
“Or maybe she’ll spend it on food, or a warmer shawl, or to pay back a debt she owes so she can greet Acacius gladly at the end of her life.”
I turned away from his eyes and how they seemed to see right through me. There was no point to helping that woman. She wouldn’t give Les anything in return.
“Here we are.” Les flourished his hand in front of a small street vendor, serving skewers of lamb. He bought us each one, and then led us away.
“Alessio!” a man shouted, and Les waved at him.
“A friend of yours?”
He shook his head. “No friends. Only me and the old man. People don’t stick around.” He cleared his throat and suddenly seemed older.
“How old are you?” I asked.
“Nineteen. You?”
“Seventeen.”
He nodded. “I’m sure you had a lot of friends left behind. You’re just short of royalty there.”
I shrugged. “I learned very young they were more interested in what I was than who I was. Maybe they’re hoping for favors from Safraella, or from a Family. Maybe they’re more interested in the wealth and power. And even if they aren’t, it can be difficult to keep any friendships because, try as they might, the common can’t fully understand. My brother Rafeo was my greatest friend. Then my cousin, Jesep. And my suitor, Val. I spent a lot of time with him.”
He paused so slightly it was barely noticeable. “Suitor? You must really miss him.”
“No.” I brushed the sides of my dress. “He was a Da Via. I’d rather avoid seeing him again for the rest of my life.”
Les paused and watched me. His study made my nerves twitch, and when I was nervous I blushed.
“Was he there?” he asked. “The night of the attack?”
I stepped over a cracked cobblestone. “I’m not sure. I didn’t recognize anyone. I didn’t even realize they were Da Vias until Rafeo told me. I confirmed it with the king.”
Les tripped. “Did you say the king?”
I nodded.
“I was mostly joking when I compared you to royalty earlier. . . .”
“Well, any clipper can speak to the king. He’s a disciple of Safraella too. And my father and Costanzo Sapienza were good friends since childhood. My father helped put him on the throne.”
Les nodded, his eyes wide as he took this in. “How would a relationship with another clipper work? I thought the Families were all at war with one another.”
“Some of the Families have good relationships. Gallo and Zarella, for example.”
“But weren’t you always worried your suitor Val was planning something?”