The Unknown Thief

Part 20

Chapter 20

Aubrey kept the sadness at bay.  She had left her best friend behind.  She had left Daisy to live her life out, as it would have been.  It was the right thing to do, but a small part of Aubrey was gone.  Losing a best friend was hard, and losing the dragon who had been her only companion for years was harder.  How would she be able to do this?  The answer was simple.  She needed to keep her chin up and deal with this threat.  The woman who had spoken over them as they lie beneath the dirt that was the woman Aubrey wished to speak to.

“I wish the two of you would stay behind,” she mumbled as she threw a few coins down onto the stand. 

The man sitting there smiled up at her.  A few of his teeth were missing, but it didn’t keep him from smiling at her.  “Thank ya, Miss Annie.”

“A pleasure, Jorge.  You know I love your fruit.”

A small blush crossed the man’s face as she picked up the small pile of fruit and began walking away. Her legs felt light, as if a weight was missing.  Aubrey pushed the thought from her mind.  It would do her no good do dwell on the past.

“If you think that we are going to stay here while you get yourself killed,” Nathaniel mumbled as he picked one of the fruits from her hand, “then you are not the intelligent woman I thought you were.”

“Give me one,” Alin said.  Taking a bite, he groaned in happiness.  “I would live here if it were allowed.”

“It is,” Aubrey replied with a laugh.  “All you need to do is marry one of their own.  Then, you can stay here as long as you wish.”

Alin glanced around at the people nearby and winced.  “You know that is not possible.”

Aubrey shrugged.  “How do you know?”

His eyes narrowed at her, and she snapped her mouth shut.  He was right; she had no business in trying to make him move onto another woman.  He thought he was set in his love; there was nothing she could do to change his mind.  She walked into a nearby shop, and both the men stopped at the entryway with a confused expression.  “What are you doing?” she asked.

They looked at her with confused expressions.  “It will not let me enter,” Nathaniel mumbled as Alin nodded in agreement.

A large smile crossed her face.  “Well, look at that.  The two of you cannot follow me everywhere.”

Footsteps echoed from behind her, causing her to glance back at the man walking towards her.  She blinked, expecting the perfect image to go away, but to her surprise, he still stood there with a large smile on his face.  Taking a step towards him, she gave him her best smile.  “Hello.”

“Hello,” he said.  His words floated across her skin.

She took a step forward and held out her had.  “I am Annie.”

He took her hand and raised it to his lips for a kiss.  “You do not have to lie to me, Princess.  I am quite aware of who exactly you are.”

“How?” Aubrey asked, attempting to pull her hand away.

He immediately let it drop, and regret flashed in his eyes.  “I did not mean to scare you.  It is one of my gifts.  I have the ability to see through falsehoods.”

“Must be hard,” she mumbled.

“What?” he asked with a confused expression.

“Not being able to trust anyone.”

He took a step away from her, and his head tilted to the side.  “And you?  Are you a mind reader?”

She let out a laugh and shook her head. “No.  I do not have any certain power.  I am from the royal family; our power is only as much as our land will allow us to have.”