Monsters & Magic

Cora had not expected to spend nearly as much time as they had in the market. It seemed everywhere they went, they were stopped. Some people wanted to thank Idris for fixing the fallen stands, while others were curious about her.

By the time they passed under the archway and out into the streets of Phaedra, she felt worn out. Everywhere they went she felt like there was an invisible spotlight pointed straight at her.

The farther they walked from the market, the emptier the streets became. Cora’s heart rate sped up with every corner they encountered, afraid they might run into a Shadow-Walker outside the safety of the market walls. By the time they reached the house, she was exhausted.

Wordlessly, she crossed the main room and dropped the bag of bread she had carried on the table.

“What’s wrong, Cora?” Idris asked, coming up behind her and setting down the basket he had carried.

“Nothing,” she said, stepping aside to put space between them. Before she could take another step, he reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. She whipped her head around to stare at him, turning her expression to a glare. “What?” she snapped.

“What’s going on?” he asked.

She gritted her teeth, holding on to the glare. “Everyone looks at me, everywhere we go. It’s like there’s a spotlight somewhere pointed at me. I never asked for that.” Once she started, the words came pouring out before she could stop them. “I don’t want attention, I want to be left alone, not watched like I’m some sort of fascinating creature no one has ever seen before. I never should have followed Seth to this stupid place.” Her voice cracked on the last word, betraying her emotions. She looked down at the sweet roll in her hand, still wrapped in paper.

Idris dropped his hand from her shoulder. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

Shock prompted her to look at him. “What?”

“You’re right. There is a spotlight on you. People are curious about the newcomer to our city, and the fact that you are paired with me only gives them more reason to talk.” He paused, holding her gaze. “Nobody warned you that that might be the case and for that I am sorry.”

She opened her mouth, then shut it again when she couldn’t come up with the right words. She had been prepared for an argument and instead he had given her an apology.

“I don’t think you made a mistake in coming to Phaedra,” he said.

Cora put her guard up again, crossing her arms, ready for the confrontation she had expected. “Why is that?”

“Because I agree with Seth. You belong here,” he answered with sincerity.

Cora rolled her eyes. “Then you’re both wrong,” she huffed. “I don’t belong anywhere.” Growing frustrated, she headed for the sleeping room and closed the door behind her.

She paced the room, glaring at the furniture as if it had just told her she did not belong anywhere. Frustrated by the hurt those words carried, she searched for a distraction. Her eyes found the map on the wall. The marketplace was much larger in person than it looked in the picture, and the docks were equally so. She turned her attention to the maze of streets that ran throughout the city.

“If I find it…” she murmured to herself, searching for the portal that she had come through with Seth.