"Amara, look! The Firebird Troupe is about to start their performance!" Pearl shouted. She grabbed my arm and pulled me through the crowd toward a large wooden stage in the middle of the plaza.
"Wow, there are a lot of people here," Des said, trying to protect a bag of roasted nuts from being crushed by the moving crowd.
The center of the square was packed. Street performers dressed in bright orange and red silks were juggling balls of real fire, making them dance in patterns that looked like glowing wings. But the moment Malachi and I stepped closer to the edge of the crowd, the people around us stopped looking at the stage.
"Oh my gosh, look over there," a girl nearby whispered to her friend. "Is that the handsome merchant from stall fourteen?"
"It is him!" another girl squeaked, her face turning pink instantly. "He looks even more stunning out here in the light. Do you think he's single?"
