Page 69 of A Yulean Sister’s Guide to Getting Kidnapped

“You don’t have to,” she said quickly. “I just don’t drink personally.”

I shrugged. “I could take it or leave it.”

“If you’re sure.”

Now that I was less angry, I was starved. We hadn’t eaten since breakfast.

“I’m going to grab some snacks,” I said, spotting a separate stand. “Why don’t you grab us some seats?”

She looked a bit wary. “I can come with you.”

I shook my head, “I’ll just be a minute. Get us something close.”

“Okay,” she said, walking off towards the rows of seats.

The snack booth in the corner was mostly unoccupied, so I took my time picking a few things out. Popcorn for us to share, a container of sour sweets for me, and a regular one for Anne. She didn’t give me the feeling she liked sour too much. I was charged an arm and a leg for them, but that was fine. Events like this always took advantage of the excitement people felt.

The crowd by the bar blocked my path, but I made my way through slowly. I was even happier I decided to wear a dark color. Everyone here was in some tone of black, gray, or brown. Not many people were in dresses either. There were a few women here and there in skirts, but most everyone was from the port, where pants were a necessity.

It was odd; what I wore typically made me fit right in. Dresses on women were the norm for Peradona, specifically when it came to nobility. And with the status I held, I tended to set the trends with people my age. It was my sister Sorcha who usually stood out, insisting on wearing pants. I never thought it mattered, but Mother always made a big deal out of it.

I happened to feel comfortable in what was considered socially acceptable. My dress was my own form of armor, shielding me from anyone seeing deeper than the ornate exterior, which was my preference. If they only saw what was on the outside, they wouldn’t see all the flaws I contained. And I liked it that way.

So why did it feel so easy to drop that armor around Shadowhart? I didn’t even know his real name, yet I found him so easy to talk to. Normally, talking to people took a lot of energy. Knowing exactly what to say, ensuring I was listening just enough, interjecting when needed. Parties were like one giant game of conversational chess I got to play whenever I wanted, but it was never talking about anything below surface level.

With Shadowhart, it felt like I could say things I wouldn’t normally, and the amount of times I’d acted out of turn in front of him would normally have someone running for the hills. But instead, he was steady. Sure, he got irritated, but he always came back to being reasonable, even when I wasn’t.

I flicked my head to the side, trying to get my hair out of my face with my hands full. As I did, someone caught my eye.

Octavio?

I scanned that area of the crowd, but didn’t see him. Weird. Must have been a trick of the eye. Yes, Octavio was traveling, long gone from his estate by now, but Pointet Harbor wasn’t the kind of harbor you stopped in for a good time. Though there was a concentration of bars and shops, it was made to serve the ship workers who passed through. It wasn’t a party port, especially not one for someone of his standing, so he would have no reason to be here.

My nerves must have been getting to me. Sneaking out was my common pastime, but for some reason, sneaking away from Shadowhart had me on edge more than I’d like to admit. Was I losing my edge?

No, I was just in an unfamiliar place… that was all.

I let the thought drop as I spotted Anne in one of the seats, still fidgeting.

When I got down there, I plopped down next to her. “Candy?” I asked, holding the box out to her.

“Thanks,” she said, taking it from me, opening the package and popping one in her mouth. “These are so good.”

“I know,” I said, joining her with one of my own. “It’s one of my favorites.”

“Me too. I try to buy a container every time we’re in Quvill.”

“I always special request them to be imported,” I said.

“That’s so cool,” she said. “You must have tried so many different things.”

I shrugged. “It is, and I have.”

She nodded, popping another candy in her mouth. “I would have never expected to see all the things I’ve seen so far without getting on the ship.”

“Where are you originally from?” I asked.

“Meryth Island,” she said.