I didn’t stray out of the carriage after that.

  Just being in one drew its share of attention. I largely kept the blinds down, peaking out of the edges.

  There were plenty more interesting things to see. The things that mainly caught my eye were the few bookstores that we passed by. I had memorized the names of a few and would certainly be back later. Everyone knew you had to visit a bookstore yourself. Sending someone in my place just wouldn’t feel right.

  There was a large shadow in the sky, lazily cutting across the tops of buildings. It was a circular floating shape. A platform that was apparently called a ‘Sky Circle’. It was how a lot of nobles got around the city, even occasionally venturing out of it. It was how Damian had wanted us to travel, though just the thought was terrifying.

  It wasn’t like ours was the only carriage on the road. A ‘Sky Circle’ was only for the truly elite. I would occasionally see one in the distance, though our paths didn’t cross with any one of them.

  There were other noble families in the city. It wasn’t like the Veynes had sole stewardship over Aelheim as I’d originally assumed. Rather, the five most powerful families made up a council called the ‘Golden Five’, which governed every aspect of life here.

  It was a silly name, but I didn’t come up with it.

  Damian’s own family wasn’t in said Golden Five, but according to him, they weren’t all that far from it either.

  The crowds grew thinner. Our carriage stopped.

  There was conversation in the front. I didn’t catch any of it. Our carriage started moving again, and I saw we’d moved past rows of guards. I parted the blinds a little more to get a better look.

  The difference was immediate. The confusing blend of modern and old architecture before melted away in favor of more period-appropriate-looking buildings. The people here were dressed almost entirely in cloaks, tunics or surcoats. It felt like moving back in time.

  “We won’t go much farther than this.” Anias’ voice called out from the front.

  I was a little surprised we’d even gone this far. We’d gone from the Veyne District to the Indri District. The Veynes and the Indris were on good terms, but still.

  “Seems she wants to show you the Farstep Circle.”

  “It’s here?”

  I needn’t have asked. We rounded a corner, and it came unmistakably into view.

  The Farstep Circle was a massive dark loop at least twice as tall as any of the buildings around it. It almost seemed to defy gravity, the way it stood without any kind of supporting structure. A large line of guards stood on either side, and a small line of people in the middle formed a queue. Every now and then, the circle would flash blue.

  From my reading, these Circles were the only ‘safe’ way out of the entire city. I could see now why Anias had brought us out of our own District.

  “We should head back,” I murmured. “I don’t suppose there will be anything that beats that.”

  “I don’t suppose there will.” Damian agreed. He shouted out the instructions to Anias and the coach driver.

  Gazing out the window again, most people looked reasonably happy. Even if I hadn’t been born as Esra, it might not have been so bad to be born as one of them either.

  Maybe I’d be the vendor hawking what looked like ten different types of vases to the indifferent crowd. Maybe I’d be the mother trying hard to make sure neither her son nor daughter got lost in the crowd. Maybe I’d be one of the few guards stationed outside some of the finer-looking buildings. None of those lives would be as comfortable, but they’d do.

  They all at least beat the life I’d lived already.

  Hell, I wouldn’t have even minded living as the small girl who was just about to steal that necklace. Wait, what?!

  A girl, almost definitely a little younger than me, reached out and pocketed a silver necklace. The girl wasn’t alone. One of her hands clung to an older-looking woman who must have been her mother. The stallkeeper was having an animated conversation with the mother, who, from the looks of it, was haggling over something like her life depended on it.

  Their conversation lasted a few seconds, and then the mother walked off, her daughter in tow. I almost would have believed it was just an accident, or a child being a child, but it was just done with too much proficiency.

  The child had confidently reached for the most expensive-looking thing on display, right as the man’s head had been turned in the other direction. Surely, a normal kid would have shown it to their mother or something? The mother would have apologized, and that would have been that.

  The mother yanked the daughter along, all too forcefully. They were in a rush, not caring who they bumped into as they made their way through the crowd. The mother dragged the daughter to the mouth of a nearby alley.

  That happened to be exactly when the stallkeeper presumably noticed what was missing.

  “Thief! Thief! Stop her!” He cried out, glancing and pointing at the mother.

  The mother yanked the daughter more insistently as they made their way inside. The daughter’s gaze flicked outward.

  Our eyes met. She looked terrified.

  “Stupid girl- don’t look back.” Elea hissed, yanking the dead weight along with her as she turned another corner.

  The shouts in the background had faded. The merchant himself wasn’t the issue.

