bChapter /b90

    ra’s bPOV /b

    “Where the hell is Mi? Imuttered under my breath, squinting out at the makeshift market. The street buzzed with the usual noite, but there was something about today that gnawed at me. The medicines we’d run low on No big deal, Prisca had sent Mi off to the warehouse for more, but something didn’t feel right.

    I shifted on my leet, pretending to help, but my eyes kept flicking toward the street. Mi was taking longer than usual. Much longer it wasn’t like her, not anymore

    “Alright,” I said, standing up without a word to anyone. My gut was telling me to follow her. And when that happened, I didn’t ignore it. I sipped out of the market, my boots tapping against the dirt as I made my way down the road. I was barely hallway to the warehouse when i saw a familiar shape darting around the corner of the street. Mi.

    Quickly, I picked d up the pace, walking swiftly but quietly, but by the time I turned the corner, she was gone. My frustration grew. There was only one shop on bthis /broad the Smith shop. I couldn’t see Mi anywhere else.

    I walked up to the door, raising my hand to knock. The sound echoed bagainst /bthe wooden frame. Momentster, the door creaked open, and there stood Zara, Lance’s wife, her eyes widening in surprise,

    “Gamma ra!” she eximed, her voice light and easy, too easy. “What brings you by? Need something fixed?”

    I smiled politely. “Is Lance here?”

    “Of course! Come in, please.” She stepped aside, gesturing for me to enter

    Inside, the heat from the forge was overwhelming, the walls covered in soot from countless hours of work, Tools were scattered across tables, each piece carved with precision, yet the atmosphere felt. off. bZara /bwiped her hands on her apron, then fetched a stool, offering it with a gentle smile.

    “Please, have a seat. Lance will be out bin /bba /bminute.

    Her fingers were covered in flour. That was odd. “Did I catch you bat /ba bad time?” asked eyeing the small mound of flour on the counter. “Baking something?”

    Zara’s face brightened, “Oh, nothing special. Just some rye bread for my little one. He can’t go a day without it. You know how it is with kids,” she added, almost too quickly.

    Something in her voice made me pause. “Your child he’s, what, only a few months old, right?” frowned. “Bread? Does he have teeth already!”

    bZara /bfroze. The light from the forge bflickered/bb, /bbcasting /ban unsettling glow on her face.

    I pressed on. “Doesn’t seem like the right age for bread.., unless, of course, bhe’s /balready teething

    A sh of panicflickered across her eyes, but she quickly wiped it away, an awkward mille tugging at her lips. “Oh well, you know how it is with kids. He’s special

    “Special?” I braised /bban /beyebrow. “Isn’t it a bit soon for Him to be eating bread?”

    She licked bher /blips nervously. “”—”

    Before she could bsay /banything else, the door to the back room opened, and Lance walked out. His casual demeanor was a stark contrast to the tension that had thickened in the room. “Oh, hey, Gamgha ra, I thought I heard your voice,” he greeted me with a grin. “Everything alright!”

    “Just talking to Zara,” I replied, ncing at her. She looked uneasy now, her eyes darting to Lance.

    “About your son eating bread bat /ba few months old?” I couldn’t help but press further, my tone light but pointed.

    b1/3 /b

    b10-56 /bWed, 30 JUI G 6)

    Lance chuckled, “Ah, well, our inde one’s an early bloomer. He had a full set of teeth by barely two months. Il cauch bite bmarks /bto prove it.” He shot a nced at his wife, whe nodded hastily, her face a mask of forcedughter

    “A feisty little biter, that one,” she added ton quicklyb. /b

    I didn’t bmiss /bthe nervous twitch in her fingers, the way her eyes flicked between me and Lance. Something was

    I studied Lance carefully, searching his face for any sign of deceit. But he looked reared, to releed. Either he was telling the truth or he was a deman good bar

    I decided to move on. Twas actually just wondering if Mi hade by Esaw her heading in this direction sar”

    “M?” Lance blinked, then shook his head, “Sorry, Gamma ra, she hasn’t been here. Just me and Zara, asssual“.

    “Are you bsure/bb?/bb” /bI pressed, my gaze sharp. “Tim positive I saw hering down this street.”

    bZara /bpiped up again, her voice almost too sweet. “You’re our first visitor btoday/b, Gamma bra/b. Maybe you just saw her elsewhere?”

    I could fool the weight of her words hanging in the air, but something wasn’t right. “You’re absolutely sure she didn’te in here?”

    “Sure as I’m standing here,” Lance said with a grin. “Unless she’s hiding an invisible cloak, in which case, well, I don’t know what to say. His tone was dismissive, as if the entire question was absurd

    Inarrowed my eyes. The unease in my chest deepened.

    I stood up, shaking my head. “There’s no need for that. But let me know if you see her again.”

    Lance hurried to the door to open it for me. “And remember what I said, Gamma ra. If you ever need someone for your army. I’d be honoured to help.”

    “Normally, bwe /bdon’t recruit civilians,” I said, offering him a polite smile. “But I’ll see what I can do” Inodded at both of them, stepping out into the sunlight.

    Lance watched me ast walked away, his eyes following me until I disappeared from sight. Then, without a word, he mmed the door shut.

    The silence that followed felt thick, boppressive /b

    e turned to Zara, his game cold band /bcalcting “Feeding an infant bbread/bb? /bWhat the hell were byou /bthinking?

    bZara /bfinched, her shoulders stiffening “Sorry, master. It won’t happen again.”

    “Better not “Lance growled. if you’re going to y the part of ba /bmother, at least bdo /bit right.”

    “Yes, master,” she whispered, her voice trembling

    Lance’s footsteps echoed as he walked past her, heading bstraight /bfor bthe /bbback /broom.

    There was ba /bcloset there. He yanked bit /bopen, and inside, I saw Mi, her face pale, sweat beading on her forehead.

    “Is she gone?” Mi breathed, her voice shaky.

    “Yeah,” Lance answered, crossing his arms with a devilish grin on his face.

    “Why the hell did youe to my home and act like you wanted to talk?” he asked, raising ameyebrow.

    bMi’s /bjaw clenched, her eyes narrowing in fury.

    “You know why,” she spat, her voice low and dangerousb. /b“I’ve been wanting to talk to you because…

    She gritted her teeth, her fists clenching.

    “We’ve “cking mates!” she growled.

    ?