With a wink, Jared jerked his head toward the common room, and Anji and Kit slipped through the door and made for the stairs, the sounds of a lively argument following them up.

Chapter 30

30

“He’s cute,” Anji said, struggling with her bootlaces. “You could send me off to Conifor and stay here. No one would know.”

“Quiet,” said Kit from the room’s opposite side. She’d returned her swords and knives to their sheaths and now sat on her mattress strapping her boots on. That finished, she gathered up her mask and clipped it to her belt, the blue bag’s handle clutched in her other hand. Jared had left a canvas bag bulging with food and changes of clothes for them on Kit’s bed, which she grabbed and pushed into Anji’s arms. “Looks like we’re packed. Are you ready?”

“Hang on,” Anji said, scanning the room. “Oh yeah, you have everything I own.”

“That wasn’t funny the first time you said it.”

“Not much of a joke if it’s true.”

Kit inhaled deeply and said, “You’ve still got your clothes and boots. I could ride you through town naked.”

Anji raised her eyebrows. “You into that?”

A voice called from outside. Another answered. A cart rattled past on the stones, horse whickering.

“What were you two talking about?” Anji said, standing from the bed. “At the table. You mentioned something to Jared about having numbers…”

“If it concerned you I would tell you about it,” snapped the Hawk.

“Fine, fine,” Anji said with a mock sigh. “But I’m not convinced you—”

A wooden crash echoed downstairs.

“What was that?” Anji said, blinking around at the room.

“Be silent,” whispered Kit, slipping her mask on. She moved across the room to the door, pressing an ear to the wood.

Another crash sounded. Harsh voices arguing.

“Berip and Jared are down—”

“I said quiet,” Kit hissed, backing away from the door. “It’s her. We have to leave.”

Anji’s heart hammered against her ribs. Her lower lip trembled.

Knife flashing, clicking through bone. The pain flooding after, followed by that scouring darkness. She flexed her uninjured hand, now slick with sweat.

“What do we do? Nine, how can we fight both of them? I don’t even have two working hands—”

“Stop,” Kit spat. She pointed to Anji’s other boot, still unlaced. “Tie that, listen to what I say, and keep your mouth shut or we all die.”

The tone in Kit’s voice gave Anji pause; she’d never heard the woman this … afraid? She chanced a look outside. “Maybe we could signal for help?” She turned to ask again when Kit didn’t say anything but found the woman facing her, a knife in one hand. Anji’s heart leapt into her throat and she took a step back.