Free Web NovelChapter 69: Chapter 69: The shop
"What kind of shop have I walked into?"
Percy was now inside the shop and looking at the nearest display.
Every pair had a price tag. Not one of them read below two silver crowns.
He turned to the ladies’ side. Sandals. Heels. Arranged neatly on tiered shelves.
Three silver crowns. Average.
"How does it make sense that a pair of heels costs as much as an entire suit?"
Beside him Dana leaned forward toward the nearest shelf, read the price, and went still.
"Did brother lie to me?"
She straightened slowly and looked at the tags further down the row.
"How can someone so young afford any of this?"
She had already worked out that he hadn’t been with the Syndicate long , his clothes, the state of the house. None of it pointed to someone who had been well paid for years.
"Does the Syndicate really pay this well? Or has he taken out a loan?"
The thought settled uncomfortably in her chest.
She had grown up never once considering that a pair of shoe could cost more than forty copper crowns.
"Ex-Excuse me, sir. What would you like to see?"
Percy turned toward the stuttering voice.
A young girl stood there, dressed in the grey and blue uniform of the shop. She looked close to Dana’s age, possibly younger.
Her head was lowered and she fidgeted with the hem of her sleeve, making herself look smaller with every passing second.
Percy glanced at Dana.
Dana was staring at the girl with an expression he had never seen on her face before. Open disgust sitting plainly on her features.
He looked back at the girl and found nothing that explained it. Nothing unusual or offensive. Just a nervous young attendant waiting for an answer.
"Does she know her? What is going on?"
"Umm..." the girl started.
"Well," Percy said.
She flinched.
Percy softened his voice as much as he could manage. "I’d like to see some shoes for myself and my sister. Could you show us?"
He smiled carefully, not to startle her .
She lifted her eyes to his face and stared for a moment, visibly caught off guard, before snapping back into herself. "Y-Yes. Of course, Mr. Customer."
She moved toward a section in small quick steps and began explaining in a low voice, eyes mostly on the floor.
Percy took the opportunity to look at Dana again.
The expression was still there.
He stepped close and patted her back. "What’s the matter?"
Dana blinked and looked around slowly, as though seeing the shop for the first time.
"Brother?"
"What’s wrong?" Percy kept his hand on her back.
Dana frowned slightly. "I don’t know. I suddenly felt uncomfortable."
"Is that so."
He offered his hand and helped her up. Behind them the girl’s small voice carried over. "I-Is something the matter, Mr. Customer?"
Percy looked back. "She just feels a bit unwell. I’ll take her outside for now. I apologise , I’ll come back to purchase later."
The girl nodded and bowed. "I shall wait, Mr. Customer. Forever."
Percy paused at the last word.
He decided not to dwell on it and guided Dana out to the bench he had spotted before entering.
"Should I take you to a hospital? How are you feeling?"
Dana furrowed her brows. "Fine, actually. I feel completely fine all of a sudden."
"Good." Percy sat beside her.
Dana turned to him. "Brother?"
"Yes?"
A pause.
"Are you feeling alright?"
Percy looked at her. "Why do you ask?"
"Well." Dana’s expression was careful. "Who were you talking to in there?"
Percy went still.
His brows drew together slowly.
"What do you mean?"
---
Percy studied Dana’s face with everything he had, searching for any sign she was joking.
Her eyes were concerned. Genuinely.
"Fuck. Did I just talk to a ghost? But I felt no sensation."
He kept his gaze fixed straight ahead on the busy street, not trusting himself to look back at the shop.
"Some kind of Haunted ability? No ... but then why could I see her? I didn’t even activate my Haunted eyes."
" Then again i should have had sensation if it was Haunted related ."
"Lyro. Where is Lyro? Is he nearby?"
He discarded that immediately.
"No. I can’t act like nothing happened again. Not this time."
He sat with it for a moment, face growing grimmer by the second. Beside him Dana fidgeted, her hands drifting toward his arm and pulling back, drifting and pulling back.
Then Percy shifted toward her slowly, eyes rolled all the way back until only white showed.
"I can see ghosts," he said. "Ahhhh. I will eat your soul."
He lunged.
Dana didn’t move. She looked at him her eyes unimpressed.
Percy stopped.
Dana’s expression remained thoroughly poker face.
"Was that supposed to scare me?" She stood and brushed her coat.
"Brother, you should know I’m a brave lady. I don’t get scared of measly things like ghosts." She paused. "They don’t exist."
Her hands were trembling slightly.
Percy scratched the back of his head. "Sorry, sorry. I forgot how grown up Dana has already become."
"Don’t pull that kind of prank again." She pouted, turning her head away.
Percy pressed his hands together. "Alright. My deepest apologies, Mrs. Dana."
"Hmph."
He straightened and looked up at the sky, then flipped open his pocket watch.
10:30.
"How about we try a few other shoe shops and then get lunch? The prices in there were honestly unreasonable."
Dana turned back, the pout fading.
"That sounds about right," she said, and smiled.
----
Percy flagged down a carriage and boarded with Dana.
"I will not be staying in this area a moment longer."
He could still feel the goosebumps along his arms.
Dana looked out at the passing shops. "There are a lot of stores here. Shouldn’t we check a few more before leaving?"
Percy shook his head. "We shouldn’t." freewebnoveℓ.com
"Why not?" freёwebnovel.com
Percy thought hard "well uhh , you know umm." He snapped his finger .
"If we run into Mr. Lyro and Miss Fiona again we’d be disturbing their date. He apparently put considerable effort into getting her to agree to it." He glanced at her. "And Miss Fiona would definitely latch onto you again."
Dana blinked.
Then nodded.
"Fair enough."
"Phewww safe "
