Chapter 34: How to Flirt, Bribe, and Flee — All in One Visit
It was already getting dark. And the sky was way too pretty for my taste.
You know the kind of sky I mean—deep blue, with delicate clouds like someone blew cotton across an oil painting? Yeah. That kind of sky makes me suspicious. Beautiful nights tend to end in disaster.
And yet, there I was—walking through the streets of Ashveil, clean boots, neat coat, a pouch of coins in my pocket, and a damn improvised bouquet in my hand.
Wildflowers. Picked along the way. Three were yellow, one had a bite mark, and all of them looked like they’d been grown out of pure rage. Perfect.
I arranged them in the least cheesy way possible (according to my personal aesthetic standards) and headed toward Lina’s house.
And before anyone says anything—no, I wasn’t in love. This was strategy.
A symbolic gesture. A subtle and entirely manipulative way to keep her interest high enough to keep helping me. A charm. An emotional trick. An investment, at best.
"She’s already hooked," I thought. "The flowers are just to keep the fantasy alive. Nothing more."
I wasn’t exactly sure why I was repeating that idea to myself.
I sidestepped a cart, waved at an old man who thought I was his nephew, and slipped between two crooked houses with the same caution as always. Ashveil smelled like stale bread and rust, and the sound of hammers on rooftops meant someone, somewhere, still believed in renovations.
Lina’s street was quieter. Her window was open, and for a second, I considered tossing the bouquet through it like a pagan offering—but figured I’d better not risk hitting her dad.