Though I brushed off the apology like excess flour, my hands still shook behind my back and I downed the water in one go. The glass clinked delicately as I placed it on a nearby table and glanced at the grand clock on the wall.
“I think I’ve been out long enough,” I spoke eventually. “The night is quite cold and I need to get back to look for any new residents.”
“Is it that time of year already?” Kaela asked.
“The past year’s flown by, hasn’t it? Now the ewes think they own the farm,” I laughed.
“Why?” Ric asked with sincerity.
Kaela and I exchanged looks. “Ever dealt with a pregnant woman before? Pregnant sheep aren’t quite the same, but thirty of them can be a handful.”
“Oh-”
Kaela smiled but her concern crept back onto her face. “Are you sure you’re going to be okay?”
“Of course, I’ve made the trip hundreds of times.” I almost choked on my words. Yes, I’d made the trips hundreds of times – as Cedar.
“There’s a station just out of the building and around the corner where you can hire a cab. Send the payment request to Roan for being such a stick-in-the-mud,” Kaela huffed.
“Even if I needed a cab, I’m the one who handles the intake so he’d have to check with me for the money anyway.”
“I would’ve thought your brother handled that sort of stuff?” Kaela frowned.
I cursed myself silently for letting my guard down and thought quickly. “My father gave us both excellent education but I took to writing and arithmetic better than Cedar. Therefore, the books were left to me and the trade and physical labour was left to him and Roan.”
“You’ll make a wonderful business partner for someone someday, you lucky thing.” She gripped my hand as another figure joined our small group.
“Not exactly the kind of wife a man would want, however,” Kaela’s gentleman friend, Mr. Sidler, said. I met his gaze and saw the distaste in it. After such a remarkable evening I’d almost forgotten how the city folk saw me. Kaela’s eyes were fiery and hurt by his disregard.
I straightened up and held my head high as I spoke. “If I ever want to take a husband it won’t be from this town.” I smiled falsely. “All of the good men are taken already.” I shot the man a distasteful look back and revelled in the insult he took. “Goodnight, Kaela.” I hugged her close and whispered in her ear, “Don’t settle for second best. You deserve the love of a king.”
As I strode from the grand hall I heard hurried footsteps behind me that soon took their place beside mine.
“Now I see why you’re unclaimed,” Ric said.
“Yes, I’m one of the more troublesome cattle on the market. More likely to be culled than possessed,” I said, pressing on.
Ric laughed. “The way I see it the problem lies in the suitors.”
I glanced down as Ric opened and closed his hand. “You didn’t-”
“I wasn’t the first one,” he chuckled. “You pick your friends well.”
“She’ll get in trouble for that.” I groaned and stopped in my tracks.
“I don’t think she’ll care.”
“I should go back and make sure she gets home okay-”
“There’s no need. After I finished talking with her she joined another group of women. She’ll be fine.” Ric squeezed my shoulder gently and let go.
“Right-” Of course, she has friends in town. “Where are you headed now?”
“I’ll escort you home,” Ric said plainly. “After that I’ll go wherever the wind takes me.”
“You really needn’t bother. As I’d said I’ve made this journey more times than I can recall.” I walked on but quickly stuttered as the world around me tilted and swayed.
“I know, but I can at least use this time to enjoy your company for a few moments longer.” He looked around us. “What’s the fastest way home?”
I shook my head again and again, trying to clear the fog that slowly settled across my vision. “From this side of the city it’ll be easier to skirt the western district, near the markets, but-”
“Let’s go then. You don’t look too well,” Ric said, leading the way.
“You don’t know where the districts are,” I said. I did feel sick. Perhaps I’d had one too many glasses of wine.
“I can read the street signs,” he started. “Do you need to hold on to me?” I shook my head but found that my balance was waning.
“You have to mind Old Town,” I mumbled, rubbing my eyes. “That’s not somewhere you want to find yourself at this time.”
“Don’t worry,” he said leading me onward at the first street sign. “I’ll keep a close eye out.”
Eventually the mass of drunken celebrators whittled down from their hundreds to tens and then into nothing. Steam poured out of the nearby warehouse vents and burst pipes made the air thick with wet fog. I came to my senses as a beam collapsed beside us, making me shriek.
“Wait, Ric.”
Dilapidated shacks and empty shells where full houses used to be stood around us, burnt-black bricks paved the mud and rotten wood creaked and moaned in the night. We’d ventured so far into Old Town that I couldn’t see the safety of the street lamps past the pressing darkness. I couldn’t believe I’d been so unobservant.
“This is Old Town. We shouldn’t be here.” I moved to grab his arm and stumbled.
“Careful.” He caught hold of my arm and propped me up beside him. “And don’t worry about it. You’re with me, remember?”
That wasn’t a comfort. I’d only known the man for one evening so how was I supposed to know what was going on in his head? I’d made assumptions of his nature, but now we were alone…I tried to pull my arm away but couldn’t. There was no strength left; no lick of defiance. The moon was swallowed by thick clouds, stealing away the last shred of light we navigated by. He led us further and further into Old Town and all I did was amble alongside him half conscious; half dreaming. Something had poisoned my mind.
Our footsteps clacked on the broken stone paving and the steam continuously swirled around us, engulfing and revealing our figures like breaking waves. “Ric.” I tugged again. “This isn’t the way home.” Only silence greeted me. I reached out to the arm that propped me up only to find it was cold and slippery. Jerking backwards I stumbled again and saw it was nothing but the old, broken beam of a shop front. My breath came in rasps and panic started to set in when the moon peeked back from behind the dark wall, confirming my fears.
Ric was gone.
CHAPTER EIGHT
“AVA!” RIC CRIED out in the night. “Ava, run – there’s something here!”
A base scream carried on the air followed by a sickening snap. “Ric?” There was no reply. I wiped cold sweat from my forehead and neck as the relief of his voice was snatched away, mutating into renewed fear. The world spun around me and I took shallow, panicked breaths while I plotted my next move. If Ric was dead there was little point bumbling into a mess that could kill me as well.
“Ava,” a weak voice called as I started my retreat. “Ava, where are you?”
My head snapped in its direction and instinct took over. “I’m here,” my voice echoed. “I’m coming.” I lurched over the long material of my dress and pushed on.