Page 9 of Sanctuary

“Why would he be? We’re both professionals, and there’s plenty of work for both of us. It’s not personal, after all. He’s not the only one who needs work, and why would he expect you not to take the best deal you can possibly get?”

For a moment, I see indecision flickering on his face. Then he decides. “Okay. We’ll try it this once. Half price. Then we’ll decide about the future.”

I’m so exhilarated by my success that I have to refrain the impulse to whoop and hug myself. I manage to maintaina somewhat calm demeanor as I accept the offer and get the details of the job.

Wait until Aidan finds out.

Pissed doesn’t even come close to what he’s going to feel when he finds out I’ve undercut him with this best customer.

He’s going to be mad as hell.

I can’t wait.

James’s job for me is fairly easy. A trade with a town a few mountains over that’s evidently been done multiple times over the years. Sharpsburg is offering several packages of sugar—of which they evidently have scavenged a stockpile—in return for salt from the other town.

The salt they need to dry and preserve the fish they catch in the river so that it lasts through the winter.

The amount of sugar and salt is easily carriable in my backpack, so I don’t need to haul my cart. I much prefer traveling like that, and the trip is through territory that’s familiar to me.

In return for completing the job, James offers me either a selection of nails, screws, and other construction fasteners or else half a case of dried fish. We’re doing fine on food this year, so I ask for the nails and screws. We don’t have a skilled metalworker in Monument, and we’re always running out of good quality supplies for our construction projects.

The only disadvantage of this particular job is that it will take about eight hours for me to make it to the other town, even using all the shortcuts I know. That means I won’t be able to get back to Monument until tomorrow.

Del will be worried.

It will be worth it, however, if I can make a good connection with Sharpsburg. I agree to James’s terms and start out on the trip immediately.

The afternoon is uneventful. I make good time, and I don’t run into any trouble. I get to the other town a couple of hours after dark, which isn’t ideal since it’s much more dangerous to be outside of walls at night, but I don’t have an option today.

If I waited until tomorrow to leave Sharpsburg, I’d almost certainly have run into Aidan. And I’d rather not do that until the job is complete.

The folks in the other town are surprised, but they happily make the trade with me, and they give me a bed to sleep in for the night.

I start off at dawn the following morning so I can return to Sharpsburg by early afternoon and get back to Monument before dark.

Most of the journey is as easy as it was yesterday. I occasionally encounter fellow travelers, but they’re either harmless or avoidable. I never try to face anyone down. At the first sign of another person, I get off the road fast and hide until they’ve passed.

Everything is going exactly as I want it until I start the final downhill trek to reach the river and Sharpsburg. Standing right in the middle of the trail is a tall, lean, unmistakable figure.

Aidan.

After a quick internal debate, I decide to keep walking. I could try to avoid him, but he will have seen me, and he’d probably follow if I switched to a different route.

He’s pissed.

That much is clear.

I can see it in his posture even before I get close enough to see his face.

Now that I’m in the position of confronting him, I have no idea what to say. I meet his gaze evenly and keep walking, shifting my trajectory slightly so I can move around him.

He moves to the side enough to block my new path.

“What is the problem?” I ask with a casualness I don’t feel. “I need to get through.”

“There’s no way it’s worth your time and effort for only half a payment. Are you doing this purely to spite me?”

His bitter skepticism enrages me. I have to stop myself from snapping my teeth and smacking his handsome face. “Are you somehow the main character of everyone else’s story? Believe it or not, I make decisions that have nothing to do with you.”

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