  Elea hadn’t considered that the town’s guards would choose to do their jobs now, of all times. Her heart had leapt in her throat, but she knew these streets and alleyways better than most people did.

  It took longer than she would have liked, but Elea thought they were finally safe. She turned one last alley, one that branched into two different paths. Their hideout wasn’t far now, and that meant she could finally breathe.

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  Elea glanced down at the small tussle of blonde hair at her side.

  “Show me.”

  Sere fished through her pocket before offering up an intricate gold necklace.

  Elea inspected it, matching it with the one she had in her memory. She saw red.

  “Idiot! That's the wrong fucking one!”

  The girl took a step away from her, grunting as she held the necklace up insistently.

  “Are you questioning me?” Elea hissed. How dare this little ingrate think that she was wrong.

  Sere took a step back from her, though there wasn’t much space in the alleyway.

  “How could you mess this up, you stupid child?!” Elea screeched. “It was supposed to be silver. Silver!” She was screwed beyond all comprehension already. The only outlet she really had was her own daughter, and that was an outlet Elea had used often.

  Elea raised a hand, even as her daughter cowered.

  “Oh, thank God!”

  Elea twitched and turned. Fuck they’d found her! She hadn’t been careful enough and-

  It was a little girl.

  Elea felt at once both relieved and more perturbed.

  “Where…are your mommy and daddy?” Elea said, pocketing the necklace.

  It only took a second or two to realize that this wasn’t just an ordinary brat. Those fine clothes marked her as someone from money. Elea felt her mood brighten as she stepped closer, trying to be as non-threatening as she could.

  What was someone like her doing in this random alley? Someone else might have asked. Hell, in another situation, Elea might have asked. Right now, she was desperate enough not to care.

  “Come here. It’s not safe for you alone, especially in this part of the city. You’re lucky I found you.”

  The girl nodded shakily, stepped closer. Most of her face was obscured by what looked like a makeshift hood, but as she stepped closer, Elea couldn’t help but notice strands of white hair peaking out of said hood.

  That was an odd color, not exactly one you saw every day. Half-remembered rumors poked at the edges of her memory, but she ignored them.

  The girl stepped forward. “Where- where are my mommy and daddy? They were- they were right here and then- the crowd. Someone was shouting about a thief and- and….”

  Could fate really be this kind?

  How was she supposed to play this? The most obvious play was to take her somewhere quiet, find out just who her parents were, and then ransom her. That was probably the most lucrative option, but it also carried the greatest risk. The risk of being caught.

  Besides, the girl had seen Elea’s face. That might be a problem later if she went with the hostage plan.

  The other option was to just rob her here and dispose of her. Now that Elea looked at her more closely, the brat was wearing a lot of fine jewelry. Just her earrings alone might have been a year of Elea’s rent.

  Elea inspected her again, this time channeling mana into her eyes. She involuntarily took a small step back. The brat was a fountain of power. The brat probably didn't even know how to channel, and Elea could still tell.

  Forget ransom. Elea had something else in mind altogether now.

  “W-what’s your name?”

  Elea paused, looking over at the kid who was trying to talk to Sere, for what little good that would do.

  “M-my name is…Ellaine.”

  That was a noble fucking name if Elea had ever heard it.

  “She’s very shy, sweetie. It takes her a while to warm up to people.”

  “Come on, what’s your name? Why are you in a scary place like this?"

  Elea tried not to get too annoyed. “Her name is Sere, and we really should get you to somewhere safer before we look for your parents, okay?”

  Elea tried to nudge the child. Ellaine had stopped moving entirely. She was staring ahead at Sere.

  “What’s wrong, honey?” Elea kneeled down to Ellaine’s side.

  Ellaine pressed her finger against Sere’s chin. What the hell was this kid doing?!

  Sere tried to resist, but her jaw parted.

  The air shifted so suddenly it felt like a blow had taken Elea by surprise. Her heart felt like it was being squeezed by a mighty fist. She couldn’t even breathe.

  Was someone coming? Shit, she had to get out of here. If Elea hadn’t been so panicked, she might have noticed the air churning around the noble girl.

  “Come on, Ellaine dear…let’s leave.” She nudged the girl at first, and then pushed her.

  The brat was tiny, barely even coming up to Elea's stomach. It shouldn’t have taken any effort at all to move her. Ellaine didn’t move.

  “Did you do this?”

