Page 56 of In The Shadows

I give my breasts a once over, making sure they are on full display. They will help me get into someone’s bed tonight, or I can fight someone for gawking at them. Either way, I will let out some of this pent-up frustration.

Is it the healthiest way to deal with my inner turmoil? No, but I wasn’t raised to handle anything properly. Violence was Oren’s preferred method of dealing with almost everything in life.

I retie my hair on top of my head, forgoing my usual wrap. I learned years ago that the villagers of Umbra don’t care what you look like or if you have the gods’ favorite hair color. As long as you’re honest and fair, they’ll accept you. Even if they don’t know who I truly am to them or my real name, I’m free to be myself in this small way with my people.

I double-check that the dagger on my thigh is secure, tracing the red gemstones with a finger before dropping my skirt. I slide on my boots and grab my coin purse from my desk.

Stepping into the middle of my quarters, I make sure everything looks like I’m in here for the rest of the night. The fire in my hearth is low but casts an inviting glow around the quarters. I lock the doors and pull the shades closed.

Satisfied with my cover, I raise my left hand with my adveho ring and picture my village. The black stone homes and businesses with their multi-colored slate roofs, long vines stretching across the tops, connecting everything together. The faint glow of lanterns shines through the windows, and the laughter of the tavern permeates the air.

The familiar red haze of the portal opens, and I step through it onto the gravel pathway on the outskirts of the village. My boots crunch on the stone as I hurry along to the tavern near the center square.

The air has a slight chill to it as autumn settles on the land. The nearly half-moon is bright, shining down on us. The next full moon is in a few weeks, bringing monthly court and the autumn equinox. I’m sure the village is preparing for the festival like it does every year. I hear it’s a joyous occasion but have never had a reason to go.

I push open the large wooden door of the tavern to find it filled with villagers. My people are out enjoying the lovely evening and each other’s company.

The soft glow of the lanterns hanging above warms the space. The smell of fruit and ale fills the air with an intoxicating aroma as I step through the door.

“Look what the beasts dragged in. You can come in, Margo, if you promise to behave. No fighting, you hear?” Otto, the owner and barkeep, shouts at me from behind the bar, using one of my many aliases.

Since Oren refused to allow anyone to know my real name to conceal my identity, I took it upon myself to create new ones whenever I traveled. Vivienne and Margo are the two I mostly use, and no one has ever questioned if I’m who I present to be.

“Do you promise to keep other patrons from making idiotic comments or touching others without consent?” I cross my arms and tap my boot on the wood flooring.

The last time I was here there was a man who thought making sexual comments toward me was a good idea, and I socked him in the jaw to prove a point.

“You nearly broke Leon’s jaw the last time! He couldn’t eat solid food for a week,” Otto yells.

My only response is a shrug. I’m not sorry for punching Leon, and I would make no promises to not do the same tonight.

Wagging his finger at me, he says, “Best behavior and I will get you the Fati wine you like.”

I stride over and take a seat at the bar.

“I will do my best, but we both know you’ll let me stay as long as my coin is good,” I wink at Otto and place a few coins on the bar to prove my point.

He grunts and pours me a mug of wine. I take a long swig. The wine is smooth and goes down far too easily.

“Keep them coming,” I say, placing more coins on the counter, knowing I’m paying well over the cost of the wine, but I need to win him over to stay. He happily takes the money and hands me more wine.

It’s only after I finish an entire bottle of Fati wine and start a second that my thoughts become less frantic and my body eases. A few villagers who remember me from past visits stop to catch up, but otherwise, I’m left alone most of the evening and enjoy the solitude.

Otto brings me a tray of crackers, cheeses, and fruit, as I requested. Taking the first bite, I let out a small moan. I may be a little too drunk, and I giggle to myself at the realization.

As I take another sip of wine, the scent of apples surrounds me. I bite my bottom lip before turning to catch Kira taking a seat next to me. Her chestnut eyes meet mine as she settles.

“How do you always know it’s me and not some predator?”

I eye her from head to toe, not missing the fact that she is wearing a revealing yellow dress, which is my favorite color on her. It makes her skin glow. Her long, golden-brown hair flows in tight ringlets down her back and over her shoulders. I take a strand, toying with it between my fingertips.

“Do you think after all these years I wouldn’t recognize your presence even with my eyes closed?” I ask, staring into her glassy eyes.

She must be looking for the same thing I am tonight.

With the back of my other hand, I brush her hair off her shoulders and graze her soft skin. I watch, transfixed, as her breath hitches at my touch. It’s been over a year since I’ve allowed myself to be this close to Kira, but the sensation still feels so familiar. The thought of her taste, her touch, and the sounds she makes ignite the old desire within me, which settles between my thighs.

I bite my lip again, lost in my filthy memories. Kira’s hand slides up my forearm, and I realize I’m still playing with her hair. I let go of the strand and grab my mug of wine, finishing it. Her hand finds a comfortable spot on my leg, and I hate how easy it is for us to go right back to the same place we once were.

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