By Grace Alone (The Death Dealer Book 2) by Katie Roman Read Free Book Online

and was going home. No one believed her, but no one tried to stop her, either.
    Grace visited the public baths to wash the stink off, and when she returned home she borrowed a mirror from the young lady who lived above her. It wasn’t like Grace to spend so much time readying herself, but after the reminder of Jack she decided to look nice for her dinner. Feeling clean and washed, Grace inspected herself in the dirty mirror.
    She braided her dark blonde hair. It fell several inches below her shoulders and swung like a pendulum when she moved her head. Her face was pink from the sun, but it wasn’t the ruddy red of sunburn yet. Her nose was a shade darker than the pink on her cheeks. Her ears stuck out slightly, but her hair usually managed to cover it. She smiled at herself. The gray eyes looking back at her were shiny with unshed tears. Grace took in a deep breath to calm herself.
    She was still frustrated with Ridley. She was the one person who was supposed to understand Jack no longer had a hold over Grace. It was over. Grace put on a short-sleeved, gray chemise that hung to her waist, and over that she put on a light blue, sleeveless tunic that fell to the floor. She slipped her feet into her new boots. It was time to go.
    The city of Glenbard had five districts. There was Golden Road, home of the temples; Merchant’s Way, home to the richest merchants and noble families; Sea Farer’s Street, home to the docks; Serenity Place, inhabited by guards and more well-to-do families; and finally Rogue’s Lane, playground for the Thieves Guild. Living on Sea Farer’s Street and working on Rogue’s Lane, Grace typically didn’t have a reason to venture beyond her borders. The market was located between Golden Road and Merchant’s Way, in the heart of the city.
    The sun dipped low in the sky and Grace’s shadow was elongated as she hurried up toward Market Street to meet the good sergeant. The stalls that remained open were trying to peddle their leftover goods. An elderly woman with a dirty apron dangled a cut of beef in Grace’s face as she walked past.
    “One copper! A fine deal on a fine cut.” Grace gave the beef a glance. The center was still good, but the edges were browning. She pushed the woman’s hand away gently. “You’ll get a decent meal for your little ones.”
    “Good-day, mistress.” Grace smiled politely and moved on. The woman went up to the next passerby.
    A man tried to sell her two-day old bread, a little islander girl tried to peddle her wilted orange flowers, and a pregnant young woman around her age worked hard to push a dozen eggs on her. Grace declined each one with a smile and a nod. After running the gauntlet of merchants, she took a seat on the edge of the market’s fountain.
    The statue in the middle of the fountain was a boar with great tusks. Water cascaded down on it from the stone tree that was supposed to shade the boar for eternity. Grace put her back to the fountain; letting sprinklings of water dot her neck. She crossed her legs and watched the dwindling crowd.
    She spotted Sergeant Moore, outside of his uniform, coming toward her. He was dressed in brown trousers and a green linen cotte, and Grace put a hand over her mouth to hide her giggle. Nathaniel was not as dashing in commoner clothes as he was in his uniform. His hair was free of its ponytail and hung to his shoulders. He smiled upon seeing her.
    “Miss Hilren,” he greeted her, and held out a hand to help her up. She took it, enjoying the gallantry of the guard. He kissed the top of her hand.
    “Sergeant.” She took her hand back.
    As his eyes took her in, she was glad she bothered to visit the baths and scrub herself. He looked to have done the same. “Hungry?”
    “Quite.” She wasn’t sure what to say otherwise.
    “Well,” he hooked his arm with hers, “I thought perhaps we could go to the King’s Beard. They brew a fine ale.”
    The King’s Beard was located in the heart of Serenity Place, and was a