“How do you know?”
“Listen to the quiet. It’ll tell you what the noise is trying to hide.”
Small problem…Selene had no idea how to do that.
Over the next few minutes, they traded their shawls for men’s shirts they found dangling on a clothesline and brand-new tricorn hats from a stall outside a millinery. Less than a minute later, a man whistled a tune from the rooftop above, chasing the women onto a different path.
Nothing they did was helping. They would never lose him, and between Selene’s frustration and growing exhaustion, she was prepared to force the man out of hiding. She didn’t care if she wasn’t ready for this fight. This game had to end.
They slowed through alleys cluttered with crates and barrels and breezed through streets emptying of bodies—everyone was heading to The Crossroads.
The women paused to catch a breath outside a building braced by poles angled from the ground to the roof—many of the buildings in this area looked halfway to collapse under one strong gust of wind. Nearly all of them had these supports.
Movement on the cobbled stone drew Selene’s attention. A man’s broad-shouldered silhouette painted the road from the rooftop behind them. The shadow stood still, then turned with the swish of a cloak and vanished.
Selene darted into the street and scanned the area he’d just been standing in. Nothing but low, wispy clouds and sunlight came into view.
Petrina frowned. “He’s toying with us.”
“We need help, and the Blades are still occupied.”
That particular fight was still being whispered about everywhere they stopped, though she was now beginning to question whether or not there weretwo“foreigner” fights. The Rangers, maybe? One was located nearby—the Blades—but another was miles away in a whole other district of town.
“Let’s head for the docks,” Petrina said. Sweat streamed down her temples, and heat flushed her cheeks. “I hate to bring anyone aboard the ship into this, but you’re right. We need help.”
Selene had never known this woman to admit defeat so willingly. It must have taken a lot for her to agree to accept that they were up against someone they couldn’t face on their own.
Petrina started to go, but Selene held her wrist. “I’m sorry you got caught up in this.”
The Eye smirked. “Don’t do that.”
“Do what? You were free. You didn’t have to follow me onto Thorne’s ship?—”
“I already explained this. One way or another, if it’s in life or her afterlife, Alexandra is going to know who kept you breathing. That fucking bitch will know it wasme.” Petrina smiled. “Besides. It helps me sleep at night.”
Without another word, they slipped into a narrow alley. The walls seemed to tighten as they strode through, and the crunching sound of footsteps on shingles followed their every move.
Petrina glanced up every so often as she increased her pace. Ahead, a weather-beaten wall bisected the alley. Crates were clustered up against it like a haphazard staircase.
“We’re climbing over,” Petrina whispered. “We have to go fast.”
The top of those crates brought them very close to the roof and their stalker, whose steps had once again gone utterly silent.
Selene’s heartbeat thrummed in her ears, and it became increasingly difficult to swallow. “I’ll cover you.”
Petrina nodded, then took off into a sprint.
Selene remained close on her heels, emptying her mind of all thoughts as she mirrored Petrina’s leaping steps up the collage of crates. The angled rooftop with turquoise shingles came into view?—
Empty.
He wasn’t there.
Petrina leapt atop the final crate, and with one hand on the makeshift wall, she brought her legs and hip over the top and vanished.
Selene swept a final look over the rooftop as she, too, made the leap, the wood splintering under her grip.
Selene hit the ground just in time to see Petrina rise from a crouch?—
