Kaelira noticed the man for the first time near the market square. At first, she thought nothing of it. The city was crowded that afternoon, filled with merchants shouting over each other while nobles moved through the upper district beneath decorated carriages and guards. Nothing about the stranger seemed unusual beyond the fact that he kept appearing.
Once near the silk vendors. Again beside the fountain. Then later, standing motionless across the street while pretending to inspect jewelry.
Kaelira slowed slightly as unease crept quietly beneath her skin. Maybe she was imagining it. The last few weeks had changed her more than she wanted to admit. She had become distracted easily. Restless and hyperaware of things she never used to notice. But still, the feeling remained that someone w
