Page 74 of A Soul’s Awakening

“Let’s look around?” Marina asked before taking a bite into a honey smattered strawberry. She chewed and swallowed, smacking her lips. “Mmm… so good! Thanks, El. I’ll get the next one.”

Eleanor bit into her own dessert, her eyes rolling back into her head as the sweetness spread over her tongue. “Sure,” she said around her mouthful. “Let’s go.”

As they meandered through the market, Eleanor’s eyes narrowed as she realised the stalls were closing. What in Seelieland is going on? She looked from left to right as vendors covered their produce with canvas and packed away their wares.

“What’s happening?” Marina asked a pale vendor with scaly cheekbones.

“We have received orders from the Portson Guard to close and not open again until two days from now,” he answered irritably, his voice accented and gravelly.

“Why?” Eleanor asked, tilting her head.

“We don’t question the Portson Guard why, we just do,” he replied firmly. “Shoo now, we must close.”

“Okay, okay,” Eleanor relented.

Her mind whirled as the pair made their way out of the farmer’s market and back into the streets, Marina chatting into her ear. I don’t think I’ve heard of the market closing before. Isn’t it normally open all the time? She took another bite, swallowing the honey stuck on her tongue. First day back, I had a weird lesson about the Tithe, and now this—

“Hello, Seelieland to El!” Marina nudged her elbow into Eleanor’s side, snapping her back to their conversation. “I asked you a question.”

Eleanor gave her head a little shake, trying to clear her thoughts. “I’m sorry, I… what were you asking me?”

“What are the libraries like out in the Clusters?” Marina asked raising an eyebrow at her.

“Oh, well… I haven’t been to all of them,” she said with a chuckle, “but the one closest to where I live is pretty pathetic. They don’t have a lot, but sometimes they get donations. And if I ask, they will see if they can order things in for me. That can take months though. Do you like the Portson library? I’ve been a few times and it’s amazing compared to the one I go to on the island.”

Marina clicked her tongue against her teeth. “Unlucky about the library in your village, but I do love the one here. My dad used to take me there a lot for lessons when we were looking into the questions I used to ask him. I have to admit, though…” she lowered her voice, a note of conspiracy in her tone, “…the fiction section is my favourite, particularly the books with faerie pirates and mermaids.” She waggled her eyebrows suggestively.

“Marina!” Eleanor gasped. They giggled gleefully together as they passed through the school gates, Eleanor’s eyes never leaving the guffawing girl linked to her arm.

She practically collided with Jessia as she turned her gaze forward again.

“What’s so funny?” she grilled, her eyebrows raised at Eleanor.

She crinkled her nose in irritation at the teenager she had once thought was her friend. Eleanor opened her mouth to retort, but Marina beat her to it.

“That’s none of your Faedamn business,” she bit, eyes narrowed at Jessia.

Eleanor stood, dumbstruck. She just stuck up for me. She blinked as she processed what just happened.

“I wasn’t asking you,” Jessia snapped.

She found her tongue. “Like Marina said, it’s none of your Faedamn business.” Eleanor scowled at the girl, who took a step back, nearly treading onto another student’s shoes. “We’re busy, Jessia. Find someone else to bother.”

Eleanor’s eyes raked across the garden, wanting to get away. She spotted Miss Taylor across the schoolyard and tugged Marina after her. The young teacher sat at a wrought iron table with a tea set and a stack of papers. The pretty, young teacher was doggedly working her way through her student’s assignments with a red inked fountain pen.

“Hello girls!” Miss Taylor greeted them brightly. “Curfew was sunset… you’re back very early. I hope no one gave you any trouble?”

“No trouble.” Marina shrugged. “But the market closed, so we just decided to come back.”

“Closed? Why?” The teacher wore a confused look. “I haven’t heard of that happening before.”

“The stalls just started closing,” Eleanor answered. “We even asked one of the vendors. He said they’d just been told to shut, and he didn’t even know why.”

“Who told them to close?” Miss Taylor asked, lines appearing between her eyebrows as she creased them.

“The Portson Guard,” Eleanor replied, eyeing her facial expression. She seems worried… why?

The teacher frowned further, concern etching her face. “Very unusual. I will let the Headmistress know to keep the students away from the market for the time being.” Miss Taylor stood, gathering the stack of papers from the table. “El, would you mind taking my teapot and cup back to the kitchen?”