22
Silently, Chiyo led the group through the winding roads of the city. Now that it was early morning, traffic was picking up, and the streets were considerably more crowded. Orla and Lorcan kept their eyes darting everywhere—they couldn’t afford another attack. The walk took them just over two hours, but they arrived at a little hut on the outskirts of the village that looked like it might have grown out of the earth. There was a heavy metallic scent in the air around it, and Orla thought it had to be another breed of magic. Chiyo squared her shoulders and marched right up to the front door, hesitating only slightly before giving the old wood a sound beating. She retreated a few paces, trying to appear less of a threat. As they waited, a chill crept down Orla’s spine. She sidestepped, mo
