I quickly scooped up Valaine and ran, disappearing back into the crowd. I trusted Tritetia would either chase us or stay where she was, but I didn’t have time to think about it. My scales had never appeared until I was well into adulthood, and I couldn’t stop to think about why they had manifested so soon. I needed to get out of there.

  “Change us.”

  “Wait, I–”

  “Now before they catch us!” I barked, struggling to carry her. Even though she was younger, we were still close in size and I had no chance of outrunning adults with such a small body. Mist enveloped us as Valaine hastily wove her magic, her fingers trembling against my shoulder as the familiar shimmer of energy surrounded us. The illusion settled into place just as the commotion behind us intensified, festival-goers shouting and gasping as the merchant shouted for someone to catch us. As soon as I saw the red hair bouncing around my face, I stopped, setting Valaine down to see her new blond hair and freckled face.

  “What did you do?” I seethed, barelying registering the fear on her face.

  “I–”

  “What, did you do?” I repeated, hoping I looked like an older brother reprimanding his sister as the soldiers ran past us. Valaine glanced at them before looking back at me, eventually dropping her gaze to the ground.

  “I didn’t do anything. All I did was stop to look. I didn’t even reach for anything,” Valaine muttered and I sighed sharply, glancing around to make sure no one was watching us too closely. The festival crowd had already begun to shift, attention drifting from the commotion back to the ongoing festivities. I forced myself to relax, loosening my fists before grabbing Valaine’s wrist and tugging her closer.

  “Then why did she think you did?” I asked, keeping my voice low.

  Valaine pouted, scuffing her newly altered shoes against the dirt road. “I don’t know! Maybe she was just mean! Or maybe someone else stole something and she thought it was me!”

  I exhaled through my nose, still tense from the lingering sting of the whip against my back. I had been prepared for my horns to grow in first but my scales… it must have been in response to me being threatened, or I had somehow unconsciously manifested them to protect myself. I could still feel them under the new shirt, and I resisted the urge to touch them.

  “We need to find Tritetia,” I muttered, tugging Valaine along as I carefully led us deeper into the festival crowd. “She probably stayed where I left her.”

  For once, Valaine didn’t argue with me, and I moved my grip to her hand as I slowly began heading back to where we had first noticed the commotion. Valaine remained quiet, her earlier excitement dimmed by the sudden weight of reality. I knew she wasn’t used to things going wrong. Even with her rebellious streak, she had lived a life of privilege, her mistakes easily erased by her status. But out here, there were no palace walls to protect her, no attendants to smooth over her missteps.

  It didn't take long to find Tritetia. She was exactly where I had left her, standing near a row of merchants, her hands clenched at her sides as her eyes darted between the festival-goers. She had been waiting, watching, her body tense with unease. I was careful to flash my golden eyes at her and she perked up, slowly walking over to me and Valaine.

  “Where did… the others go?” She asked nervously, and I breathed a sigh of relief. At least Tritetia was smart enough to pretend we weren’t the same kids.

  “I dunno. They ran past us real fast, nearly knocked Josse right over,” I offered, pushing Valaine back toward Tritetia. “You two should head home, before things get too interesting.”

  “But–!”

  “What about you…Phillippe? Will you be okay on your own?” Tritetia spoke over Valaine for once and I almost laughed at the absurdity. It was clear that the whole endeavor had shaken her so much she was willing to override Valaine, and I offered her a reassuring smile, my lips quirking just slightly.

  “I’ll be fine. I just need to check something before heading back.”

  Tritetia’s brows furrowed, a flicker of something uncertain crossing her expression, but she didn’t argue. Valaine, however, was less inclined to let the matter rest. “Wait! What do you mean check something? You’re not gonna go after those guys, are you?”

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  I rolled my eyes, shoving my hands into my pockets as I took a step away from them. “I just want to make sure my mother’s alright.”

  That was enough to silence her, and I watched as guilt flickered across her face, her earlier bravado dimming slightly. She wasn’t used to seeing the consequences of her actions—not really. This had been a game to her, an adventure, but now she was seeing the cracks in her perfect little rebellion.

  “But how will you get back?”

  “You’re not the only one who has secrets, Josse,” I scoffed, turning away from the girls. I trusted Tritetia would talk Valaine into teleporting them back to the palace, but I still wanted to find my mother and see how she was doing. It didn’t take long to find her and I was relieved to find her shopping with the other maids. She looked relaxed, her usual wariness absent for once, and I felt my shoulders loosen slightly.

