"… if it fails to thrive, we will be back where we started. Just like what happened then with True Fire. We can't lose any more than we already have."
The words in my dream were a memory, but more a memory of the Wind Rune than of mine. I was too young at the time to have anything more than the vaguest of recollections without the Rune's help. Almost always, the Rune's help was not wanted.
I was only a little child and filled with confusion. My keeper had bathed me, brushed my hair, dressed me in new clothes, and placed me in a room of opulence I had never before seen. My skin was raw from a rough bath, and my eyes were large with wonder. Everything around me was new, everything gleamed with the morning light that danced through full-length windows. I was overwhelmed by the newness of it all.
"Of course. In any case, the little Bishop needs someone his own age as well."
There were three other people in the room with me- two men, one of whom was my keeper, another child of my age, and one I assumed kept him. I had seen the other child once before, though he regarded me with such interest that I don't think he had recognized my face. We met, if it could have been called that, when I was thrown in one of the darker cells to think about a tantrum I had thrown. He was free to wander the Palace and had somehow found my dark corner of existence. Unfortunately, his guardians were not far behind him, and the boy had been whisked away as soon as he had arrived. But I knew him, or our at least my True Rune recognized his, at once.
"I'm Sasarai." The little boy held out his hand to me now. I stared, not knowing what I was supposed to do with it, "What's your name?"
Name? In my mind, I merely labeled him "a Sasarai"- just as some things were a table, too tall for me to reach; others were a window, girded with iron bars; yet others were vases and not to be touched by my clumsy hands.
"You." I said.
Sasarai burst out laughing, "That's not a name, silly!"
I frowned. No one had ever laughed at me before, only regarded me with the minimum of interest. I didn't know the meaning of the sounds that boy made. The adults in the room were too busy in their own discussion to care.
"You're funny." Sasarai wiped a tear from his eye, "Come on, what's your name? I'm Sasarai," He pointed to himself, and next to me, "and you…?"
"Yes. That's right." I shook my head, utterly bewildered. I was a "you", he was a "Sasarai." Everything was clear to me.
"Huh." Sasarai snorted. He looked dejected only for a split second before returning to his cheerful self, "I'm going to be a Bishop when I grow up." He said proudly. I only knew that Bishops were something important. The future was something that I didn't look forward to. "So I'm gonna give you a new name."
Sasarai clapped his hands onto my shoulders and looked into my eyes. If I had a mirror to look into I would have noticed how much his face was like my own. With an unearned air of authority, he said in his little voice, "As Bishop of Harmonia, I declare your new name is Luc!"
Luc? I had thought, how could he make me something else? Maybe if I was a Bishop, I could do things like that too.
"My lord, please." One of the adults admonished. If it were me, I would have heard words filled with utmost disdain. Dogs would have been treated as they had more thought than I did. But for Sasarai, for this little boy who was my own age, and though I did not know it, my twin- for him, they would only speak with sainted patience and kindness. It was something I recognized but didn't care about then. He was different. He was better. I was nothing, but more awestruck than jealous.
That he would even speak with me…
"Come on Luc, let's play jacks."

And then the color drained from my dream, and the sound. I looked at a Harmonian flag in the room, its deep blue the only thing that remained in color. The emblem of the Circle Rune erupted out of the surface of the flag, and I was face to face with a giant blue eye, watching my every move. I turned to look for Sasarai, but he had disappeared, along with the two others. The eye was only growing in size as it moved menacingly close. I called on the True Wind Rune to fight it off, but there was no wind in the room to fight with-

I awoke with a scream.

"High Priest's hat!" Matt cried out. I looked over towards the center table to see him struggling to contain what little he could of his morning tea in his cup. Most had spilled onto the table when I startled him. "Are you going to do that every morning?"

"I hope not. I don't talk in my sleep, do I?" I rubbed sleep from my eyes.

"If you did, Matt would be first to let you know. In detail." Dross advised.

The remnants of my dream clung to my mind, and in waking I felt only bitterness, knowing that only a few moments ago I had been so happy. I had wished to forget it- that once, Sasarai was the closest I would have called to a friend. That aside from the occasional childish fight, the few hours a week I could see him were the best parts of my days. It had all changed so suddenly. The ending of my dream troubled me. I remembered waking up to such fear before, but never had I been able to recall why I felt it. I didn't know whether I wanted to forget or cling to the vision.

