A Girl in Black and White (Alyria 2)

I chuckled. “That’s the sweetest thing anyone’s ever done for me.” Well, not true. It was almost as sweet as a Titan saving me repeatedly so that he could destroy the land, but I didn’t want to upset this poor guard’s principles. Taking a step back, I felt the very edge of the roof under my sandal.

“You’re going to fall,” Tuko warned, taking a large stride toward me.

“You think I came and antagonized you to lose a hand?” I asked.

Tuko shook his head. “I don’t know what you’re doing, but you’ve clearly lost your sense.”

Both of my heels now hung off the ledge.

“Lady . . .” Steady warned.

“Ha. Now I know why they call you Steady. Calling a commoner ‘lady.’ But I do think Darren seems more fitting.”

Tuko glanced at him. “Darren? Doesn’t fit you, man.”

Steady shrugged. “Can’t say you look like a Gregory much, either.”

“Now that I’ve brought you gentlemen together, I’ve an appointment to make.” I frowned. “He was probably expecting me here an hour ago. I bet he’s really sweating . . .”

“Here?” Tuk questioned.

“Enjoy the view, boys. It’s the best in the city. I shall let you borrow my spot for the night.” And with that, I leaned all my weight on my suspended heels—

“Wait!”

“Grab her, Tuk!”

But it was too late.

A thrill shot like hot lava from my fingers to my toes as I fell off the roof, back first. And then I was weightless.

My palms burned, a hot and cold sensation running through me until my feet hit the dirt softly. Opening my eyes, I stood on the other side of the home in front of the entrance.

I laughed. Thank Alyria that worked. Unfortunately, it wasn’t always the most reliable.

“Gentlemen!” I hollered.

It took a minute before they both stood above me. Tuk’s face was pale—I didn’t know if it was because of the heights or the fast-traveling thing . . . I knew it was the latter when he spit out, “Magic. You damned—”

I cut Tuko’s cursing tirade off by giving the trellis a couple of hard yanks until it hit the ground with a thud and quite thoroughly smashing one of Beatrice’s gardenia bushes. “Whoops.” I eyed it apologetically.

Tuko had gone on a second round of cursing, while Steady remained silent, his lips looking glued in a straight line.

Magic made this land. But each region treated it differently based on their kin

g’s opinion of it. It was banned here in this southern city, and you could only find services using magic down the dark alleys in Southie.

Tuk looked at Steady with unveiled disgust. “You telling me we’ve been conversing with that Girl in Black all this time? This is her, ain’t it? I thought she would be . . . taller or something.”

I frowned at that.

“Tuk, go down the trellis to the courtyard,” Steady told him, his gaze still locked on me.

I bit my lip, my hands on my hips. “Yea, about that . . .”

But Tuk was already gone. Coming back within a couple of seconds, he stated the obvious: there wasn’t one.

I pursed my lips. “It’d be a little silly having a ladder leading right down into their home, don’t you think?”