Aina and Teo locked eyes. She would recognize that part of the city on any map.

“Can’t go there,” she said in a stiff voice. “That’s Jackal territory. They might still be recovering from our fight, but if I walk right onto their streets, that’s a death sentence. Without Kohl’s protection, they can do whatever they want to me, like we saw in the market.”

With a frown, Raurie asked, “What if we made our way there underground instead?”

“Is there another way?” Aina asked quietly. Going underground meant returning to the darkness, and though she’d have to do it to get to her target eventually, she wasn’t eager to return to the tunnels any sooner than she had to.

“Not if you want to avoid the Jackals’ territory,” Raurie said. “We can go through the sewers from anywhere in the city and come underneath their territory to reach the train yard, instead of going above ground where they’d catch you. The sewers are one level down from the subway tunnels.”

“They cross under the tunnels here,” Ryuu said, pointing at the map, “and there’s a maintenance shaft we can use to go up to the train yard where Kouta should be.”

“It’s a good plan,” she said, trying to push away the fear, “but we need more supplies. Smoke bombs, poison darts, knives, grappling hooks, flares.”

“I need guns too,” Teo said. “Lost all my weapons when they arrested me. We can go to the black market to stock up. And in case anyone forgot, we just broke out of prison. More people will be looking for us. Did any of the guards see you clearly?”

“One did,” Ryuu said, biting his lip. “But I don’t think he knew who I was. We’ll have to stay out of the open, though, since they’ll recognize you or Aina.”

Aina nodded. “Let’s get to work.”

30

The cool morning air helped Aina’s senses stay sharp as they weaved west through the seedier parts of the steel mills, warehouses, and textile factories, away from where the Diamond Guards usually patrolled and far from any posters of her face.

A steady rain fell as they walked, leaving the sky a deep gray. Aina’s eyes trailed to the people who slept on the sides of roads, remembering how difficult it was to survive whenever the streets were covered in snow or flooded with rain.

Now, she drew her jacket closer as if to remind herself she’d slept in a warm house last night. But the fear that she’d end up on the streets again never left.

Her eyes kept flicking to Ryuu. Each time, she had to push down the growing sense of guilt she felt for still planning to kill his brother. It had been easy, over the past few years, to always shove aside morals where her job was concerned and to become the Blade she needed to be. All she had to do was remember Kohl’s words the night after her first kill.