Page 24

“Is that where you’re from?” Byrgir asked.

“From outside of it, right near the sea, yes,” I said. “Did you grow up here?”

“I wasn’t born here, but we’ve been here since I was young. Come on, there’s already enough gods for me to keep track of.”

We moved past, and I glanced up at the man as we turned down another row of vendors. The enthusiastic preacher caught my eye, and I dropped my gaze, but too late.

“And ho! A harbinger of these dark times, of the evil ahead! A summoner of monsters from the night! In our very midst! Afae-touched she-demon!” His voice cracked with the high pitch of his self-righteousness.

Byrgir froze beside me, his large body going deadly still. I looked back up at the preaching man. I knew I should not say anything, but a flicker of rage flared in me at his words.

“What did you call me?”

“She-demon! Witch! Fae-touched blight of Enos’s good green earth! Turn to the Light, oh good people, for the darkness is already among you! Oh yes! It has crawled into your very markets, into your homes. It eats your goods, sucks the Light from your souls!”

I glanced down at the last bites of the sweet bun I still held, fingers sticky with melted sugar and butter.

He went on, “If you need proof that the shadows of evil stalk your lands, look no further than this woman! The eyes of Death himself shine from her very skull! Black as night and sicker still!”

My face flushed in a deep blush as the eyes of market-goers all around us began to turn to me.

“I suggest you watch your mouth.” Byrgir’s voice was cold, low, and menacing. A deadly, icy tone I did not expect from him. One hand slipped under his coat at his hip, and I noticed the end of a dagger sheath peeking out below it. I shivered at the darkness on his face.

“A perfect example, dear people! The succubus has ensnared an innocent man to do her dark bidding! Come to the Lord of Light, young man. You are not yet too wayward to be saved from her dark ways!”

Byrgir took a step forward. “I told you to watch. Your. Mouth.” He enunciated the words with steely calm.

I put a hand on his arm. “Let’s just go,” I said, keeping my eyes down from the preaching man.

“I won’t allow strangers to abuse my friends in public without repercussions,” Byrgir said, standing his ground. I gave his arm a tug, but he was immovable as a mountain.

“She-demon!” The man pointed at me. “I command you, in the name of Enos, Lord of Light, release this man from your treacherous enthrallment! Begone from him, foul succubus!”

I tugged Byrgir’s arm again. “Please, Byrgir, let’s just leave,” I said.

“Keep those words out of your mouth, you pompous idiot! You have no idea who you’re speaking to,” Byrgir growled.

But the preaching man ignored Byrgir and kept his focus on me. “Begone, wretched demon! Leave this man and these fair villagers alone! I beseech you! In the name of the Light!”

I hissed through my teeth in frustration and turned away from Byrgir. He could stand in my honor alone; my presence only made matters worse. I swept off through the gathering crowd toward Eilith’s cart. I could hear Byrgir hurl a few more choice curses at the preacher as I stormed away.

“Hal, wait,” Byrgir called behind me.

I did not slow.

“Wait, Hal, you don’t have to leave.” He caught up to me and grasped my arm gently in his tattooed hand.

“Yes, I do. Clearly I’m not welcome here. And I’m not going to stand around while some raving fool creates a spectacle out of me.”

“He had no right to say those things,” said Byrgir. “I should go pull him off that box, and beat that message into his thick skull.”

“You’ll just prove his point,” I said bitterly. “Make him a martyr like he wants to be. He’ll claim you were under my influence, and you’ll get off just fine while I’ll suffer for it.”

I kept walking, and Byrgir followed. A couple glared at me, pulling their small child behind them as I passed.

“Great, apparently everyone heard the holy man’s good words this morning,” I fumed.

“Don’t let him chase you off, Halja,” said Byrgir. “Don’t let him win.”