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Hali let out the breath she’d been holding, her heart still pounding. “Osric, you idiot. You scared me.”
“I told you to stay on the rooftops,” he said, his voice low. “It’s not safe down here.”
“Obviously,” she said, nodding to where her quarry had vanished. “Did you see which way they went?”
He shook his head. “They’re good. I’ll give them that.”
Hali’s eyes narrowed. “You sound almost impressed.”
Osric’s lips twitched in the darkness. “I am. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to let them get away.”
He gestured for her to follow, and they darted down the alley, their footsteps silent on the cobblestones. The narrow passage twisted and turned, the darkness pressing in around them. Hali’s heart was racing, but she forced herself to stay calm. She’d faced worse than this, she told herself. She could handle a little game of cat and mouse.
The alley opened out into a wider street, and they caught a glimpse of their quarry’s cloak as it vanished around a corner. Without a word, Hali and Osric set off in pursuit, their boots pounding on the cobblestones. They were gaining on their quarry, the magic in the air their beacon.
Osric pressed a finger to his lips, signaling for silence. Hali nodded, her heart pounding from both exertion and Osric’s proximity. They crouched low in the shadows as their quarry came into view, a cloaked figure moving down the street. The figure glanced around furtively before slipping inside a large, run-down mansion across the street.
“Come on,” Osric mouthed, and Hali followed as he made his way across the street, staying close to the buildings to avoid being seen. They reached the mansion and pressed themselves against the wall, the ancient stonework cool and gritty beneath Hali’s palms.
“Think they’re the ones who’ve been after the grimoire?” she whispered.
Osric’s jaw clenched, the hard line of his profile a stark silhouette in the darkness. “Only one way to find out.”
They peered into the mansion’s overgrown gardens, the tangle of weeds and brambles casting eerie shadows in the moonlight. The cloaked figure had vanished, but a dim light flickered in one of the upper windows, like a candle being lit.
“Let’s go,” Osric said, and with a final glance to make sure they weren’t being watched, he led the way as they slipped into the gardens.
“Wait,” Hali said, a sudden realization dawning on her. “This is one of their safehouses, isn’t it? The Obsidian Circle’s?”
Osric’s gaze swept over the overgrown gardens, the neglected mansion. “I think you might be right. They certainly have the resources to maintain a property like this, even if it’s gone to seed.”
“This changes everything. We could learn so much from this place, if we’re careful. About their operations, their leadership?—”
She broke off as Osric grabbed her arm, his expression suddenly grave. “First we have to get out of here. We can’t risk them knowing we’ve discovered their safehouse.”
Hali nodded, her mind already racing with plans. She and Osric slipped back into the shadows, moving quickly and quietly as they retraced their steps through the gardens. As they reached the front gates, Hali risked a glance back at the mansion, the ancient stones looming over her like a dark omen.
“We’ll be back,” she vowed, and with one last look, she followed Osric out into the night.
“Maybe we should head back to the shop,” Osric said, glancing warily at the surrounding buildings. “It’s too risky to get any closer tonight.”
“You’re right. We don’t want to tip them off. But we have to do something. We can’t just let them get away.”
“We won’t,” Osric said, his voice steady. “But we need a plan. We can’t just go charging in there blind.”
As they headed back through the quiet streets of Luminara, Hali’s thoughts were already racing ahead, spinning wild tales of intrigue and danger. “What if we disguised ourselves as members of the Obsidian Circle and tried to infiltrate their ranks? Or what if we set a trap of our own, lured them out of the safehouse somehow?—”
“Hali,” Osric said. “I love your enthusiasm, but we have to be careful. These people are dangerous, and they’re not to be underestimated.”
She deflated, but nodded. “I know. I just want to catch them, that’s all.”
“I do too. But we have to be smart about it. We’ll figure something out, I promise.”
“Thank you for the wonderful evening, Osric,” Hali said, as they arrived back at the Folio & Fancy. “I suppose I should let you get some rest, after all that excitement.”
“Rest?” Osric asked, a mischievous glint in his eye. “Who said anything about resting?”
Hali’s pulse quickened. She knew she should probably scold him, tell him it wasn’t proper for a gentleman to spend the night at a lady’s residence. But the truth was, she didn’t want the night to end, either. She didn’t want to say goodbye to the warmth of his hand in hers, or the way his eyes crinkled at the corners when he smiled.
