Page 11 of A Rose Among Snakes (Gardens of Ruin and Revival)

Chapter Ten

“ C ome, Mihrra,” Kezara chirped the following morning as she grasped my wrist, tugging me behind her. “There’s a shortcut around here.”

“A shortcut to where?” I asked, tripping over a rut in the compacted dirt road. I had still been finishing up my hair after a luxurious first night of sleep in my feather bed when the bell on the wall rang. The second I set foot inside Kezara’s room, she was already jabbering about her plans for the day. I, however, had been focused on not moving the muscles in my face too much, scared of the pain from my sunburn, and missed where she said we were headed for the day.

Kezara skidded to a halt and whirled around, the amber specks of her hazel eyes glittering from the light of the ascending sun. “Didn’t you hear a word I said this morning?” she pouted.

Remembering my place, I swallowed my impulse to put her in hers as I would to one of my siblings, ducking my chin instead. “Forgive me, Kezara, but I was distracted.”

Her lips quirked to the side, but she shrugged and turned around. “Oh well, we’re almost there. We’ll cut through this alley,” she said, yanking me toward a dark corridor between wooden buildings. Every poor word my mother had ever said about Port Deering had my body tensing, but I’d already made one error this morning, and I wanted to stay on Kezara’s good side.

Inside, I couldn’t see anything at first, but after a few rapid blinks, my eyes adjusted. A rattling breath sounded behind me as one bony arm looped around my waist and another held a knife to my throat. My hand slipped out of Kezara’s and she spun around, her expression fierce as if to scold me before opening up into surprise.

“Don’t move,” said a man’s brittle voice, the words thin as if barely able to escape his dry throat. I couldn’t move if I wanted. Aside from the cold press of the jagged blade against my throat, I was entirely numb. My mind couldn’t even process what was happening. I wanted to tell Kezara to run, but my mouth wouldn’t form the words.

“What do you want?” Kezara asked without the slightest tremor.

“Money or Ziffem, whichever you have.”

Of course my life was in jeopardy over Ziffem. I couldn’t get away from it.

“Let me see what I have,” Kezara said, reaching into the coin purse dangling from her wrist. She plucked out a coin, but her hand shook and the coin dropped to the ground. “Oh no,” she muttered, stooping to pick it up. When she stood, her teeth were bared, and her arm wound up behind her head. With a grunt, she threw something at his head. My eyes squeezed shut, bracing for an impact on my face, but the man cried out and stepped back from me. Then I was being pulled forward and Kezara was yelling,

“Run!”

My legs remembered how to work after a few stumbling steps and then we were propelling toward the light at the end of the alley. The breath burned in my lungs, but as staggering footsteps clamored behind us, I pushed past the discomfort. We burst into the daylight and continued running until we were in the middle of the road. Around us, people muttered and looked back toward the alley. Every heaving breath pushed against my ribs, but my thudding pulse slowed when it seemed our attacker did not follow us into the light.

I bent over, bracing my hands on my knees, sweat beading on my forehead. Perhaps there was some merit behind my mother’s warnings after all. When I caught my breath, I looked up to find Kezara standing with her hands on her hips, a crooked smile pulling at her mouth.

“We… are taking… the long way home,” I panted.

Her smile grew. “Don’t you like a bit of risk, Mihrra?”

“Not particularly.” I stood up straight, looking at the crowd around us. A few people stopped to ask if Kezara was alright and she would send them on their way with a charming wave, assuring them she was fine. When I returned my gaze to Kezara, her expression had sobered. Flyaway hairs curled at her temples, clinging to the damp skin. She worried her lower lip between her teeth and said ,

“I’m sorry, Mihrra. Normally they stick to a different side of town, and admittedly, I’ve never used the alley myself. I’ve just heard about it.”

There was true remorse in the hazel depths staring back at me, and the full weight of what she had done hit me.

“Thank you for saving me. I’m afraid to think what might have happened if you weren’t there.”

