Chapter Two
1087 Words
Seraya
Without even thinking, Seraya turned on her heel and ran—fast—straight for the docks.
The loud cries and trampling footsteps of the crowd closed in behind her. She could feel the panic claw at the edges of her sanity. Her breath came in short, burning gasps, the air was getting thicker with smoke along with the salty sting of the sea. If she could just reach a ship, any ship at all, she could vanish. She could disappear into the mist and waves and leave all of this behind.
But everyone was running now.
People shoved each other and collided in a frenzied stampede. Vendors abandoned their stalls, children screamed for parents who were already gone, and more crates crashed into the muddy stone streets. Seraya’s boots squelched with every step, waterlogged and tearing more at the seams, slowing her down like anchors chained to her feet.
Her pulse thundered in her ears. The noise was too much. The crush of bodies along with the e scent of adrenaline and fear.
She felt it rising again—along with that choking, suffocating feeling. It was curling like cold fingers around her spine.
She felt like she was about to jump out of her skin.
No. Not now.
Not here. Not in the open. Not while they were watching. It's one thing to be a rogue, but to be a rogue with magic? She can't let anyone know.
She caught a glimpse of them between the darting figures. Tall men in black leather and crimson capes. The Elite Enforcers. They were wolves bred for blood and obedience. They moved with terrifying calm amid the chaos, their eyes scanning the crowd, golden irises glowing faintly as they searched. Seraya ducked lower, yanking her hood tighter.
They’re not just here to intimidate. They’re hunting.
She would never make it to the ships in time. Not like this. Not with the enforcers already fanning out through the city.
She had to think. No, she had to hide.
Then, she saw her.
The scrawny little girl from earlier, the one with the roasted potato. She was on the ground now, struggling to crawl out from beneath a tangle of legs and flailing feet. Her small face was twisted in terror, her mouth open in a silent scream.
Without hesitation, Seraya shoved through the crowd and yanked the girl up by the arm.
"Hey! Are you okay? Where are your parents?" Seraya demanded, half-yelling to be heard over the noise.
The girl shook her head, eyes wide. "I don’t got none. No guardians either."
Seraya cursed under her breath. "Where do you stay? Do you know anywhere safe?"
"I have a mat behind the blacksmith's alley," the girl offered, her voice shaking but steady.
An idea sparked.
If she couldn't run, maybe she could vanish.
"Take me there. Let's go."
The girl didn’t ask questions. She grabbed Seraya’s hand, and they slipped into the current of bodies, dodging broken crates and flung market goods. Every now and then, Seraya glanced back and saw the crimson flare of enforcer cloaks. They were moving faster now.
They got to the alley, but it was narrow. It also smelt of dye, rot, and animal hide. It was darker here, but the noise was muffled by high stone walls and dripping tarps. People were already crammed in. There were street orphans, elderly vendors, a few wide-eyed traders clinging to their coin pouches. She could make out huddled figures crouched beneath canopies, praying not to be noticed.
Seraya’s eyes scanned the shadows. This was no safe haven. It was a trap. If the enforcers swept through this alley, she would be the first they would drag out.
She turned to the girl, crouching so they were eye to eye. "Will you be safe here? Do you have others?"
The girl nodded vigorously. "Yes. I hide here lots. They won’t come this far."
Seraya didn’t believe that, but she had no choice.
She squeezed the girl’s hand once. "Stay small. Stay quiet. Run if you have to. Got it?"
Another nod.
She slipped away before the girl could say anything else, pulling her hood low again. Her heart slammed against her ribs like a war drum.
She couldn’t hide there. Not with the enforcers closing in.
Blending into the crowd was her only shot now.
She stepped into the flow of people again. Moving fast, she joined a group of spice traders hurrying toward the northern wall. Their dialect was thick, and their garments foreign, but she mimicked their stooped posture and hurried steps, trying to disappear inside their movement.
But immediately she caught sight of the gate, her heart dropped.
The Elite Enforcers were already there. Even worse, they were with their tracking hounds.
A tight formation of them stood just a few paces in front of them. They were scanning everyone with their sharp eyes. They weren’t letting just anyone through, they were checking people. Sniffing them. Questioning them. One by one.
Seraya's breath caught. She wasn't sure on what to do. If she turned back now, she would look suspicious. If she kept walking, they would scent her out. Her, and everything she was trying to hide.
Don’t panic. Don’t—
But the fear cracked through her.
She turned sharply, trying to slip away into the crowd, but the sudden movement drew attention. One of the enforcers barked a sharp order.
“You there!”
Another pointed.
She froze for half a second too long—then ran.
Shouts erupted behind her. Feet thundered. The chase began.
She ran through the scattering people, heart beating hard in her chest, lungs seizing. Someone lunged toward her in a blur of black leather and fury. His hand reached for her shoulder—
No.
A pulse snapped inside her, the world tilted and wind screamed through the market alley.
A violent, unseen force had erupted from her. It was raw and wild. It blasted outward in a wave of wind that howled with fury. The enforcer nearest her was thrown back, crashing into most of his mates. Several more were flung off their feet. Even the people nearby—traders, villagers, children—staggered and fell, shielding their eyes as dust spiraled around them.
Silence followed.
Then gasps.
Every face turned to her. Horror. Awe. Fear.
She has magic.
Seraya stood rooted, her chest rising and falling, her fingers tingling with the aftershock.
She had messed up.
She had really, really messed up.
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