Deaths Touch

  Chapter Nine

  Part One

  “Line! Line! Guess what!?”

  Line flinched at Ali’s loudness “Ali, what is it?”

  “Guess” Ali teased.

  Line turned to look Ali. Line had yet to tell Ali that Kidd was missing, and it had already been a few days “Ali, knowing you, whatever it is you’re excited about would be impossible to guess”

  Ali placed her hands on the edge of Line’s desk and leaned forwards “travelling market”

  “...I’m sorry?”

  “There’s a travelling market in Yor! Line, let’s go!”

  “I don’t want to”

  “Liiiiiinnnnne. Please come with me”

  “Listen, Ali. A lot has happened recently-“

  “All the more reason for a break”

  “Ali...”

  “Line...”

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  “Ask Arasha to go with you”

  “Arasha’s mean”

  “Arasha’s fine”

  “To you maybe, sure. But to me, not so much”

  “You’re exaggerating”

  “No I’m not. Line, do you not remember when she pulled me into the river?”

  “Yes, I was there”

  “And she wanted to punch that one guy, you know, that guy who watched Nicola get kidnapped”

  “Jon?”

  “Yes, Jon! She wanted to punch Jon”

  “Ali, even I wanted to punch Jon. Does that make me mean?”

  “No you’re great”

  Line shook her head.

  “Line, please come with me”

  “Have you seen Arasha today?”

  “Oi, don’t change the subject”

  “I’m not changing the subject, we were already talking about Arasha”

  Ali huffed and crossed her arms “No. Why?”

  “I need to speak with her. It’s about Divan”

  “What about Divan?”

  “I saw him”

  “Saw him where?”

  Line paused, unsure whether or not tell Ali what she and Vax’dian are up to. But then again, if she wanted to warn Arasha about Divan, then Line would need to tell Arasha most things.

  “Line? What’s wrong?”

  Line sighed “Ali, there’s something I need to tell you. You and Arasha”

  Ali dropped her arms, suddenly very serious “What is it?”

  “Divan is working with The Sect”

  Ali’s eyes widened “What?”

  “Divan is working with The Sect” Line repeated.

  “No, I heard you. I just, can’t believe it”

  Line sighed again “I know”

  They both remained in silence for a good while before Ali spoke up again “Um, Line?”

  “Yes, Ali?”

  “Don’t think about using this as an excuse not to come to the travelling market with me”

  “I’m not going”