Chapter 40: Where No One Knows Us

Escaping a castle, as it turned out, was much easier when the castle guards could not see you.

Revolutionary discovery, I know.

Somewhere in the future, historians would probably write entire books about my tactical brilliance.

Chapter One: Become Invisible.

Chapter Two: Walk Out.

Chapter Three: Pretend Chapter One required genius.

Zeria and I slipped through the castle corridors while the invisibility still clung to us. Moving without being seen sounded wonderfully simple until you remembered that invisible people were still capable of walking into furniture, kicking buckets, bumping shoulders, and generally announcing their presence through the ancient art of being clumsy idiots.

So we moved carefully.

Very carefully.

The castle was alive around us.

Servants hurried through the halls carrying baskets of folded linens, trays of food, pitchers of water, bundles of documents, and enough miscellaneous objects to make me wonder whether castles secretly operated as giant storage warehouses with royalty sprinkled on top for decoration.

Guards stood at intersections in polished armor.

Boots struck stone.

Voices bounced from the walls.

Doors opened and closed.

Zeria's hand occasionally brushed mine whenever someone passed too close.

Each time it happened, I had to remind myself that now was probably not the ideal moment to become distracted.

Probably.

We stayed near the walls whenever possible, slipping behind servants and timing our movement with passing groups.

Eventually, we reached the outer courtyard.

That was where things became slightly more complicated.

The main gate had several guards stationed around it, and unlike the corridors, there was very little cover. People came and went beneath the raised portcullis, but everyone entering or leaving received at least a passing glance.

Being invisible solved the glance problem.

Unfortunately, walking through a mostly open gate while trying not to bump into anyone created an entirely different problem.

Then salvation arrived.

It had four wheels.

A carriage rolled toward the gate, its wooden wheels rattling against the stone while a pair of horses pulled it forward.

I squeezed Zeria's hand and guided her alongside it.

We matched its pace.

One guard stepped forward to inspect the driver.

Another circled toward the rear.

Zeria and I stayed close to the carriage, using the noise of the wheels to hide our footsteps.

For several seconds, we walked directly between armed guards who had absolutely no idea two invisible idiots were sneaking past them.

I considered whispering something dramatic.

Maybe, "You'll never catch us."

Then I remembered that speaking while invisible defeated roughly ninety percent of the purpose.

Personal growth.

I was becoming responsible.

Terrifying.

The carriage crossed beneath the gate.

We followed.

A few more steps.

Then another few.

And just like that, the castle walls were behind us.

Freedom.

Beautiful, crowded, noisy freedom.

The capital stretched ahead in all directions, packed with merchants, travelers, adventurers, nobles, workers, children, soldiers, and at least three people shouting about discounts that were almost certainly lies.

The invisibility was already beginning to weaken.

That presented a problem.

Materializing in the middle of the street would attract attention.

People tended to notice when two human beings gradually appeared out of thin air.

Fortunately, I spotted salvation number two.

This one did not have wheels.

It had masks.

A street merchant had arranged dozens of animal masks across a wooden stand beneath a faded canopy. Wolves, foxes, rabbits, birds, bears, cats, and several creatures I could not identify stared outward with painted wooden faces.

Perfect.

I walked toward the stall while still mostly invisible.

The merchant was busy rearranging a row of fox masks when coins suddenly jingled beside his counter.

"Could I get two of those?" I asked.

The poor man nearly became religious.

His entire body jerked.

He spun around so quickly that one of the masks slipped from his fingers.

His eyes widened at absolutely nothing.

"Who said that?"

"Your highest-paying customer."

His mouth opened.

Closed.

Opened again.

I could almost see every decision he had ever made in life flashing behind his eyes.

Zeria squeezed my hand.

Probably a warning.

The merchant swallowed.

"You are..."

"Currently difficult to look at."

"Are you a spirit?"

"Depends. Do spirits pay?"

That question changed everything.

Fear remained in his eyes, yes, but I also watched the beautiful force of capitalism wrestle it to the ground.

Business was business.

