Page 66 of This Shattered Star

As we approached the man that crafted the blooming flower figures I loved so dearly, I stood just a smidge taller, chin lifting with reserve. Coming to the night markets was a rare privilege. If I behaved properly, I would be allowed to come again. That was the bargain us three had kept since I was little.

I wasn’t about to break it for the sole reason of not feeling quite like myself. That would be silly.

Better than any stuffed toy, his flowers were magically crafted to mimic certain animals. This time, an array of different colored flower-cats sat in neat rows, waiting to be cuddled. Next to them sat tiny periwinkle horses that could fit in the palm of my hand.

One lifted its tiny head to meet my finger when I reached out to touch it, then clomped its even tinier hooves while I brushed a knuckle down its soft mane.

The corners of my lips turned upwards.If only everyone could decide to wield magic this way. Thefunway,I thought. If onlyIcould wield it this way.

The only downside of it all was that the figures withered after some time, after the magic keeping them fresh faded. But nothing lasted forever, so I didn’t mind coming back for new ones. And Father didn’t seem to mind constantly buying them for me, either.

Speaking of Father…

“Where’s Father?” I asked the vendor. He wasn’t anywhere to be seen.

“Haven’t seen him,” he answered, shrugging.

Mother appeared unphased. “The night markets are vast. I’m sure he’s around here somewhere. Let’s go look for him,” she suggested.

I begrudgingly parted from the stall to follow her as she led the way through the thralls of people. She moved fast—it was hard to keep up. She continuously disappeared and reappeared sporadically between other people.

“Mother, please, slow down!” I called out to her after she turned the corner of a tall building. Speeding up into a jog, I turned the same corner, relieved to find an alleyway, free of people.

“I think he’s hiding. This way, darling!” she called out from the opposite end of the alley. Without waiting for me, she hurried around another corner.

I hated games. I hated hide-and-seek most of all. Father knew this. Why would he try and hide from us?

I dashed down alley after alley, each one coming up barren.

“Mama?” I shouted. I’d missed her last turn, hadn’t been able to catch the sound of her footsteps, the flare of her skirts. No response. “Which way did you go?”

Turning in a slow circle, I properly took in my surroundings. The buildings lining the alleys had become older along the way, crumbling at the edges and showed no sign of actual human life.

I fought against the knots twisting in my chest. I was lost. I’d taken a wrong turn, and now I was stuck in the only part of Aedreath I wasn’t allowed to loiter in.

Pockets of shadows beckoned, but I stayed put. Shadows were misleading. They could be hiding anything.

Aclicksounded from behind me, and I whirled, heart hammering, only to find the alley empty still. But a door to one of the abandoned buildings was cracked open a few inches. I’d sworn it was closed when I walked past it.

“Mother, Father, I don’t like this game.” Wincing against the screech of its hinges, I pushed it open wide enough for me to pass through, hoping no one was close enough to hear.

It was darker inside, the shadows having completely taken over. There were no windows to allow any kind of light, and the air reeked of mold and mildew. My arms reached out on their own accord, trying to feel for anything that might be able to help navigate through the dark. After a few steps, the door clicked shut behind me, sealing me inside. And taking with it the only dregs of light.

A shiver crept down my spine. This wasn’t funny at all.

My voice trembled, barely above a whisper. “I can’t see either of you. Can we please stop playing?”

Above the odor of mold, the tang of metal combined with something rancid tickled my nostrils, sending me into a coughing fit. This building had to have been abandoned for a long time for such smells to permeate the air.

On my next step, my foot caught on something solid. Gasping, I rightened myself before my face could meet the floor.

“If only I couldsee,” I muttered desperately.

As if answering my plea, several lights flared to life at once. Barely illuminating the room at all, small, fractured sconces fought for dominance against the oppressive darkness. Their flames choked and sputtered, crackling audibly.Where had I seen these before?

Blinking rapidly, I allowed my eyes to adjust before looking down.

A guttural scream tore itself from my throat.