Blaze of Secrets (Asylums for Magical Threats 1)

When Millie finished telling Kiarra about the latest shop, she stopped and pulled Kiarra off to the side. “Ask me anything.”

Kiarra blinked. “What?”

Millie gave Kiarra her most encouraging smile. “You’ve been glancing toward me, then away, and back again for the last five minutes. I’m sure you’ve learned from my brother that Ward children don’t often beat around the bush. And at the risk of Jax corrupting my image with blatantly unflattering tales, ask me anything you like. I’d rather you hear it from me than from Mr. Grumpy.”

“He’s not that grumpy.”

Millie fought a smile at Kiarra’s defense. “With all the scowling and glares he throws, he’s not exactly Mr. Charming. I love him, but he and I are two very different people.”

Kiarra looked at Millie from the corner of her eye and smiled. “You two have more in common than you think.”

Millie raised an eyebrow. “You care to back up that statement? I am neither male nor grumpy, which already puts quite a gulf between us.”

Kiarra laughed and Millie knew she was making progress. “I’m not saying you two don’t have your differences. Most of what I think you share is personality-wise. Both of you are rather…”

Kiarra trailed off, most likely afraid she’d offend Millie, but Millie was having none of that. “Say whatever you like, as long as it doesn’t involve the word ‘prude.’”

“Well, you both can be a bit bossy.” Kiarra gave her a sideways glance. “And stubborn.”

Millie’s mouth raised in a half-smile. “Anything else?” Kiarra hesitated and Millie patted her on the arm. “Now, now, you can’t stop there if you’re to convince me that Jax and I have quite a bit in common.”

Kiarra’s voice was so low, she almost didn’t hear it. “You’re both kind, and care a lot about your family.”

From Taka’s reports, Millie knew a little of Kiarra’s background, and her heart reached out to her. Jaxton was annoying most of the time, but he would lay down his life for her, without hesitation. He’d proven as much with his single-mindedness about rescuing Garrett.

Millie once again linked her arm with Kiarra’s and started walking. “Hm, maybe you’re on to something. But if you ever tell Jaxton I said that, I will deny it till my dying breath.”

Kiarra smiled again. “He would probably just ignore the comment anyway, so I don’t see the point.”

“Yes, he does have selective hearing, but that’s a universal male thing.” Millie stopped in front of a shop window. “This is the place I was talking about. See anything you like? And be honest.”

Kiarra looked at the dresses in the window, and finally she nodded and pointed to an ankle-length dress in dark red. A bit modest for Millie’s tastes, but it would do the

job. As she herded Kiarra inside the store, she grinned to herself. Jaxton wouldn’t know what hit him.

Kiarra was lucky that her new dress went to mid-ankle. Despite the handwritten advice Neena had left inside the duffel bag, Kiarra was unskilled at shaving and had more little cuts than she’d like to admit. The AMT had, for good reason, never handed out razors to its inhabitants.

The dark red dress had a high neckline that showed off her collarbones and hugged her upper body, but flared out from the waist into a swaying skirt. The looseness made her feel a little less exposed and naked. When Millie had walked out in a form-fitting, short dark-blue dress, Kiarra had wondered if she could ever be so bold; she still felt self-conscious about wearing tight-fitting jeans.

She walked out of the dressing room and Millie gave her an infectious grin and a thumbs-up. Despite barely knowing Millie a day, Kiarra already felt like they were becoming friends. She should be more cautious, but if Jaxton trusted Millie, Kiarra did too.

Millie paid for the dresses and handed Kiarra the shopping bags—filled with their old clothes and some new things for Kiarra—to carry. Millie winked and gestured toward the bags. “You can start paying off your tab with some manual labor.”

Kiarra smiled, wondering how much trouble this charming young lady had been as a teenager.

They eventually arrived at The Last Drop and Kiarra eyed the sign hanging overhead. “Why does it have a noose on it?”

Millie waved across the street. “This is Grassmarket, and they used to hold executions over there. A bit creepy, but at least it’s better than another boring pub named after an animal or two.” She took Kiarra’s hand. “Now, let’s see if we can find a table.”

Hanging lights and lanterns of yellow glass dotted the pub’s mostly brick and wooden beam interior, giving it a relaxed and calm atmosphere. Benches with tables and chairs lined the walls, with a few tables near the bar. Despite the number of people in the pub, a small table was open near the bar.

Millie guided her over to the open table and motioned for Kiarra to sit. “I’m going to get us some drinks. You stay and guard the table.”

She was gone before Kiarra could say anything, so she sat down and looked around some more until a picture on the far wall caught her attention.

The buildings in the painting looked like the ones she’d just passed on the street, with Edinburgh Castle looming large above, albeit with an old-timey feel. But it was the wooden gallows, complete with a black bird perched inside the noose, that made her uneasy. As a child she’d learned enough Feiru history to know that most of their ancestors who’d been caught using their elemental abilities by humans in Europe had died at the gallows. Only after the industrial revolution and the advancement of science had some Feiru migrated to big cities and successfully blended in.

Out of habit, Kiarra again tried reaching to the south, but she still felt nothing.