Haunted customers still had money.

He cautiously named the price.

I placed several gold coins onto the counter.

The man's expression transformed immediately.

Apparently gold was an excellent cure for supernatural anxiety.

He stared at the coins, then at the empty space where my voice had come from.

"Two masks," he repeated.

"Exactly. See? We're communicating beautifully."

He handed over a pair.

I took them.

Our invisibility continued fading.

First my hands returned as faint outlines.

Then my arms.

Beside me, Zeria's figure slowly shimmered into existence.

The merchant watched with an expression somewhere between horror and fascination.

I put my mask on before my face became completely visible.

Zeria did the same.

"There," I said. "Much less terrifying."

The merchant said nothing.

His eyes remained fixed on us.

I gave him a cheerful little wave.

Then Zeria seized my hand and dragged me away before I could traumatize the poor man any further.

Probably wise.

I had a gift.

Not a useful gift, but still.

We disappeared into the flow of pedestrians.

The streets around us were overflowing with life. Colorful banners hung between buildings. Merchants called out prices. Steam rose from food stalls. Somewhere nearby, metal rang against metal from a smithy.

Zeria moved with obvious purpose.

I did not.

I was simply being transported.

Like luggage.

Very handsome luggage.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

She glanced back.

"You'll see."

Those words always worried me.

Nothing good in my life had ever begun with "you'll see."

She led me deeper into the market until I smelled something unfamiliar.

That should have been warning enough.

Instead, I followed her toward a food cart.

The cart looked suspicious.

Not mildly suspicious.

Not "maybe the vegetables are old" suspicious.

I meant suspicious in the way a locked basement with screaming inside was suspicious.

Several pots simmered over small burners. Strange ingredients floated behind glass containers, including what appeared to be an entire lizard tail curled inside green liquid.

I stopped.

Zeria did not.

She approached the counter eagerly.

The vendor brightened immediately.

"Young couple!" he announced.

I looked behind us.

Nobody.

I looked back at him.

Ah.

Us.

Apparently we had been promoted.

The man leaned over one of the pots and lifted the lid.

A smell drifted upward.

It was not unpleasant.

That somehow made it worse.

"Slime Lizard eye soup," he said proudly. "Very popular with couples. Especially young ones."

I stared into the pot.

Several round shapes floated beneath the surface.

They were definitely eyes.

One slowly rolled over.

I was almost certain it looked at me.

The vendor continued, "It contains a special ingredient."

Of course it did.

Food vendors never said "special ingredient" when the ingredient was something harmless like salt.

No.

A special ingredient was always the culinary equivalent of someone whispering, "Trust me."

I tilted my head.

"That sounds incredibly appetizing."

I shook my head while saying it.

Zeria looked at me.

I could not see her entire face behind the mask, but I knew that look.

"You want some," she said.

"Absolutely not."

She turned toward the vendor.

"Two."

Traitor.

The vendor grinned.

I sighed and reached for my money.

Apparently I had become the financial sponsor of bad decisions.

A noble calling.

He served the soup in two small bowls.

Zeria accepted hers immediately.

She looked delighted.

Actually delighted.

She sat beside the cart and started eating without hesitation.

I sat next to her and stared into my own bowl.

An eye stared back.

I lifted the spoon.

The eye rotated.

I lowered the spoon.

We had reached an understanding.

Zeria took another bite.

"It's good."

"I respect your courage."

"Try it."

"I am currently negotiating with my meal."

She laughed.

I finally scooped up some broth.

No eyeball.

Important detail.

I tasted it.

Then paused.

That was...

Actually good.

I hated that.

The broth was rich and savory, with a slight sweetness beneath the spices. There was something warm in it too, a faint heat that remained on my tongue after swallowing.

I took another spoonful.

Then another.

Eventually, curiosity defeated survival instinct and I ate one of the smaller pieces of Slime Lizard eye.

The texture was unfortunate.

The flavor was not.

Life was cruel.

I continued eating.

Zeria was already halfway through hers.

"You like it," she said.

"I tolerate it enthusiastically."