I got up and took a seat at the table in the center of the dormitory room. There was a pot of tea and a basket of rye bread alongside cold cuts and cheeses. I took a took a roll and cradled it in my hands. It was still a little warm.

"Shouldn't you be at your post?" I asked Matt.

"Not today. Boss-man on first shift didn't trust me with a 'special visitor'. I don't know what there's not to trust. Don't need to mess with the prisoner at all."

"He probably didn't trust you with the visitor." Dross pointed out, "Someone who can drop in that suddenly for a prisoner like that is high up. I'd be worried for your employment."

"Huh!" Matt scoffed, "I'm better than that now."

"Does leave us all free until evening." Spiess said, "It's market day in the Kanakan District. Anyone else want to go?"

Dross and Matt grunted their approval of the idea. I nodded. I knew Circle Palace well, but the rest of Crystal Valley was mostly a mystery. I was anxious for a breath of fresh air.

"We can wear street clothes, right?" I asked.

Dross shook his head, saying "Uniforms always, unless at home or we get special dispensation. You know that."

"I was hoping that Temple Guard could be a little more relaxed off the battlefield." I muttered.

"It'll be fine. Ladies like a man in uniform." Speiss said.

"You have to fit in it first."

Shortly after finishing breakfast and draining the teapot, we left for the Kanakan District. I felt more secure than yesterday, having at least a Temple Guard uniform and three others around me. But it was unseasonably warm this morning, and I sweated into my wool uniform. Spiess and Dross took the lead, talking amiably. I lagged somewhat behind Matt, who expended no effort on small talk. It was a struggle for me to keep up. The crowds in the street were overwhelming this morning, and I had no idea where this Kanakan District was. It took most of my attention to follow the other guards.

"Have you been there before?" I asked Matt. I hoped he would be familiar in case we lost the others.

"No, foreigners aren't my thing. I stick with Harmonians, sunshine."

"Like Dross?" I probed. I didn't like his attitude and wanted to plumb the depths of his inborn haughtiness.

"Least he was born here not like-! Aw, shit!"

Matt froze. Dross and Spiess had already stopped ahead, blocked by a group of six Temple Guard. The six weren't like us, a motley cowed by the hands fate dealt to us. They were proud, five men and a woman that radiated confidence underneath blue berets. They all had swords sheathed at their sides. None of us did. At least none them was a gunner from the Howling Voice Guild. If anything could scare me half as much as the devastation a True Rune could create, it was the thunder of a gun and the unfeeling precision of its user. These didn't seem like they types to want to associate with gunners, though. The machinations of the Guild were a dirty- if open- secret. Their perverse meritocracy was only grudgingly tolerated as a means to preserve the balance of power in Holy Harmonia.

I stepped up to the front, beside Dross. I wanted to know what was going on, and to get to this Kanakan District sooner rather than later.

"Bringing down the Guard even farther, Dani? Who's that brat?" One of the men blocking our progress in the streets said. His face, framed by curly hair, was strangely cherubic for his age, height, and build. It went without saying that he was blond and blue-eyed like a proper first-class citizen. He was somewhat shorter than his companions but had a charisma in his bearing that made him seem even more present than the tallest, a giant of a man who was easily a head taller than Spiess.

"Why do you care? Still bearing a grudge from our school days?" Dross shrugged.

"I care because you have no business sullying the Temple."

"I had no business kicking your ass in the training yard either, but I did that anyway. Take your pick."

The leader- or at least I assumed he was the leader, because the rest were content to laugh along with the man, or make whispered quips to each other- turned his attention to Spiess instead. That was smart, I thought. Dross's history must have had some weight to it. He certainly had a good barb to his tongue when it came to this stranger.

"I told you before, Spiess, stop shaming your family name and get out of that shithole. You're not going to make your dad any happier hanging around nothings and a nobody."

"We better get going." Dross advised, interrupting Spiess before he could say anything.

I didn't like the way that the mood had turned, and it was far more hostile than the words shared so far. All the same, I nodded in the direction of the Temple Guard in front of us and added, "We shouldn't hang around that nobody and his bunch of nothings."

I couldn't help myself. I had fought too hard to crawl out of the bowels of Harmonia to be called a "nothing". I strode forward, meaning to break apart the group and continue on our way. The leader stayed firm, even stepping forward so that I bumped into him. He towered over me by over half a foot. My expression remained impassive.

"Say that again." He challenged.

