Stupid Sickness

Nightmares in Daytime (Kaz)

If their crew wanted to reach the Fahey farm by dark, they would have to go through Cofton. It was the center of the jurda trade, but it also housed a far more sinister base.

Cofton was popular with slavers, as it was inland and had a high demand for foreign girls of all types. The slave trade was disguised under the pretense of new immigrant workers looking for jobs. This didn't fool anyone with a brain, as there's no reason for underage girls to be looking for work on jurda farms, but anyone with a brain took bribes and looked the other way.

Kaz didn't recognize the village at first, as he'd only been with his father when he was very little. He'd gone with Jordie and his father to trade jurda so the little boys could see how business worked. Little Kaz had been too young found to find it all that interesting, but Jordie had been fascinated by the trade and commerce. Little Jordie had always wanted to be a business man.

As they approached, Kaz stopped and cursed under his breath.

"I'm an idiot." He said, the others turning to see why he had stopped. "Inej, pull up your hood."

"...Why?" Jesper and Wylan were as confused as Inej.

"The minute someone sees a Suli girl here they'll practically start an auction and then the authorities will arrest you for public disturbance and sell you off as your sentence."

"Oh." Inej pulled her hood up so it was low over her face.

"That was blunt." Jesper remarked, the four off them setting off again.

"Better terrible truths than kind lies." Inej said wisely.

Kaz wanted to smile. Inej and her Suli proverbs.

As they passed through the bustling town marketplace, they saw merchants arguing over jurda and slave prices. Both trades were open here, slavers not even trying to conceal their real products. Kaz could hear Inej whispering something every time she saw one of those stands. He knew she was praying for the girls, asking her Saints to protect them.

No, Inej. You're a Saint.

He'd meant it too. Inej was the only Saint Kaz believed in, but he would let her pray if that's what comforted her.

Inej walked between Kaz and Jesper, as if hoping their height would disguise her. Kaz could tell she wanted to vanish, to disappear and become invisible so the haggling men at the slave stands could never find her. He understood how she felt, a little bit.

A warm breeze blew through the town, picking up loose jurda blossoms and throwing them about the marketplace. People grabbed hats and clutched loose fabric. Kaz's hand went to his head to hold his own hat, but Inej was lost in her fearful memories and wasn't fast enough. Her hood was blown off and for a second she stood there, orange and yellow flowers tangling in her long dark hair. Kaz stared at her and she stared right back, jurda blowing everywhere.

A man called out to her, something vile. Inej flinched and Kaz came back to himself. One of the slavers appeared at her side and started trying to bargain in Zemeni. Jesper stepped into motion, yelling at the man to back off, his hands on his prized revolvers. Inej's shoulders were bunched in, as if she hoped they would protect her. Her lips were moving again and Kaz knew she was naming her beloved Saints. The four of them pushed through the crowd now gathering around them, determined to pull Inej away.