anxiety away. “Well, you know what they say, if you have to ask…”
“…then you don’t know?”
“…then you can’t afford it.”
“That doesn’t make sense.” She shrugged. “I guess I don’t know what they say.”
“Don’t worry. They say it so often that you’ll learn.”
“Shall we go in?”
Katya almost said no, but what could a shop full of scarves do to them? Crowe would be hovering at the window, and Brutal and Maia were close. Katya wouldn’t have been surprised to find Pennynail inside the store’s walls.
The doorbell jingled as they entered, and the smell of leather washed over them. The place was filled not only with scarves, but also purses, pouches, hats, and gloves. Katya noticed the same patterns again and again, familiar and yet not, making her uneasy one moment and comforted the next. She wanted badly to scratch between her shoulder blades, as if her discomfort had settled as an itch.
A man stepped out from a curtained room at the back and gave Katya and Starbride a wide smile that didn’t reach his eyes. Katya reached for Starbride’s arm, about to drag them both from the shop when something shone in the man’s hand, and she couldn’t move.
“Can I help?” he asked.
Starbride studied a scarf without looking up. “We’d like some prices, please. Katya, what do you think of this one?” She turned and stared for a moment. “Katya?”
Katya could only watch, mute and motionless, lost in the shop-keeper’s pyramid. Starbride stepped closer, and Katya wanted to scream as a larger man emerged from the curtain and picked up a scarf. She cursed the body that wouldn’t obey her as the large man lifted the scarf and wrapped it around Starbride’s mouth from behind.
Starbride cried out, but the large man jerked the scarf tight, cutting off her voice. He wrapped his other arm around her waist and lifted her, kicking and flailing, off the floor. He carried her behind the curtain.
Katya strained to move, but her body refused again. She heard several thumps from behind the curtain, and then the big man reemerged, alone.
“Bar the door,” the shopkeeper said.
The large man moved behind Katya, and she heard him grunt, followed by another thump, this one the unmistakable sound of wood against wood. He walked back around, smirking, before he disappeared behind the curtain again.
The shopkeeper held the pyramid high. “Follow me,” he commanded.
Katya stumbled toward him, her limbs like lead that nonetheless worked without her permission. The pyramid was perfect and glittering, the sides faceted, and the points set in gold. Rage blurred Katya’s eyes, but her pyramid necklace lay dormant against her chest. The shopkeeper held the curtain open, and Katya lurched after him. Starbride’s muted cries came from behind her. The shopkeeper relieved Katya of her rapier and knife and made her walk into a cage a little taller than her and twice as wide. He locked her inside and put the pyramid behind his back.
Katya hurled herself at the bars. “Release me!”
“I knew you’d see the symbols,” the shopkeeper said, “but you wouldn’t know what they meant. Well, I know what they mean. I know what you are, and I’m going to prove it.”
He moved to the side. Four other people had gathered in the background, all masked and wearing nondescript clothing. The large man had bound Starbride to a short wooden table. At some point, they’d stuffed a rag in her mouth.
“Bastards!” Katya yelled. “You have me. Let her go!”
“Oh, we have you,” the shopkeeper said. “And yet not you.” He turned to the masked people. “You see?”
“We see nothing,” one of them said, a man’s voice. “The princess in a cage.”
“You don’t see, but you will.” He lifted the pyramid over Starbride’s face. She glanced at it and then strained against the bonds and tried to scream around the rag.
The shopkeeper frowned. Katya banged against the bars. Whatever he was trying on
“…then you don’t know?”
“…then you can’t afford it.”
“That doesn’t make sense.” She shrugged. “I guess I don’t know what they say.”
“Don’t worry. They say it so often that you’ll learn.”
“Shall we go in?”
Katya almost said no, but what could a shop full of scarves do to them? Crowe would be hovering at the window, and Brutal and Maia were close. Katya wouldn’t have been surprised to find Pennynail inside the store’s walls.
The doorbell jingled as they entered, and the smell of leather washed over them. The place was filled not only with scarves, but also purses, pouches, hats, and gloves. Katya noticed the same patterns again and again, familiar and yet not, making her uneasy one moment and comforted the next. She wanted badly to scratch between her shoulder blades, as if her discomfort had settled as an itch.
A man stepped out from a curtained room at the back and gave Katya and Starbride a wide smile that didn’t reach his eyes. Katya reached for Starbride’s arm, about to drag them both from the shop when something shone in the man’s hand, and she couldn’t move.
“Can I help?” he asked.
Starbride studied a scarf without looking up. “We’d like some prices, please. Katya, what do you think of this one?” She turned and stared for a moment. “Katya?”
Katya could only watch, mute and motionless, lost in the shop-keeper’s pyramid. Starbride stepped closer, and Katya wanted to scream as a larger man emerged from the curtain and picked up a scarf. She cursed the body that wouldn’t obey her as the large man lifted the scarf and wrapped it around Starbride’s mouth from behind.
Starbride cried out, but the large man jerked the scarf tight, cutting off her voice. He wrapped his other arm around her waist and lifted her, kicking and flailing, off the floor. He carried her behind the curtain.
Katya strained to move, but her body refused again. She heard several thumps from behind the curtain, and then the big man reemerged, alone.
“Bar the door,” the shopkeeper said.
The large man moved behind Katya, and she heard him grunt, followed by another thump, this one the unmistakable sound of wood against wood. He walked back around, smirking, before he disappeared behind the curtain again.
The shopkeeper held the pyramid high. “Follow me,” he commanded.
Katya stumbled toward him, her limbs like lead that nonetheless worked without her permission. The pyramid was perfect and glittering, the sides faceted, and the points set in gold. Rage blurred Katya’s eyes, but her pyramid necklace lay dormant against her chest. The shopkeeper held the curtain open, and Katya lurched after him. Starbride’s muted cries came from behind her. The shopkeeper relieved Katya of her rapier and knife and made her walk into a cage a little taller than her and twice as wide. He locked her inside and put the pyramid behind his back.
Katya hurled herself at the bars. “Release me!”
“I knew you’d see the symbols,” the shopkeeper said, “but you wouldn’t know what they meant. Well, I know what they mean. I know what you are, and I’m going to prove it.”
He moved to the side. Four other people had gathered in the background, all masked and wearing nondescript clothing. The large man had bound Starbride to a short wooden table. At some point, they’d stuffed a rag in her mouth.
“Bastards!” Katya yelled. “You have me. Let her go!”
“Oh, we have you,” the shopkeeper said. “And yet not you.” He turned to the masked people. “You see?”
“We see nothing,” one of them said, a man’s voice. “The princess in a cage.”
“You don’t see, but you will.” He lifted the pyramid over Starbride’s face. She glanced at it and then strained against the bonds and tried to scream around the rag.
The shopkeeper frowned. Katya banged against the bars. Whatever he was trying on
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