Taken

Chapter 19 (Part 1)

"Yes. Ones that I keep promises with."

He didn't miss the way my throat bobbed as I swallowed hard at his pointed response. He was waiting for my reaction.

"Hopefully you don't break any of them," I said, averting my eyes from his.

His gaze felt like a weight as it roamed my shoulders, wanting to press for answers. He wasn't the only one who could keep them to himself.

When he finally shifted his attention back to peering into alleys, it felt easier to breathe. Until something caught his notice and had him stopping. His hand landed on my arm to pull me towards one of the narrow and dark openings. Unease crawled down my spine at the thought of setting foot in it.

Dark alleys were creepy on a good day, but given what had recently happened after I was forced down one at knifepoint, the last thing I wanted to do was go down another. Especially one that looked as sketchy as the one Silas was leading me to did.

"Where exactly are we headed?" I asked as we stepped foot out of the crowded street. Onto the rough stone darkened with grime. It didn't seem to get the same attention that the clean cobbled street we left did.

It seemed the Fae Lord that was assigned to preside over this city was lacking in keeping its upkeep consistent. Though, I didn't expect much from a member of royalty, even if they were a distant one.

"Not sure yet," he answered as he pushed me a step ahead of him. His hand lingered on the small of my back.

"Not sure? Then why are we headed-"

My gasp cut my question short when a man stepped out of a small alcove just as we stepped past it. It tucked away the door to a home and made the perfect spot to hide from those making their way down the narrow path.

As we turned to face him, Silas shoved me behind him. His sudden appearance didn't seem to surprise him despite his caution.

"What ya lookin' for?" The hunched man asked in a low voice. With a closer look, he appeared more boy than man. And he looked more scared of us than we were of him. Or me, at least. His eyes darted back and forth between us and the entrance of the alley that stood a few steps away, looking for any signs that he needed to make a run for it. 

Silas's hand remained firmly where he had grabbed me by the arm. "Glamours. Good ones."

"You have the coin?"

"Yeah-" Silas's hand reached for his pocket where it stilled.

I guess he was just learning that I had burrowed them.

My fingers rushed to slip into my jacket pocket and pull out the bag of coins that were still silenced by my tight wrapping. Stepping forward, I pressed it into Silas's hand. He turned at the feel of it, glancing down with furrowed brows. Once he realized what I had placed in his hand, his eyes narrowed as they snapped to mine. He didn't say anything as he turned and lifted the bag to show the thin Fae eyeing us suspiciously.

Opening it, Silas drew out a few coins before closing it and placing it in his pocket. He held the dark coins out to him.

The boy's eyes snapped between us as he hesitantly approached. He held his hand out for Silas to drop the coins in his palm. Once they had landed, he stepped back, snatching his hand away. He opened it to count them before shoving them into his pocket and giving Silas a sharp nod. Turning, he stuck close to the wall as he brushed past us, instructing us to follow with a flick of his fingers.

"Stay within reach," Silas instructed as he moved to follow, tugging me along after him. His grip on my wrist told me he had no intention of releasing it to let me go far.

The boy kept glancing over his shoulder at us as he moved, seemingly afraid to give us his back for too long in fear that we would either attack him or disappear. He also kept twitching. The jerked movement seemed involuntary and had him hugging his arms close to his body.

The further he led us into the alley, the more it differed from the image the main street had been giving off. Where it was full of life, this lane was devoid of it. Homes with cracking walls, broken windows, and thin doors lined both sides. I had seen more than one small and gaunt face peering out at us from the illusion of safety that their ruined homes provided. It would take little more than a huff and a puff for someone to break their way inside. The only thing protecting them was that they didn't seem to have anything of value.

As we turned onto a wider street, the crowd began to return. Only this time, it was notably different. Gone were the old ladies with colorful shawls, cheery shop merchants trying to sell pretty jewels, and restaurant workers inviting you inside for an evening meal. They were swapped for leering old men focused on women far too young for them, heated arguments that were moments from divulging into violence, and the treachery of swindlers with pretty smiles.

I took a step towards Silas when a man with tusks protruding on either side of his mouth turned his unsavory attention towards me. Luckily, it didn't linger for too long as we continued past him, but it wasn't the only unwanted attention I found drifting my way.

Silas's grip on my wrist tightened, not missing it either. The way he was practically dragging me behind him wasn't helping. Or his hand that had my arm parting my cloak to reveal I wasn't a man like most of those who filled the street. The women I did see seemed like they were paid to be there rather than actually wanting to be. Well, their clothing and costumes made it appear that way. And the signs advertising their services.

Unlike some of the women in the square I had stumbled into last time, none of the ones I passed here seemed to have an inkling of life in their eyes. Not even the ones that were glassy from alcohol and substances. Everything about the scene felt sad and decrepit.

Coming to a stop before a thick metal door, the boy raised his fist to it and knocked in a pattern. A slit at eye height slide open. Two dark slits peered down at him.

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