She removed the knife as Teo reentered the room. Then, avoiding each other’s gaze, she and Ryuu followed Teo out of the apartment.

The sun beat down on them heavily when they reached street level and headed south, stopping at a bank first for Ryuu to withdraw money to pay Raurie’s aunt. Aina began to sweat under her jacket and scarf, but she wouldn’t take them off even if she were boiling. Each hand gripped the hilt of a dagger under her jacket. She was more confident than yesterday after the fight in the warehouse, but she still had to be careful.

Every sight of a Diamond Guard made her pulse race, and every person tattooed with a gang’s markings made her wonder who would try to kill her next. But she had to be out in the open and get her job done if she wanted her life back. Hiding would get her nowhere.

She led the way to a set of alleys south of the Center and the square with King Verrain’s statue. Her eyes watered under the bright sun, and as they crossed an intersection, she almost missed hearing the distinctive whistle of metal cutting through air.

She dodged the brunt of the attack, but her calf seared in pain as the dagger flew past her and left a sharp cut. She dropped to her knees and rolled out of the way as a streak of bright blue hair appeared at the corner of her vision. Coming to a stand in the shadow of a building, pulse pounding in her ears, she pulled out the pair of scythes strapped to her thighs.

“Stay out of it!” she yelled at Teo, who had moved toward Tannis with murder in his eyes. He backed away reluctantly, but didn’t take his gaze off Tannis as he did.

“Heard you got fired.” Gold, hawklike eyes as bright as the sun flashed at Aina.

Her lips twitched. “It’s more of a suspension.”

She kept her face straight as if those words weren’t like broken glass in her mouth. The Jackals coming after her had been one sign that her old life was gone, but Tannis attacking her felt more personal.

“Give up, street child,” Tannis said in a low voice that only Aina could hear. Pedestrians slowed and pointed, many of them stopping to watch what would happen next, some of their eyes lighting up like this was a free show for them to enjoy. “Kohl doesn’t trust you enough to finish this job, so he’s put me in charge of fixing your mistakes. Whichever one of us does it first gets to live. So, I thought, why not get rid of the competition now?”

Teo caught her eye and nodded. If he helped her win, it would make her look weak and pathetic.

This was her battle.

Catching Tannis off guard, she feinted with one scythe and struck with the other. Tannis blocked the attack with her own blade, metal clanging while several gasps rose up from the bystanders. When Tannis thrust her blade upward, Aina fell back, gritting her teeth.