Page 25 of A Legacy of Storms and Starlight

“It’s alright, they won’t find us here,” Niara whispered, squeezing Zylah’s hand, mistaking her grimace for fear.

The girl’s pointed ears had reappeared, and Zylah wondered what it was about the grotto that revealed the children’s true identity.

“Father will be back soon,” Niara said when Zylah didn’t reply.

What was there to say? These children had spent their whole lives doing what she was trying to do. Only they were innocent.

They sat in silence, Zylah straining to hear any sounds of a struggle back in the dome. After what felt like an eternity, the soft thump of Jilah’s steady footsteps made their way into the grotto.

“It’s alright, they’re gone,” he called out.

The children shot out first, and Zylah followed. “I attracted the guards. I’m so sorry.”

“You? Don’t be ridiculous, child. Guards come this way at least once a month. It’s a way of life here in Virian.”

“Seven gods.” Zylah smoothed down the front of her cloak to steady her hands.

“You and your gods. I would love to bear witness the day Arnir learns his beloved gods are Fae,” Jilah mumbled as he led her back out in the gardens.

Zylah’s hands stilled on her cloak. “What?”

“The guards are always searching for Fae,” Jilah said, leading the way into the second dome as if he hadn’t just dropped such a wild nugget of information about the gods. “They know we didn’t all leave. But we do love to give them the runaround, don’t we, children?”

“Yeah!” Niara and Kihlan called out in unison from the level below.

Zylah followed the old man into a small gift shop at the far end of the dome. He seemed too old to be their father, but Zylah kept her thoughts on the matter to herself as she looked around the shop. “Have you ever considered selling a few remedies, just a few basic ones so as not to offend the apothecaries, the whimsical type perhaps? You’ve got all the ingredients here.”

“Whimsical?

“For broken hearts, rainy days, for the brin fruit of one’s eye, that kind of thing.”

Jilah smiled. “You’re smart, Liss. I’ll give you that. You’ve come here for a job, I take it, or are you into the habit of letting old men talk your ear off every morning?”

This guy doesn’t miss a trick.

“Well, I—”

“It’s alright. I’ve been looking for a way to give the children more time for their studies for a while, but trustworthy people are so difficult to come by,” Jilah said.

Trustworthy. She was far from trustworthy.You’re getting them tangled up in your mess. But she needed this job. Needed to stand on her own two feet, and she looked nothing like the wanted poster now. No one would recognise her, would they?

“And even more difficult to meet someone with knowledge of the plants, and some love for them too. You had the job the moment you complimented my tillaries.” Jilah’s smile was bright as he looked at her. “But I’m afraid this morning I’ll need you to start with the more tedious job of manning the ticket booth. We’re quieter at lunch. We’ll be able to talk more then.”

It was already dark by the time Zylah made her way back to the tavern. Jilah had given her a vegetable muffin, and she nibbled at it as she navigated her way through the streets, a cool breeze kissing her face.

Two men turned a corner ahead of her, walking in the same direction she was headed.

“Arnir’s men are being slaughtered. Every single one he sends out for the girl, they all end up dead,” one said quietly to the other.

Zylah instinctively tucked her hair inside her hood, focused on keeping her steps as even as they’d been before.

“I’ve told you before, Sarson, it’s that damned Fae uprising.”

Zylah almost choked on her muffin, and she kept her head down as one of the men looked over a shoulder.

An uprising. And they were helping her?

“Tch, uprising my arse. The Fae are long gone. It’s the Black Veil, I’m telling you.”

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