sat across from him, bowed his head. “My apologies. I did not mean to pry.”
“No, it is I who must apologize. You said you knew my father?”
“Not personally, you understand, but I knew him. Such a great man. So missed when he passed. He and your beautiful and kind mother.”
Who were they talking about? Who were his parents?
The stranger’s gaze drifted over the interior of the stall. She held her breath as it passed over her, worried he’d sense her presence. When he lifted his cup and raised it slightly in her direction, she jerked back and swore under her breath.
He knows I’m here.
How? Years of training had taught her to be stealthy, to move unseen unless she chose otherwise. The back of her neck tingled, a primitive warning of danger she’d never failed to recognize.
Time to go. She’d pull back and trail him from a distance. She couldn’t resist one final close-up glimpse. He was still looking in her direction. One corner of his mouth was tipped upward. It wasn’t a smile, but he was amused.
Heat crept up her face, leaving her feeling hot and stupid. What was she thinking? Sneaking around in the marketplace like some common thief. Cursing her impulsive actions, she forced herself to leave, making her way back to the main concourse. She waited in the shadows between the stalls, making sure no one noticed her slipping back into the flow of humanity.
Head up, eyes constantly scanning for trouble, she made her way to a stall not too far away and bought some flatbread with honey to calm her stomach and a glass of mint tea to soothe her spirit.
Gods, why was life always so complicated? All she’d ever wanted was a small home and peace. Instead, she’d been forced to scratch and claw for a right to live in this world, taking care of her beautiful, but sickly mother and younger brother, Esau. Things had gotten worse when her mother had passed. Their father had visited a few times, showering money and attention on Esau and mostly ignoring her. Then he’d go away again, leaving a brokenhearted boy and them on their own with no one but her to support them.
She hated his guts. But Esau was barely eighteen, not a boy but not quite a man, wanting any sort of male attention and guidance. If their father showed up while she was away on business, Esau would have gone with him without question.
And that was exactly what had happened.
She had to find him before he was embroiled in one of their father’s many schemes. That would only end badly. She was under no misconceptions about Helldrick. He’d use his son and abandon him if necessary, leaving him to deal with the mess he’d created.
It was a scenario that had played out again and again her entire life.
“Not going to happen.” She licked the remnants of the honey from her fingers and finished her tea just as the stranger emerged from the stall. Turning her head away, she watched him with her peripheral vision.
Let him go.
Chances of him being involved with her father were slim. Watching him had mostly been a distraction from the disaster of her life. Tossing her cup into the nearest recycler, she went in the opposite direction.
A man shoved past her, not breaking stride. She bit the inside of her mouth rather than yell at him. Samar was well known to everyone in Badwa. He ran with a group of young men who made trouble for all. The authorities did nothing. If someone dared complained, misfortune rained down on them.
Jamaeh turned and shaded her hand over her eyes, picking out several of his known companions. Who did they have in their sights this time?
The tall stranger turned down a lane and Samar followed.
“Don’t do it,” she muttered, even as she started moving in their direction. Getting involved would only bring more hardship her way, but damned if she’d leave the stranger to deal with them on his own.
Chapter Two
Zaxe followed a lane away from the market, still stunned by what he’d learned from the old man. How could he have forgotten so much of his childhood? Allowed the knowledge of his parents to slip away until barely anything remained?
Castigating himself wasn’t going to help. He’d been a small, skinny boy of six, alone on a strange world, trying to protect his sister while dealing with the trauma of watching both parents be slaughtered in front of him. It was little