A Court This Cruel & Lovely (Kingdom of Lies, #1)(59)

Vicer continued down to a four-way intersection of tunnels and turned right. It felt like several years later when the low hum of voices reached my ears.

A lot of voices.

Vicer didn’t seem concerned. He just continued his slow, methodical crawl, ducked his head, and disappeared around a corner.

I followed and found him standing in a huge cavern, holding out his hand for me.

Grabbing it, I stepped past him so Tibris could join us. The noise was even louder here, but it still had a hushed quality to it.

The space was larger than it should be. The part of me that continually worried about such things wondered how the roof didn’t fall in on the hundreds of people who were wandering from stall to stall.

The walls were dirt, but every few foot-spans, a large blue-green crystal had been sunk into the wall, illuminating the merchants’ faces and casting everything in a blue glow.

Tibris reached me, and we both stared, taking in the tiny tables straining beneath weapons, scrolls, books, charms, precious stones, potions… My head spun. The light was dim enough that it took me moment to realize some of the cave walls had been cut out—large swaths of cloth hanging in front of them to ensure privacy. Whatever happened behind those curtains, the merchants wanted kept private.

I glanced at Vicer, who was surveying the market with a satisfied gleam in his eye.

“Explain,” I said. “Please.”

Vicer shrugged one shoulder. “This is how most of the hybrids in this city stay alive until they’re old enough to pass for twenty-five winters.” He led us to the closest table, which held a variety of charms and stones. “Depending on the kind of power a hybrid has, how strong it is, if it’s passive or active, these can sometimes help keep them hidden—even from an assessor.”

The merchant, an older man with a black-and-white speckled beard, nodded at Vicer, then turned as a girl who was likely no more than sixteen winters approached.

I’d expected Vicer to continue walking down the aisle between the stalls, but instead, he jerked his head, leading me to one of the nooks hidden by a dull gray sheet.

“Charms are better for small changes, like your eyes. I’ll show you where to find the necklace you need after this. But your hair can easily be dyed.”

A woman poked her head out of the smaller cave, grinning up at Vicer.

Her skin was a creamy white, so light I imagined she must constantly have to hide from the sun, yet there wasn’t a single freckle to be seen. She looked my age, but there was something about her eyes that told me she was much older.

“This is Chava,” Vicer said.

“I’m Setella,” I introduced myself with my new name.

Vicer nodded approvingly at me. “We’ll come back for you.”

He disappeared, leaving me with Chava, who waved at me to take a seat on one of the overturned crates in her tiny space. I wasn’t surprised to see several huge bowls of water—one of them clearly recently used. But Chava waved her hand over it, and the water cleared, clean once more.

“That’s a helpful power.”

“Indeed.”

I sat in front of the mirror, and Chava got started on my hair. When I attempted conversation, she replied with one-word answers until I gave up and got lost in my own thoughts.

Eventually, she instructed me to wash my hair, and when the water ran clear, my hair was a dark brown. I stared. It was as if I was looking at a stranger.

“You suit both,” she said with a satisfied hum. “Most women don’t.”

“Thank you.”

A hand shifted the curtain, and Tibris met my eyes. “Wow. It’ll take some getting used to.”

Vicer looked over his shoulder and nodded. “Good. Let’s get your eyes altered.” He held out his hand, dumping several coins into Chava’s palm, and I got to my feet. She nodded at me.

“Nice to meet you.”

“You too.”

Vicer led us to another table—this one closer to the back of the large space. My skin was prickling with the knowledge of just how deep we were—and how little it would take for the cave to collapse around us.

“You okay?”

“Fine.”

Tibris gave me a look that told me he didn’t believe me, but he stayed silent while Vicer murmured to another merchant, this one a beautiful woman with dark skin and eyes.

Those eyes met mine, crinkling around the corners.

“I can see why you need some help with those. They’re pretty, but they’re an unusual color that makes people look twice. I have a charm that will work, but you’ll need to have it replenished. I’ll talk to Vicer about getting you a new one every few days.”

The thought of relying on someone else to help with my disguise made me nervous. But with no other choice, I took the necklace she handed me.

“Try it on,” she instructed.

I pulled it over my head, and she held up a mirror. With my dark hair and brown eyes, I looked nothing like my description on the parchment, and my stomach settled as I examined my reflection.

“This is perfect. Thank you.”

“Good luck to you,” she said.

I nodded. She didn’t know who I was, but clearly the fact that I’d arrived with Vicer gave her some idea of what I was up to. He led us toward the tunnel we’d crawled through, but the cloth to my left parted, just enough for me to see what was happening beyond.