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real?
Then again, Grace had thought her relationship with Dar had been
real, as well.
    “Let’s go see the fire jugglers,”
Grace suggested, eager for a distraction.
    They watched performers, ate until
their bellies were protruding, and bought too many items. Grace’s
brother Kyler walked with them for a bit; he and Jocelyn flirted
shamelessly. Later Grace saw Lady Rebekah and Sir Leonard laughing
by the fountain.
    They wandered out of the square for
a few minutes, searching for some fresh air. Jocelyn sighed with
relief. “I can move freely.”
    In an alley, they moved around to
look at the lesser-known merchant booths. About a dozen people were
ambling around in the area, as well. The light didn’t reach them
very well, casting strange shadows on the ground. Grace had to pick
up her skirts to avoid the mud on the ground as she stopped at a
bookseller’s booth. The merchant was a woman with long, black hair.
She sat on a stool, watching Grace with her dark eyes.
    A few of the spines of the books
were falling apart, and others had strange markings on them. “What
sorts of books are these?” Grace asked.
    The woman’s eyes rolled over
Grace’s blue dress and silver jewelry. “Not books a lady like
yourself would enjoy.”
    Grace looked at one of the books,
which had outlines of people on it. She opened the cover as the
woman stood up. “Do you believe in magic, m’lady?” the woman
asked.
    The first page of the book was in a
language Grace had never seen before. “I don’t know,” she told the
merchant. “I’ve never seen it.”
    “Ah, but just because you haven’t
seen something doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.”
    “True. What kind of magic are you
talking about?”
    The woman waved her hand. “All
kinds. Different families are gifted with different magic.” When
Grace raised her eyebrows, the woman said, “There are those who can
heal the body or break it. There are shape changers from Shyra.
There—”
    “Shyra?” Grace
repeated.
    “Yes. They say the shape changers
have the power to look like anybody, dead or alive. Some can change
into animals. Some can even change into things that aren’t alive.
Trees, rocks, water.” She smiled. Her teeth were dirty and cracked.
“Perhaps you knew someone from Shyra? Or perhaps you don’t know
that you know someone from Shyra because they pretend to be someone
else.”
    Grace swore she could feel her
heart pounding in her ears. Shape changers? It couldn’t be real.
They were legends, tales from storybooks. They couldn’t have
anything to do with the man who warned her about Dar or with Dar’s
sudden departure. “Perhaps. Why should I believe the magic is
real?”
    “You don’t have to.” The woman sat
down again. “But my books will convince you.”
    Jocelyn approached the booth.
“Grace, are you ready? You’re supposed to meet the prince
soon.”
    “Ah, I know someone from Shyra who
lives at the castle,” the woman said. “Tell Sashe that Tia hasn’t
forgotten about her.”
    Jocelyn tugged on Grace’s arm.
Grace turned away as the woman laughed.
     
    * * *
     
    Grace was soon moving through the
crowds with the prince, who’d asked her to escort him to the
festivities. She could hardly fathom why, and she overanalyzed
every one of her actions. It was strange being with another man,
even though they were only enjoying the celebrations. She felt like
she was being unfaithful to Dar, which she knew was
ridiculous.
    “I’m glad Victory Day is only one
day a year,” the prince told her, his voice raised over the
sound.
    She smiled. “I wish there were
more. One every three months.”
    He paused, a smile coming to his
face. “Perhaps I could handle two. What do you enjoy about this?”
He raised a skeptical eyebrow, motioning to the jubilant
crowd.
    “Well, everything… the sweets from
the west, the booksellers, the horse show, the fireworks. Oh, and
every year, your Highness, there’s a bird merchant I
visit.”
    “A bird