Shadows in the Crowd

**Shaira's POV**

“What are you doing here?” The eteri soldier’s voice rang out clear and firm behind me, freezing the blood in my veins. I turned slowly, trying not to let my fear show on my face. Angro quickly moved to stand in front of me, as if his mere presence could shield me from the imminent danger.

“We’re just passing through,” he replied calmly, his tone carefully measured. “We’re looking for goods in the market. Nothing more.”

The soldier stopped a few steps away from us, his eyes fixed on my face, and I felt his gaze pierce through me. I fought the urge to avert my gaze or hide behind Angro. The air between us had grown tense, and the bustle of the market seemed to fade away, leaving us alone in that tense exchange.

“I haven’t seen you around here before,” the soldier said, raising an eyebrow in suspicion. “Where are you from?”

Before I could respond, Angro stepped forward, further blocking the soldier’s view. “We come from the outskirts,” he explained, gesturing vaguely with his hand. “My wife isn’t used to places like this. She prefers to keep a low profile.”

The use of the word "wife" took me by surprise, and though the soldier seemed to relax slightly at the mention, his gaze continued searching for any detail that might give him a reason to doubt us. I kept the hood of my cloak low over my forehead, making sure the shadow concealed my features as much as possible.

After what felt like an eternity, the soldier seemed to give up. He took a step back and nodded slowly. “Be careful,” he said, his tone one of warning. “These aren’t times to be wandering around without a good reason.”

When he walked away, I exhaled the breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. Angro looked at me, his eyes filled with a mix of relief and concern. We had survived the encounter, but the threat still lingered. We exchanged a silent glance, both aware of how close we had come to being discovered.

As soon as the soldier moved away and the sounds of the market enveloped us again, I felt the urgency to move quickly. We couldn’t stay exposed in Sagoria much longer, and Assu seemed to pick up on our anxiety.

“Follow me, and keep your heads down,” he said in a low voice, casting a discreet glance toward the street where the soldier had disappeared. Without waiting for our response, he began walking in the opposite direction, leading us through a narrow alley that took us away from the market.

Angro and I followed him without hesitation, our footsteps echoing on the cobblestone path. My senses were on high alert for any movement around us. After a few minutes, we arrived at a building on the outskirts of town, a run-down house with moss-covered stone walls and broken windows. From the outside, it looked like nothing more than an abandoned ruin, but Assu stopped in front of the door with an ironic smile.

“This is my warehouse,” he said, pushing the wooden door open with a creak. “This is where I keep… delicate merchandise.” He paused and looked at us. “You can stay here for a while. The house is old, but at least you’ll be far from prying eyes.”

We stepped into the dimly lit space, and my eyes took a few seconds to adjust. Inside, there were crates piled up in a disorderly manner, some covered with tarps, and I glimpsed the unmistakable shapes of rifles and ammunition. The smell of dampness mingled with that of oil and metal.

“A smuggler’s hideout,” Angro murmured with a mix of skepticism and approval. “It couldn’t be more fitting.”

Assu shrugged. “It’s not the coziest place, but no one will come here without my permission.” Then he turned to me. “If you need anything, I can make some arrangements, but for now, it’s best that you stay hidden. When the patrols die down, we can talk about how to deal with the marriage.”

I nodded, though I couldn’t shake the feeling of being trapped. We had hidden ourselves away in the dark, but I knew that sooner or later, we would have to step back into the light.

The refuge felt dark and oppressive, and the dust-laden air made me feel as though I were even more confined. But Angro remained by my side, his eyes scanning every corner of the place, evaluating our safety. For a moment, we stayed silent, listening only to the sound of our breathing. We knew we weren’t safe, but being out of the soldiers’ immediate view was, at least, a temporary reprieve.

“This isn’t what I imagined when I decided to stay with you,” I murmured, trying to lighten the atmosphere. Angro turned his head toward me, a half-smile on his face that didn’t quite reach his eyes, still filled with worry.

“I didn’t imagine it like this either,” he replied, stepping closer, his presence comforting. “But if staying here, hidden in this smuggler’s den, is what we need to do to be together, then I’ll endure it.”

His hand slid gently along my arm, sending a calming sensation through my entire body. I couldn’t help but let out a sigh. There was something about being near him, about feeling his warmth amidst all this chaos, that made the worries fade away, even if just for a moment.

“What worries me the most,” I said quietly, “is that with each passing day, we’re closer to everything falling apart. If Assu doesn’t follow through, if we’re discovered before we can dissolve the marriage… I don’t know what we’ll do.”

Angro intertwined his fingers with mine, his gaze steady. “We’ll find a way, Shaira. We always do. No matter what comes, I won’t leave you.”

I looked into his eyes, those eyes that had sustained me in my darkest moments, and I knew he was serious. But there was so much at stake—not just our life together, but the responsibility of facing what would come next: the inevitable confrontation with Amari, with Owan, and the constant danger from the eteri.

The silence between us grew more intimate, laden with unspoken words. My thoughts swirled, but the gentle brush of Angro’s fingers on my hand kept me anchored in the present, in the security of his company. In that small makeshift refuge, for a few brief moments, the outside world disappeared, and it was just the two of us.

But then, a noise outside shattered the calm. Footsteps, first light, then heavier, echoed near the door of the refuge. Angro and I exchanged tense glances, both on high alert instantly. Someone was approaching.

My heart began to pound, cold sweat covering my skin. We didn’t know if it was a friend or a threat, but we were trapped, and there was no way out without being seen.

Angro gripped my hand more tightly, and in silence, we braced ourselves for whatever was about to come through that door.