8
Kiria
Even with the guards’ help, the journey from the safe house to the tannery was a frightful one. The sun was up, shining traitorous light on their passage. All the neighborhood buildings served to shelter them, but also became a terrifying maze of blind corners.
The young guard with the tattoo on his face gave Kiria the swath of blue fabric that draped across his shoulders. She wound it across her own and over her head. She’d dispensed with her Beauty before the attack began, which deepened her disguise.
Jori had no God-given power to change his looks and, until now, never would have wanted to. Even in his listlessness, though, he moved with a secrecy even the guards couldn’t rival. He’d always known about every nook and exit, every hiding place around the palace. Sneaking into
