Cloak Games: Rebel Fist Read Free Page B

“walking is a healthy activity. That, and if anyone gets a scratch on my bike, I’m going to get mad.” 
    “And because there is no place to park near the doors?” said Russell, squinting at the sea of cars gleaming in the morning sun.
    “Yep,” I said, climbing off the motorcycle and stretching my legs. Motorcycles are a lot of fun and often useful, but they sure aren’t comfortable. “Also, seriously. If anyone scratches my bike, I’m going to be pissed.” We set our helmets on the seat.
    “You don’t mind all the dents in your Duluth Motors sedan,” said Russell as we walked to the mall doors.
    “That car is older than I am,” I said. Plus, I used it for my various jobs. A Royal Motors NX-9 sportbike with orange highlights drew attention. No one paid attention to an old four-door sedan. 
    “Let’s have lunch first,” said Russell. “Can we get burgers?”
    “We just had breakfast,” I said. 
    “Yeah, like two and a half hours ago,” said Russell. 
    I laughed. “You’re part locust. Come on.” 
    We went through the Ducal Mall’s side doors and into the crowds. It was Saturday, so the place was packed. Most of the elderly and the veterans did their shopping on weekdays, so on the weekend working men and women with young children filled the mall, and constant cacophony of children’s voices echoed off the glassy storefronts. I watched the shoppers with a mixture of bemusement and annoyance. Their lives were so different than mine that I could barely understand them. In some ways I had pitied them. I had magic and they did not (well, except for the veterans of the Wizards’ Legion), and I understood more of how the world really worked than they did. In a way, they were a lot like sheep. They went through their lives believing that the High Queen and the nobles were wise and benevolent, watching the Punishment Day videos and the addresses from the nobles, and doing what they were told. They had been shaped from childhood to revere the Elves, and so they revered the Elves. 
    And yet…
    I saw a toddler wobble to her mother, a woman a few years older than me. The woman picked up the child, and an expression of pure delight went over the little girl’s face. That woman didn’t have to worry about the capricious demands of an Elven noble. That woman didn’t have to fear that her brother would die if she did not obey. Maybe she had a husband that loved her and a home of her own…
    For a moment I was so sad that I stopped walking.
    “Nadia?” said Russell.
    Then a scowl went over the little girl’s face, and even from several yards away I detected the odor as she filled her diaper. 
    Well. No one’s life is perfect. 
    “You okay?” said Russell. 
    “I was just reflecting,” I said, “that every life has its thorns.”
    “You’re weird.”
    “You have no idea,” I said. “Let’s eat.”
    We found a burger place in the Ducal Mall’s food court and had lunch. As Russell and James liked to point out, I was a bit of a fanatic about healthful eating, with Lucy’s full support. I had my reasons. Given the kind of things Morvilind had me do, I needed to be in the best shape I could manage. So I had a chicken sandwich while Russell wolfed down a double bacon cheeseburger and a mega-sized carton of fries. I would like to say that only through heroic willpower I resisted the temptation to stuff myself with fried food, but truth be told I didn’t like the stuff very much and wished I could have a salad instead. Of course, Russell’s body needed a lot more energy to fight off the frostfever. 
    I suppose a double bacon cheeseburger was one way to get that energy. But, God, all that grease! 
    “Bookstore next?” Russell said, once I dumped our wrappers in the bin. 
    “Yup,” I said. “Let’s…”
    I froze.
    A tall, gaunt man in a dark suit, white shirt, and black silken tie walked across the food court, his eyes fixed on me. A ribbon of icy fear shot through my mind. I had seen