prison and Marietta shivered. In the otherwise decent neighborhood of cheerful row houses, the sparse, barred windows and spartan trim made the hulking building into a dismal fortress. Some kind soul had planted rows of flowers across the street in an entirely vain attempt to lift the mood.
A stocky, bearded man stood outside on the sidewalk, and upon seeing them, abruptly turned and hobbled inside. She looked to Noble, but he didn’t respond to the man’s odd behavior. They followed his path into the prison, and she could see the man’s dark shirt as he turned a corner.
Noble shadowed the odd little man, and she trailed Noble. Guards and magistrates passed them, chatting or moving prisoners. No one questioned their presence, whether it was due to their purposeful movements or something else, she didn’t know.
Two hallways turned to three and the crowds of people dwindled to small groups and then individuals as the wide hallways narrowed to cold paths. She held her breath as they rounded the fourth hall to see theodd, sour-faced man with his hooked nose and bushy brows standing against a massive iron door. No one else was present.
“You can only be here for this half hour when the guards are on rotation.” His voice was gruff. “No one should question your presence, as only someone with a key can enter, but if anyone does, I’ll take care of it. Three turns right, cell in the center.”
The man spoke with a thick accent she couldn’t place.
“Thank you, Oscar. That will be the fulfillment of the second favor, then,” Gabriel said, his voice smooth and easy.
“Dem right.” Marietta blinked at the pugilistic set to the small man’s face. “Bertha’s all over me backside.” He growled. “The sooner the third is over, the better.”
“Poor Bertha. Still sore with me over the cat incident?”
The man started muttering, and Marietta heard the words “never forgive” and “nearly ripped me leg off” in the mumbles.
“Tell Bertha that my neighbor has kittens should she want one.” Noble’s voice and face were filled with barbed amusement.
“Nothing but trouble, you are. Kittens, bah, I’ll eat them,” he said irritably as he unlocked the door and held it open.
Noble winked—winked!—at her as he walked through. Marietta stared dumbly after him for a moment, then recalled herself and turned to Oscar, whose eyes were narrowed. Judging. The prickly fondness that may have been present for Noble was completely absent now. His lips thinned as he continued to watch her, but he didn’t say a word.
“Is something the matter, sir?” Something about the way he was looking at her, like something found under a rock, made her uncomfortable.
“Trouble. I can already see it.”
“Pardon me?”
“Go on now.” He motioned toward the door, his face set in unfriendly lines. “Thirty minutes is all you get. Not a minute more.”
Her feet took her through the door, but she pivoted to ask him about his comment. He closed the door in her face and the lock slammed into place. She blinked.
The sound of a tapping foot made her turn. A perfect brow lifted. “Are you going to tarry all morning, or shall we go find our prey?”
She took a quick step toward him, unnerved by Oscar’s actions. “He is not our prey, you horrid man.”
He put a hand over his chest and his head bowed. “Your words warm my cold, brittle heart.” His hand came back down to rest at his side, the walnut appearing from somewhere and once again rolling between his fingers. He lifted a sardonic brow. “Let’s find our prey, princess.”
He strode forward and took the first turn. Marietta glanced to the right and left, noticing the cells for the first time, Noble once more having captured her entire attention when he was within the same space, cursed man. Filthy, ragged hands appeared around the bars, followed by ripped sleeves black with dirt. Soulless eyes stared back.
“I’ll be your prey, pretty.” A clawed hand reached
A stocky, bearded man stood outside on the sidewalk, and upon seeing them, abruptly turned and hobbled inside. She looked to Noble, but he didn’t respond to the man’s odd behavior. They followed his path into the prison, and she could see the man’s dark shirt as he turned a corner.
Noble shadowed the odd little man, and she trailed Noble. Guards and magistrates passed them, chatting or moving prisoners. No one questioned their presence, whether it was due to their purposeful movements or something else, she didn’t know.
Two hallways turned to three and the crowds of people dwindled to small groups and then individuals as the wide hallways narrowed to cold paths. She held her breath as they rounded the fourth hall to see theodd, sour-faced man with his hooked nose and bushy brows standing against a massive iron door. No one else was present.
“You can only be here for this half hour when the guards are on rotation.” His voice was gruff. “No one should question your presence, as only someone with a key can enter, but if anyone does, I’ll take care of it. Three turns right, cell in the center.”
The man spoke with a thick accent she couldn’t place.
“Thank you, Oscar. That will be the fulfillment of the second favor, then,” Gabriel said, his voice smooth and easy.
“Dem right.” Marietta blinked at the pugilistic set to the small man’s face. “Bertha’s all over me backside.” He growled. “The sooner the third is over, the better.”
“Poor Bertha. Still sore with me over the cat incident?”
The man started muttering, and Marietta heard the words “never forgive” and “nearly ripped me leg off” in the mumbles.
“Tell Bertha that my neighbor has kittens should she want one.” Noble’s voice and face were filled with barbed amusement.
“Nothing but trouble, you are. Kittens, bah, I’ll eat them,” he said irritably as he unlocked the door and held it open.
Noble winked—winked!—at her as he walked through. Marietta stared dumbly after him for a moment, then recalled herself and turned to Oscar, whose eyes were narrowed. Judging. The prickly fondness that may have been present for Noble was completely absent now. His lips thinned as he continued to watch her, but he didn’t say a word.
“Is something the matter, sir?” Something about the way he was looking at her, like something found under a rock, made her uncomfortable.
“Trouble. I can already see it.”
“Pardon me?”
“Go on now.” He motioned toward the door, his face set in unfriendly lines. “Thirty minutes is all you get. Not a minute more.”
Her feet took her through the door, but she pivoted to ask him about his comment. He closed the door in her face and the lock slammed into place. She blinked.
The sound of a tapping foot made her turn. A perfect brow lifted. “Are you going to tarry all morning, or shall we go find our prey?”
She took a quick step toward him, unnerved by Oscar’s actions. “He is not our prey, you horrid man.”
He put a hand over his chest and his head bowed. “Your words warm my cold, brittle heart.” His hand came back down to rest at his side, the walnut appearing from somewhere and once again rolling between his fingers. He lifted a sardonic brow. “Let’s find our prey, princess.”
He strode forward and took the first turn. Marietta glanced to the right and left, noticing the cells for the first time, Noble once more having captured her entire attention when he was within the same space, cursed man. Filthy, ragged hands appeared around the bars, followed by ripped sleeves black with dirt. Soulless eyes stared back.
“I’ll be your prey, pretty.” A clawed hand reached
Similar Books
