Her eyes opened. She wasn’t sure when she’d fallen asleep, but her surroundings were different now.

  Serene lifted a heavy hood and glanced at the beggars that slept around her. The bridge overhead kept them dry from the rain, now slowed to a gentle shower.

  “Keep your hood down. You won’t want to reveal your face to this lot,” the unknown man said.

  He sat to her left, his face hidden beneath the long strands of black hair. Theon’s cloak lay between them, spread out to dry against the stone.

  Serene placed a hand over it, her expression empty.

  “He was the one who gave you the cloak. You should have saved him, not me,” she whispered.

  “I didn’t plan on saving anyone.” His voice was rough and unapologetic. “I did it on a whim.”

  “What am I to do now?”

  He didn’t answer.

  Minutes passed, then he said, “I’ll see to your safety until you leave the city. The guards will be looking for you at the gates, but I know one who will sneak you through.”

  “I have nowhere to go. No money and no family outside the capital.”

  “Once I get you past the gates, none of that is my problem,” he replied, indifferent.

  He pulled out a coin purse, too full to tie closed, and picked out fourteen silver coins. He placed them in Serene’s pocket.

  “This will cover you for a month. Don’t expect more.”

  “That’s a lot of money for a beggar,” she said. “Who are you?”

  “Mind your business.” He sat up and stretched. Then he leaned close to her ear and whispered, “Keep to yourself. These scavengers would sell you off for a mere forty silver if they got the chance.”

  She didn’t react, but she understood. Slave trading had been illegal since she was born, but the underground trade flourished off of it.

  “I’ll be back in an hour, stay put.”

  Serene watched him leave the bridge's cover, his figure sinking into the sea of strangers. She pulled her brother’s damp cloak over her, lowered her head, and closed her eyes.

  “Wake up,” she heard, the hour blinking by in mere seconds. “We’re going.”

  Serene stood and wrapped the emerald cloak around her, and followed as the mysterious man led the way.

  She trailed close as they sifted through the busy crowd. “Where are we going?” she asked.

  “You leave tomorrow night when the moon is at its highest. We’ll lie low at your house until then.”

  “My house…?” Serene asked.

  The image of her family laying in front of her house, soaked from the rain and blood, forced its way into her mind.

  Her breathing quickened, the crowd felt as if it were growing tighter, like the city was being squeezed by giant hands.

  “They’ve moved the bodies,” the man said, bringing her back to reality. “The guards won’t think to look for you there, again.”

  She focused on his voice and steps, shoving her emotions back into the shadows.

  They walked in silence for some time. On occasion, Serene would lift her gaze when the smell of food caught her nose. It made her think of her mother’s cooking.

  “Wait here,” the man said, walking toward a bread and broth stall, almost as if he had read her thoughts.

  Only a block away from her house, Serene could recognize some of the faces and vendors in the small market.

  Scanning across the herd of people, a familiar man caught her eye, as she caught his. His brow furrowed, curious yet hesitant. Then, he approached her.

  “Serene, is that you dear?”

  “Hello, Ser Alphon,” she replied, her voice hollow.

  “What in Staterra’s name are you doing out here? I heard about what happened last night, you poor thing.” Alphon said, looking around, as if he were looking for someone in the crowd.

  Serene didn’t respond to his questions, she just stared in a loud silence.

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  Alphon took her by the hand, but appeared to grimace as they touched.

  “How about you come with me? You remember my wife, don’t you? We would love for you to stay with us!” he said, pulling her as he talked. “I just need to make one quick stop before we go home.”

  She let him drag her out of the market, thinking how his hand felt like her father’s.

  Then, her other hand was pulled, quick and tight.

  “Where you taking the child?” the black-haired man said, startling her back from her memories.

  “Oh… Well… I live on this girl’s street. I intend to have her stay with me. Who is it you might be, goodsir?” Alphon said, stumbling over his words.

  Serene just noticed how tall the man was as he towered over Alphon, who wasn’t short by any means.

  “Let go of the girl if you fancy keeping your arm,” the man ordered.

  Alphon blinked hard, shocked by his threat. He looked at Serene then back at the man, and let go.

  “Serene, dear, do you know this man?”

  Before she could think to respond, the man said, “If you’re a neighbor of hers, why is it you’re heading the opposite direction of your street?”

  The thought didn’t occur to Serene, but it did strike her as odd.

