Chapter 14 · Slum Safari

"Touch nothing. Say nothing. Try not to breathe so loud," Kael hissed and his hand locked around my wrist like a cuff.

"Wow. You say that to all the girls or am I special?" I said.

"You're special," he said. "Most girls don't need a leash to get through a market without starting a war."

He yanked me closer. His body was heat and tension, his coat smelling like rain and gun oil. We were three steps into the Low Warren and already everyone was staring.

Not at him. At me.

Even with the hood up, even with my hair tucked in and my face scrubbed clean of the gold I used to wear, I didn't belong here. Too clean. Too straight-backed. Too pissed off.

"Rule one," Kael muttered, not looking at me. His eyes were scanning the stalls, the rusted walkways, the kids with knives. "You stay behind me."

"Rule one is dumb," I said.

"Rule two. You don't talk to anyone. You don't buy anything. You don't touch anyone."

"So I'm your mute pet now? Cute."

"Rule three," he went on like I hadn't spoken. "If I tell you to run, you run. No questions. No Sera improvising."