Taven sighed and watched in apparent apathy as the last of his men disappeared down various streets and alleys. Aurora wanted to open her mouth to call out to him, but a thread of wariness held her back. And she was glad for it a moment later when his disinterest disappeared between one blink and the next. His tall frame taut with tension, Taven glanced around, then turned and strolled quickly down the road that led back toward what remained of the Eye.

She waited one quick breath, then another. She shook her head, knowing that it was reckless even as she swung her leg over the edge of the roof.

Three floors. Too far to jump. She kicked at a metal downspout, and decided the pipe was sturdy enough to get her to one of the lower windows at least. She could have used one of Jinx’s vines right about now.

She only gave herself time for a short inhale, then she swung herself down over the roof, feet scrambling for purchase against the wall as she held tight to the downspout. Heart thundering, she began an ungainly slide down the side of the building. The pipe creaked under her weight, but held long enough for her to drop down to the ledge of a second-floor window.

A glance showed that Taven was nearly out of sight. She decided that there was no time to be cautious. She crouched on the ledge, and then leaped.

She landed with a jolt, pain shooting up her legs, but she let her momentum carry her forward into a roll, and she came up walking, her ankles tender, but otherwise unhurt.

She checked to make sure her hair was still covered by her hood, then darted down the road after Taven, only limping for the first few strides. She stuck to the shadows, and tried to ignore her warring thoughts. She could be making a grave mistake, but she was also tired of feeling hopeless. This was the first time since seeing the destroyed Eye that she saw a clear path forward. Taven could tell her everything she needed to know … if she could trust him. And this might be her only chance to catch him alone.

After a few streets, she had caught up enough that she could slow her pace. She breathed heavily, and her ankles protested, but her eyes remained on Taven. When her former guard passed the charred ruins of the Eye he did not even glance at the destruction. He walked past it with cold indifference.