Page 34 of A Broken Promise

But we were mere strangers, and she had already shown me more kindness than most people I had ever met. That leather suit of hers with daggers and knives strapped all over her body was a loud enough indication that she had her own secrets to hide. I had enough of mine, no need to keep hers too.

Ignorance was bliss after all.

“What were you doing by the river? Why so many daggers?” It was another question that bothered me.

“So. Many. Questions. Agh.” She scoffed. “Blah blah blah. Who? What? Where?” Her hair was completely unbound now, long, large curls covering her body. She held a few pins in her hands. Some of them looked like small vials with liquid in them and some of themlooked like tiny darts and daggers. I didn’t even realize they were in her hair.

“One thing that is a complete drag is laundry and cleaning. Like who has time for that?!” She dramatically sighed. “Anyway, so my job offer is quite simple. You clean and do my laundry and I will pay you.”

Clear enough.

“Do you live here?”

“This dump? Hell no.” She pretended to gag. “Gods, please murder me immediately if I ever end up living in this shithole. I was here for much more exciting stuff than this worn-out furniture.” She twisted the large ring in her hand.

“Just your laundry then?” I asked again, though aware that deep inside I already made the decision.

“Precisely.”

“And you willactuallypay me?”

“Be careful there, Freckles, that sounds a lot like an insult. I always keep my word.” A jab and a threat.

“What’s the catch?” I suspiciously asked.

“Oh, wouldn’t you love to know?” She smiled, narrowing her eyes. I tensed up. She ran her fingers through her loose waves. “Gods, Freckles, relax. There is no catch.” She paused. “As long as you don’t ruin my precious silks. If you do, I cannot guarantee you will walk away alive.” I swallowed and clenched my jaws. “Geez, girl. Seriously? So tense, loosen up, I am not going to chain you or sell you. Have a sense of humor.” She grumped and rolled over in bed. “I am leaving this dump tomorrow, so you have the night to decide.”

“Where are we going?” I asked.

She chucked at the clearly intended “we.”

“Weare going to the City of Svitar.”

My eyes grew wide as a little thread of excitement went through me.

The city of Svitar. The capital of the Royal Lands. The largest city in all of the Esnox. The most beautiful and extravagant place. The most ancient too.

You could find anything in Svitar.You could be anyone there.

At least, that’s what I had always heard. Tuluma was extra careful to keep me away from any major human settlements, especially cities like Svitar. But she was gone now, and I was going to Svitar.

My present course seemed to be much different from the past path.

I laid back on the large pillow and tucked myself tight under the sheets. My bones ached, my head throbbed, and my muscles were utterly sore, but for once in a very long time, I genuinely smiled to myself.

This was going to be good.

17

We had been traveling almost two weeks now, only stopping occasionally to switch carriages until we arrived at the Port City, waiting to board the steamboat to take us to Svitar. Our travel was uneventful, and I appreciated that. Often, we stopped for the night in a tavern or a hotel, sometimes staying for a day or two. During those days, I diligently cleaned and washed all the laundry, eager to prove myself. I needed this job, but even more so, I needed this opportunity to make it to Svitar. The rest of the time I spent absorbing the picturesque views through the carriage windows, admiring the beauty of nature.

It was easy to get along with Priya. The small jabs, the never-ending sarcasm and the constant rolling of her eyes, was growing on me; becoming a new norm. In the long carriage rides and slow evenings, we spent our days talking about everything and nothing at the same time. I learned fast that Priya seemed to have a strong opinion about everything. She also would rather murder me than let me win in tic-tac-toe. Luckily, I didn’t mind throwing the games for her; it made me content knowing that she was happy. I knew her favorite color and that she loved to eat desserts, and that she got stung by a bee in her right butt cheek a couple of years back.

Priya already told me that if I was smart, I’d save my wages for a Svitar surgeon, who she knows very well, to get new boobs. At my raised brows, she replied, “What? It’s not like you have any.” I genuinely laughed at that because truthfully, I couldn’t argue with that.

In our short time, I had also learned that Priya loved nudity. There was no privacy with her. She walked around naked anytime she felt like it. Even after two weeks, I was still in awe of her perfect figure and full hourglass shape, but I’d gotten better with my staring.

Occasionally, she’d disappear in her leathers only to come back hours and hours later. Even though curiosity was killing me, I pretended to ignore that part of her life. Whatever it was. She never asked any questions about mine and I respected that. A fair trade. But one thing was certain: Priya spared no expense for her own comfort.

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