in a hole along the side of the washed-out road. They managed to get to the next town on the way to the travel-gate, but wouldn’t be going anywhere until they found another to pull the heavy wagon. The tall mican were powerful and great for riding, but couldn’t pull the same load as one michkal. That left them waiting until a suitable animal was found.
In the meantime, Cami decided to get a good look at the market. The little town didn’t appear much different from the others they’d passed through on the way to Colm and Linc’s world, but something about it caught her attention. Maybe it was the cheerful colors of the houses around the square or the flower boxes filled with gorgeous summer blooms that seemed to be everywhere.
She walked into the cobbled square and stopped. The scent of roasting meat swirled on the warm air and mixed with that of spices sold in a nearby stall. Her eyes swept over the stalls, stopping on a stall covered with mounds of colorful, ripe fruit before moving on to other wares. The large area was a maze of stalls offering almost anything imaginable.
Only a few people wandered among the maze of stalls. She smiled. Now this, she could enjoy. She strolled along one row, content for the moment to merely look. Avan was close. He’d followed her as soon as she’d stepped away from the main group near the entrance to the market. He stayed back, but in a way, she was glad he was close.
She could relax a little. If anyone even looked as if they might come after her, she’d get a good warning. Not that she expected that here. Nothing felt off here. She’d learned to trust the freaky dreams and feelings coming to her since she’d broken the crystal.
She wandered through the stalls idly, but stopped when she found herself in a section filled with cloth and metal wares. She admired the cloth for a short time. Turning and strolling to the next stall, she found herself drawn to a table covered with buckles, ornamental metal belts, bangles and buttons, as well as a few nice knives.
As she walked up to the table, the young, dark-haired man behind it smiled at her. His eyes didn’t cut to her cheek or shy away as others had. She smiled back. As she looked at one of the bracelets, he came around the table.
“It’s nice work, yes? My brother makes these.” The man picked up the bracelet to display the dangling charms better.
“It’s very pretty. Your brother is very good at what he does.” She fingered one of the charms and glanced up at him through her lashes. He didn’t seem disgusted by her scar at all.
“There are—” The man’s words cut off abruptly as a large body suddenly stepped between them.
She looked up past the black shirt and broad shoulders to the black hair and aggressive lines of Colm’s face. He scowled at the vendor. The man scurried behind the table. She glared at him. What was his problem and why was he even here?
“It’s time to go. They’re getting the michkal and will have it ready soon.” Colm’s voice was hard. He didn’t take his eyes off the man behind the table.
She frowned at his back, but wasn’t going to argue with him in front of the stranger. Nodding, she muttered a quiet thank-you before turning away from the table. She didn’t get far before Colm was right beside her. They walked back to the main group of Santir.
She didn’t know if something had delayed the others or if Colm hadn’t been telling the complete truth. They had to wait a while longer before the michkal arrived and they could begin their journey again. Colm didn’t leave her side the entire time. She wondered what caused that. He couldn’t feel possessive about her. They were curious and there was something else in his eyes, but she didn’t know what.
Cami watched him as they rode to the next town, but couldn’t come up with any reason for his behavior. She focused her eyes ahead and her thoughts on the next few days. Tomorrow, they’d reach the travel-gate and go to the world where their Thent was located. From what she understood, the Thent wasn’t near the gate. They maintained an armed presence at the gate for security. The journey wasn’t quite over, but an end was in sight.
The thought of being surrounded by more people made