Broken (The Captive #5.5)(25)

Metal blades gleamed in the sunlight from the knives rapidly flipping through the air. The crowd released an awed, "Ah," when more knives were added to the mix. He found Genny at the front of the crowd, a smile on her face and her hands clasped before her as she watched the juggler dressed in vibrant blues, reds, and greens with an expression of delight. The bell on the juggler's hat jingled with his movements. A bony, enraptured boy with dirt-streaked cheeks stood at her side, munching on a loaf of bread that looked suspiciously like the one Genny had purchased.

Her smile grew when she turned and spotted him. "Have you ever seen anything as amazing as this?" she gushed.

He'd seen acts like this before, but it had always been in an aristocrat's home, and they hadn't involved knives. "No," he told her, but he couldn't tear his eyes away from her radiant face and it wasn't the juggler he was talking about. She blinked at him in surprise and then, for the first time since he'd met her, she actually seemed shy as she ducked her head away. "I haven't."

"Where's Camille?" she inquired and glanced around.

The question had just left her mouth when her sister arrived at her side. "Oh," Camille said and took a step back when she spotted the man at the center of the circle spinning ten knives through the air at once. "Impressive."

The knives stopped spinning through the air when the man began to catch each of them. The crowd erupted into applause and cheers as the juggler caught the last one between his teeth and made a sweeping bow. Genny's skin practically glowed as she turned away from the sight and slid her hand into his. The boy clutched the bread against his chest when he spotted Atticus. Not willing to take the chance of losing his prize, the boy scurried away and disappeared amongst the masses.

"They know that it could kill them and that they will one day die but some humans do such ridiculously dangerous things," Genny said. "They amaze me with their dogged determination and ingenuity."

That was more than they ever did for him but he kept that thought to himself as they walked toward the main thoroughfare again. "Even as a vampire I wouldn't catch a knife between my teeth," Camille said with a shudder.

"Neither would I," Genny agreed.

"What of you, Atticus?" Camille asked.

Relief filled him as he smiled at the young woman and she returned it. He had no doubt that she had meant what she'd said but for now she seemed willing to call a truce. "I wouldn't choose to do that either," he told her. Genny's hand tightened in his, her gaze shot back and forth between them before she smiled at him.

Atticus kissed her forehead and pulled her to a stop beside the ribbon cart. She frowned at him when he ordered the blue ribbon that she'd been admiring while she thought he wasn't paying attention. He gave the woman behind the cart the money before turning to Genny. "Turn around," he told her.

She shook her head and held up her hands. "Atticus, I can't accept that," she whispered.

"You can."

"No, I'm not… No."

Her lips pressed firmly together as she met his gaze. "I expect nothing in return for it; it's only a simple ribbon that I would like to give to you."

Her raven colored eyes darted around the crowd, he didn't know what she was looking for or hoping to find amongst the people, but she didn't look at him for a long while. "Genny, it's only a small gift," Camille said quietly from beside her.

Genny bit on her bottom lip and finally focused on him again. The look in her eyes made him wish he'd never offered it to her. He'd only meant to give her something pretty to replace the faded ribbon in her hair, but her reaction to it made him think he'd made her feel dirty or wrong in some way. She gave a brief bow of her head in acquiescence though and turned around.

He slid the faded ribbon from the end of her hair and tied the colorful new one into place. The deep blue color of the ribbon stood out vividly against her black hair. She smiled at him over her shoulder and gave him a kiss but he still sensed a small hint of reticence in her. Camille had a sad look on her face when they turned away from the town and slipped into the woods. While they walked, Atticus vowed that one day he would get her something far nicer than the ribbon, and she wouldn't feel any hesitation about taking it from him because she would know that she deserved it.

Without thinking, he slid her old ribbon into his pocket.





CHAPTER 9


"Genny." She looked up as Camille stepped through the doorway of their small room.

She slid the hidden bottom into place inside the chest and neatly returned her clothes on top of it. Sitting back on her heels, she looked up at her sister again and tiredly rose to her feet. Though the bruises and bloody nose she'd received from the beating she'd taken last night had faded, her muscles were still cramped and sore. With the journey into town, and the fact that Camille and Atticus had seemed to call a truce, she'd lost track of time and they'd been late to return. She'd been made to pay for their tardiness.

"Why don't you tell him?" Camille asked.

Genny lifted her cloak from where she'd placed it on the floor. "Tell who?"

"Atticus. Tell him what is going on here, what Felix is doing to you."

"No."

"Genny…"