Moon Blood

XIV. Streets

There was just enough light left that I could see Anna's stare slip over Ezra, his hand curled over mine. Standing at the edge of the stone walkway, Esidra rolled her eyes, following them in a turn for the doors.

Anna's tone was not welcome. "Rye. You know that Jonas is coming home tonight. You cannot be taking accessory walks in the courtyards. The horses are ill and we've ought to cross the province before it's too cold."

I wondered whether the hour was really what upset her though.

Levi offered to lend us a coach, but we couldn't very well lead him to the Wharf. He insisted that it would be irresponsible of him to let ladies off into the nightly city streets alone. I assured him we were plenty capable. Perhaps more than he should think.

Alcazar crowned a private brick avenue that jointed the city streets. When we reached the corner, Esidra's steps parted ours.

"Harriet!" Anna hissed. "You are going the wrong way!" Anna's patience was short tonight.

"No. I'm not. You are. That's north into the city, this is south toward the country."

"Toward the slums. Harriet, we don't have the light for this."

Esidra made no rebuttal, just stood her ground.

"Harriet, we have less time to be jacked than to take the wrap route," Anna implored. "You know the wrap route. We always take the wrap route."

"Well tonight we don't have the light for it." And Esidra turned on her heel, her bustle bobbing behind her.

Anna growled and scurried after her.

While the rich slept, the slums were dense with life. The black market never bled dry. The unpaved streets ached thick with crowds, burning with makeshift lamps and scrap oil, and I thought how if light was time, the poor never ran out.

I could see why Anna didn't want this path. Their dark eyes dragged on our jewelry and bustles and piled hair as we passed them. Speculating, as though merchandise. We edged the congestion, trailing at Esidra's back. But they came from behind.

"You look a bit far from Alcazar, Miss."

Anna spun at the edge of a dead alley. I didn't know how to warn her and she let him goad us into it. She sputtered, I froze.

There was no charisma. The five of them clouded the edge of the alleyway. The potbellied man swiped at the pearls on Anna's neck and cuffed her in the stomach. A huge hand dug into my shoulder from behind; I buckled under the force, the chapped brick of the wall chafing against my hands. Another man, not much taller than me, clutched beneath my chin with two hands and dragged me to my feet.

"...Hudson?"

Esidra. She had turned back for us.

I felt his hold slacken around my throat and I broke against his grip, dropping hard into the dirt.

"Sidge?" He twined his hand around my forearm and pulled me to my feet, his locked eyes never touching me. "Well if it isn't the little turncoat-"

Hudson drove his hand into hers as if to shake but then jerked her forward, burying her in a rough, smothering embrace. He pulled her out of it by the shoulders to look her over squarely.

"The trick's not bad. The difference a corset and some rouge makes... But don't worry. Even if you look like a lady, I'll always know that you're really just a thief pretending to be some kind of soldier..."