“So, how are we doing this?” Allyssa asked Rosa as the girl leaned closer to her, eyeing the list Scarlett had handed them. “I’ve never been here before, so I don’t know where you can get any of this stuff, but any apothecary or potion emporium should at least have most of the reagents we need.”

“Hmm~” Rosa observed Allyssa for a moment. The girl had her blonde hair bundled up in a braid today, with those amusing little goggles perched atop her head, even in the middle of a crowded city. “How about we split up? You peachy young‘uns can handle all that dangerous-sounding stuff, while auntie Rosa here deals with the remaining errands our dear, aloof icicle of an employer assigned us. These streets are as familiar to me as the hymn to Ittar.”

Both Shin and Allyssa exchanged glances.

“Is this where you admit you don’t know the lyrics to it?” Shin asked.

Rosa grinned broadly. They were catching on. “Not a word. But I’ve got an uncanny sense for these things.”

She turned away, feigning interest in the neighborhood as she scanned around, concealing the pretense behind her grin. It was bittersweet to realize that these kids had been hanging around her long enough to know her this well.

That went double for Scarlett.

Pointing to a street on their right where a few wagons passed by, Rosa directed the two youths’ attention to a storefront with a sign advertising books and similar articles. “See? I’ve already pinpointed a prospective first stop for the first item on the list. A map! The rest will be a pinch.”

“It’s not that I doubt you,” Shin said, “but splitting the list would mean you have to deal with half of it all by yourself.”

Rosa snorted as she waved her hand dismissively. “Details, details. Who am I to get in the way of the bonding time of this country’s younglings? Now, shoo, shoo. Go and do whatever modern diversions kids these days do.”

Both gave her long looks, and she couldn’t help chuckling a little at their reactions. “Okay, maybe not. But I think I’ll manage just fine. Might even take this opportunity when our noble overlord isn’t watching to hit up some intriguing locales and pocket some extra coin. We weren’t given a time-limit, after all.”

Her smile faded when she instinctively reached both hands to her side and realized she didn’t have her klert. She had left it in the carriage.

Since when did she ever forget to bring her instrument?

Today wasn’t even a bad day. In fact, this whole past week had been better than most she’d experienced in quite some time. The visions were at a minimum, and she felt more in control than usual. Yet somehow, she still forgot the one constant companion she had for the past few years.

Now that she was consciously thinking about it, it felt off not to have her klert in her hands or slung across her back. It was as if she was moving around with a missing limb.

Was this what her getting comfortable led to?

While lost in her thoughts, Allyssa plucked the list from Rosa’s grasp, folded it, and tore it in half. She kept the lower portion for herself and handed the other half back to Rosa.

“Should we maybe meet back up at that square later when we’re finished?” the girl asked, pointing down the street to a charming square with some benches and stalls that beckoned to passersby.

Shin took the piece of paper from Allyssa with an adorably serious but natural air, stashing it in his pocket before turning to Rosa. “If you need help, we can meet up earlier and check in with each other.”

“No, you two take your time.” Rosa looked around the bustling street. She genuinely wanted to take this chance when things were calm to savor being around people again, even if she couldn’t perform. “I’ll be more than alright.”

“If you say so.” Allyssa eyed their surroundings, the girl’s attention seemingly drawn to a street further down the block. “I’d say that direction looks promising, so let’s start there, Shin.”

The young man gave her a brief glance. “And why do you think that?”

“Gut feeling,” Allyssa replied.

Rosa couldn’t help but wear an amused smile as Shin rolled his eyes.

“I wish you all the luck, little ducklings!” she teased the two before promptly pivoting on her heel, weaving her way through the bustling crowd and towards the nearby street. After gracefully maneuvering between an elderly couple and two wagons blocking her path, she arrived at the store she had spotted earlier and entered with a purposeful spring to her step.

Inside the store, Rosa spoke with the proprietor and procured a couple of maps depicting the region and that matched Scarlett’s descriptions. As she emerged from the establishment and glanced down at the list of tasks, she found herself a bit puzzled.

