CHAPTER ONE
Vesper
Vesper was pissed. She slunk through cobbled streets and darkened alleyways—the path illuminated only by faint moonlight as she fled. The smell of smoke clung to her clothes and short hair, evidence of the building Bellamy had decided to set on fire. So much for fucking clean up. Bellamy was hot on her heels, but Vesper didn’t slow down until they were far enough away that the smoke no longer lingered in the air.
She still saw the billowing plumes streaking through the night sky, wreaking havoc. Sirens screeched from all directions.Magickless.Vesper scoffed, it was always so fucking noisy here.
Turning down another quiet alley, she led them toward an empty side road. The brick buildings towered over them, closing in. The alley was barely large enough for two people to walk side by side. Both moons were now fully hidden behind the clouds of smoke snuffing out the sky. The only illumination came from the single dim street lamp at the other end of the alley.
Pallets leaned against the side of one building, making it a tight squeeze the further they moved until they were close to being trapped. Vesper stopped abruptly.
She had been stewing in her anger, saving it for when they were safe, and now, she could finally let it out. She turned in aflash. Bellamy had been so close behind her that she barely had to reach out at all.
Grabbing Bellamy by the throat, Vesper slammed her against the wall, using the pallets as cover—they’d be hidden well until morning if Vesper so chose.
Bellamy sucked in a sharp breath. Her bright, grey eyes went wide, but her mouth clamped shut.
“One. Fucking. Job,” Vesper snarled, looking down at Bellamy. Her pulse pounded wildly against Vesper’s fingers and she squeezed. Not enough to cut off her oxygen supply—she couldn’t kill her, as much as she might want to—just hard enough to make her gasp for breath.
“I did my fucking job,” Bellamy wheezed. She grasped Vesper’s arm, blunt nails digging into flesh. Vesper gritted her teeth at the sting but didn’t relent.
“You set the damn building on fire. This was supposed to be discreet!” Vesper hissed. “There isnothingless discreet than these fucking sirens and the smoke signaling to the entire district. The flames alone, Bellamy.”
Bellamy sucked in another breath, more ragged than gasping. Her grip on Vesper’s arm loosened. “Are you gonna punish me?” she asked, biting her lip. Bellamy closed her eyes and let out the softest moan when Vesper tightened her grip.
“Go fuck yourself.”
Bellamy’s heated gaze snapped back to her. Vesper narrowed her gaze at Bellamy. Her pupils were blown, her pulse rapid beneath Vesper’s grip. Vesper scoffed. She wouldnotgive in to this. Not tonight.
“Fuck me yourself, you coward,” Bellamy breathed. They were so close that Vesper felt more than saw when Bellamy tried to close the distance. Jerking away, she shoved Bellamy to the side. Bellamy was absolutelynotfucking winning.
Vesper clenched her fists, aching to do exactly what Bellamy was goading her into—punish her until she begged for mercy. Shaking her head, she grumbled, “You’re pathetic.”Her voice was strained. She couldn’t look at Bellamy anymore.
Overwhelmed by the need to get away, to escape before she tangled her fingers in those dark blue curls—before she made a mistake—she strode away. She slipped easily around the pallets and out onto the relatively empty street, not looking back.
It didn’t matter what Vesper ached to do, shehadto be done. Had to get out of this shitty district with those fucking migraine-inducing sirens and away from Bellamy’s temptation.
How anyone lived here was beyond her. It wasn’t like the magickless were forced to stay, clustered together—safety in numbers or whatever—rotting in their own filth, living in their decrepit buildings with their uneven, cobblestone roads. It was rumored they were being protected by the Dampeners who survived long enough to find shelter here. Vesper didn’t believe it.
Regardless, the longer she and Bellamy stayed, the more danger they were in. Vesper hated these jobs, and she hated this district. The air alone was filled with despair. Well, it had the sharp, acridity of smoke now too. Thanks to Bellamy.
Vesper fumed some more. None of her anger had vanished after Bellamy’s little stunt, not that she thought it would. Fucking reckless to blow that building up, to start that fire.
The sooner she was out of this place, the better. The magickless were a dangerous lot, though Vesper wasn’t worried much. She’d already had to kill three people tonight, and they hadn’t been the easy kills their client had anticipated. She expended way more magical Energy than planned for, and then on top of that, they had to run for way too long because of Bellamy’s fucking fire. Vesper fucking hated running.
Bellamy hadn’t discussed the fire with Vesper first. Of course not, why would she? She was difficult at the best of times, and to say their communication was lacking would be the biggest understatement of the year.
Vesper found herself lamenting their contract more and more with each passing assignment. That pesky little clause. Allcontracts had it, which prevented them from killing one another, kept them both alive—together. A necessary evil when you force assassins to work in pairs. Still fucking annoying.
A deep inhale revealed the smokey essence still lingering on Vesper's clothes. She really had to get out of here. Vesper couldn’t wait for a shower and to pass out in her bed.
Only to wake up in the morning for another fucking assignment.
CHAPTER TWO
Vesper
Light hit Vesper’s closed eyes way too early. She dragged herself out of bed, kicking a fallen blanket out of her way as she shuffled the short distance to the bathroom. She groaned at the sight in her mirror, her too-short hair was a fucking mess—sticking out at all angles.
