Page 57 of Lifebound

“How much is one? And do you guys take American dollars?” I asked.

Rune looked at me when I asked him this, surprised. “For a book?”

“Yes, a book. I’d love to read a Verenthian tale—is that even a word?Verenthian?”

Again, he looked at me like he couldn’t quite decide what to think, whether to be disgusted by me or maybe even be in awe.

Which was probably just wishful thinking on my part, but still.

In the end he said, “We can’t stop anywhere right now. The maze is the safest passage because of the volume of Verenthians that pass through all day, but soon we have to get to the other side.”

Which I understood. “Fine,” I muttered. But I promised myself that when the prince brought me back home this way, I was going to ask him to gift me all the books I could carry.

A jeweler specializing in enchanted jewelry, including amulets, rings, and necklaces that he said would offer protection and luck, and special abilities to the wearer. A stationary shop offering enchanted paper, ink, and quills to make your writingtruly magical,the seller said, and a much fancier clothing shop with outfits made of fine velvets and leathers. Potions, rugs and carpets, traveling bags and accessories—they had everything here.

And the maze went on forever.

I was getting a little tired after what could have been over two hours of walking with the crowd while Rune explained to me how Verenthians came from all over the continent to buy at the maze to ensure they weren’t being fooled. But even tired, I couldn’t stop moving from one shop to the next, looking at what they sold, and I was sweating underneath that red scarf so much, but I never once took it off.

I was smiling to myself, not even looking at where Rune was—he was always beside me anyway, and he was right when he said this place was the safest way because there were so many creatures coming and going that none looked at me or anybody else twice. I knew he’d be close and watching me, so I allowed myself to move freely, and I wasn’t scared in the least. I just made a mental list of everything I was seeing so I could tell Fi and Betty when I got back home, explain everything in the best way I knew how.

Until I passed another shop, the last one of this row on the right—and realized a whimper was coming from it. Like someone was crying but couldn’t really be loud. Like someone needed help.

My smile vanished. My legs took me forward on their own, eyes wide open until I saw the inside of the shop that had no name or boxes or books or potions on display at the front.

In there was a man, and in his arms was another, merely a boy with two heads—a fomorian called Twinborn, Rune said, who was consideredoneperson, even though he had two brains.

This man holding him in his arms wasbitinghim.

I saw red.

My body moved me back now, and the fear that grabbed me by the throat nearly made me pass out. The scream was stuck in my throat and my mind went back to every single horror movie and every book about blood-sucking monsters I’d ever read.

It was a vampire. I was looking at an actual vampire.

The boy stopped whimpering from his right head—his left had his eyes closed—when the vampire let him go and stepped back. Wiped the blood from the corner of his lip with the back of his hand.

Then turned and his eyes locked right on mine.

They were as black as the night, even deeper. He had fangs, but not like those of sorcerers. These were original vampire fangs, extending from his upper jaw, coming out just below his lower lip—and now they were retreating as he watched me and smiled.

The boy with the two heads fell back, and there must have been a chair there because he didn’t hit the ground. Instead, he sat, and his heads, almost identical to one another, fell on either side until they hit his shoulders.

The vampire calmly put his hands on the empty display of the shop and took in a deep breath through his nose, like he was sniffing the air, and his eyes closed.

I about fucking died, but since I didn’t, I took in a deep breath, too, and prepared to scream instead.

“You smell…different.”

He spoke. He fucking spoke and the scream got caught in my throat—and when someone took my hand in theirs all of a sudden, my legs gave up.

Before I hit the ground, though, an arm wrapped around my waist and held me in place—Rune.

Rune was here, and he was looking at the vampire, and he wasfurious.

However, he said nothing, only pulled me back slowly. My legs somehow worked—he was here and part of me believed I was already saved, and that gave me a bit of energy. It gave me my voice back.

“Don’t leave so soon. Maybe you are in need of my services since Reme brought you in front of me.”

---