I looked back over my shoulder, calling to my coworkers, "Don't worry, 'Nobody's' in the way."

A punch to the gut knocked the wind out of me. I grinned. It hurt to the World of Emptiness and back, but I'd had worse. The important thing was that this fine specimen of his type had thrown the first punch. I staggered back, clutching my stomach.

"You'll want to apologize for that." I rasped. "I know quite a few people who hate to see someone pick on the little guy."

That little guy wasn't necessarily me. But no one I fought alongside in Toran or Dunan would have tolerated this smugness very long. I wouldn't either. To call any of Dross or Matt a 'nothing' or a 'nobody', the two people I felt closest to, was not going to stand. My own status didn't matter.

Dross placed a hand on my shoulder, urging, "Stop this nonsense."

I wasn't going to do that.

"You're the one who needs to apologize, second-class scum!"

"That's better than 'nothing'. Pleased I've risen in your estimation. But I've got nothing to apologize for. You do, for being rude to your fellow Temple Guard."

The guard drew his sword, to the gasps of his companions. They stepped back, hands on their weapons but far less committed to wielding them.

"I am not apologizing to trash like yourself."

"Baas, please!" Spiess begged, "We'll take care of the kid."

"No, we're settling this here. Give the kid a sword, Kyrie."

The female guard with him started to draw hers to give to me, but I waved her away.

"My wind rune will be more than enough."

"Tch. Then let's see you prove it."

It was a dangerous game I was playing, and I had dealt myself a worrisome hand. Rune magic took time to cast, and I was done for if Baas got in the first blow. But I was confident. Though my stomach was distractingly sore from where I was punched, and I had no training in swords, my mind and my mastery of the True Wind Rune would far outfly any swordsmanship he had on a one-on-one fight. His friends seemed to have no intention of joining in. I could sense no more of a help on my side either.

"Take this!" The Temple Guard, Baas, raged. He lunged at me with this sword. I barely sidestepped, watching steel flash a hair's breadth from my nose, before I pushed him further forward and off balance with a gust of wind. He fell over but recovered quickly. I was on my guard, ready for when he rose to his feet. Baas' face was beet-red, and his surcoat and uniform covered in dust.

"You're not done yet?" I teased. "I'd hate to see you more humiliated. Give up now."

He circled around and I followed likewise, waiting for him to make a move or show weakness. I grew tired of holding my Rune at bay. In front of the gathering crowd, I sent a gust of wind to throw Baas' surcoat up and over his face, blinding him. I moved further around the man as he fought to free himself, and let another burst of wind, this one edged hard enough to cut. It shredded the fabric into a web of cobalt blue.

I allowed Baas to pull the remains of his surcoat back down around himself. I didn't want to actually hurt him even if I had antagonized. All the same, if he wasn't truly serious before, he would be now, and I had given him his window to act on it. I'd made this mistake before, but Tir and his friends were guests in need of Master Leknaat's services on her island when I toyed with setting a golem against them with my True Wind Rune. Here, I was the one at a disadvantage. Baas and his friends needed nothing from me, and I had no master like Leknaat in Harmonia.

Baas cleared his throat and resumed a fighting stance, tense like a spring.

"Do you even know who my father is?" he asked.

"No, do you? But I don't see what he has to do with us. We can fight all day and you can keep on losing, or you can give up and leave us be. I don't even care about an apology anymore- you've already shown all Crystal Valley that breeding means nothing. Get out of the way."

I glowered at Baas and his companions. Baas still held his sword out, and the others each had a hand on the hilt of theirs, ready to draw if their friend demanded. I had let all my wind magic fall down by the wayside, but considered conjuring a tornado around myself so they could see I was merely toying to begin with.

I stepped forward to fight but suddenly felt a hand clamp painfully around my upper arm and Dross was dragging me along, pushing past the Temple Guard that insulted him and through the crowd. I looked around frantically, worried that they might follow. But they didn't and Matt and Spiess lagged behind us as two blond heads bobbing above a crowd.

"You're worse than Matt!" Dross hissed, "What the hell were you thinking!?"

My tongue still felt catty, but this wasn't the time anymore. Dross was livid, and he was my boss, for as long as I needed to stay here.

"By the High Priest, what the hell were you thinking?" Dross repeated once we were well out of the crowd. He spun around to grab my other arm. I was certain I would have ten bruises from each finger come evening.

"I don't like that sort of bully." I said.

"Baas'll ruin you. You had so much promise."

