Everything had gone wrong tonight. Jasmine thought.
This was not the outcome she had imagined, not the fragile hope she had clung to.
She and Kael had slipped into town under the cover of darkness, ending up at a small human village.
They had moved quickly through the narrow town streets and slipped into a small fabric shop. The shelves were filled with rolls of cloth in faded colors, with dust gathered in the corners.
The shopkeeper, a wiry man with sharp eyes, barely looked up from his work. "If you're here to buy, buy quickly," he barked. "I don't have time for loiterers."
Jasmine froze at the unexpected harshness. They had disguised themselves as ordinary townsfolk, yet his hostility was immediate, almost defensive. Kael's gaze slid to hers.
She managed a polite smile. "We were only looking for a certain fabric… one said to be rare."
The man's jaw tightened. "Everything here is priced fairly. Look around if you must, but don't waste my time."
