Half of Ruby

Chapter 2

"Sal," greeted Ruby, smiling at Lina, who smiled back and answered with a greeting of her own. Ruby opened her purse and pulled out her usual bundle of herbs and medicine, handing it over to Lina, who immediately returned Ruby with two sticky buns—one for breakfast and the other for lunch.

"How is your mother?" inquired Lina, leaning over the counter.

Ruby shrugged, a grim expression plastered over her face. "Still...slightly maniacal, I guess. Sometimes I think she's happy with me, other times she probably just wants to slap me."

Lina winced. "Your father's death really impacted her, dear."

"My father died over nine years ago," snapped Ruby. She sighed, running a hand through her raven hair. Time to change the subject. "How is Cai?" Lina's husband had injured his leg three months ago and it still wasn't showing signs of healing. 

Lina sighed. "Worse."

Ruby's eyes softened with sympathy. "I'm so sorry."

Lina smiled, the worry lines between her warm hazel eyes crinkling slightly. "Don't be. What you do for me is enough already. Is there any way I can repay you?"

"Can you just leave a fruit tart for me?" jested Ruby. The fruit tarts were the third most expensive item in the bakery, but she was confident that Lina would have more than one left over at the end of the day.

"Anything for you," gushed Lina. "I don't know what such a generous girl like you is doing with a boy like—" Lina blinked. "Have a good day, Ruby! Salae!"

Ruby started. "Salae." She quickly closed her purse, slid the sticky buns into her backpack, and rapidly crossed the Square.

A boy like Jinx, what else could she have said? Ruby thought bitterly, staring down at the cobblestone. They just don't understand.

She slid into the stall across the Square, still deep in thought, and pulled out the herbs and medicine for sale today. Come on, I mean...is Jinx really that bad? He does try to help his family, try to help me....

The tinkle of stalls opening and setting up began rousing the Square, soon joined with the babble of people talking. After settling down behind her booth, Ruby pulled out one of the sticky buns, still hot from the oven, and bit into its sweet, chewy interior, smiling as she savored the taste. The honey clung to her lips as she pulled the pastry away, the warm cinnamon and spices swirling together into a perfect combination of crispy golden-brown skin and soft, buttery filling. 

Suddenly, a flicker of movement caught Ruby's eye. 

Like dark tendrils of smoke, hooded men slowly streamed into the Square, marching in unison as they wrapped around each of the Square's entrances. 

Who are they?

She never saw men in dark cloaks—everybody at the Square always showed their faces, eager to exchange coins and goods.

One, two, three, four....

Twenty-four men. A tingle of foreboding swept through Ruby's body, forcing her to recall the events before her departure.

Jinx stole from a Giant. A real-life, actual Giant. Doesn't he know of the Fae-Giant rivalry? He just had to go and—

"Ruby! Ruby," hissed a voice from the stall next to her.

Ruby leaned over the counter, staring directly into the eyes of Eslan, the dairy man. "Eslan."

"The men," said Eslan nervously. "They don't look too good."

Indeed, dark muttering began stirring through the Square, sweeping overhead like heavy, swollen clouds pregnant with trouble.

"I think...I think we're fine," said Ruby slowly. "We didn't do anything wrong." At least I didn't....

"Ruby," demanded Eslan, and there was something so fierce in the dairy man's usually-tranquil voice which jerked Ruby's head around. "Ruby, does this have anything to do with your boyfriend? That Jinx?"

Ruby slammed her hand down on her booth, causing the herbs to rattle and Eslan to jump back in alarm. "Why does everybody always accuse Jinx?!"

Eslan narrowed his eyes, crossing his arms defensively over his chest. "He's a thief. How else would he have so much gold, huh?"

Ruby gritted her teeth at him. "Stop accusing him!" Her gaze turned back to the men worriedly. The troops had fanned out so that two men stood before each entrance.

"Why not?" challenged Eslan. "Jinx is sketchy and none of us know what he's up to half the time. Those men are soldiers, Ruby. They're meant to catch criminals."

Ruby shrugged. "So?"She ignored Eslan's exasperated eye-roll and turned back to the men in dark cloaks, quickly changing the topic. "Do you think we're going to be able to sell today, with them like this?"

Eslan shrugged grimly. "We'll have to see."

Ruby sighed. "Honestly, they're scaring all the customers off."

"But if this is for security measures..."

Ruby gritted her teeth. "A criminal probably wouldn't show up in a public Square, and definitely not the largest one in the citadel. Now let me finish my breakfast in peace."

She bit into her sticky bun again, but the previously delicious bun now tasted like cardboard.

Ruby was still swallowing her mouthful of flavorless cinnamon and honey when a clang of metal, of blade on blade, snapped through the air.