"You're hurting me…" I complained, "And you'd just deal with him?"

"It's not done that way."

"It is where I come from. I make my choices."

"Eurus…"

I shook my head and avoided Dross's eyes when I suggested, "Fire me if you need to save face."

"No, not that either."

In truth, I was taken aback. No one had ever called me out like that before. No one ever treated me like I had my own role in my own future. Even Leknaat, my master and the closest I had to a mother, never voiced any concern beyond whether I obeyed or did not. If I went against her, it was merely treated as my own choice, devoid of worry for the fallout. More than annoyed, I was glad. I had done nothing for Dross except be a pain in his side. Still he cared, and deeply. I hoped I would see him again after I had rescued Sarah. I doubted it, but at least I had this moment.

Dross let go of me. I could feel the blood return to my fingers while Matt and Spiess caught up.

"By the High Priest, what the hell was that?" Spiess asked, "What the hell was that?"

"Nothing, just-"

"That was amazing!" Matt said.

I shook my head again. It was only me being an ass.

"By the High Priest, I thought I'd see a True Rune before I'd see Baas put in his place."

"You don't want to see a True Rune." I told Matt.

"No? They're so amazing- can you imagine, having the power of a god, being immortal?" Spiess said.

By now we were on our way to the Kanakan District. I looked back and didn't see the other Temple Guard.

"It's a curse." I said, but those three words were too much.

"How would you know?"

"I know people. I've seen the True Runes. The True Wind Rune massacred Bishop Sasarai's troops during the war in Highland. There's a True Rune called 'Soul Eater,'- it murdered those closest to the hero of the Gate Rune Wars. Would you want to live an eternity with those memories?"

"You're serious…" Spiess balked.

"A True Rune- that was what killed my brother." Matt said, suddenly more reproachful at the possibility of seeing a one. "Did you know him? His name was Ben. Ben Aviles. He fought at Highland."

I shook my head, "Sorry, it was a large battlefield."

And I was on the other side. So now I stood next to the brother of one of the many that I destroyed with the power of my Rune. Should I tell him, at least before I leave? There was no doubt in my mind that Riou would have lost that battle if I had not intervened, nor that my motives for joining that fight and revealing my truths were purely selfish. I was curious that the role of my Rune was downplayed to the point of non-existence. Of course the survivors knew what they had seen- perhaps the triple embarrassment of being so soundly thwarted, by a True Rune they did not possess, wielded by a defector, and one they would have rather kept hidden, was too much for Harmonia's propaganda machine to spin.

"Who were those guys anyway?" I asked as our surroundings changed from the clean facades of first-class citizen apartments to those of the nouveau riche second-class, and then towards the houses of the merely aspirational.

"Baas? We were classmates at Soldelt. He's been my bully for over twenty years now. My father always told me that if you get punched, punch back- unfortunately Baas doesn't learn. The rest? His proteges. No one really of note except by their family names."

"Not even interesting family names on either faction." Spiess added, "If they were Latkje's or Sufina's, I could at least feel some actual rivalry. Loved watching you put him in his place. Ah, I know this restaurant, should we stop for lunch?"

It was a small place on a corner, hedged with barrels of wine on the outside and a falcon crested in red against the white facade. Neither of those characteristics alone would be worth a visit, but the smells that wafted from within told why Spiess was so keen on visiting the Kanakan District. They were enough to make a Harmonian chef weep and hold the owner for ransom.

"You're here early! Wanted to try our lunch menu for a change?" the hostess exclaimed as soon as we came in view. Her eyes were directly on me.

This was difficult. I could guess who she expected in my stead. Would it be better to play along or play innocent? And of these options- which was more costly? I played a fool, risking everything.

"Will my credit be good this time?" I ruffled through my pockets for money I knew wasn't there.

"Your lordship, your credit is always good here. Take a seat. Wine for you again?" she said.

I nodded. "That would be fine. Anything else you would like to try?" I asked my companions, "It's on me."

Of everyone, Dross looked at me most suspiciously. He looked over the menu and chose the least expensive. I chose the most dear, though I had little interest in the flavor what was listed as "Kanakan bluefin tuna a l'amande with caviar". With that allowance, Spiess and Matt seemed confident to order what they really wanted over what they felt accessible.

"Have you been here often, Spiess?" I asked as glasses of water were delivered to our table.

"Clearly not often enough. She knows you, Eurus?"