“I certainly wasn’t going to leave you there. It was my fault we were even in that position.” She wrinkled her nose. “Can I ask something of you?”

Something in the pink tingeing her cheeks gave me a glimpse of what was in her mind. “You don’t want me to tell your brother?”

She nodded. “He would never let me leave the manor again.”

“Your secrets are safe with me, Kezara,” I said with a chuckle.

She beamed. “Wonderful. Now, let’s get on with our day. We’re here!”

Here appeared to be a dusty side street of Port Deering, the air buzzing with frenzied patrons, but through the gritty haze I could make out wagons and stalls lining either side of the road. I followed Kezara as she wove between patrons, listening as she excitedly explained where we were.

“Every year in May, the mountain pass is clear enough for merchants to come from Etheniar and Quemina to sell their wares. I’ve bought some of the most beautiful jewelry here in seasons past. Look!” She veered to the right and picked up a necklace made of a heavy silver chain studded with petite topaz stones. “See?” she breathed. “Stunning.”

I nodded in mute agreement, entranced by the sparkling array of jewelry. The man behind the stall was about my age with fair hair and skin, and eyes as blue as sapphires. He flashed a grin and swept his hand over his creations which ranged from gaudy to understated, showcasing something for everyone. My gaze snagged on a gold ring with a ruby in the center and I raised my hand to the one hiding beneath my dress. Clearing my throat, I stepped back and busied myself with brushing the dust off my skirt. I needed to remember why I was in Port Deering, and it certainly wasn’t to look at pretty baubles.

After purchasing the necklace she’d been admiring, Kezara pranced over to the next stall where a woman with bronze skin was selling woven goods made from dried grass.

“Isn’t this darling, Mihrra?” Kezara asked, picking up a hat with a tight weave and delicately stitched brim. She twisted it in her hands before plopping it atop my head. “Now you don’t have to worry about the sun anymore.”

Before I could object, the woman selling the hat said, “You have excellent taste.”

I looked up to see luminous, amber eyes and two thin, vibrant orange braids cascading from under the same style of hat that sat upon my head. The rest of her fiery hair hung loose behind her shoulders. I had never met someone from Quemina before, but the hair alone left no doubts as to her heritage. She flicked her eyebrows up as she accepted the money from Kezara, a humorous lift to one corner of her lips.

“Thank you for your patronage, ladies,” the woman said, dipping her head.

Kezara waved as we strolled away, but I had a hard time tearing my gaze away from hers. My gut tightened as she held my stare until I ran into Kezara’s back.

Faint giggling pulled my attention ahead and we were met with a pack of well-dressed ladies.

“Is this your new maid, Kezara?” asked the one in the front. Her black hair was fashioned into thick ringlets, the uniformity of the style proving they were not natural like Kezara’s. I didn’t know what about her question was funny, but behind the waving fans of the other ladies came more stifled laughter. The one with black hair eyed me with disdain, a wicked glint in her brown eyes. “Is this all your brother was willing to spend on you, then?”

Heat flamed through me for various reasons. Not only was I insulted, but the insinuation that Velian didn’t care about his sister had to be a blow to Kezara as well. I glanced over at her and my lips parted. Gone was the wildcat that had saved my life in the alley, and in her place stood a wounded rabbit. Her face was blank, which I was already learning was unlike her.

Then I was hit with a memory of the day I saw the same expression on my baby sister’s face.

Three years ago, a group of children were playing out in front of our house, and I encouraged Savine to go play with them. She was hesitant to do anything without Sashir, but he was laid up in bed with a fever, so Savine put on a brave face and asked what they were playing.

“We are playing Villagers,” answered a little girl. “I am the mother, she’s my baby, and he’s my dog,” she said, gesturing to each respective child.

“What can I be?” Savine asked.

The girl tapped a finger to her lips in thought before saying, “You can be the orphan that lives on the street. You already know what it’s like since your father died in real life.”

