Free Veiled Innocence (Book One, The Soul Cycle) by Krystle Jones Page B

fish to fine silks was represented in the square, which served as the main outlet for shopping within the city.
    Lian looked at her sister and half-smiled. Oh, the irony.
    When Ana was younger, she would rather be caught dead than to be seen amongst the peasants. Now that knowledge of Asilee’s recession had spread and trade had dwindled next to nothing, Ana never hesitated to splurge the citizen’s taxes on whatever new trinket caught her eye. Luckily for her she’s marrying a rich husband, Lian thought dryly. While Ana-Elise had never wanted for anything, Lian had been lucky to rec eive a simple “Happy Birthday.”
    Though it was still well above midday, the busiest time, it had already become a hassle just to walk around, but despite the increasing noise , their attendants remained steadfast and alert. The guards, led by Gabriel, cleared paths through the throng so they could move about more freely, and the servants carried the purchases of Ana-Elise. 
    Ana-Elise took her time examining wares, and she made no attempt to hide her disdain when something didn’t meet with her expectations, often to the sorrow of a disgruntled merchant. 
    The earlier excitement of her sister asking her to go still bubbled inside Lian, concealed by a layer of nerves she had not expected. Several times she started to say something only to back into silence once more. She studied Ana-Elise as they walked and listened intently to her conversations, trying to figure out something to say. To her dismay, the more she observed her, the more she came to realize she knew absolutely nothing about her, save for the fact Ana had a taste for the elite, the expensive, and the rare. She bought only the finest items, a jeweled broach, exotic dyed fabrics, and delici ous pastries Lian had never heard of or tasted before.
    Lian kep t to herself and bought nothing. N ot that she would be able to afford anything at the booths her sister chose anyway. Upon their arrival, Ana had given her a small satchel that would have gone a long wa y at another part of the market but would not even buy her half the monetary worth of the items they now browsed. She wondered where Ana’s spending money came from, with the duke falling further into debt every day. It irritated her. She wondered if Ana had asked Alastor for the money or if he had given it to her out of some misplaced adoration. Either way, if he indulged her whims, he was much too kind and simple for his own good.
    That wasn’t the only problem. Even if she did like what she saw – and she didn’t – she was too distracted to focus on shopping. Gabriel hovered at her side, making it increasingly difficult to pay attention. Each time she turned her head, she caught him watching her with a small smile on his lips and the same intensity in his eyes she had seen after her lesson before Orris had interrupted them.
    She peered over her shoulder , and there he was, casually leaned against a table a few feet from her with his arms crossed over his chest. His eyes instantly met hers , and he smiled. Blushing, she quickly pretended to gaze down the row of booths past him. He chuckled, deep and warm, making her heart pound that much harder.
    “Did you hear me?”
    “Pardon?” she blurted, snapping her head forward. Ana-Elise was staring at her with clear an noyance. “I’m sorry,” Lian said. “I don’t believe I caught that.”
    Ana-Elise closed her eyes and sighed as shadows flickered across her face. When she opened them, her cool composure had slipped back into place. “I said, ‘Do you not see anything to your liking?’”
    Lian’s mouth gaped open for a second before she snapped it shut. Ana-Elise hadn’t realized how little money she had given her. 
    “Oh,” she said, struggling to piece together an acceptable explanation for her lack of purchases. “I’m simply enjoying spending time in your company.” In a way, it was true. She couldn’t pinpoint how actually being around her sister