The chaos of the underground market had barely begun to settle when Beatrice, Lila, and Francois slipped into a narrow alleyway between two fabric stalls. The curtain of noise and lights muffled behind them, but Beatrice could still feel the tension pulsing beneath her skin.
Francois checked over his shoulder, then gestured toward an old archway hidden in shadow.
"There. That leads to the back tunnels. We can circle around and—"
"Going somewhere without me? Rude."
The voice was unmistakable.
Beatrice halted in her tracks, heart stuttering.
Magnus Da Ville stood a few paces away, leaning casually against the stone wall as if he'd been waiting for them the entire time. His cloak was darker than usual, hood pushed back to reveal the familiar smirk tugging at his mouth. A sword hung at his hip, casual but visible.
Lila blinked. "You?"