My heartbeat stumbled as I watched Savine’s shoulders stiffen before she spun on her heel and ran back to me. Her blank expression crumbled as tears began streaming down her face. As I wrapped my arms around her, I glared at the vile little girl, who merely lifted an indifferent shoulder and turned back to her friends. I bit my tongue and led my sweet sister back inside the house, holding back all the harsh words I wanted to say in defense of my family.

Kezara’s voice pulled me back to the present, my head clouded with a protective rage brought on by the memory.

“Her wages are none of your concern, Rosida, nor do you have any idea what you are talking about.” The words were confident, but her tone was soft. There she went defending me again. Warmth surged through my limbs and I pasted a polite smile on my mouth.

With a curtsy, I said, “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I love your dress, such a bold choice.”

Rosida pulled her slim brows together. “What do you mean ‘ bold?’”

“Oh, just the ruffles,” I said, keeping my tone friendly as I gestured to her gown. “It’s brave of you to pick a style they stopped wearing in Clavo several seasons ago.”

Rosida’s cheeks colored as she looked down at her gown. Someone’s tongue clicked as all the ladies began fussing with their dresses. When Rosida looked up again, her gaze burned bright with hatred. “What would you know about Clavo?”

“It’s where she’s from,” Kezara interjected before I could reply. I nodded, going along with the lie.

Tossing her heavy curls, she threw both of us a venomous smile. “Thank you for the compliment. Kezara, please come over for tea soon, it’s been too long.”

“I would love that,” Kezara said, her voice sticky-sweet.

Rosida crossed the space between them and kissed her on both cheeks. As she strode away with her pack of giggling ladies, she said, “Be sure to tell Velian I said hello.”

His name alone had a thrill shivering through me as images from our chance encounter in the greenhouse came back to me.

When Rosida was out of earshot, Kezara guffawed. “Did you see her face? Oh, Mihrra, that was amazing!”

“I couldn’t leave you to fend for yourself.”

Turning to face me, she grabbed my hands. “Thank you. I’m used to fighting my own battles with Rosida, but it’s nice to have an ally.”

I cocked my head to the side. “What do you mean?”

Kezara released my hands and quirked her mouth to the side. “Two years ago, when I was sixteen, a group of us were being formally presented to Port Deering society. Rosida and I had met a handful of times before and got along well, but that day she clearly only saw me as competition. The presentation takes place at the Cliffside Inn, and the ceremony begins with the girls walking down the grand staircase to then be escorted by their father to the ballroom.

“I’d had a beautiful light pink gown constructed. It had a high neckline made of lace, and heavy, swirling skirts. I felt pretty until Rosida strode into the room wearing a gown the same shade of pink. She fooled me into thinking she was fixing the ribbon tied around my throat, and instead ripped the lace off the front, destroying my dress. She looked me in the eyes and whispered,

‘It’s fine, you don’t have a real father to escort you anyway.’”

My jaw dropped, but Kezara continued with her story.

“All the other girls filed out of the room as I stood there, stunned. Their stifled laughter had me too embarrassed to even look at my reflection until they were all gone. I sniffed back the tears and finished tearing away the lace to make it look like it was never there. It exposed more of my chest than was polite for a sixteen year old, but I refused to let Rosida win. Instead, I marched downstairs, ignored the scandalized whispering, and met Velian’s furious glare as he waited at the bottom of the stairs.

“I was the talk of the town for weeks afterward, and I still catch disapproving looks now and then from older ladies. To this day, Rosida likes to try and make me feel small… and sometimes it works. However, I always pick myself back up. And like I said, it was nice to have an ally for once. ”

Her words wrung my heart, and I looked at the young woman before me. Everyone had an idea of who she was in their heads, but I had a feeling I was one of few people to see her true nature, if not the only. I had been fortunate in my friendships over the years, especially with Taz, but it was apparent Kezara had not.

With a sincerity that surprised me, I linked my arm through hers and said, “What else are friends for?”

Kezara’s answering smile was brighter than the sun.