CHAPTER SEVEN

Amber

Stupid fucking move Amber! My heart was aching as I strolled down the street with my kids. The market was buzzing with street vendors from all sides and the two little ones were talking to each other, leaving me to my self-hatred. It seemed like typical Amber behavior, even when I arrived here. The first man I’d met and started to have feelings for, broke my heart for another woman on the same fucking ship I arrived in.

My husband swooped in and healed me up like all the hell I went through was for a reason. It made me stronger but I didn’t know why until he died. My fucking stomach twisted and turned but I kept walking.

A ding echoed in my purse and my heart skipped a beat. Every time I heard it the last few months I’d held my breath, ready to see what bounced or what overdraft I’d have to deal with now. I pulled out my phone, ready with the dread floating around my soul. My feet fumbled and my kids stopped to look up at me.

My phone kept dinging about the deposits into my account. I’d been waiting for these and now they were finally being corrected.

“What’s going on Mommy?” Idris pulled on my sleeve, catching my full attention as my heart raced in my chest.

“Mommy’s luck just changed.” I smiled down at her and she jumped up and down.

“Does that mean we can get some ice cream?” Wardetto bounced with his sister. “Pleeease Mommy?” He said, extending his please as far as he could with a pleading look in his eyes.

I kneeled down to their level. “I don’t know. Were you two good at the palace?” I arched my brow and looked between.

“Yes, Momma.” Idris beamed and Wardetto nodded vigorously.

“Oh, all right but not too much as you two will need to eat lunch too.” I stood and shoved my phone back in my purse and let them lead me to the closest ice cream vendor. An older woman who was skinny as sin waddled behind the cash box.

“What can I get for you?” She eyed the kids.

“Oh, that one.” Idris pointed at her choice.

“Size Mom?” The woman glanced at me.

“Small, please, for both.” I let them get their ice cream and even grabbed one for myself, feeling giddy. Yes, Lundin had helped fill my cabinets with food, but I wanted to make sure we weren’t in the same problem in a month. Now that the money came in, I could pay off any old debts and actually breathe a little.

We walked down, eying the other vendors, and the kids pointed at toys they wished they had but I just shook my head. I’d love to buy them everything, but we needed to make sure the house stayed over our heads and the heat stayed on.

A crash echoed behind me, and I turned quickly. Two elf men were fighting about ten feet from us.

“Take it fucking back.” One roared into the other’s face, then he got punched in the gut.

“You’re a fucking idiot for even bringing her here. She’s sick and she’ll kill all the other women around here.” The second kicked at the first. The words rippled through the crowd and a woman fumbled out of a building. She had a napkin to her face as she coughed into it.

I dropped the rest of my ice cream in a trash can and grabbed my children’s arms at the elbows. The woman scanned the area and the second male looked fucking pissed with his ears flaming red.

“Damn it. Now I can’t go home to my wife.” He shoved his hands through his hair, the anger apparent in his whole body.

I backed up, sensing the tension building in the crowd. The market was booming with the upcoming holiday, and all were scrambling to get away from the ill woman. I’d stay with her because part of me never wanted to feel like no one wanted me. Yet with the anger growing and people starting to run away from the woman, I didn’t doubt there would be some kind of mass panic in the next two minutes.

“Stay close.” I didn’t look down at the kids and backed up.

“What does she have?” a woman close to the sick woman asked.

“EPM.” The man spoke through his teeth, no doubt a doctor. The man who’d been kicked was finally standing.

“She doesn’t have the elven plague. It’s something else.” He seemed to plead with the guy, but my view was blocked as a scramble away from the woman in question blocked her. A guy was running right for them and hit Idris. It took all my strength to keep Idris on her feet as I pulled them closer and started weaving around other people leaving.

“Mommy, my feet hurt,” Wardetto called out.

“Mom! My ice cream!” Idris yelled but I kept pulling them along. My feet fumbled on something, and I fell forward. I had to release my grip on my kids to make sure I didn’t hit the ground. “Mommy!” Idris screamed louder and my heart dropped to the ground. A male had scooped her up and was running away with her.

“Hey!” I lifted Wardetto into my arms and started chasing after the fucker who was holding my child. I reached out for him, and Idris tried to reach for me. Anger surged through my blood as I grabbed the guy by the collar and kicked him in the shins.

“What the fuck?” he yelled at me, and I released my grip.

“That’s my child.” I pulled Idris into my other arm and the guy looked confused then panic filled him. He turned and started yelling a girl’s name I didn’t catch as I pulled back toward an alleyway with my kids in my arms. My blood pumped in my ears from all the chasing. I needed to get home before any riots started.