"She thinks she does. Will you spoil it?" Seeing the doubt on their faces I added, "We've known each other since childhood. This sort of thing has become a bit of a tradition between us."

"Who is 'he'?" Dross asked.

"I can't tell you. It would be dangerous if there was any suspicion that this Bishop could be so readily replaced by a false one. Names would make it too easy to tie us together- and I prefer the anonymity I have with us never being in the same place and same time as it is. Speaking of which, do any of the other people we guard have such stringent requirements for secrecy?"

Spiess shook his head, "No, my guy's even allowed to send letters home. Harder for him to get replies because of the worry that the paper could be poisoned by some gunner, but we make do."

"Why would they do that?"

Spiess shrugged, "There's a lot of people with a lot of different motives. He's got a good network but ended up knowing too much about too many people. He's voluntarily here, actually. For his safety."

"And your regular, Matt?"

"Same as yours."

"Dross?"

"He's not going to be for much longer, I hope. Execution is scheduled for next week."

"What for?"

"Former prince of a third-class province. He's accepted his fate."

"Oh."

I picked at my food once it arrived. The sole flaked to pieces underneath my fork, leaving me to wonder if my prank would fall apart as easily, if it would have been worth risking my entire goal for the sake of using Sararai's credit and our resemblance for a for lunch. I wondered if Sasarai ate this well for every meal, and my appetite died completely. I had fallen a long way from when I dared to use my True Wind Rune to defeat his entire regiment in battle. I wasn't done paying him back yet. Sasarai's debt had grown. He hadn't even remembered my name in Highland, and we had once lived as brothers.

No. We were brothers, both in blood and spirit. He was my only friend, until that day when he sided with our "father" and left me to die. Twelve years was not enough time to heal that wound. We had an eternity, and I didn't think it would be enough time unless I could see Sasarai's face crying for forgiveness in the face of betrayal like I had done.

I guided a small amount of sole with its slivered almond garnish and thick sauce on my fork and into my mouth. It was far too rich, but I couldn't spit it out and the texture and flavor, though sweet at first, grew worse as I worked up the nerve to swallow. Twelve years ago. We were seven. And still, as much as I hated no one else than Sasarai, not even the High Priest who created us, I couldn't help but feel for him a little. He once was my brother, and one day he might feel the same betrayal that I had. Would he, coddled as he was, be able to withstand it?

I pushed my plate aside. Both Speiss and Matt were more than willing to help me tear the fish down to the bone.

"Will you be needing dessert again?" The waitress asked when we had finished our meal.

"No, thank you. I've had more than my fill for lunch." I shook my head. "Well, we will be leaving- unfortunately there is less time than I'd like in the afternoon than in the evening."

I smiled as I thought Sasarai might smile. Spoiled, nonchalant, utterly ungrateful for how good he had it in life. The waitress bought it. I hurried out, letting that smile fall as soon as my back was to the waitress. I felt disgusting for even putting myself in his mindset.

"You have a lot of explaining to do, Eurus." Matt clapped me on the back, "What other secrets do you have?"

"I don't owe you an explanation. I gave you enough of one already."

"Ever going to stop being testy? Never mind. Spiess, you're looking at swords in the market again, right?"

"Yeah. Kanaka knows its steel."

"Ugh, of course."

I hung close to Spiess as he made an efficient line towards the merchant he sought, a man whose cart was lined with blades of all sorts, from axeheads and letter openers to weapons of a variety that would suit any school of martial art. Each was unique. Though I knew little of bladed weapons, the ones closest to the merchant seemed worth a fortune even unadorned. Spiess studied each in turn, questioning the merchant in a language I knew to be technically Harmonian but with the words used in ways and strung together in a style that I did not understand.

"What's it with you and wire? Bending it, I mean." I asked after Spiess selected a curved blade and held it out to observe how well it balanced in his grip.

"You know if you have a paper clip, and you bend it back and forth? You stress it one way then the other. Eventually it snaps. But it gets stronger until it does. Stronger, but more brittle. It's like life, huh? You're soft unless you find something that stresses you, and then you get stronger. But everyone's a different 'mettle'. Some fail fast, some not in their lifetime. Maybe some will never fail at all in a thousand years no matter what life throws at them."

I looked at Spiess curiously. I didn't think he would have a philosophical bent. I wondered what I might be out of the dozens of blades in front of us. Something cheap, I thought. I was born flawed. How had my life strengthened me, yet brought me closer to failure? Or was my material such that whatever the world and my Rune would bring, I would endure?

