Chapter 8: Ch 8: Venturng Forward- Part 2
The hallway was crowded, bodies moving in every direction, but Nova cut through the noise like a knife.
Anna stayed just behind him, eyes low, doing her best to ignore the attention burning into her from every angle.
The stares didn’t surprise her. The whispers didn’t sting. Not anymore. But they never stopped being exhausting.
Then someone stepped in front of them.
A merchant, draped in pomp and smugness, blocked Nova’s path with a grin. He looked at Nova briefly before turning to Anna with a practiced leer.
"Well, aren’t you a bold one. Strolling around with a little slave like that on your arm?"
He chuckled.
"Exotic taste. Dangerous, too."
The man said, voice oily.
Anna stiffened, but said nothing. Her eyes dropped automatically, the old instinct kicking in before she could stop it.
Nova didn’t respond.