NOVEL NEXT Chapter 13: Chapter 13
The girl had long black hair and dark eyes, dressed simply with a shy, innocent smile. She was the same girl Zedd had seen with Elara those nights ago.
"Perfect," Zedd muttered to himself.
He approached her and cleared his throat to get her attention. The moment she noticed him, she squirmed slightly, clearly scared. Zedd understood why. Standing at 6 feet 1 inch tall and built like a tank, he was an intimidating figure, especially for someone as timid as her.
"Are you Reina?" Zedd asked, keeping his voice as neutral as possible.
The girl nodded slightly, her voice barely above a whisper. "Y-Yes, I am Reina."
Zedd wasted no time. "Do you know any place where I can exchange gold for silver without needing identification or explaining where the money came from?"
Reina, already nervous, avoided his gaze and mumbled, "I... I know no such place."
Zedd sighed internally. This was going nowhere. He could tell if he pushed her further, she'd probably end up crying, screaming, or worse—fainting. None of those scenarios were ideal, especially since he was trying to lay low. The last thing he needed was angry villagers swarming him.
Deciding it wasn't worth the trouble, Zedd turned to leave, but then he heard a sharp sound behind him. Turning back, he saw two boys about his age pulling at Reina's hair and laughing.
Should I walk away? Zedd pondered. His logical side told him to ignore it, that it wasn't his problem. But some lingering shred of humanity pulled him forward. Before he could decide, his legs moved on their own.
As Zedd approached, the two boys noticed him and froze. Dwarfed by his size, they hesitated but tried to play tough.
"Leave. Now. Before things get messy," Zedd said coldly.
One of the boys sneered, trying to mask his fear. "Who the hell are you? Fuck off before we deal with you."
Zedd smirked. "Oh, you want to fight? Fine. Let's do this your way. But don't cry later and say I didn't warn you."
The first boy lunged at him. Zedd sidestepped easily, grabbed the boy by the arm, and with almost no effort, hurled him into the nearby river. The second boy, now visibly trembling, turned and bolted.
"What an idiot," Zedd muttered, shaking his head. He turned back to Reina, who was staring at him wide-eyed.
"You okay?" Zedd asked.
Reina nodded hesitantly.
"What did those jerks want from you?" he asked, his tone softer.
Reina looked down and replied, "They always bully me. They don't dare mess with Elara, though. It's because we're orphans. We live on the streets and take whatever odd jobs we can to survive."
"So you don't have a home?" Zedd asked, frowning.
Reina shook her head. "We did, once. We managed to rent a small house, but... I made a stupid mistake. I trusted someone—a thug who scammed me. Because of that, we couldn't pay the rent, and we were kicked out. Since then, we've been living on the streets. The money we make is barely enough for food."
She hesitated before continuing, "A few nights ago, someone left us ten silver coins. Elara told me about it when I woke up."
Didn't Elara tell her it was me? Zedd thought, puzzled.
Before he could say anything, a sharp, angry voice rang out. "Don't you dare try to hurt Reina!"
Zedd barely had time to turn before a boot connected with his cheek, sending him staggering back. Losing his balance, he hit the ground hard. Groaning, he looked up to see Elara, her fiery red hair whipping around her as she glared at him like a vengeful goddess.
"I'll protect you, Reina! I won't let some asshole hurt you or take advantage of you!" Elara declared.
Reina, horrified, shook her head. "No! He helped me! He saved me from bullies and threw one of them into the river!"
Elara froze, her gaze shifting between Reina and Zedd. Finally, she huffed, walked over, and offered Zedd a hand. "Sorry. I thought you were—"
"Fuck off," Zedd snapped, slapping her hand away as he stood on his own. He brushed the dirt off his clothes, clutching his throbbing cheek.
Elara stepped back, stunned. "Hey, I said sorry!"
Ignoring her, Zedd muttered, "Where the hell does she get all that strength?" as he turned and walked away.
"Wait!" Elara called after him.
Zedd turned back, glaring. "What now? Do you want to kick me again?"