"Moonstone?" Kel echoed as she gazed at the hazy blue stone.
"It comes from a lake in the mountains of the far north," the man explained. "According to ancient legend, this stone is a crystalized ray of moonlight."
Kel yelped as he slid the moonstone into her hand. An intense stinging pricked at her skin everywhere the rock made contact. It was so cold it felt like it was burning.
The stone clattered to the floor as Kel jerked her hand back, shaking off the painful sensation. When had he gotten so close? And when had she extended her own hand toward him?
"Interesting…" the man murmured, bending to retrieve the stone.
"I-I don't accept your gift, so please take me to my friend," Kel stammered, rubbing her palm.
The man chuckled and gestured to the door, which the assistant from earlier had already swung open and stood waiting patiently.
"This way," the boy instructed as Kel met his eyes. She gave one last unsettled glance to the hooded magician before following his assistant down the hall.
"Wait!" she called when the boy started opening the door that led back outside. "What about Luc-"
"Adri!!" Lucy's high-pitched squeal flooded Kel's ears as the maid burst through the half-opened door and wrapped Kel in her arms.
"Mmph," came Kel's muffled attempt to console the frantic woman.
"I'm so sorry!" Lucy exclaimed, releasing Kel and leading her back outside. "I never should have left you alone. I don't know what came over me I just…"
"It's fine now that we're together," Kel assured her, though nothing about this situation was actually fine. Ironically, she was eager to get away from the night market and back to the well-guarded palace. Who knew the dragon emperor would seem the safer choice compared to the dubious characters roaming the streets.
As Lucy trapped her in another tight hug, Kel glimpsed a figure ducking into the shadows of the alley. The person moved quickly, but it was clear that he was wearing a strange costume of some kind, complete with a red and white mask.
"That man was waiting there the whole time." The magician's assistant came up behind Kel. "He looked like he was about to break down the door to get to you."
"Who.." Kel began, only to be interrupted by Lucy.
"Ah, let's get away from here, Adri. It isn't too late to go see some other things," she declared cheerily, grasping Kel's hand.
Kel glanced back as the maid earnestly drug her toward the main street, but the only soul left in the alley was the boy, casually leaning against the wall, watching them leave.
As if stepping through an invisible screen, the lights and sounds of the festival rushed back as soon as the pair set foot onto the massive cobbled street. Kel peeked at Lucy, who was scanning the crowds around them. After a few seconds, her eyes stopped and she breathed the tiniest sigh of relief.
"Shall we go this way?" she smiled, turning to Kel.
"Ah, sure," Kel agreed hesitantly.
As they walked, Kel tried to bring up their bizarre encounter with the magician, but Lucy tactfully dodged the subject. The maid's reluctance only deepened Kel's apprehension, but she decided it was futile to push the matter any further.
And what about that strange stone? Kel wondered to herself. How had the man been able to hold it for so long without even flinching at its freezing bite. Although he had performed tricks much greater than that during his show, something felt unsettling about that rock.
"Excuse me, Miss!"
A throaty low-toned voice near her ear caught Kel off guard. She whipped around instinctively, and her face plunged directly into a scarlet crinkling mass.
"Ah, sorry about that," the voice said as the mass rapidly moved away from her face. As it got farther away, Kel could see that it was a flower. It looked similar to a carnation, but was made entirely of paper.
Behind the elegantly folded bloom, rose a large building with seven shimmering silver pillars lining the front. At the base of each pillar stood a marble-carved lion, posed with its mouth open and one paw raised.
"Ah, incredible isn't it?"
Kel turned her attention to the still unidentified voice and found a tall, broad-shouldered man with hair nearly as red as the flower he was holding.
"This place is the jewel of the capital city, the Seven Lions Inn," the man smiled.
"This… is an inn?" Kel blurted, once again turning toward the grand building. She briefly wondered if the lion statues were built because of the building's name or if they were the reason for the name.
Seven Lions Inn.
Kel gasped as she realized where she'd heard the name before. The freckled girl with the yellow flower had invited her here. And now this man was also offering her a flower.
"You.. who are you?" Kel demanded. She felt a slight tug on her sleeve from Lucy, but ignored it. Surely the maid would have realized the connection as well.
"The name is Spencer, Miss. Spencer Reagan," the man remarked, dipping his head slightly.
"Nice to meet you!" Lucy butted in, "But we really need to be on our way."
She gripped Kel's sleeve again, pulling her away.
"Just one moment," the man quipped, grabbing Kel's other sleeve. "This flower is for you."
There was no way Kel was going to accept another strange object from a shady man on the same night.
"Please let me go," she insisted, attempting to wrench herself free from the red-haired man.
pαпdα-ňᴏνê|·сóМ "I insi- ARGH!" The man dropped Kel's arm and gripped his own as a heavy hand landed a blow just below his shoulder.
The person who had come to her rescue also donned a heavy cloak and feathered mask, just like her own. At first, Kel thought Lucy was the one behind the jab, but she could still feel the maid's fingers clinging to her sleeve. If the maid was behind her, then who was this person dressed exactly like them?
Kel reached out and yanked the hood off the man before he could run away. The dark fabric fell softly around his shoulders, revealing an unmistakable mop of hair.
"... No way," Kel breathed out in disbelief. "It's you?!"
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