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I made my way down to Acedrex faster than ever before. I had Jigsaw with me, and it took all I had not to push him into a gallop rather than a canter.
As a Pawn, I was now allowed to take my mount out of the palace. Most of the time, I didn’t bother since I never went too far from the Black Palace, but since I was meeting Bianca at the other end of the city, I’d brought him with me.
“Not joining me today?” Marin had asked me when he’d seen me pulling Jigsaw out of the stable as everyone prepared to leave and enjoy their time off.
“Not today, Marin. I thought I’d go to the cemetery and visit my parents’ graves,” I’d told him, avoiding eye contact. “I haven’t been in quite some time.” I hated to lie to him. He was a good friend, but it was better this way. There was no one I could trust here. Marin had understood, of course. He was a good son, who visited his mother every month.
As I entered Square G2, I dismounted and, taking Jigsaw’s reins, I walked him to a nearby tavern. I tied him to a post and tossed a couple of Chekes at the attendant.
“Watch him for me,” I said. “Pat him dry and give him some water.” The boy nodded and happily set to work, Chekes stuffed deep in his pockets.
Most people in Acedrex traveled on foot or rented a carriage for longer distances. So not many places were set up to take care of horses, only a few taverns here and there. The city was big—a day-long horse ride was required to go from the North gate to the South gate—but most people stayed close to home, running their businesses on their own Squares or nearby ones. And why not? There really wasn’t anywhere to go. Acedrex was a prison, albeit a sizable one.
Jigsaw protested as I walked away, but I wasn’t worried about him. No one would try to steal him or harm him—not when he bore Maximus’s brand on his rump, the chess piece of a crowned king.
I hurried down the road, still glancing over my shoulder and taking a few unnecessary turns until I made it to Alfil Park where Bianca and I had agreed to meet.
A few kids played at the edge of the park, hunched over a set of marbles. They were vociferous, exuberant in their innocent youth, the way Timotei had been. I tore my gaze from them and walked past, not allowing my thoughts to linger.
Past the park’s entrance, an old man sat on a bench. He was wrapped in a long coat, a battered hat atop his head, hands resting on a walking stick, eyes so lost in the distance that he didn’t notice as I walked by.
I went deep into the park, searching behind every tree, wishing that Bianca and I had been more specific about exactly where to meet. The small gazebo in the back would have been the perfect place. It sat in the middle of a small pond, a short wooden bridge connecting it to the main path.
With that thought in mind, I veered right and headed there. When I arrived, I found the gazebo empty. I took out my pocket watch, a recent acquisition I’d bought with my Fourth Pawn salary. I saved most of my earnings and bought only what I found strictly necessary.
The watch read one fifty-five PM. I was early.
Squinting at my surroundings, I started to wonder if Bianca knew about this gazebo. I took a deep breath and shoved down my impatience. She would find me. As I waited, I paced in front of the bridge that led to the gazebo. The minutes marched at an excruciatingly slow rate. When it was ten past the hour, my impatience turned to worry. Had something happened?
Suddenly, the sounds of distant screams reached my ears. My attention snapped back the way I’d come, but all I saw were trees. More screams then shouted words. They were coming from the street or maybe the edge of the park.
Without thinking, I ran, a hand on the hilt of my sword, my boots slapping the ground. As I neared the park’s exit, I could see people standing on the road.
“Stay back. Stay back!” a man ordered. He was facing the crowd, arms out to his side as he attempted to herd them back.
Slowing down, I came to a stop at the edge of the gawking horde. I followed their entranced gazes and froze.
Bianca stood in the middle of the street, her white uniform slashed by a spray of crimson blood across her chest.