Rowan
The black market had been a bit different from what I was expecting.
Dimly lit passages carved into the older sections of the city, stalls that looked ordinary until you noticed the way the vendors watched everyone who passed, and the careful placement of goods that could be swept out of sight in seconds. The wolves who moved through those spaces had a subtle air of alert and calculating energy.
This part was basically mixed with a normal market.
But still, I had decided not to risk it.
I had left Violet at a checkpoint near the entrance. She hadn't argued, which told me more about the state of things between us than any words could have. A few days ago, she would have considered coming. Now she just nodded and found a spot against the wall to wait.
The silence between us had become its own presence. A third companion that followed us everywhere.
