Lilac Child Chapter 3

Zini slowed her pace, softening her steps as she turned into her road. The narrow gap between the buildings kept the sun from bearing down on the cobbles, but it amplified every step and whispered voice. Funnelling it all to the end, where the road dropped away to rooftops and the underside of the Iron Bridge.

The old man sat in front of her building in his usual spot, the enormous hound that belonged to her landlady at his side. He was smiling as he always was and staring with unseeing eyes at the alleyway across from him while his hands worked deftly at the slip of leather on his lap. Needle and tough thread passing through with practised movements. Zini crept along, careful to avoid any of the rubbish in the gutter or the cats that lurked in doorways. The dog sat up and swung its head from side to side before settling on Zini. It let out a deep bark before laying down again. “Hello, Zini,” Reshi said, turning his weather-beaten face in her rough direction. To his right was a stack of leather strips and a half-finished shoe tucked under his leg while he worked on the other. “That’s not fair. Kola spotted me first.” Zini sat down next to the dog and scratched its back. The grateful hound rested its enormous head on her lap and let out a satisfied sigh.

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