Invitation

For the next few days, as the Auction house came to its conclusion, the streets blistered like never before. They were filled with twice the number of vendors, each overrun by men and women alike, making it hard to get through the streets by carriage. 

Zariel had patience for many things, but traffic was not one of them. The idea of standing in line made him physically sick. If not for Aurelia keeping his mind at bay, he might have flown over the crowd to the Courthouse or lit them all on fire so they had a reason to get the hell out of his way. 

What was supposed to be a five-minute ride turned into a three-hour one, leaving Zariel ready to kill the next person he saw by the time he stepped out. Aurelia soothed his annoyance, reluctantly handing him her last chocolate cookie. He had hidden it well, but Zariels sweet tooth was larger than hers, and Genny often found him in the kitchen baking a few sweets to appease his cravings.