Page 18 of Ember and Eclipse
She turned toward the hunter in a daze.
He studied her, his hard gaze moving from the emerald to her lips to her eyes.
“Two hundred coin,” Devdan agreed, some emotion she couldn’t recognize making his voice rougher.
Her eyes widened as he pulled a pouch from his tunic and handed over the amount to the jeweler.
“Happy Rains.” The seller beamed, but he looked at her one last time, his observation lingering on the gem.
After they had taken several steps, she finally found her voice. “You didn’t have to—”
“I’ll collect it when we reach Romul. You’ll have no need for it there. I can resell it for three times that.”
The reality of her situation crashed into her, causing such a visceral reaction she gasped for air like she had been punched in the stomach.
Without looking at her, he said, “Surely you didn’t think I’d spend my own money on a jewel just because it matches your eyes, when you are the Imperator’s property andmybounty?”
“Of course not,” she said, but her voice was hoarse.
They traversed the rest of the stalls in a tense silence, but all she could think about was escape.Freedom.
She’d get away. And she’d take the emerald with her.
Damn the hunter.
Chapter XII
Themusicwasloud,and Rel watched the celebration that spilled out of taverns and into the middle of the street from the seat by the window. She wished for the simple freedom of those below—dancing and laughing in the rain without a care in the world.
Some booths had closed, and others more fitting of the nighttime revelry opened in their place. The smell of grilled meat and sugary confectionaries wafted up from the stalls below.
She tapped her foot to the music, recognizing some songs while others were completely new to her. Music was one of the few things she missed while living out in the swamp. Turning her head to the hunter, she peered at his resting form. “I want to go down and enjoy the festival.”
“No.”
“Why? I’ll have no freedoms when I get to Romul. In fact, I’ll probably be locked up in the dungeon for the rest of my life.”
“You chose your fate when you burned an entire room of people, including the only heir to the throne.”
“They had it coming,” she spat.
The hunter arched a brow.
“He was vile,” she said for good measure, referring to the prince.
“As true as that may be, you are still guilty.”
“Please.” She hated the dangerous emotion entering her voice.
“No.”
She glared at him for a long moment but turned back toward the window, wrapping her arms around herself again.
It wasn’t until a song she knew well began playing that she looked back at Devdan. He wasn’t sleeping, she knew, but his eyes were closed, and his arms crossed over his chest. She didn’t care if he was asleep or not—she just needed to reach the door. Once she made it to the main floor, he wouldn’t be able to haul her away without attracting a lot of notice. First, she stood, pretending to peer further out the window. After several long minutes, she turned to look at him again.
He no doubt had marked her as she stood up, but he otherwise paid her no mind.
She glanced toward the door. It was ten steps, if that.