  It was a sharp and cold voice, so alien that Elea’s ears couldn’t believe it had come from a girl this young.

  “D-do what?” Elea hated how frail her own voice sounded.

  Ellaine turned. Elea took an involuntary step back. How- how had she not noticed the girl’s red eyes before now? They were a bright, pulsing red that was almost painful to look at.

  “Did you do this?” The girl repeated. There was danger in her tone this time.

  The crushing sensation around Elea’s chest grew sharper.

  The girl opened her mouth and pointed at her tongue. Elea knew at once what she was talking about.

  “I-it wasn’t me. Why would you thi-”

  One of the girl’s hands reached out and grabbed onto Elea’s wrist. Elea tried to wrench it away. The grip was strong. Shit. She needed to channel mana to get ou-

  Snap.

  Pain came, and Elea was on her knees, clutching at her broken wrist in disbelief. It bent the exact opposite way it was supposed to. Sere let out a strangled croak, even as Elea let out a much louder scream.

  “I got a bit ahead of myself.” The girl murmured. She held up her own hand, inspecting it. “That was easier than I thought it would be. Why is it so easy?” The girl blinked, shook her head.

  “Y-you bitch!”

  “Anias, can you deal with her?”

  “With respect, My Lady, I’m not sure what you mean by ‘deal with her’.”

  Elea froze and turned her head around. Behind her was one of the largest, most muscular women Elea had ever seen, and she’d been around adventurers. The woman was a hulking figure, made sinister in the shadows. She stepped out of them, and next to her was a boy who looked even tinier standing next to her.

  “It doesn’t matter. I am sure you are creative.”

  “Lady Esra, while I can do that, I’m afraid it might come back to reflect poorly on you, and on House Veyne.” The woman bowed her head apologetically, an especially exaggerated motion given her size.

  Esra. Veyne.

  It couldn’t possibly be her. She was more rumor than person.

  Elea looked at her again. Red eyes. White hair. Shit. Shit. The impossibility didn't matter when reality was in front of her.

  Elea prostrated herself in front of the young girl, trying to get her words out through the pain.

  “Please- please have mercy, L-lady Esra. I-It isn’t what it looks like. That girl she was- she was injured in an accident! Yes, that’s what happened!”

  She looked up and found the angry red eyes staring at her, looking even more furious than before.

  “If you are going to lie to my face, do it better.” The words were spoken in a whisper, such that only Elea, Anias, and Esra herself could hear.

  Esra’s gaze left her. “Anias, the issue is one of legality, then, yes?”

  “Yes, My Lady.”

  Esra nodded, reaching her head over Elea’s head. She stepped back, and in her hands was a small shortsword.

  “I’ll be borrowing this, Anias.”

  “My Lady what are y-”

  The girl tossed the shortsword to Elea. She grabbed it more out of confused reflex than anything. She held it up.

  “I don’t understa-”

  The girl rammed herself forward on the blade. She let out a hiss of pain. Elea stared dumbfounded as the blade went right through her side.

  The girl pulled herself back, blood splattering to the floor.

  “I believe we have a legal basis now.” Her voice was cold. No, that wasn’t it. It was empty. “Martha deserved death for sabotaging my food. I do wonder what the punishment for drawing my blood might be.”

  “I will take care of it, My Lady.” The big woman’s voice was both perplexed and resigned.

  Elea’s brain finally caught up to what was happening. She was being set up. This little bitch was setting her up.

  Elea’s mana flared. It roared. She charged forward, blade out at the girl.

  Nothing. Her whole body froze mid-lunge. She couldn’t even blink anymore.

  “Hmm. Now it isn’t even a technicality.” Esra murmured. “How convenient.”

  This was impossible. She was being held in place by a Gift, but the only way a Gift like this could hold someone already channeling was if the difference between her and the Gift user was enormous.

  A large hand settled on her head before yanking her back. Elea couldn’t even scream. All she could do was stare.

  “It’s okay. You’re safe now.” Esra whispered, turning away towards Sere. Her daughter. The choking air was gone now, as Esra lightly patted Sere’s head. Sere flinched away. The air was heavy again.

  The hand left her head. She started to float, and then she started to move down the alley. Horror filled Elea. Tears came, but they wouldn’t fall. All they did was blur her eyes.

  “Hey Damian….” Esra’s voice was distant. Still cold. “Do you know about something called ‘ice cream’?”

  “I don’t think so? What are you talking about?”

  “Damn it.”

  They wouldn’t even find Elea’s body.