Page 125 of By the Moonbeam and the Mist
“Wow.” My jaw had actually dropped open. “That’s seriously badass, Land. I never would have thought you’d cheat the system that way.” No, before the Institute, Lander had always been all about diplomacy and rules and fairness. But now…
He shrugged, but that newfound glint speckled his eyes. “If you ever need help out of a tight spot like that, I’ve got your back.”
“Noted.” I forced out an easygoing laugh, then nodded toward the direction of the fountain. “I’m going to go check out that jeweler. See you at dinner?”
I was already angling away, remembering all too well what had happened last time I’d tried to sneak away during the Cardina market: Emelle had demanded to go with me.
For a split moment I thought she’d do the same now. Time seemed to waver as she sucked in a breath at me—then blew it out again. Eyes softening again, she waved. “Yeah, see you at dinner!”
She was already tilting an ear toward the begonias to focus on their faint, crooning music, a smile lighting up her face.
I turned to leave, ignoring the weight of eyes lingering on my back.
Over the next few hours, I filled my satchel with almost everything on Nara’s list, slipping coins into sweaty palms and stuffing the ingredients deep into the bag, where nobody would be able to see them.
In the end, there was only one thing I couldn’t find among all the carts and booths—those poisonous dart frog eggs.
I couldn’t help the smile from tugging at my mouth. The Cardina market didn’t have every ingredient I needed, after all. I’d won. I’d have to make a quick trek into the jungle to collect the frog eggs myself, but I’d won that bet with Steeler.
I couldn’t wait to gloat in his face when we saw each other next.
First, though, I really did want to check out that green-striped tent with the little flag on top.
A golden glow was trickling through the layer of clouds overhead as I made my way toward the tent, finally pushing through the flaps and taking in the spread of gemstones and shiny metals on the table inside.
“Hello,” I told the woman behind the table.
She was sitting in a whicker rocking chair, her bony fingers moving as if knitting. But instead of a needle and yarn, she worked with ropes of pure flame, shaping a glob of floating silver into a delicate ring.
“Oh.” She looked up briefly, the wrinkles in her face scrunching. “Another customer.” Her face had soured so viscerally that a sliver of my blockade opened again on instinct to pick up the thoughts behind that twisting expression.Funny how you kids still want bracelets and rings and piercings whenthe world’s about to come crashing down. But a woman’s got to make money until the very end, eh?
I stared at her, my grip on my satchel tightening. “What makes you think the world’s about to come crashing down?”
The jeweler froze in her rocking chair, the ropes of fire halting in midair. “Ahhh, I see. You’re a dirty, eavesdropping little Mind Manipulator, aren’t you? Spying on my thoughts?”
I froze, trying to mask the mortification warming my cheeks. It had happened so casually, so easily…
“I’m sorry. I’ll go.”
“No, you’renota Mind Manipulator,” she interrupted, halting my abrupt turn to leave. “Because Mind Manipulators don’t admit fault to strangers. They’re too proud for that. What are you, then?”
I am a Mind Manipulator and a Wild Whisperer and a faerie with an undeveloped power of my own, I wanted to say. But of course, I didn’t. I bit down on my lip until the jeweler sighed and stood on a frail pair of legs.
“The wind is my friend, and it brings me the smell of death and decay from other villages. They got Gildenleafand Eeler first. Then Sickimore. Then Merkwell. Soon, they'll be coming for Cardina and this Institute and the rest of them, too.”
My blood seized up along with every muscle in my body.
“Who? Who got them? Do you know?”
The jeweler shook her head. “The wind doesn't ever give straight answers. It spirals and loops and eddies around the truth, but it tells me the attackers are pale. Damaged. Altered beyond recognition. Now, what pretty piece of jewelrywould you like to wear to your deathbed, hm? I have this stunning pair of topaz studs that—”
“Actually, I’d like to give you a custom order.” My stomach was curling inward at those words she'd just uttered out loud.Pale. damaged. Altered beyond recognition. Whatever was attacking the villages, they didn’t sound humanorfaerie.
I blew a breath of air out through my teeth, and the jeweler’s bony fingers twitched upward as if to catch it.
“I don’t take custom orders fromEsholian Institute students.”
She winced and braced herself, as if… as if expecting me to use Mind Manipulating to coerce her into taking a custom order anyway. The brand on the back of my neck burned with shame as I wondered how many times someone had used that kind of magic on her. I didn’t know how to make commands yet, but I wouldn’t even if I could.
