Micah, who I would swear was telepathic, chose that moment to wrap his arm about my waist. He didn’t say anything, and neither did I; we just walked along, one form with four legs. I pressed myself against his side, loving the feel of him, hoping he wouldn’t soon be lost to me because of my lack of maternal instincts.
Maybe I should have a baby, just one, just so I could stay with Micah. I mean, he was so good to me, and really, who else was ever going to put up with me? One baby wouldn’t be so bad.
But what if he wanted more? What if I was a horrible mother, and he found someone else to care for his children? What if—?
“Sara,” Micah murmured in my ear. “The dark magics of the market are affecting you. Do not allow them to take hold.”
“Wha—?” I blinked and shrugged off the psychic weight I hadn’t noticed a moment before. “How did you know?”
“I felt you tremble.” He wiped away the tears that had streamed down my cheeks, and I burrowed further into his arms, now grateful for his warm solidity for a whole new reason. Before I could ask how much further until we reached this wretched place, and when could we leave it forever, Sadie spoke.
“Is—is that it?” she asked, pointing a shaky hand. We’d just crested one of the hills that formed the border of the Whispering Dell, and nestled in the valley below was a dark, obviously well-populated area. Even at that distance, I could sense the wrongness of it; it was filthy on more than just its surfaces, the taint ground in so deep that sunlight hardly penetrated between the walls. Strains of discordant music, along with shouts and wails and an oily black smoke, wafted toward us.
“Yes, that is the Goblin Market,” Micah answered. I resisted the urge to hide behind him, but only just.
“I didn’t think it would be so close,” Sadie murmured. “I mean, we walked pretty far, but I didn’t think the manor was within walking distance of such a place.”
“Such places are always close by,” Micah said softly. “You’re just not the sort to look for them.” Max shot Micah a glare, which Micah ignored.
“I’ve never gone looking for them, either,” Max grumbled. “I was just meeting Dad.”
“Why here?” Sadie pressed. “Why didn’t he just come to the Raven Compound?”
“Yes, Max,” Mom said, rounding on the rest of us, “please explain why this was the most convenient meeting place for the two of you.” Max looked away, but Mom wasn’t in a mood to let things drop. “And please enlighten me as to why my young son was the best emissary for such a task?”
“Well, who else was there?” Max retorted. Mom pursed her lips and turned away. Sadie’s eyes widened.
“You mean you never told Mom that you saw Dad after the wars?” Sadie demanded.
“No,” I murmured, “Max and Dad never told Mom.”
Sadie gasped, her hand over her mouth. “Oh, Max,” she murmured, “you really screwed up this time.”
Max opened his mouth, only to clamp it shut again. Looking much like the kid he had been when he used to frequent the market, he approached Mom. After a bit of coaxing, she turned toward him, shaking her head and staring at her feet.
“I just don’t understand,” she said, over and over. “Why didn’t he just contact me?”
“Because you would have moved heaven and earth to get him back,” Max replied. “And that wouldn’t have been safe for us, or for him.”
“We could have kept him safe,” Mom insisted. “I could have hidden him in the old basement or the brugh—”
“If he could have come home, he would have,” Max replied. “Ma, Dad didn’t have a lot of options, and none of them were good. It…” Max raked his hand through his hair, then he hugged her. “I’m sorry. I bet he’s sorry, too.”
“He will be, once I get hold of him,” Mom muttered. Max smiled tightly; hopefully, we still had a father left for Mom to yell at.
“Okay, here’s what you need to know,” Max began when he turned to the three of us, leaving Mom to collect herself. She hung back for a minute, her blue eyes narrowed, staring at the dark mass of the market. As she stood there with her wind-tossed hair, she looked like an invading queen assessing the opposing army’s weaknesses. In a way, I suppose that’s exactly what she was doing. “When I came here before, I would just hang out in the square until someone approached me.”
“I thought you were meeting Dad!” Sadie squeaked. “It was random people?”
“It was never the same person twice. They’d give me a sign, and I would follow them toward one of the shops—usually it was the carpet weaver, but a couple times we went to a sweet shop—and we would talk, but never for more than a few minutes.”