Steel clashed, slicing through the quiet night like a song of violence.
Cassian moved fast—faster than I expected. His blade was a silver streak in the moonlight, cutting precise arcs that forced me to stay on the defensive. But speed wasn't everything.
I was faster.
I twisted, ducking low as his rapier sliced past my shoulder. My dagger flicked out in response, aiming for the gap between his ribs. He barely dodged, pivoting with a sharp efficiency that told me one thing—he had expected it.
He was learning.
A thrill rushed through me. Good.
I kicked off the deck, launching myself toward the ship's rigging. My fingers caught the thick rope, swinging me upward, out of his reach. Cassian was right behind me, his boots landing lightly on the lower beams.
"You enjoy making things difficult," he said, voice calm despite the fight.
I grinned. "And you enjoy chasing me. I think we're both exactly where we want to be."
His eyes darkened at that.
Then he struck.
I barely had time to shift as his sword whistled through the air, slicing a lock of hair from my cheek. Too close. I released my grip on the rope, letting gravity take me, twisting midair to catch onto another beam below. The impact rattled my bones, but I kept moving.
Cassian dropped down after me, relentless.
I met his attack mid-swing, our blades scraping against each other with a screech of steel. He pushed forward, using his strength to drive me back against the mast.
Trapped.
He leaned in, his breath warm against my skin. "Surrender."
I laughed, shoving against his sword with all my strength. "Not in this lifetime."
Then I did something reckless.
I let go of my dagger.
His eyes flicked to the falling blade—a mistake.
I grabbed the front of his coat and yanked, twisting our positions, slamming him against the mast instead. In the same motion, I caught my dagger before it hit the deck and pressed the blade against his throat.
Cassian froze.
We were both breathing hard, our bodies pressed too close, the tension between us thick enough to cut.
"Looks like I win this round," I murmured.
His lips twitched. "You think so?"
A sharp pain bloomed at my side.
I looked down.
His own dagger was pressed against my ribs, the tip just barely biting into my skin.
Damn him.
Neither of us moved. The sounds of the guards rushing up the gangplank filled the air, but neither of us looked away from each other.
Cassian's grip was firm, but there was something unreadable in his expression. Something almost... reluctant.
Then, to my shock, he sighed and lowered his weapon.
"Go," he said.
I blinked. "What?"
"Leave. Before the others arrive."
I didn't move. "Why?"
A muscle in his jaw tensed. "Because if they catch you, they'll kill you. And I'm not done playing this game yet."
I studied him for a second longer, searching for deception. But there was none.
Without another word, I turned and ran.
The night swallowed me whole, the thrill of victory laced with confusion.
Cassian had let me go.
And that was the most dangerous thing of all.
Cassian letting me go should have been a relief. It should have made my escape easier.
Instead, it made my heart pound harder than any blade at my throat ever had.
I sprinted across the docks, my boots barely making a sound against the slick wooden planks. The night wrapped around me like a cloak, but my mind was still caught in that last moment—his eyes, the tension in his grip, the hesitation.
Cassian didn't hesitate.
Not ever.
So why now?
A shout rang out behind me. The guards. I didn't have time to think about it.
I ducked between crates, scaling a stack of barrels in one fluid motion, vaulting over the edge of a rooftop. My landing was rough—I bit my lip against the sting in my ribs—but I kept moving.
The city spread out below me, a labyrinth of slanted rooftops and twisting alleyways. I knew every escape route, every blind turn that could swallow me whole. The streets belonged to me.
A gunshot cracked through the air. Wood splintered inches from my foot.
I cursed under my breath and leapt to the next rooftop. The guards were still chasing, but they were too slow. Too clumsy.
They'd never catch me.
But Cassian?
That was another story.
---
By the time I reached the safehouse, my lungs burned and my limbs ached. It was a small, forgotten space tucked behind an abandoned tailor's shop—nothing more than a single room with a rickety cot and a stash of stolen goods.
I pushed inside, bolting the door behind me.
Then I let myself breathe.
The fight replayed in my mind, every strike, every counter, every shift in his stance. Cassian had been playing to win—until he wasn't.
I ran a finger over the fresh tear in my coat where his dagger had pressed against my ribs.
He could have killed me.
He should have killed me.
And yet, he let me go.
I didn't like debts. I owed nothing to no one. But this? This was something else entirely.
Something dangerous.
I reached into my pocket, pulling out the only thing I had managed to steal before the fight broke out—a single slip of parchment, folded neatly.
My prize.
Unfolding it, my eyes scanned the words, and my stomach turned to ice.
Royal transport. Versailles. Three days.
I cursed.Margot was right.
This wasn't just a shipment.
This was something bigger.
Something deadly.
And I had just walked straight into the middle of it.