If she were to be honest, she didn’t really understand the point of the list. Some items on it made sense, like the map and certain books that Scarlett might want, but why would the woman be asking for her to buy a quill? Or silver jewellery, for that matter. Scarlett probably had a surplus of both back in that colossal mansion of hers, and it wasn’t as if she needed Rosa to buy more for her.

She couldn’t help but wonder if this was Scarlett’s way of playing a trick on her. One could never tell with that woman. Scarlett was a sly one when she wanted to be, but that was one of the charms that made her so fun to be around, even if you discounted all the other unique things about her.

It was almost enough to make Rosa forget Scarlett was a noble at times, even when basically everything about the woman screamed ‘aristocracy’.

Rosa chuckled softly to herself as she rounded a corner, embarking on the quest to find a place that sold jewellery. A million times she’d told herself not to get pulled into this quagmire of what she had been certain was nothing but a fake reprieve. To not chase the illusory hope that had sprouted from her interactions with Scarlett. Yet, somehow, she had done the exact opposite. She’d actually started believing. She couldn’t stop herself.

Scarlett knew about her. The woman knew. Somehow.

This notion both terrified and comforted Rosa. There were still so many unanswered questions, a host of things she wanted to know, and numerous mysteries she didn’t understand. And now, there was the very real possibility that Scarlett held the key to the answers she sought.

But there was a barrier between them. As much as she felt that Scarlett understood her better than almost anyone she’d ever met, their relationship resembled a charade more than anything else. They were playing a game in which only they knew the rules.

Rosa loved it. She relished in it. Sometimes she genuinely had fun with it. But there were so many layers of separation between them, and she had no idea where the authenticity began and the pretense ended most of the time.

Nevertheless, she didn’t want it to end. She was afraid she couldn’t bring herself to end it, even if she had to. Despite all the years that had passed, she still felt like nothing more than a child running from her problems. But this wasn’t just about her. It never had been.

The hypocrisy of going around pretending to care about other people’s pain while neglecting the suffering she herself might cause was almost comical.

But Scarlett… Scarlett was different. Somehow. Everyone who met her could see that. And beneath the facade of a poised, all-knowing actor that the woman projected—an image that Rosa found herself continuously buying into—lay something else. Rosa had caught glimpses of it, hints of vulnerability when even Scarlett couldn’t maintain her act entirely.

Rosa wanted to know what lay under it all, but she questioned whether she had the right to. She wasn’t sure she was qualified. Because in spite of all the praise she often received for her charms and supposed ingenuity, she had never felt strong. She had never felt reliable. And she had never felt trustworthy.

But for the first time in years, she had felt somewhat safe. And she wanted to repay that feeling, if she could.

She glanced down at the list clutched in her hand.

Well, she supposed this didn’t really count, but it was better than nothing. Plus, she was still getting paid.

With that in mind, she advanced ahead, prepared to tackle the tasks entrusted to her.

“Welcome,” a voice called out from the back of the store as Rosa closed the creaky door behind her, allowing her eyes to acclimatize to the dimly lit interior.

It was a quaint establishment. If there ever was a place that perfectly embodied the term ‘nook and cranny’, she could easily see it being this one. The air was thick with the scent of dried herbs, intermingling with the earthy aroma of aged books and wood. Only a handful of flickering candlelights illuminated the cramped space, their glow casting dancing shadows across the narrow aisles.

Crowded shelves extended upwards, brushing the low ceiling, crammed with jars, vials, peculiar tools, books, and an assortment of containers in all shapes and sizes. Unfamiliar elixirs stood on display, their vibrant hues piercing through the darkness like small beacons, while preserved plants dangled from the rafters, creating whimsical silhouettes against the backdrop of worn, tapestry-covered walls.

Rosa couldn’t see all the way to the back of the store from the entrance, so she navigated through the tight aisles with measured steps, her gaze roving over the eclectic collection of wares. Maybe Allyssa and Shin had already visited this place for some of the alchemy reagents.

She reached into her pocket and withdrew the folded piece of paper there. Unfurling it, she once again perused its contents.

Scarlett had clearly put some thought into this list and where she dropped them off, considering Rosa had been able to find most items within a few streets of each other. It was all very methodical and organized, reminiscent of the woman’s personality.

