“I come here when I need to get away from people.When I don’t want anyone to find me.”His eyes sparkled.“Well, peopleusuallycan’t find me.But I’m happy about my failure to hide this time.What about you?Why are you here in this place where only thieves and misanthropes dare to tread?”
“I was buying some special herbs from a potion merchant,” I said, pointing to my pack.
“That makes sense, except…” Darion tapped his chin.“All the potion merchants are back that way.”He pointed in the direction from which I had just come.“What brings you to the very edge of the Lantern Mile?”
My mind went blank.I hadn’t expected to meet anyone I knew here and had no cover story planned.“I’m headed to the catacombs,” I blurted.
“What?”Darion nearly spat out his cider.“Are you serious?Whatever for?”
That was where my honesty ended.“A scavenger hunt,” I lied.It was a weak lie, but it was the best I could come up with, given the circumstances.
“Bloody serious scavenger hunt.”Darion’s smile broadened, a mischievous glint in his eyes.“Can I join you?”
Yeah, it was a terrible lie.Now what was I supposed to say?I couldn’t very well drag Darion into the catacombs.
“Well, today I’m just scouting.The scavenger hunt isn’t until…later.”I almost rolled my eyes at myself.This lie was getting worse by the minute.But maybe scouting the catacombs wasn’t the worst idea.It might be a prudent thing to do, and tomorrow I could come back without Darion in tow.
“I’d still like to join you, if you don’t mind,” Darion said with sad eyes that were hard to resist, looking up at me through thick lashes.“It would be very nostalgic.I used to explore them when I was a teen.”
“You did?”I raised my eyebrows.Exploring the catacombs was not for the meek.Many people died or went missing there each year.
“Well, I never went in too far.It was all to impress a boy I had a crush on.”Darion’s cheeks turned the slightest bit rosy, and there was a hint of vulnerability in his expression.It was infuriatingly adorable.
I had assumed that his tastes leaned toward men, what with the way he flirted openly with me, but this was the first indisputable confirmation, and it made my heart flutter unexpectedly.Everything about Darion was unexpected.And annoying.
“That sounds remarkably similar to my own experiences,” I said.
“The exploring part?”Darion paused.“Or the impressing a boy part?”
“Both,” I said—my own indisputable confirmation.
Without another word, I turned and started down the street.If he followed me, so be it.He was a grown man.I could hardly stop him.
I peeked back.He was still sitting at the table, looking like a stray cat hoping for a handout.I let out a long breath.Then I flicked my head in the direction I was headed.With a ridiculous smile, he hopped up from his seat, chugged his cider, tossed a silver onto the table, and raced after me.
We were already near the end of the Lantern Mile, approaching the edge of the Underground, so it didn’t take long before the storefronts and dwellings grew sparse.The few remaining structures were in serious disrepair; several were still just burnt husks from the fires many years ago.The light of the final lantern was now out of sight, so we had only the phosphorescent glow of the moss on the ceiling to guide us.Darion’s handsome face looked almost angelic in the subtle blue light.
This man was an enigma.I knew practically nothing about him, and yet he captivated me in a way I couldn’t explain.It was like an invisible string connected us, attached to my chest, and he kept tugging on it.
“So, who are you exactly?”I said, the words coming out a little more accusatory than intended.
“Darion Thorne, at your service.”He performed a silly bow with a flourish of his hands.“Potion-maker and jack-of-all-trades.”
“Potion-maker.What potion did you need that long list of ingredients for?”
Darion zipped his lips.“Client confidentiality.And what about you, Cas?Who areyou?”
“My sister, Elena, and I just sell herbs, trying to make a life for ourselves.And I’m a bit of a jack-of-all-trades, too.”Which was my way of saying I was a thief.“Cassian Nightbrook’s my full name.”
“Well, Cassian Nightbrook, it’s a pleasure to know you,” Darion said with an easy smile.
“Likewise, Darion Thorne.”
As we continued, the storefronts and dwellings gave way to stone walls, some naturally occurring, some cut into the bedrock.Even the moss’s glow dimmed as we continued.
I reached for a vial from the belt strapped across my chest, and after several vigorous shakes, it emitted a green glow, lighting our path.I tucked it back into its slot.
“Impressive,” Darion said.“Did you make that?”
