Page 29 of Unbound By Shadows
Sam calculated how much time they would lose if they took a different route. They couldn't go west; a large lake blocked their way. An eastern detour was possible, but it was swampy terrain. He inwardly cursed himself for not checking the Padu schedule when planning their route.
"Sam?"
He glanced down at her questioning face. “It’s the Padu.”
“Is it a town? Whatever’s cooking up there smells amazing.”
“It’s the Padu traveling market,” Sam said tightly. “Changes position every new moon.”
“Wow, that sounds fun. What do they sell?”
He shrugged. “Market things.”
Selene gave him a puzzled look, but he didn’t elaborate. She didn’t need to know the full extent of Padu’s nature. There were many legitimate merchants at Padu—sellers of beautiful silks, rare jewels, and finely-crafted weaponry. But then there were other traders, ones that took advantage of Padu’s transitory state to avoid scrutiny for their dark dealings.
Sam rubbed his thumb against the knives he kept strapped to his belt. He had thought he had only remembered flashes of color and noise from his time in Padu. A purple tent with black stripes. Shouting voices and jangling coins. Dust sticking to his bloodied feet. But the rhythmic drumming and smell of vinegar and garlic brought back many images and sensations he would prefer to forget.
Selene brushed back strands of hair from her face. “I'd kill for a hair tie. Or even a ribbon. Do you think we could pick up something like that there?”
Although Sam liked seeing the wind play with her loose hair, he knew she craved a way to restrain it. A few days ago, she had tried to twist the tawny-colored mass into a bun secured by a twig, but pieces kept sliding out.
“You can buy anything in Padu, but we're not stopping there," he said.
"Why not?"
"I don't want to."
"But… isn’t it on our way?”
“We’re taking a different route now. See that fork in the road ahead? We’ll go east instead.”
She seemed to consider this as they walked. After a moment, she asked, “Couldn't we just stop for a moment? Ten minutes tops.”
Sam waited until a furry old Lycah pushing a jangling cart of pots passed them on the road before replying, “No. Put your Nereid cream on. We don’t need everyone here knowing you’re human.”
She pulled out the jar from her pack and began to apply the fish scale cream to her face.
Their path had become more heavily trafficked as they approached the split in the road. As usual, Sam’s size and appearance attracted many curious stares. Children stopped playing to watch him with wide eyes, while the adults either drew back in fear or tried to avoid eye contact.
The drumming grew louder and was now accompanied by off-key singing as they continued down the road. A Nereid male balancing a tray of seashells on his head splashed his face with a bottle of water as their paths crossed. When he noticed Selene’s attention on him, he bowed. The tray didn’t even jostle while drips of water streamed from his chin. Plucking a tiny cockleshell from his collection of goods, he presented it to Selene.
Sam shook his head. “No. We’re not buying today.”
The Nereid’s silvery eyes twinkled. “A gift. No charge.”
Selene accepted the shell, then gave a delighted smile to the Nereid. Sam felt a simmer of envy.Witless fish creature.He wanted to be the one causing that reaction.
After tucking the shell into her pocket, Selene said, “I’ve never seen anything like this.”
Sam was about to repeat how they were not stopping, but herexpression made him pause. The yearning she had to explore the market was clear, and yet she did not voice it again. Something about that bothered him. He felt a pull—deep and instinctual. A sudden overwhelming need to indulge her. To please and satisfy. To be the male, the only male, that could give her what she desired. It was disturbing… but undeniable.
“Would Kevin P. Norton take you if he were here?” he asked.
“Kevin? Not a chance,” she said with a laugh. “He’d say we don’t need to buy any more junk, or he’d spend the whole time worrying he’d get his wallet stolen.”
“Demons don’t abide theft,” Sam replied. “Fine. Let’s go to Padu then. But we can’t stay long.”
"Yay!" she cried. Sam ducked his head to hide how his lips quirked at the joy he felt in seeing her excitement. Delighting her could prove addictive.
