COBALT: The Red Phantom (Book One)

Chapter 19: Stranger Danger (Part 3/4)

          A false life enchantment?

          Truvius couldn't shake the thought. Sure Káel was odd, suspicious even, but a soulless battle puppet?

          He paid Vera a quick glance, his fingers pressed with pain by the thick bags she'd asked him to hold for her. She thought it would be easier to catch Káel off guard than stalk him all day.

          Maybe she had a rope or two loose in her head.

          Truvius held in a sigh as she appraised a row of scarves, she'd bought five already, and he could hardly tell the difference between them all. Nonetheless she squished it into one of the already packed bags lining his arms, waving him over to a row of food stands.

          It really was no wonder why the nobles that recognised her never took to swarming her, her spending habits certainly reflected a kingdom in the hole for debt.

          "Want one?" Vera said, pointing at a clean row of juice filled glasses.

          Truvius frowned at the offer. He could feel a dry stick to his throat, but had been entirely immobilised by the chains of fashion Vera had dropped on him. 

          "They're really not that heavy," Vera sighed, slipping the vendor two coins before sticking her arms out for Truvius to drop her load on her. He took the chance at relief without a second thought, slipping the herd of leather totes onto her forearms and watching her drop to the ground with an audible grunt. 

          Cheeks flushed with embarrassment, she didn't let Truvius' deadened smile get to her, lifting the stack of loot with wobbling knees and sucking in a hard batch of breath to keep her ground. 

          With a grunting flex she shifted the straps closer to her elbows, grabbing her drink with a smirk. "See?"

          Truvius paid her a polite smile, grabbing his drink like a bundle of feathers as he suppressed a smile, knowing full well Vera couldn't lift her glass to her lips and was desperately trying to hide the fact. "Thanks, my arms were killing me. Want to go check on Káel?"

          Vera quickly nodded, waddling off towards Soren's shop as her bulging bags carved a path through the crowds of wandering students. By the time they had slipped into the right alley, Vera had lost her front of poised perfection, heaving in exhaustion from the blasting heat of the duo stars and her burning joints. 

          Truvius grabbed half her bags so she could finally go at her drink, she'd made it an impressive distance that he wasn't sure he could manage. But any pity was vanquished by the fact that she had quite literally brought the nuisance upon herself.

          With an audible sigh of relief, Vera swigged her drink, stashing the emptied glass to return to the vendor for half her slivs back. An action that surprised Truvius again, given the amount of money she'd wasted on flambouyant outfits when she herself had donned a less than classy pair of shorts and a baggy shirt.

          "So," she breathed, using the wall to lift herself and continue on their path. "What do you think he's doing in there?"

          Truvius lifted his gaze, paying their viny trail a tiny shrug. "Scheming?"

          "Obviously," Vera laughed, slowing for Truvius to pass her when she forgot which way to go. "If he's there of course."

          "Where else would he be?" Truvius replied, a disappointed smile thick on his lips as he zeroed on the last corner to Soren's shop. "We're his only friends, so he's not hanging out with anyone."