they could each go in turn, showing me what they sell…
“Snork,” says Scarlet, not sounding quite as irritated. “From the briar bean bush in the Arbor Mountains. The leaves still move, even when they’re cut. That’s how you know they work.”
“And what do they do?” I ask. “The leaves?”
Ayso chews her gum, pausing in amusement. Several of the others move in around us, as if wanting a demonstration.
Scarlet’s voice is deep and sultry, sliding over me like a tonic to settle nerves. Her lids half close, and she says mysteriously, “You place them on your tongue, and if you can swallow one whole, Snork gives eternal youth.”
“Really?” I wonder how many people have tried it and are now walking around forever young.
“Really. The leaf’s venation releases enough stimulants to make a body feel like they’re flying. Only problem is, the leaves are living. And they like warm, dark places.” Scarlet’s eyes burn with morbid delight. “People get so stakked off while they’re high it makes ‘em hallucinate. They do stupid, eccentric things, and every single one of ‘em ends up dying before the drug can grant its promise.”
Behind her, Zeke grins, displaying gummy gaps between his rotting teeth. I glance around, making sure they’re not playing me. Cadie blinks in boredom.
“So no one really knows if Snork works or not,” Ayso finishes for Scarlet, tipping her glasses onto her nose.
“And you
sell
that to people? Isn’t that like, murder?” I can’t believe I’m sympathizing with the Arcs for forbidding these objects. I thought they were just being stingy.
Ayso shrugs. “They know the risk involved.”
Zeke belts out a laugh, nearly losing the toothpick spoking from his mouth. I slide a glance to my brother, and he gives me a grin in response to my silent question:
And we’re going to be buying something from these people?
“Ren, maybe we should just go.”
They all laugh again. My cheeks heat.
“They aren’t all so risky,” says Scarlet, waving a hand. “Reveweed provides a nice respite from life’s troubles.” She removes a small silver box, decorated with delicate swirls. She lifts its lid to display a collection of confetti-like leaves.
I shudder and hold up a hand, thinking of Gwynn, of our first venture into this world of magical wares, of the fizz in my veins like peroxide had been shot up them. “No thanks. I swore I’d never come near that stuff again.”
“You tried it before?” Ren’s face isn’t the only one holding surprise. Scarlet’s shaped brows lift.
“Not intentionally,” I say. “That night while Gwynn and I were looking for Isabel to buy our tears, I passed a girl right as she exhaled some. I breathed in the smoke, and I was instantly sucked into space, it seemed. It was cool, but the aftereffects were terrible.”
They laugh again, and it only strengthens my resolve. I give Scarlet a weak smile. “No offense, but I don’t think any of these will help with what we need. What do you have that can get us into the Triad undetected, Ayso? Zeke?”
Scarlet reads my disinterest in her case with a sneer and a shrug as if to say,
It’s your funeral.
Ren takes the empty seat beside her and rests a hand on her shoulder. I smile at her again, for good measure.
I make several requests, asking for anything I can think of—potions for magical disguise, dressing like servants and using the back entrance and hallways. Dircey offers to contact a scullery maid she knows, but conversing back and forth could take days. Talon will be dead by then.
Ren also doesn’t know the underground workings of the palace at all. It could take more time than we have to navigate our way to the hall he pointed out to me earlier.
Dircey flicks her eyes to me before glancing to Ren. “Maybe you guys should pose as new recruits.”
“We’re going there to rescue Talon, not get caught ourselves,” says Ren.
She snares Ren’s gaze and blinks a few times. Her
“Snork,” says Scarlet, not sounding quite as irritated. “From the briar bean bush in the Arbor Mountains. The leaves still move, even when they’re cut. That’s how you know they work.”
“And what do they do?” I ask. “The leaves?”
Ayso chews her gum, pausing in amusement. Several of the others move in around us, as if wanting a demonstration.
Scarlet’s voice is deep and sultry, sliding over me like a tonic to settle nerves. Her lids half close, and she says mysteriously, “You place them on your tongue, and if you can swallow one whole, Snork gives eternal youth.”
“Really?” I wonder how many people have tried it and are now walking around forever young.
“Really. The leaf’s venation releases enough stimulants to make a body feel like they’re flying. Only problem is, the leaves are living. And they like warm, dark places.” Scarlet’s eyes burn with morbid delight. “People get so stakked off while they’re high it makes ‘em hallucinate. They do stupid, eccentric things, and every single one of ‘em ends up dying before the drug can grant its promise.”
Behind her, Zeke grins, displaying gummy gaps between his rotting teeth. I glance around, making sure they’re not playing me. Cadie blinks in boredom.
“So no one really knows if Snork works or not,” Ayso finishes for Scarlet, tipping her glasses onto her nose.
“And you
sell
that to people? Isn’t that like, murder?” I can’t believe I’m sympathizing with the Arcs for forbidding these objects. I thought they were just being stingy.
Ayso shrugs. “They know the risk involved.”
Zeke belts out a laugh, nearly losing the toothpick spoking from his mouth. I slide a glance to my brother, and he gives me a grin in response to my silent question:
And we’re going to be buying something from these people?
“Ren, maybe we should just go.”
They all laugh again. My cheeks heat.
“They aren’t all so risky,” says Scarlet, waving a hand. “Reveweed provides a nice respite from life’s troubles.” She removes a small silver box, decorated with delicate swirls. She lifts its lid to display a collection of confetti-like leaves.
I shudder and hold up a hand, thinking of Gwynn, of our first venture into this world of magical wares, of the fizz in my veins like peroxide had been shot up them. “No thanks. I swore I’d never come near that stuff again.”
“You tried it before?” Ren’s face isn’t the only one holding surprise. Scarlet’s shaped brows lift.
“Not intentionally,” I say. “That night while Gwynn and I were looking for Isabel to buy our tears, I passed a girl right as she exhaled some. I breathed in the smoke, and I was instantly sucked into space, it seemed. It was cool, but the aftereffects were terrible.”
They laugh again, and it only strengthens my resolve. I give Scarlet a weak smile. “No offense, but I don’t think any of these will help with what we need. What do you have that can get us into the Triad undetected, Ayso? Zeke?”
Scarlet reads my disinterest in her case with a sneer and a shrug as if to say,
It’s your funeral.
Ren takes the empty seat beside her and rests a hand on her shoulder. I smile at her again, for good measure.
I make several requests, asking for anything I can think of—potions for magical disguise, dressing like servants and using the back entrance and hallways. Dircey offers to contact a scullery maid she knows, but conversing back and forth could take days. Talon will be dead by then.
Ren also doesn’t know the underground workings of the palace at all. It could take more time than we have to navigate our way to the hall he pointed out to me earlier.
Dircey flicks her eyes to me before glancing to Ren. “Maybe you guys should pose as new recruits.”
“We’re going there to rescue Talon, not get caught ourselves,” says Ren.
She snares Ren’s gaze and blinks a few times. Her
Similar Books