"So say someone's a lump of cheap iron, they're just useless? They'll never make a good sword."

Spiess turned to me, his blue eyes glittering with excitement. I had stepped into a trap. "Well, why would everyone need to be a sword? You can't use the same stuff for a blade as you would for a trumpet; it'd sound bad. And there's such thing as too strong for swords too- it might hold the sharpest edge, but chip easily. You have to study yourself to know what you're made of."

"Still, what if you're made of something worthless?"

"Nothing's worthless." Spiess retorted hotly. I had touched a nerve. "Even things made to fail. My father says he's seen old Sindar machines where they've deliberately put in parts that will break early, to protect the whole device. Too much force and a bolt fails. Too much power and a fuse breaks. And so what if that's what you're there for? You've fulfilled your role. It's not fair, but it's what it is."

I thought on that for a while as I watched Spiess replace once sword and check the balance of another, and then examine the patterned coloring of a glaive's sharp end. He might have picked a better metaphor to craft his life around.

"You mean like fate? If it's a machine, why not rebuild it?" I stretched for the right words to continue my thoughts, "Make that role not needed and reforge yourself for a new one."

"'Swords to ploughshares', huh? You're not wrong, but I think that's not quite right either. I'm done here. D'you want anything, Eurus?"

I thought hard. I wanted nothing for myself, but Sarah might want something.

"I have no money."

"I'll spot you. Payday's next week."

"Are there any good Kanakan sweets?" I asked.

"Not wine? You're more a kid than you look. Yeah, they've got some nice things if you don't mind it being obscenely sweet by Harmonian taste."

"I'll try it."

We went to cart halfway across the market square that was filled with pillowy mounds of candies. Gummy lozenges sparkled in the sun like pearls of colored glass, sugared fish-shapes basked like miniature red snapper and albacore. There were even piles of sugary false eggs, both cracked and whole, and remarkably lifelike fruits and miniature animals made of almond paste. I looked over the bounty, uncomfortable with the fact that I would have to choose just a little of what was available because even one piece of everything would cost a fortune. I wished I had ever dared Lotte if there was something she liked from her childhood in Kanaka, knowing also that if I did, she might have been more of a fellow magician and I would still have had to abandon her for Leknaat's sake. It was better I didn't, knowing how much I missed even our slight conversations.

"Give me those." I pointed towards a pile of marshmallows, twisted cords of pale pink and yellow. "A half-scoop."

Spiess paid for me. I held my paper bag close like it was filled with gold as we made our way back across the market to meet back up with Matt and Dross. I looked out for Baas and his gang almost as much. If he cared to follow up on our fight, I would rather do it without Dross to hold me back.

"So, that all for you or do you have a girlfriend?" Spiess asked.

"Only me."

"Shame. You single?"

"What does that matter?"

"It'd be a pity, handsome guy like you. You love anyone, even if you never said it?"

Did I? Even friendship was a strong word for anyone I knew. I liked Viki in a distant way, for her looks and an unexpressed camaraderie that we both had to disappear at the end of each war, though in different ways. I had always been too shy to speak before it was too late.

Even for Master Leknaat, I felt devotion and gratitude, but "love" was a stretch. If it wasn't for her, I would have never seen my eighth birthday. She meant well. She had to have meant well. She was my master. If she didn't love me, then there was no one. She gave me my humanity and she taught me all I knew, and yet… was it loving to keep me locked away in her tower where the only visitors were not for me, but for her astrological charts? Was it loving that the only times I had seen the world outside were to guard a god-forsaken magic rock during two wars? I could read the pain of loss and the joy of belonging on others' faces, but I had no context to understand and no courage nor time to learn.

With all I knew of love, I did not want to love anyone.

"No." I said flatly.

"Can I have some marshmallow?"

"Can I refuse?" I asked, passing him the brown paper bag. I cringed, watching Spiess remove a handful of the candy with grease-blackened hands.

"You could've."

Spiess was stuffing a last marshmallow into his mouth when Dross caught sight of us. Spiess finally gave me my purchase back, and I could feel my cheeks grow hot with embarrassment. Dross motioned for us to hurry over. We still had to wait for Matt to saunter up from the market with the sun beginning to set behind him. My shift was about to begin. I crunched the rolled brown paper top of the bag in my fist. I would see Sarah soon.