"That means you like it."

"I refuse to give the eyeballs that satisfaction."

She laughed again.

We finished almost at the same time.

I set my bowl down.

Zeria suddenly leaned closer.

"Hold still."

Whenever someone said that to me, my first instinct was to move immediately.

Instead, I froze.

"What?"

"There's something on your cheek."

I frowned.

"What kind of something?"

"A piece of the eye."

Wonderful.

I had become dinner decoration.

"Get it off."

I leaned toward her, expecting her to brush it away with her fingers.

Zeria moved closer.

Very close.

Then I felt her lips against my cheek.

My brain stopped.

Not dramatically.

It simply resigned.

She pulled away.

The little piece of food was gone.

I stared at her.

She giggled.

Both her hands were still occupied, one holding her bowl and the other her spoon.

"What?" she asked innocently. "My hands were busy."

That innocence was fraudulent.

Criminally fraudulent.

The vendor chuckled behind his stall.

"Young people," he said. "Always fearless."

I looked toward him.

He looked entertained.

I smiled beneath my mask.

If only he knew.

Actually, no.

Better if he did not.

Some knowledge shortened lives.

After we finished eating, Zeria immediately pulled me toward another part of the market.

This time, we entered a small gift shop.

Compared with the chaos outside, the place felt almost peaceful.

Shelves lined the walls, crowded with trinkets, charms, carved figures, decorative stones, bracelets, miniature statues, ribbons, plush toys, and dozens of things whose purpose seemed to be making people say, "That's cute," before spending money they absolutely intended to save.

Zeria wandered between the shelves.

"I need to find something for Nemris."

I followed her.

"Peace offering?"

She glanced at me.

"Maybe."

Her fingers moved across a row of tiny decorative charms.

"I think I hurt her feelings when I didn't tell her about you the other day."

I remembered my conversation with Nemris.

"She mentioned it."

Zeria immediately stopped.

Her head turned.

"She did?"

"Yeah."

"What did she say?"

"Nothing terrible."

Zeria waited.

I sighed.

Apparently details were required.

"She wondered why you kept me secret."

Zeria's shoulders lowered slightly.

"See?"

"But I don't think she was angry with you."

Zeria looked down at the shelf.

"Still."

"Zeria."

She looked at me again.

"I think she understands why you didn't say anything. You had your reasons."

Her fingers brushed against a plush toy.

"I know."

She sounded unconvinced.

"But I still want to give her something."

I smiled.

"Then we'll find something."

She turned toward another display.

A moment later, she picked up a tiny fairy plush attached to a chain.

It had oversized wings, a round face, tiny boots, and a miniature bell hanging beneath it.

Zeria examined it.

Then she looked at me.

That was when I should have become suspicious.

She walked over.

"What?"

"Stand still."

Again with those dangerous words.

Before I could protest, she crouched slightly and attached the chain to one of the belt loops on my pants.

I looked down.

The fairy now dangled from my hip.

"What have you done?"

She ignored me.

"Move."

"That's usually how walking works."

"Just move."

I shifted my hips once.

Jingle.

The tiny bell rang.

Zeria's eyes brightened.

Oh no.

I shifted again.

Jingle.

Her smile slowly changed.

Not dramatically.

It simply gained criminal intent.

I stared at her.

That was not the smile of someone having wholesome thoughts.

That smile needed supervision.

"It rings whenever you move your hips," she said.

She gave the bell a tiny tap.

Jingle.

"And if you move faster..."

She paused.

I waited.

Her smile widened.

"...it'll ring louder."

There it was.

The crime.

I folded my arms.

"You've been spending too much time around me."

"Maybe."

I leaned closer.

"Want to test your theory?"

For half a second, she froze.

Then she recovered.

Her voice became sweet.

"Maybe later."

No hesitation.

No embarrassment.

Not even pretending.

I respected the commitment.

"You're not even trying to sound innocent anymore."

She ignored that and returned to the plush display.

After comparing several options, she picked up another toy.

A small lion.