However, Rosa had been having difficulty finding the last item on the list. She didn’t even know what ‘oracle wax’ was supposed to be. She had already asked around in over a dozen places, but none had the slightest inkling of it. Still, she trusted that Scarlett hadn’t included something that couldn’t be found in the area.

Which was why she had finally ended up in this place.

‘Oracle wax’ had an appropriately mystical ring to it, and this shop had the same vibe going for it. If this was a bust, she might actually have to rendezvous with the kiddos and see if they had a clue. Worst-case scenario, they would return to Scarlett without the wax. Lashes seemed an unlikely punishment for that, at least.

Upon reaching the rear of the store, Rosa found the proprietor standing in a tiny space behind a low wooden desk. The elderly lady appeared deeply engrossed as she leaned over a weathered old book, her plain grey attire and coiled grey hair suggesting she’d woken up this morning and forgotten the concept of colors. The face adorned with wrinkles only added to the effect.

“Why, hello there,” Rosa greeted as she approached.

The lady raised her eyes from the book, fixing her gaze on Rosa. “What’s your business here?”

Rosa glanced over at the items on the nearby shelves in line with her head, pretending to examine them with great interest. “Well, that really depends,” she said slowly, extending a finger to trace the dusty surface of a vial that contained what she was going to pretend was a floating crow’s eye in it. “With any luck, I’m here to purchase some of these very intriguing baubles that grace this fine establishment of yours. Let’s hope for that, shall we?”

The store proprietor cast her a prolonged scrutinizing look, and Rosa responded with a tilt of her head and a disarming smile. “You wouldn’t happen to have any oracle wax, would you?”

The woman’s expression twisted into a frown, and she studied Rosa for a few extra seconds. “Oracle wax, you say?”

“Indeed, those were the very words that escaped my lips. Minus the odd inflection, mind you.”

The old lady closed her book and pushed it to the side, leaning down to a lower shelf near her and supporting herself with a hand on the counter. She retrieved a box, placed it on the counter before Rosa, and opened it to reveal a lump of turquoise blue resin. An aromatic sweetness filled the air, cutting through the other heavy scents in the store.

“Is this what you want?” the woman asked.

Rosa inspected it for a moment. “If that’s oracle wax, then yes.”

A snort left the woman. “So you aren’t here for this.”

She shut the box’s lid with a deliberate motion, sliding it to the side, leaving Rosa wondering. The old lady redirected her attention to Rosa and extended a wrinkled hand with weathered, sun-kissed skin.

Rosa looked down at the offered hand.

“The payment,” the woman stated.

Rosa blinked. Typically, payment came after a transaction had been agreed upon.

Despite that, she withdrew the pouch Scarlett had given her and pulled out a few gold coins. “How much?” she asked, beginning to count them in her palm.

“I’m not talking about solars.”

Rosa glanced up at the woman. “I’m flattered, but I think I’d prefer to stick to coins.”

The old lady's cheeks twitched. “Girl, what are you prattling about? Either you present me a token, or you leave.”

Token?

Rosa leveled a quizzical gaze at the woman, unsure about her meaning. What kind of establishment didn’t accept solars—

Her hand halted in the midst of counting the coins as a realization dawned. She offered a sheepish smile as she started returning the coins to the pouch. “Sorry about that. Of course, you meant the token. Silly me!”

She reached into her pocket, where she kept an item that she had been instructed to hold on to a while back. With a flourish, she produced a single hefty silver coin, holding it out to the woman. Engraved on its face was a talon clutching a bleeding heart, with barely discernible small indentations at the bottom.

The proprietor examined the coin for a moment, accepting it from Rosa’s hand and running a thumb over the inconspicuous indentation at the base. She then looked up at Rosa, studying her intently. Finally, she nodded, slipping the coin into her clothing and stepping out from behind the desk. She approached a door at the rear of the establishment, holding it open and glancing back at Rosa.

“Step inside,” she said.

Rosa hid her confusion as she examined the open passage leading into a poorly lit hallway. “Why, if I might ask?”

“You’re a client, aren’t you? Then come with me to the back. I don’t handle Talonborn business here.”

Rosa swallowed.

What in the world had Scarlett roped her into?