  “Well… I…”

  “At the pace you were walking, you might’ve been able to get to the guards’ station in ten minutes or so.” the man said, his tongue sharp.

  His point hit Serene fast, stepping away from Alphon, her eyes wide and saddened deeper.

  “Well, you see…, Alphon stuttered. “Of course we need to make sure she is of clean blood! Her mother and brother were found cursed after all.”

  Images of her mother and brother, crying in the burning moonlight, flashed in her mind.

  He looked at Serene, his eyes sympathetic. “Understand, dear, I’d love to take you in, but we must make sure you’re in good standing with the gods. After an examina—”

  Serene swung before she heard him finish. Her hand connected hard across his cheek, the sound thundered, as if the storm had begun again.

  She turned and started toward her house. Her numb hand throbbed.

  Serene could feel the man following close behind her. She exhaled, releasing the anger that broke free against her wishes.

  It felt…good.

  Ahead, the house stood. It didn’t feel right to call it “home”; it felt foreign to her now.

  Three faded red puddles smeared the pavement before the door. Two pooled into one, bound even in death, while the third stretched toward them—too far to ever reach.

  “Hurry yourself,” the man said. He strolled past her to the door and shoved a bent wire into the lock, opening it with quick effort. “Don’t need unnecessary eyes on us.”

  Serene trailed behind him, trying to ignore the “REJECTS” painted across the door in a violent red.

  Word spread fast.

  Inside, the rooms were familiar but tainted. Chairs were thrown to the ground, the table was flipped on its side, clothes and sheets littered the floor.

  Defiled.

  Serene stood where she had just eaten dinner with her family the night before.

  The man came out of what had been her parents’ bedroom, picked up a chair, exhaled, and sat.

  “When did the world become so cruel?” she asked.

  “The world’s always been cruel. It looks different when you’re protected by status and money, but its true face is still there.”

  “It isn’t fair.”

  “Life isn’t meant to be. Did you believe those who killed your family would suffer divine punishment? If anything, they’ll be rewarded for disposing of the afflicted,” he said. For the first time, he looked at her. His jaw was sharp as his words, matching the scars that laced across his white cheeks.

  “You killed two city guards last night,” Serene said. “All to save me. And for what? Why risk so much for me?”

  “I told you before. I didn’t plan on saving anyone.”

  “You could have left me there. You should have.”

  “Maybe,” he said. “But I didn’t.”

  “They had swords and you were unarmed,” she pressed. “How did you do that?”

  He shrugged. “Experience.”

  “Who taught you?”

  “...”

  She paused.

  “Will you teach me?” The question slipped out before she could stop it.

  He gave a low laugh and shook his head. “I might as well teach you how to kill yourself, because that’s all you’d achieve.”

  “I didn’t ask to be saved.” A scowl came across her face, the muscles in her neck tightened. “You cursed me worse than any god. You saved me so I could live alone among beggars, with no purpose?”

  She turned away, hiding the tears that surfaced. “You should have let me die…”

  Serene didn’t hear him, or maybe she just didn’t have time to register his movement, but he was behind her.

  An arm locked around her neck and lifted her off the ground. Her head felt as if it were swelling so fast it might pop. Pain seared her throat as the man’s arm squeezed tighter.

  She dug her nails into his forearm, threw frantic elbows behind herself, and kicked like a startled horse, but nothing was enough. Serene’s vision was fading to a darkness only found in the void above the night sky.

  Then, he let go. She gulped air in heavy, desperate waves. Each cough made her wince.

  “If you wanted to die, you wouldn’t have fought to live. You have a purpose, whether you know it or not.”

  “There is no purpose!” Serene screamed. “You let all my purposes die. He was just a boy—and you let him…”

  “Keep your voice down, girl, before someone hears you. The last thing I need is more guards around.”

  “Let them hear me. Let them call the guards. I’ll kill all of them! I’ll even kill the gods if I must,” she roared, tears racing down her face.

  He didn’t reply.

  “I will find those who killed my family, and the Court that allowed it,” Serene spat. “They deserve to die.”

  She lingered for a brief moment, then whispered her wrath to the room, “I will burn it all down then build a land without prejudice, without careless gods. That will be my purpose.”

  “You speak as if you were the Serpent of Hell.” He sounded almost amazed.

  She heard footsteps; the front door closed. He was gone.

  Serene stumbled into her brother’s room, and crashed onto his bed. She pulled his cloak over her and cried until sleep brought her peace.