Chapter 210 Nighttime in the City

210 Nighttime in the City

AYLETH

When Falek had tugged her away from Etan and Borsche, down a side street, she'd assumed it was an agreed destination and started after him, expecting the other two to follow. But no more than a minute later she could feel the bond growing distant and soon after, sendings of love and comfort from Etan.

"What's going on?" she hissed at Falek, her hood still up and high so she had to turn all the way around in her saddle to see behind her—but there was no sign of Etan or Borsche.

"We're meeting at the opposite gate in three hours," Falek muttered below the level of noise in the street. "Don't panic."

"But we weren't supposed to separate!"

"This is a much safer way to travel, given the announcement. Eyes will naturally look for young couples—and red hair. Keep your cloak up Ariel," he said pointedly, "We'll return to your betrothed soon."

Grinding her teeth—and fighting a jabbering fear—Ayleth did as she was told and dropped her eyes to her hands and let herself slump in the saddle as if she were tired and only waiting until they could get off the horses.

The truth was, it wasn't hard to slump. She was exhausted. And dirty. And sore. But now her entire body hummed with tension and she had to fight the urge to scan the street for signs of Etan.

An hour later, though, her tension had turned to outright fear.

They'd turned into one of the many squares that peppered the City, only to find some kind of mob gathered—men with everything from swords to pitchforks, all listening to the messenger, whose horse now stood with its head down, feet splayed, and sides heaving, sucking at the air while it could.

Ayleth's heart went out to the beast. She prayed the reason they were stopped was because the messenger was stopping for the night at one of the inns here.

But they had a bigger problem—the crowd filled the square so that no one could move through easily. Walking horses through would only draw attention to them—and in a moment when everyone's mind was on the coming war between Zenithra and Summitras. Follow current novels at novelhall.com)

With a muttered curse, Falek turned his horse around Ayleth's and they back tracked between the buildings until they found a cross street and could weave their way back. But by the time they moved down another main street, Ayleth estimated they had lost at least twenty minutes.

Falek, too, seemed tense, barely speaking, his eyes darting left and right. At every corner citizens and merchants stood, discussing the war, discussing the abduction. Discussing her.

"You want the Daily Rest, my Lord," the woman said, her smile tipping up on one side in a way that made Ayleth sniff.

She didn't personally find Falek in the slightest bit attractive, but she knew he drew eyes from women wherever they went. They weren't usually so... bold about it, though.

"Thank you. Can you tell me the fastest route? We've been travelling a great deal and I'd like to get my ward to rest."

"Straight down the mainway, Lord. Only a few minutes now, but you'll want to hurry. It always fills up with the last of the travelers that make it in before the gates close, which they'll be doing when the bells—"

She cut off as the bells rang overhead, echoing across the city, steeples clanging in answer to each other at the four corners, north, south, east, and west.

Ayleth gasped, and Falek looked at her sharply so that she shut her mouth and dropped her head, but her heart raced. They were too late? The gates were already closing?

"Thank you," Falek said with a gallant bow to the woman, then flipped her another coin.

Which she caught again, but this time her gaze seemed... irritated?

"Anytime my lord," she said through her teeth. "And once your ward is... resting, you're welcome to come to the Fudge and Bitters. We're a loud lot, but the ale is good and we're welcoming to strangers. Most in the city aren't, if you know what I mean," she said with a sly smile.

"Very good. Perhaps I will see you later this evening," Falek said, nodding again. Still not smiling. But he mounted quickly and turned his horse in the direction the woman had indicated without another word.

Ayleth just about cursed. She stared at his back as they began to ride, trotting down the main street, following the gutter.

When he didn't talk, she waited only until she was certain they would be out of earshot of the woman.

"Flirting, Falek? Seriously? At a time like this?"

"She is one of my eyes and ears in this city, and she's just given me very valuable information," he muttered. "Now, hush until we know for certain exactly what we're dealing with."

A minute later they trotted into the wide courtyard on this side of the gateway and were forced to slow. The woman hadn't been wrong, there was a thick, milling crowd, animals and wagons, and on the other side which would take minutes to navigate thanks to the thick crowd, to Ayleth's dismay she could see the closing gap of light as the gates were raised into place for the night with a boom that shook Ayleth's lungs.