It had a fluffy mane, oversized paws, and the facial expression of something that had never paid taxes.

Zeria held it up.

"This one."

"For Nemris?"

She nodded.

"What do you think?"

I studied it seriously.

Very seriously.

A decision of national importance.

"She'll love it."

Zeria hugged the plush to her chest.

"Good."

We brought both items to the counter.

I paid.

Again.

I had apparently become a walking purse with opinions.

Outside the shop, Zeria immediately grabbed my hand.

"Let's go to the zoo."

I stopped walking.

"The what?"

"The zoo."

I looked around the capital.

"There is a zoo here?"

"Of course."

"You say that like every city casually stores monsters for public entertainment."

She tugged my arm.

"Come on."

"Should I be concerned about anything escaping?"

"No."

"You answered too quickly."

She laughed and dragged me onward.

The zoo occupied a large section of the capital farther from the dense market streets. Tall walls surrounded the grounds, and colorful painted signs showed different monsters across the entrance.

Crowds moved through the gates.

Families.

Couples.

Groups of children.

Adventurers who looked like they were mentally evaluating everything inside according to how much experience it might provide.

We joined the crowd.

Inside, the noise changed.

The city became distant.

Animal calls echoed through the enclosures.

Some sounded familiar.

Most did not.

One roar vibrated through my ribs.

I looked toward the enclosure it came from.

"That one sounds friendly."

Zeria laughed.

"That's a Stoneback Ravager."

"Wonderful name."

"It usually lives in mountain caves."

We approached the barrier.

The creature was enormous, covered in dark plates resembling slabs of rock. Two curved horns rose from its skull.

I stared.

"So somebody saw that and decided children should visit it?"

"It can't get out."

"That sentence has definitely been spoken before every zoo disaster in history."

Zeria ignored me.

She happily explained each creature we passed.

Some had feathers.

Some had scales.

Some looked like nature had become bored and started combining spare parts.

One creature had six legs and two heads.

Another had wings that looked too small for its body.

A brightly colored amphibious monster spat water at anyone who stood too close.

A child laughed when it soaked his father.

I approved.

Zeria knew an impressive amount about the monsters.

She pointed toward habitats, explaining where they came from, what they ate, how dangerous they were, whether they used magic, and several facts that I would definitely forget within ten minutes.

I listened anyway.

Mostly because I liked listening to her.

She became animated when she talked about something she knew.

Her hands moved.

Her voice became quicker.

Every now and then, she would look at me to make sure I was paying attention.

I always was.

Even when I pretended otherwise.

We eventually reached another enclosure containing two large creatures covered in reddish fur.

Zeria leaned against the railing.

"Those are Emberhorn Runners. They usually travel in..."

She stopped.

I waited.

"Usually travel in what?"

Nothing.

I followed her gaze.

Ah.

The two Emberhorn Runners had apparently decided this was an excellent time to provide the zoo with a live biology demonstration.

Very educational.

Very enthusiastic.

Zeria became completely silent.

One of the creatures made a noise.

A nearby parent immediately covered his child's eyes.

Another child pointed.

"Mom, what are they doing?"

The mother grabbed him and walked away at terrifying speed.

I looked at Zeria.

She was still staring.

Her cheeks were slowly becoming red.

Even with the mask covering part of her face, the color was obvious.

"You were saying?"

She blinked.

"What?"

"The monsters. They usually travel in...?"

Her eyes flicked toward the enclosure again.

Then immediately away.

"Groups."

"Fascinating."

"We should leave."

"Already?"

"Yes."

"But I'm learning."

She grabbed my wrist.

"Caled."

"Educational institution. Very respectable."

"Move."

I allowed her to pull me away.

We exited the zoo soon afterward.

The streets outside felt strangely warm.

At first, I blamed the afternoon air.

Then I noticed Zeria.

Her breathing had changed.

Not enough for anyone else to notice.

Enough for me.

Her steps were slightly quicker.

She kept adjusting her grip around my hand.

Her palm felt unusually warm.

Then I noticed something else.

My own body felt warmer too.

