I had no idea what he was doing here, and I probably didn’t want to know. The high mages were the rulers of our society, and Dark Row was where all of the illegal activities of the magic world took place. Why would he be here? Unless he was here procuring something illegal as well…

He took a deep breath then cocked his head and continued. “Take your injured wolf with you if you mean to keep her intact.”

Oh, Mother Mage. I shook my head. He did not just say that.

“Thank you,” Rue said, inclining her head. “And what do we owe you for this?”

Wait … why would we owe him?

The sinking sensation of what-the-hell-is-going-on settled over me, and I realized just how out of my element I was.

“You never saw me here,” he replied and turned to leave.

Pausing, he looked back over his shoulder at us and said, “If you want your friend to be healed, there is only one mage strong enough to do this: Madam Surlama.”

He spun around, and we all muttered our thanks to the dude.

I looked down at Kaja. My chest tightened as I thought of us carrying her on a stretcher through a market.

“What I wouldn’t give for a wheelbarrow,” I muttered.

Nell gasped, drawing my attention, but when I looked at her, she pointed toward shore.

The cloaked high mage was gone, but at the end of the dock sat a wheelbarrow.

Shaking my head, I blew out a long breath. “I have a feeling I’m going to owe him someday.”

We set Kaja into the wheelbarrow, and Nell pushed while Rue and I flanked on either side. Rue said nothing as she directed us toward Dark Row and the glowing lights of the black market.

As we approached, my heart raced, and I reached down to give Kaja’s hand a squeeze.

This had better work.

Dark Row resembled flea markets I’d seen on TV. Stalls stretched further than I could see, their walls a variety of colors and materials: painted wood and stained canvas. A myriad of scents perfumed the air: the yeasty scent of bread, roasted meat, and bitter herbs. Beneath the recognizable lay other smells, some acrid and others sweet.

We passed a stall filled with vibrant blue flowers, and the wafting scent made me yearn for something I couldn’t even name. I reached out to touch one of the petals, and a woman smacked my hand away.

“Don’t touch unless you’re going to buy, missy!”

Ouch.

I nodded and murmured an apology.

“I smell wolf blood,” a man said. Stumbling out from the shadows, he sniffed the air as we passed. Reaching out, he tried to lift the blanket covering Kaja, and I drew one of my blades, pointing it at his neck.

“Touch it, and lose your hand,” I warned, pushing the long dagger into the sensitive flesh of his neck.

His gaze dipped to my chest, and he swallowed hard. “Yes, ma’am.”

Okay … that was a first.

Oh, cursed mages.

I’d forgotten. One glance downward confirmed my theory. The tip of my new fire mark poked out from the neckline of my tank-top. I pulled it up and narrowed my eyes at the creeper.

“If you want to sell her for parts, it would be far more merciful to slit her throat now—before you go into the market,” he said, eyeing Kaja’s body with longing.

I tightened my grip on the sword and growled. “She’s going to be healed.”

Luckily, he got the message and offered a wide-eyed nod before melting into the crowd.

Holy-frickin’-mage. This place was a nightmare.

“Why do they call it the black market if it’s out in the open like this?” I turned to Nell. Clearly, the high mage knew what was going on here and didn’t seem to care.

Nell shrugged. “It’s a necessary evil. Even the high council uses it at times.”

Hypocrites. How did allowing an illegal market to exist keep the peace or encourage playing by the rules?

Kaja coughed, a wet gurgling sound, and fear gripped my heart in its icy grasp.

“We need to hurry.”

I kept my attention fixed on Rue’s shoulder as we made our way into the bowels of Dark Row.

“This is Madam Surlama’s,” Rue said as we approached a tall, black, silk tent. “You two can go in. I’ll stand guard outside.”

The black tent appeared uninhabited, no soft light beckoning us to come in and no one standing outside either.

“Are you sure?” I asked.

Rue nodded, and her breath quickened. “Just be careful, Nai. She’s a dark mage.”

“Rue! How do you know that?” Nell gasped.

Dark mages were bad, but the high mage had said Madam Evil-Magic was the only one who could heal Kaja.

“Do we have another option?” I asked Nell.

She blanched and shook her head. “But the cost will be high.”

As if cost mattered. This was Kaja.

After a deep breath, I clapped my hands and yelled into the tent. “Madam…?”

Nothing.

Rue closed her eyes and clapped loudly. “Madam Surlama, we are seeking a healer.”

The curtain parted, and I gasped.

I’d expected a gangly old hag of a woman, not this … goddess who stood before me, dressed in boho chic. Her long inky black hair fell to her waist in waves, and her alabaster skin was so pale the blue-tinged veins traced her skin like a network of tattoos. Pursing her glossy red lips, she studied us with her vibrant blue eyes. Then, she beckoned us forward with a wave of her hand.

We wheeled Kaja closer, and the mage peeled back the sheet, exposing my friend’s entire body.

The dark mage clicked her tongue against her teeth. “On death’s door.”

“What?” Nell cried.

“Come on, then. Better hurry if you want me to save her.” She disappeared behind the black curtain, and Nell and I shared a look.

But we both knew there was no other option.

Stepping forward, we started to push the wheelbarrow into the split in the curtain when Rue’s arm came out and clamped over mine like a vise. “If she asks for blood payment, don’t let Nell do it.”

Blood payment? Was that a thing?

“Promise me,” she growled, pain flittering across her face.

“I … promise.”

Rue had clearly come here before, and whatever happened must’ve been awful. Somehow, none of that surprised me.

“I’ll look after them both,” I promised the shy twin.

Please don’t let me regret that.

She nodded, and then I was pulled into the darkness. Nell and I traversed a dark hallway, following the sound of clinking jars and bottles.

“Where did she go?” I asked.

Nell shrugged, her eyes as wide as my own.

“Umm, miss mage?” Nell called.

“In here, dears.”

Dears?

Her voice came from the left, so Nell directed the wheelbarrow that way.

Dark mages were notoriously selfish, so why was this one being so friendly? I didn’t like it.

Light filtered into the hallway from a room ahead. A few steps later, we entered a wide-open room with a courtyard visible beyond.

The scent of smoked meat and wet feathers wafted in the air, and I shared an alarmed look with Nell. If it was anyone else besides Kaja needing a healer, I’d be out.

The woman beckoned us again with another wave. “Put her on the table.”