Chapter 90 The Fair
The fair hit me all at once.
Sound slammed into me first,music blaring from crooked speakers, laughter bursting in bright peals, barkers shouting promises of prizes and wonder. Then color: ribbons strung between poles, led lights glowing gold and red, painted tents shimmering under strings of lights. And then the scents fried dough and sugar, sweat and smoke, leather, metal, animal fur, adrenaline.
My breath caught before I could stop it.
My beast stirred instantly, hackles lifting, senses sharpening until every heartbeat within fifty meters thudded against my skull. Children darting past. Lovers pressed close. Pack members mingling freely with neighboring packs. Humans too laughing, unaware of what walked among them.
My fingers curled at my sides.
I hadn’t realized how long I’d been holding myself tight,contained, restrained, watched,until the chaos pressed in and threatened to rip that control apart.
Darius noticed.
He didn’t touch me.
Didn’t grab my hand or pull me close, didn’t crowd my space. He simply slowed his pace to match mine and stepped half a stride closer, his presence a solid wall at my side.
“Breathe,” he said quietly, voice low enough that only I could hear it.
I swallowed. “I feel like my skin is on backwards.”
A corner of his mouth lifted. “That’s fairs.”
I glanced at him. “You come to these often?”
“Not since I took over.” His gaze swept the crowd, alert but relaxed. “Hard to enjoy anything when everyone’s watching to see how you behave.”
Something in that landed deeper than I expected.
We moved forward together, merging into the crowd.
And something strange happened.
No one bowed.
No one stiffened or lowered their gaze or whispered my name like a warning. No guards flanked me. No Council members watched from his gh seats. Here, I was just another woman weaving through the noise.
A group of teenagers ran past, nearly colliding with me, shouting apologies without even recognizing my face.
I blinked.
My chest felt… lighter.
We passed a ring toss game, a booth selling carved bone charms, a stall where an old woman read fortunes with glowing runes. Darius bought two skewers of something sizzling and handed one to me without comment.
I took it automatically, then paused. “What is this?”
“Meat,” he said innocently.
I narrowed my eyes. “What kind?”
He shrugged. “If I tell you, you won’t eat it.”
I huffed,but bit into it anyway.
It was smoky and rich and ridiculously good.
“Oh,” I said, surprised. “Okay. Fine.”
He smiled, genuinely pleased, and something warm unfurled in my chest at the sight.
We walked slower now.
I let myself notice the little things,the way lantern light caught in children’s hair, the way couples leaned into each other, the way laughter here wasn’t restrained or measured. It was messy. Real.
Human.
I stopped short when a band struck up a fast, joyful tune near the center square.
People gathered instinctively, clapping, spinning, pulling each other into motion. Dancers filled the open space, skirts flaring, boots pounding in time.
My heart stuttered.
For a moment, I was somewhere else.
Another fair. Smaller. Rougher around the edges. I was younger then,too sharp, too thin, too angry,but Fred had been there, grinning like the world was a joke only he understood. He’d stolen two candied apples and handed me one like it was a crown.
Come on, Lyra, he’d said. Live a little.
The memory rose unbidden, warm and bittersweet. Even though he comes to be observe me during training I never talk to him and I want it to change, despite being someone the Council sent to spy on me, I know his feelings were sincere.