Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 63709 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 319(@200wpm)___ 255(@250wpm)___ 212(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63709 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 319(@200wpm)___ 255(@250wpm)___ 212(@300wpm)
The suns are bright overhead but it’s not too hot, thanks to Rogue blowing gently on my neck. Ma is better—the king quit his roaring long enough to send some medicine. My mission was a success and, best of all, no one will ever know.
There are more Alpha soldiers at the village gate than before, but I duck my head and slip right past them. Beneath my hood, I can’t stop smiling.
I’m not the only one who’s feeling upbeat. The difference between yesterday’s tense, anxious villagers and today’s relieved and happy ones is stark.
I start at the bakery then move on to buy some fruit, casually eavesdropping on people’s conversations along the way. It’s all positive—there were bottles of potion on every doorstep, so and so is feeling much better already, it's a miracle, Ulf be praised, et cetera.
A puff of air around my ears draws my attention to the giant windmill over the tavern.
“Okay,” I whisper into my collar. “Go play. But be gentle—”
Rogue rushes away so fast it sounds like a jet in flight.
Seconds later, the old windmill creaks. The wooden blades start to rotate, slowly at first, then moving faster and faster. Folks stop talking to stare at it.
“Well, look at that,” the fruit seller says, pointing. “I haven’t seen it go so fast since I was a youngling.”
I duck my head and mutter, “Don’t break it.”
The little wind returns to me before I reach Leelah’s booth. It blows around my neck and I get the sense it’s tired but content. “I’m glad you had fun, Rogue. Now behave.”
“Rose!” Leelah waves me over.
“Leelah.” I give her a big smile. “I’m so glad to see you well.” There’s no sign of a rash on her neck or face.
“Yes, the king be praised.”
I stop myself from rolling my eyes. “Sure. The king. I guess he came through in the nick of time.”
“He did. Because of the Omega.” Leelah’s expression turns dreamy. “She saved us all.”
“Um, the what now?”
“I didn’t believe it either, but apparently it’s true. The legend came true! An Omega saved us all.”
A nearby Alpha snaps his head in Leelah’s direction. I angle my body away from him but Leelah doesn’t notice. She’s too busy waxing lyrical.
“She went to the castle, and everywhere she touched, moonflowers bloomed. When she came to the castle gates, they opened before her. She broke the spell and woke the king from his slumber!”
I run down the events of last night in my head. Leelah’s story is one interpretation of things. “I guess we should thank her then.”
“That’s just it.” Leelah’s voice drops to a whisper. “No one can find her. She’s disappeared. The king has all his soldiers on high alert, looking for her.”
Oh, shit. That’s why there are Alphas everywhere. I pretend to wipe my forehead and pull the edge of my hood further over my face. “Do they know what she looks like?” My voice is high-pitched. Rogue blows down my back, which feels good because I’m panic-sweating.
“No. The king didn’t get a good look at her.”
“Oh, good. I mean… that’s no good. She didn’t leave a shoe or anything else he could use to identify her?”
“A shoe?” Leelah wrinkles her nose. “How could anyone be identified by a shoe?”
“That’s what I’ve always said. Never mind. Dumb idea.”
Two Alphas stroll by, looking grim. I bend forward as if I’m inspecting the surface of Leelah’s countertop.
“Well,” I say casually when the soldiers have passed, “I need to be going. Ma is waiting for me. She’s still recovering.”
“Let me know if there’s anything you need.”
“I will.” I remember Ma’s lecture and pause to ask, “Do you know of anyone selling keeba leaf? It’s for a tincture. I need boola berries and keeba leaf. There used to be a patch of boola berries along the path but when I looked just now, I couldn’t find it.”
Leelah blinks. “Who is this medicine for?”
I shrug. “It’s just something Ma likes to make.” It was my second day here when Ma handed me a cup of moss-green liquid and told me to swallow the bitter brew. “You must take this every day. For your safety and survival.” She drilled the steps of the recipe into me until I perfected the process of making it.
Leelah has a weird, intense expression on her face. “Those ingredients are rare. I have a little keeba but no boola. And I wouldn’t ask around. Folks don’t need to know you’re making an estrus blocker.”
“Estrus blocker?” I repeat.
“Hush,” she hisses. “Not so loud.” She shoots a glance at the knot of Alphas standing by the tavern. They’re all focused on the windmill which has mysteriously stopped spinning so fast, but she beckons me closer all the same. “Those herbs used to be coveted by Omegas.” The last word is barely audible, her voice is so low.