Raurie nodded. “That will work. We’ll need to be careful, of course. The Diamond Guards aren’t going easy on anyone now. Since the Linasian princess is visiting soon, the Sentinel is trying to stamp out all crime to make the city look more respectable,” she scoffed. “Good luck to them. But there’s so much going on in the Stacks, the Diamond Guards can’t keep track of all of it. We’ll be fine as long as we’re careful.”

As she finished speaking, a door slammed shut. Aina pulled out two knives while tucking away the dagger with Kouta’s blood on it. A gun was already in Teo’s hands, and he passed another one to Ryuu. Raurie stood and withdrew a hammer from under the table.

The chatter of the market died down as everyone turned to watch what was about to happen. For a second, Aina assumed some Diamond Guards had tracked down the place, and all it would take was a few well-placed bribes to keep the night going. But then, roughly twenty people wielding a mix of knives and guns parted the crowd, backing the four of them into a corner. All had the same tattoo on their left forearms of a jackal’s bared jaw, stained bloodred. Nearly half of their gang seemed to be here. The two Jackals who’d nearly beaten her in the alley worked their way to the front of the group. The girl held up a single strand of black hair.

“You should watch where you leave your things,” she said, tossing the strand to the floor and grabbing a gun from a holster at her thigh in one smooth movement.

A jolt of fear shot through Aina, making her take an involuntary step back. She was about to find out whether Kohl’s protection was truly gone.

One of the men nodded at her.

“Miss Solís. I hear you’re no longer employed.”

She said nothing, only narrowed her eyes at his challenging glare. Teo’s hands gripped his gun tighter.

“What are they talking about?” Ryuu whispered, far too loudly.

Her shoulders tensed, and she bent her knees slightly, waiting for her hunter to make his move.

The man lifted his gun and fired straight at her face.

17

She ducked just in time. Screams filled the market as people crashed into each other, trying to escape through the only exit. Wild gunshots punctured the air. She skidded toward the back wall, covering her head as best she could with Ryuu running half crouched behind her.

They reached a low table, and she flipped it on its side so it could serve as a shield. Ryuu ducked behind it, clutching Teo’s gun.

Peering over the table, Aina aimed and flung one of her daggers. The blade whistled through the air, then slashed through the neck of the girl who’d cornered her in the alley a few days ago. She collapsed, her blood staining the floorboards deep red.

At the same time, Teo began firing at the Jackals, his aim flawless even with bystanders speeding past his view.