Micah waved Leighton off and turned to Kestrel, this time donning a charismatic smile that could’ve melted the sun. “It’s awfully rude of him to keep such a rare beauty all to himself. Then again, my brother has always been a bit stingy.”
When he winked, Kestrel’s stomach dipped against her will. It was probably just leftover excitement from earlier; she hadn’t had this much attention since…well, ever. And certainly no one had ever called hersuch a rare beautybefore. It was enough to make her head drift into the clouds.
Then his hand reached up to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear.
“Leave her alone, Micah.”
Leighton’s tone had become as cold and deadly as a curse. He caught Micah by the wrist and shoved his hand away.
His protectiveness only made the tumbling in Kestrel’s stomach grow wilder.
If Leighton’s actions had been meant as a warning toward Micah, he didn’t seem to notice. Instead, Micah’s face lit up, his jaw unhinging. “You scoundrel! You reallywerenecking!”
“Quiet!” Efrem warned over his shoulder.
Leighton pinched the tension on the bridge of his nose. “I told you, it’s not like that. She was just?—”
“She was just what?” Micah continued, thoroughly amused now. He pretended to pull up a chair, take a seat, and rest his head on perched hands. “Wandering around, all alone, just begging for some tall, strapping gentleman to whisk her away for a romantic romp in this pitiful passageway?”
When Leighton’s sorrowful glance met Kestrel’s, Micah’s sarcastic, knowing grin faded.
“No, wait, really?” Micah asked in disbelief.
“No, not really! She needed help and I provided it.” Exasperated by the conversation, Leighton started to explain how he had seen Kestrel struggling in the crowd and had to pull her to safety.
But in his retelling, the kiss remained omitted. A dark and shameful secret he wanted no one to know about.
Kestrel wanted to shrink out of existence. Was it her that he was ashamed of, or the kiss itself? Had it meant so little to him that he was willing to pretend it had never happened—or worse, was he regretting it? Had it been a mistake?
Kestrel hadn’t regretted any of it. Until now.
She didn’t want to be here. Didn’t want to be the fuel that emboldened Micah’s laughter, nor the shame that lingered on Leighton’s face.
While the two of them were still distracted, Kestrel picked herself up off the ground. She felt cold rush in around her, so she tucked her arms around herself.
Leighton’s sharp, arctic gaze finally noticed her then.
“Wait, don’t go yet. I didn’t mean?—”
There was no point in hearing him out. She had heard enough already.
Kestrel ran as fast as she could out of the alleyway and didn’t bother looking back. Didn’t stop. Not even as her shoulder bumped into Efrem’s as she made her escape.
They would not see the tears streaming down her face.
Thom’s predictions were proving right; maybe the people out here were truly terrible. The only thought that brought her any comfort was the hope that she would soon be reunited with his familiar face.
Chapter 8
The Sting of Betrayal
KESTREL
The next few encounters Kestrel had with the locals went decidedly better.
Once she made her way past the marketplace, the crowds thinned, and most of the lively noise along with it.
Kestrel was able to hear herself think again. The people around her could hear her too, so she started asking folks if they could point her in the direction of the Stinging Drip. These interactions involvednokissing, but Kestrel was okay with that. She needed to stay focused on what mattered: finding Thom, not gallivanting around with the first pretty face she met.
