The sunlight was brilliant. For a moment, Knox thought his head had cleared, but the streets were cobblestones and people drove carts past old buildings. It was April and the air was cool and crisp. The snow was gone. Ren kept his body stiff, but his eyes flashed in every direction. As much as he tried to conceal it, his heart raced.
One man had goat haunches, another had fish scales. The fishy man carried a bucket of water and routinely splashed himself. A snake girl, who resembled the servant girl, She-Meimei, ran directly up to them with a tray of tarts. Aoibh grabbed one and Ren dropped a few gold coins on her tray. The snake girl did her best to bow without losing any tarts.
In an alley, a demon boy lay, a crutch under his arm, his right leg missing. Aoibh gave him a few coins.
"What's your name?" she asked.
"No name," he said, his accent obscuring his words. He coughed, but swallowed it back down. "The other boys call me Zero."
Ren kept walking. Aoibh dashed into a run to catch up. Aoibh tugged at Ren's lapel.
"Can't we take him home with us? He could work in the stables."
"He's useless with that lame leg," Ren said. He sniffed the air, but kept walking and his voice was low. "He's lucky he survived the winter. He's got the lung virus."
YOU ARE READING
The Lamb and the Gray Battle
FantasyEvie has spent the last 575 years on the North American continent, now called America, the Pure and Clean. She smiles, volunteers and makes cakes and pastries for her neighbors, hiding away her demon blood. She wants nothing to do with her estranged...