Not feverish.

Just...

Hot.

Like someone had quietly added firewood somewhere inside me.

I loosened the collar of my clothes.

That did absolutely nothing.

Interesting.

Zeria kept walking.

Her breathing grew heavier.

I studied her from the corner of my eye.

Then the memory arrived.

Slime Lizard eye soup.

Special ingredient.

Perfect for young couples.

Oh.

Oh, that criminal soup merchant.

I looked down at our joined hands.

Then at Zeria.

Understanding struck me with all the subtlety of a chair thrown through a window.

I leaned toward her.

"Zeria."

"What?"

"Are you..."

I paused just long enough to make it worse.

"...in heat?"

She stopped.

Slowly.

Very slowly.

She turned her head toward me.

I immediately knew I had selected the wrong wording.

Her expression hardened.

Even behind the mask, I could feel the offense.

"Is that a problem?"

There were many possible answers.

Several would probably get me killed.

Fortunately, survival instinct occasionally visited.

I smiled.

"No."

Her expression softened slightly.

That was when everything connected properly in my head.

The soup.

The vendor's grin.

The "secret ingredient."

The way he had emphasized couples.

That bastard had sold us an aphrodisiac disguised as lunch.

Honestly, impressive marketing.

Morally questionable.

But impressive.

Zeria started walking again.

"Let's go back to the castle."

Her hand tightened around mine.

It was definitely warmer now.

Mine was too.

The sensible thing would have been returning directly.

Naturally, I did not do that.

I pulled her sideways.

She stumbled toward me.

Before she could question it, I guided her away from the main street and into a narrow alley between two buildings.

The noise of the crowd dimmed immediately.

Stone walls rose on both sides.

The alley twisted farther ahead, but the entrance remained visible behind us.

People passed outside.

Close enough that I could hear their footsteps.

Far enough that none of them were looking directly in.

Zeria glanced around.

Then at me.

"This isn't the way back."

"I noticed."

"Then why are we here?"

"Change of plans."

Her breathing was still uneven.

"So we're not going to the castle?"

"No."

I guided her backward until her shoulders rested lightly against the wall.

Her eyes widened.

"What are you doing?"

Instead of answering, I leaned in and kissed her.

Her surprise lasted perhaps half a second.

Then she kissed me back.

Harder.

Much harder.

The heat from the soup made everything feel sharper.

Her hands found my shoulders.

Mine settled at her waist.

For a moment, the entire capital seemed to disappear.

No merchants.

No guards.

No monster zoo.

No suspicious soup vendors whose business model apparently involved turning lunch into poor decisions.

Just her.

She pulled back slightly.

Her fingers touched my face.

"You're burning up."

I smiled.

"You're one to talk."

Her thumb brushed across my cheek.

I lowered my voice.

"Let's do it here."

Zeria froze.

Then her eyes shifted toward the entrance of the alley.

Several people walked past.

A merchant.

Two adventurers.

A woman carrying a basket.

None of them looked inside.

Yet.

She turned back to me.

"You're serious?"

My smile widened.

"Very."

She stared.

Her face was still flushed.

"This is risky."

"That's part of the charm."

"Caled."

"Nobody will notice us."

"They could."

"You still have the mask."

She gave me a long look.

"That isn't what I meant."

I laughed quietly.

Then kissed her again.

She returned it immediately, pulling me closer.

Whatever argument she had been preparing apparently dissolved somewhere between our mouths.

When we separated again, I kept my forehead near hers.

"Don't want to?"

Her gaze stayed on mine.

For once, she actually seemed to consider the question seriously.

Then she exhaled.

"If you really want to..."

She glanced toward the street once more.

"I don't mind."

Interesting.

Very interesting.

"But," she continued, "wouldn't it make more sense to turn invisible first?"

I stared at her.

Then smiled.

Slowly.

The fairy plush still hung from my belt loop.

I shifted slightly.

Jingle.

Zeria's eyes dropped toward it.

Then returned to mine.

I leaned closer.

"What's the fun in doing that?"