Chapter 37.1

“Canillia, they’ll be here soon,” Claude said, inching closer to her.

Lia glanced up in surprise, her lips slightly parted; he had called her Canillia. Before she could say or do anything, she felt the warm air of his breath brush her cheek as he moved ever closer.

“They will be here soon, please be careful,” he whispered in her ear, his closeness filling her with warmth.

Her cheeks turned a brilliant shade of crimson, and she could not meet his eyes. Her gloved hand holding the parasol began to tremble as he left. How close was he to discovering her secret? What did he know?

Claude leisurely walked across a park and into a dessert shop. Everywhere he went, people gawked at him, surprised at his appearance.

Lia could see him through the clear window choosing sugary delights. Her attention was drawn away from him by a small child’s voice.

Turning her head to the girl who looked to be around 10, dirt caking her face, Lia smiled tightly. The little boy sucking on his dirty thumb next to her was presumably her brother.

“We are starving. Please buy us some bread,” the little girl said imploringly, once she was sure she had Lia’s attention. Grabbing her stomach for emphasis, she made small whimpering noises.

Lia had seen this before, the children were the bate, and if she followed them the real criminals would begin their work.. Even though she knew the tricks, she had to pretend she didn’t. She had to ensure no one suspected this was a setup.

“You poor things. Let’s get you something to eat,” Lia said, standing.

“ Miss Jenny’s bread is warm and soft, can you buy us some of it?” the girl excitedly asked, adding a belated “please” at the end of her sentence.

“Of course. But you’ll have to show me the way to Miss Jenny’s bakery.”

“This way,” the little boy said, scampering off in the direction of the bakery.

The sound of her expensive heels and the children’s feet on the cobblestones created a strange rhythm.

As they approached the bakery, the girl tugged on Lia’s skirt. As she looked down at her, she saw the girl’s eyes were filling with tears.

“What’s the matter?” Lia asked.

“I’m not hungry anymore. We can leave,” she responded.

Understanding right away what was going on, Lia crouched next to the girl and whispered something in her ear.

The children scampered away as Lia rose. Not giving them a second glance, she strolled into the bakery.

The woman, presumably the owner of the shop, looked Lia up and down before saying, “I don’t think the bread I serve here will suit someone with such fine tastes as yourself.”

“Nevermind that,” Lia said, waving a hand. “Two children will be back later, I want you to give them a loaf each. I will of course pay for the bread now. In addition, I require a small piece of bread for myself.”

With a puzzled look, the woman did as lia asked, placing two loaves aside for the children, and handing her a piece of bread.

Lia paid and left the bakery. Walking back towards the street where Claude had left her, she looked up at the orange and pink sky.

As she passed by an arch, she heard a gruff voice next to her say, “Excuse me!”

Before she had the chance to turn and look at who had addressed her, a hand wrapped around her face, pressing a cloth to her mouth and nose.

Holding her breath and clawing at the hand, she attempted to break free. Her struggling increasing the amount of oxygen needed to remain conscious, Lia had no choice but to take a few shallow breaths.

The substance on the cloth began almost immediately to take effect. Biting the soft skin inside her cheek, she tasted the sharp, metallic flavour of blood. The sudden pain brought a rush of clarity to her head.

She violently thrashed around in the man’s arms. Lia knew she had to make her panic look authentic, which wasn’t difficult. No matter how prepared she was for this, it was still terrifying to endure.

As Lia dropped her parasol, her fingers numb from the effect of the drug, she saw a man’s face looming in front of her. Her vision was swimming, and all she could make out was a pair of rounded glasses perched on a long nose.

“Hmm, she looks strangely familiar,” the man said contemplatively. “Nevertheless, we need to move her quickly. Get to it!”