With my clothing settled, I went to the lake. Phrygia’s full glow lit the water around me, chasing away some of the darkness. The water was cool, bordering on cold, but I didn’t care. The water wasn’t deep, which was good since I wasn’t the best swimmer.

I cupped my hands and splashed my face, clawing off the layers of dirt and grime with my nails. Then I gulped more water from my cupped hands, trying to take advantage of this chance. I had no soap, so I made up for it with hard scrubbing. Tall stalks grew at the edge of the lake, so I snapped one off and tested it, then used it to scrape at the years of filth that coated my body. My skin burned bright red under the harsh ministrations, but I savored the feeling of my clean skin. My hair, I rinsed as best I could, frowning at the color. It darkened as years of dirt and dust fell out, turning from a hazy brown-gray to sable black. Unrecognizable.

Just like my situation.

Free. I was free.

When tears pricked at my eyes, I splashed more water on my face to chase them away before they could fall. I’m never going back there. Twelve years, gone. But if I was smart, careful, I could have a more than what they’d robbed me of.

More was a dangerous thought. But seeing the new color of my hair, feeling my skin without the weight of dirt and dust, it seemed almost possible.

A rustle in the forest snapped me from my thoughts. Raphael rounded the curve of the lake, coming into view past the border of stalks. I yelped and sank down to my neck, my hands crossed protectively.

“You said two hours!”

“At most. It’s been over an hour, anyway,” he said dismissively.

Had it really? First hell damn me, I’d lost track of time.

“Go away,” I snapped. “I need to dress.”

“But what if there’s a kobold?” His tone was as innocent as a child’s.

A mischievous child. I squeezed my arms tighter, hoping he couldn’t see into the water. “Then it’ll eat me. Now, go!”

He didn’t reply, but he took loud, deliberate stomps, unlike his usual silent steps.

I waited another beat, then exited the water, shivering as the night air surrounded me. The advantage of my clothing being threadbare was at least it didn’t need much time to dry. The fire had only half dried my skirts, but I was so glad to have them clean that I didn’t care. I tucked my few meager possessions back into their hiding spots.

Raphael stepped into view a moment later. He now wore a simple shirt and a cloak, hood down. A matching set was in his hands. Where had he gotten them? Stolen, certainly. From whom? I decided against asking—I didn’t want an answer, and I wasn’t too proud to reject stolen goods, so there was no point in posturing.

He froze several feet from me though. His jaw stiffened. The look he gave me had every nerve in my body screaming to run. Like I was looking at a barely restrained animal.

Like a cornered rat, I froze.

“What?” I asked when the silence stretched uncomfortably long. Maybe he’s not thinking of eating you. Maybe his leg had a cramp.

He shook his head slightly, and the predatory aura around him faded away like smoke. “You smell… different… without the stench of that prison on you.”

You’d be a wonder with fangs.

You smell different.

He was a wizard with compliments.

“Well, I didn’t have any perfumes, so it’ll have to do,” I huffed.

He continued as if I hadn’t spoken. “The clothes help mask it still, at least.”

“Mask what?” I asked.

“No matter.” He tossed the second cloak at me. “There’s a village just a few miles away. We’ll rest early tonight and reach there midday tomorrow.”

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Chapter Eight

A village shouldn’t have been scarier than a vampire.

But Raphael, whatever else he was, was only one person. The town was… so much more. Sounds and scents warred for my attention. The afternoon sun blazed overhead, warming the crown of my head. The cloak Raphael had gotten from who-knows-where was wrapped around my shoulders; Raphael wore a matching one, the hood drawn low to hide his red eyes and shield him from the sunshine.

My attention bounced between the different sights, my steps slow and unsure. When we’d finally broken through the forest onto the main path and the rooftops had come into view, I’d frozen in the spot. Raphael had reached for me, to urge me along. That had startled me enough that I kept moving, even though it felt like I’d spilled into another world.

A boy ran towards us, chasing a stray ball.

A child.

Gods, it had been so long since I’d seen one. My mind had convinced me the only other people who existed were men between fifteen and thirty-five, who served time in Greymere. But… here was a boy, with soft brown hair that stretched in every direction, and outstretched, unafraid hands that reached for the ball.

My throat tightened.

Raphael toed the ball with shoes he’d stolen from some poor fool, and it landed easily between the boy’s hands. The boy giggled, clutched his prize to his chest, and ran off in another direction in search of fresh amusement.

“We’ll get supplies while we’re here,” Raphael announced.

I eyed his stolen items. “We have no money.”

He reached a palm out to me, a small leather pouch in it. I took it and startled at the sound of coins clinking together.

“Where’d you get this?”

His face was hidden by the cloak, but I knew he was judging me for my silly morals. “I found it with your cloak. Do you need more details than that?”

I didn’t.

“Use that to buy what we’ll need to make it to the City of Answers. Better shoes and clothes than what you have now. Some food staples, if they won’t slow us down. And cards. I’m not sure what the peasants might have here but try to barter wisely.”

I frowned. “Where will you be?”

“Concerned, dove?”

I scowled. “Hardly.”

He chuckled, low and smooth. “I have other matters to attend to. There’s a tavern at the edge of town. I’ll meet you there after dusk.”

Raphael disappeared with ease into the crowd. I headed for the market. A strange pit filled my stomach. People looked at me, curious who the new face was. A village this size surely got occasional visitors, but likely the same ones over and over. I was a new face.

I didn’t dare become a memorable one. Not if the soldiers came looking for us after Nelson’s murder.

The cards were the most daunting, so the first items I took care of were more mundane. A new blouse and skirt cost me a coin each, but I was ashamed to admit, after all my years of forced asceticism, I couldn’t resist. Not when I’d finally washed away the grime on my skin. Wearing the worn, dirty clothes, the same ones I’d worn for several years, was like wearing a set of iron shackles.

Raphael’s constant comments about my clothes smelling had nothing to do with my decision.

Food was… overwhelming. My memories of the palace lingered like hazy waypoints, telling me I shouldn’t be impressed with the meager offerings from the baker, the hard cheeses and dried meats. But years of rat and stale, moldy crusts had turned those simple options into the most luxurious foods I’d ever seen. I wasn’t sure exactly how long the rest of our trip would be, but I didn’t let myself spend too much money. It was safe to say Raphael wouldn’t take kindly to his “hard-earned” money disappearing into spoils he couldn’t appreciate, and I didn’t need a lecture from a vampire.

Or for him to bite me in retribution.

It was uncomfortable, walking between the stands, making small talk with the sellers and villagers. In Greymere, I would go weeks without speaking. With Raphael, our conversations were also brief. But this was my chance to gather information. I gave a fake name of course, and made vague allusions to the husband I was traveling with. As benign as the village appeared, I’d be foolish to let anyone think I was alone or unclaimed. We were two days’s journey by horse from the City of Answers, closer than I would’ve guessed. That was likely closer to five days if we went on foot.