  “Oh my, this would look amazing on you Linota! You should really dress up more!”

  “It is lovely,” my mother agreed, examining the bracelet one of the other girls held out for her. She seemed to hesitate, though, as if unsure whether she should accept something so fine. I watched from the crowd, keeping a safe distance as she smiled gently at the women around her, letting them chatter and fuss over her as they held up jewelry and fabrics for her to admire.

  I turned away from my mother, determined to find one other person before I left. Without the girls, there was no need to pretend that I wasn’t looking for Yssac and I soon found him with his friends again, this time enjoying drinks at one of the drinking areas. I knew he was too young to be drinking, but he clearly didn’t care, laughing loudly as he leaned back against the wooden table, a cup in his hand. His friends were rowdy, their conversation growing bolder with every sip they took, but Yssac’s laughter had an edge to it—forced, almost hollow, as if he were trying too hard to enjoy himself.

  “So, when do you head back South?”

  “Don’t remind me about that,” Yssac groaned, playfully shoving his friend. “I tried to talk Father into letting me take over the store in the capital, but he said there was no need to learn such ‘useless’ skills.”

  “Heh, besides, Sterling has the merchants on lock down. You need another ten years to be on his level,” another friend jabbed and I noticed the frustration on Yssac’s face. So, that was how his father manipulated him. Isolated him in their estate and essentially erased everything else from his life. It made his hatred of my mother logical; my mother always allowed me to have choice, even as I got older and Yssac must have hated seeing that after how his father alienated him.

  “If the Marquess was smart, he’d let you stay here, build up connections,” the first friend took a drag off a pipe and I frowned at the odd scent. I knew that smell from somewhere… “Can’t replace Caspian if you’re a nobody from the south.”

  “Exactly!” Yssac agreed, but it was obvious that he just wanted an excuse to stay in Theralis. I smirked slightly to myself, carefully blending into the crowd as I observed Yssac’s frustrated expression. What he wanted was freedom; the ability to make his own choices, to carve out a life for himself that wasn’t dictated by his father’s grand plans. Typical for any teenager, and something I could use.

  I glanced around the drinking area, ensuring that no one was paying me any mind before shifting closer to their table. The scent of the pipe lingered in the air, something earthy and slightly sweet, tinged with something I recognized but couldn’t quite place. I narrowed my eyes, trying to recall where I had smelled it before.

  Magic.

  It was a magic weed, one that only grew in the deserts north of Naera and I frowned as the boys continued their talk. It was considered a drug, since one of its side effects was a heightened sense of perception, but it also dulled inhibitions, making the user more bold and reckless. That also mean I knew the boy who was smoking it, as his father was a co-conspirator with the Marquess and traded with Pyraxia.

  Seymour Miller.

  I leaned against one of the wooden support beams nearby, keeping my expression carefully neutral as I listened. Seymour was another name I would never forget but I fought to swallow my anger. Like Yssace, he was still young, so there was a chance I could prevent him from becoming a threat to me and my mother. He had only learned about us through Yssac and the Marquess, so if I wanted to keep Seymour at a distance, my best choice was still to stop Yssac.

  I frowned, my thoughts churning; if Yssac wanted an excuse to stay in Theralis away from his father, I simply needed to give him one. An idea started to form and I hummed thoughtfully, watching as the boys finished their drinks and readied themselves to continue wandering around the festival. It would require Caspian’s help though, and I still wasn’t sure how he felt about me. His actions on our first day was proof of his disdain for the Blackwoods, but if I asked him to help me isolate Yssac from his father, would he agree?

  The scales on my shoulder began to itch, and I groaned as I struggled not to scratch them. It was annoying enough that they hadn’t faded on their own yet, and I had no idea how to make them disappear. My scales were always something I had the least control over and in the last few years before my transformation, I simply left them alone. At that point, everyone at the Marquess’s estate knew what I was, and the scales simply served as a warning to leave me be.

  I clenched my jaw, forcing the thoughts away as I slipped through the streets, moving toward the less crowded areas where I could make my way back unnoticed. I had played my part today, gathered the information I needed, and ensured Valaine and Tritetia made it back safely. No doubt the rumors of a “monster” in the capital would reach the palace, and I just needed to make sure it couldn’t be connected to me.