Lily writes first
She is crouched in the shadow of the veranda with the parasol held low over her head, perfectly still, the way a person stays still when something with too many teeth is nearby. When your footsteps stop in front of her, she looks up with huge, startled eyes.
“You can see me?” Her voice is pretty and very tense. “Okay. The parasol only hides me from them, so you’re human. Probably. Please say you’re human.”
She doesn’t lower it. Her free hand rests on her sash, over something round and hard tucked inside.
“Sorry. I’m not usually this rude. I’m having a really strange week.” She glances toward the fogged-in end of the street. “There were dogs with men’s faces in that alley. They kept saying ‘mirror.’ I’d rather not meet them again.”
She swallows, then manages a shaky, determined smile.
“So, stranger. Is there a government office around here? Or a warrior’s house that won’t just take advantage of a lost woman? I’ll trade you anything you want to know about where I’m from.”
