The Traitor by A. Lombardo (novels for beginners txt) 📗

worked this part of the city, and he had already checked one location with no luck.

One street short of the Tabour Inn, Kai ducked into the alley that ran behind the large establishment. Checking the alleyway was the best place to start—no signs of her. He shuffled by two vagrants smoking at the corner as he doubled back to the front. Satisfied nobody was following him, he gleaned the establishment for Riome. After speaking with the barkeep, he decided she was not here, either.

While his disguise was right, he was no match with Riome’s skill in masquerade, so he had to be careful about asking too many questions or making direct contact lest someone recognize him as their prince. He no longer trusted anyone in the city. Even the few city guards appeared disgruntled and quick-tempered, and keeping clear of them seemed the prudent choice.

After crisscrossing town, he reached another inn. After he checked the streets to make sure they were clear, he ducked inside. It was time to speak with a few locals. Still, in his mind, he searched the patrons and the upper rooms. From room to room he gleaned, setting the inn aglow in his mind. He had to be sure Riome was not hiding in plain sight behind a disguise.

After Kai scanned the bar, he sat on an empty seat and ordered an ale. The barkeep turned his nose at Kai’s grubby appearance but served him when Kai produced the proper coin. From his stool, he listened to the other patrons. Many complained of higher taxes and food shortages, while others speculated about their next king. Most believed Aaron would rule, but a few wished Seth, the quieter of the two twins, would take the throne. Not one person mentioned Kai as their future ruler. Instead, his name provoked anger and distrust.

Each time the door opened, he hoped it would be her.

Tired of listening to the conversations around him, he inquired with the owner, spinning a tale about getting separated from his family—a grandmother and his younger brother. There was no way to know what disguise Riome might be using. She could be an older woman or a young boy; anything was possible. Kai convinced the man to check his logbook in the hopes that one of them had inquired after him and secured a room.

After having no luck, Kai quickly flipped through the pages before the man snatched back the book. Every name on the pages were couples or families, all in town for the Winter Festival. The owner had no lodgers that matched the description. Appreciative, Kai offered the man an extra coin and drank his ale.

After an hour of listening to people complain, Kai left to check one last establishment. It was the least respectable, the Red Rain Tavern. If you want to go unnoticed, you stay in the worst place in town. Still, after inspecting the inn, asking the owner, and listening to the patrons, Kai accepted tonight was a waste of time. He was no closer to finding Riome than when he started.

There had to be a way to find her. Playing his part, he stumbled out of the Red Rain Tavern and tripped over the foot of an older man hunched outside. The smell of urine and vomit turned Kai’s stomach. Cautious, Kai stepped back as the man held up his leathery hand. “Spare a coin, mister?”

The smell was unbearable. While Kai felt terrible saying no, he was confident the man would only spend the money on ale. “Sorry, none left. I have some bread in my pocket if you want that?”

The man’s pale blue eyes swelled with pain. “Pffftt. No, mister, I need ale. My head is pounding.”

The man’s foul breath nearly made Kai retch. Evidently, the various liquids he had consumed and thrown up were still working their way through his system. He stepped back and vanished down the next alleyway. If Riome were in trouble, she would need to become invisible; searching public places was wrong, he decided.

How do you do hide in a city this busy? he wondered.

Kai took to the rooftop to think. The crisp night air was welcoming.

Even at this late hour, people were everywhere. Kai watched them from his perch, studying who they were and their purpose in the night. Gamblers and vagrants. People with nothing but time on their hands, many itching for a fight. The slightest shoulder bump sent fists flying, which did not always draw the guard. There was not one kind word among them.

They are homeless, Kai realized. They have nowhere to be, no place to call home. Most sat outside begging for food as people stumbled out of pubs. So, where do homeless people go?

He hated the idea, but he needed to get dirtier. Blend in with the lowest of the low. If people were to confide in him, he needed to look and smell the part, maybe even follow a few to find where they slept.

In the next alley, he found trash piled in the street. Food and dirt would have to be good enough. He tore the knee of his pants into a gaping hole. He hoped the addition of more dirt on his face and food stains on his shirt would do the trick. In a back alley, he stumbled around until he found an old woman sitting alone.

He sat down a few feet away. It didn’t take long for the woman to give him grief. “Push off—this is my spot. Go on, get. Find a new place.”

A burly barkeep opened the door to the street. The woman stood with her hands out. “Can I have some food, sir?”

He dumped his trash into the bin outside. “Take what you want.” He slammed the door behind himself. Kai heard the steel bolt slide into place seconds later.

Cautiously, Kai moved closer, watching her edge around