Des'Tai: Book Two

95:Tyron

I abandoned my search for bath salts and quickly left the store. The door jangled behind me as I searched the square for the same red ponytail I'd just seen not two metres away from me. My gaze caught onto her as she crossed beneath a floating canopy of flowers, her strides quick and purposeful.

I hadn't seen Eva Greenhorn since she'd come to Amethyst Falls seeking out the source of the falling stars – and ultimately, to find Faye. She'd wasted no time in knocking me out. By the time I came to, she was already gone, somehow believing Faye was dead.

To this day I was still surprised that Oren hadn't sent her back to our city, especially after mine and Faye's Bonding had lit up the skies and fucked with everyone's essence.

A stray thought flitted through my head. I wonder if Eva still had her essence? If Elune really was on a 'punish the unworthy' route, then surely she'd be included in that? I couldn't think of anyone, beside Oren himself, more eligible of losing it. Eva blindly followed her Kings orders, striking fear into the hearts of anyone she met.

Without giving it much thought, I followed her.

As she left the square, I noted that she wasn't wearing the usual armour that the Kings Guard wore; instead she had on a black and tan leather dress that sloped over her shoulders and up the sides of her neck, leaving her arms bare apart from a pair of black leather gloves, wound tightly around her hands. A pair of sturdy brown boots donned her feet, topped by laced up leggings.

She walked through the streets with authority and power and even the burliest of men moved out of her way. I made sure to keep close enough that I didn't lose sight of her, but far enough away that she wouldn't detect me.

Just when I was sure she was heading back towards the castle, Eva turned down a cobbled side street and into a bakery half way down. I stopped at the corner and leant up against the wall, pretending I was talking to someone on my phone.

As I waited for Eva to reappear, an idea entered my head. I smiled and dropped my phone from my ear, shooting off a text instead.

'Hello, my Faye. I know you won't get to read this until you return, but by sending it I feel like you're still out there somewhere. I'm going to send you one every day, just so you know what I've been doing since you've been gone...'

I looked up, but Eva was still in the shop.

'...I'm currently in Seran, trailing Eva. I haven't slept yet. What's weird is I'm not even tired. I got you something today. I love you. I miss you. Your Ty x'

A bell chimed and Eva stepped out of the bakery, a cotton bag swinging from her hand as she headed towards me. I pressed the send button and tucked my phone away, before quickly stepping out of the way. She never even looked at me as she passed, her attention set on her wrist as she checked her watch for the time.

I'm not sure how long I followed Eva around the winding streets; it felt like hours. She visited various shops and pubs, sometimes leaving with extra bags, other times not – my only source of entertainment all morning was watching her beat ten shades out of a nightclub owner. Eva had walked inside, only to fling him out the front door out by his fancy suit a couple of minutes later.

She'd stepped over his crumpled body and spoke to him loud enough that anyone around them could hear. "You hold up your end and we'll hold up ours. Miss another payment and we might have to send in the inspectors, got it?"

I didn't need to be a brainbox to realise that the bars and pubs were paying her off, or more likely paying off the whole fucking Kings Guard, for them to look the other way, sweeping their establishment's illicit affairs under the rug, for the right price.

This whole city was rotten. No amount of flowers or ribbons or pretty white stone could hide the dark core beneath.

It was past noon by the time I'd decided I'd seen enough, but before I could break away onto the main walkway I noticed a couple of young children begin to follow her, skipping and laughing as they grabbed a hold of her dress tails. I expected her to react or at least swat them away, but she didn't.

Instead, when the smallest of the two – a scruffy looking girl, who looked no older than four or five – reached for Eva's hand, she opened her fingers and allowed her to take hold of it. More children gathered the further down the street she walked and I was compelled to follow, intrigued by where this could be leading.

When she finally stopped, it was in front of a tall building, with steps leading to large wooden doors and an old, worn sign hanging from its wall.

I looked up, narrowing my eyes to read what it said.

'An orphanage? Seriously?'

Surely she wasn't taking money from them, too? The pubs and clubs were one thing, but this was something else entirely.

"Evaaaa!" An excitable boy burst from the door and cleared the steps in one jump. He wrapped his arms around her waist, locking her into a tight hug.

I watched her stroke at his hair affectionately, before untangling herself from his hold and taking a seat on the steps, her bags on the floor between her knees.

They all looked happy to see her, including the matron standing in the doorway, a soft smile on her face as she watched Eva empty the bags into the eager but patient children's arms. She gave them cakes and fresh loafs from the bakery, new clothes with the labels still attached and soft stuffed animals. The children cheered and squealed and thanked her with hugs.

All Eva was left with was the box of soaps she'd retrieved earlier in the day.

My phone buzzed as Rune text me, asking me where I was. I shot him a quick reply and turned, heading away from Eva and the orphanage.

Just when you think you know a person, they do something that throws it all up in the air. I thought Eva Greenhorn was ruthless to her core. Apparently not.

Rune text me again. 'Need foooooood! Meet me at the burger joint near the Inn.'

I rolled my eyes and made my way back, thankfully only getting lost twice before I ended up on the lane leading to the Royal Lion. Rune was waiting for me outside, his foot tapping impatiently.

"There you are! Where the fuck have you been?"

"Wandering," I raised the wrapped parcel up to show him. "I bought Faye books. Oh and I followed Eva Greenhorn for a couple hours. She's a puzzler, that one."

Rune froze. "You saw that guard, the one that was in Luna and Artie's cottage? Tall, red hair, looks like she could kill you by blinking?"

"Yes..."

He visibly swallowed. "She didn't see you, did she?"

I shook my head. "I made sure she didn't."

Rune nodded, regaining his composure. "Okay, cool, cool. Let's go eat."