The Rebel Read Online Free Page A

that his family was considered outlaws, so there was no other way for them to get things they needed.
    He told her about the Obsidian guild without hesitation, shame, or any attempt to conceal their hated status among the rest of the serpiente. Kadee had heard the name, usually in the same sentence as curses, from the guards as well as from Julian. Supposedly, the Obsidian guild was one of the reasons she needed a guard in the first place, since she could be captured by the outlaw band and used against the royal house.
    The way Shkei described them was completely different.
    “Misha dances the most beautiful
intre’marl,
” Shkei said. “She does it with real daggers now. It’s incredible.”
    “What is it about serpents and
dancing
?” Kadee sighed.
    Shkei paused, tilting his head as he considered and staring into her eyes. “We dance because we’re alive. Because the fact that we’re able to stand, and our bodies are our own, is something to celebrate.” He shrugged. “If you don’t want to dance, then don’t. No one’s forcing you.” He must have seen something in her face, because he added very seriously, “Well, no one
should
force you. What’s the point of dancing if you don’t love it?”
    For a moment, she was speechless, a state in which Kadee didn’t often find herself.
    Quite suddenly, she realized she wanted to kiss him. Not an adult, full-body kiss, the way she had seen Hara or Aaron do. Could you kiss someone in a friendly way? Would he understand, or would he expect more? She thought Shkei would understand.
    She must have thought about it too hard, because Shkei blushed, pink suffusing his ever-pale skin.
    ***
    Winter came, and a blanket of snow made it difficult to get in and out of the palace. Shkei was wary of leaving a trail to any of the secret entrances, so he could only come when he could sneak in through the market, a heavy winter cloak disguising his distinctive white-viper features. Kadee met him there after her shifts with the shepherds, which were still limited as she started her trial apprenticeship.
    She couldn’t wait for spring. It would be safer for them to meet once she was traveling with the flocks, instead of living in the palace. For now, when Kadee expressed concern that he was putting himself in danger to see her, Shkei laughed out loud.
    “Farrell tried to forbid me from coming here,” he admitted. Kadee wasn’t sure who Farrell was to Shkei—he seemed to be a bit father, a bit chaplain, and a bit friend—but he was obviously important. “He said I was taking advantage of you and putting you in danger. I told him I never lied to you about who I am.”
    Kadee nodded. She had discreetly researched the Obsidian guild, and the white vipers in particular. The rumors about them were nasty, but based on Shkei’s stories, those rumors weren’t entirely accurate.
    “I’m
not
taking advantage, am I?” Shkei asked, as if worried only now that it had come up. “You know who I am. If I get caught alone, I won’t say anything about you. But if we get caught together, you know what will happen. Right?”
    “I know.” Without Shkei, though, where would she be? Friendless, alone, with nothing to look forward to except dodging the guards’ fists. Paulin was as bad as ever, but he was Hara’s current favorite, so Kadee didn’t dare to complain.
    Kadee still believed in God, instead of the serpiente pantheon of powers ruled by the often-capricious, fickle Fate, but on that day, she decided it was Fate listening to their conversation. God wasn’t so cruel.
    They were nearly out of the tunnel that led from the public markets to the road and the forest beyond when three children playing a game raced past them, roughhousing, their innocent game causing them to career off the walls of the tunnel and into passersby. Two of them hit Shkei’s legs, one after the other, and another slammed into Kadee.
    They both stumbled. Shkei tried to stabilize Kadee, but he was off balance