Harring

light. The harsh sun made me squint. The air smelled different here-no

. She had a smile that was all teeth and

snapped, her voice shrill. "If you offend th

er like a flock of q

e, using my peripheral vision t

ructures soared into the sky, radiating an oppressive power. Vorrath guards pat

tower that seemed to pierce the heavens. That, I gu

orced my head down, my gaze fixed

eccably manicured, filled with exotic flowers and plants. The sce

sks. Most of the girls were

er," I said, my voice meek, "may I trim the hedges over there? They lo

Just stay out of my way." She found a shady stone

d over me. I immediately car

cover. I put on the wide-brimmed straw hat, pul

y and absorbed, like a

e garden, chattering in low voices, full o

look. I shook my head

y arms ached from holding the hea

h nobles, the occasional strain of a harp.

al task, trying to numb m

't look up, as long as I pretended t

at I looked like. It had been so dark that

ses far beyond human capability. What if he co

n my spine, and the shears n

ing myself to be calm. Fea

as play the part of the inv

until it almost completely obscured my f

bbery, this one even more seclud

dead branches from the base, a position tha

in my knee. The jolt

the sake of freedom,

nscathed, I heard the distinct sound of footsteps. They wer