Page 98 of Revels on an Angel’s Grave

The first man grunted in confirmation. Emmeline leaned around the stacks of trash, trying to get a better view, but the rain was picking up, and the light was too dim.

“I hope so.”

The third voice laughed. “Why do you hope so? You’re not competing.”

“No, but who says whoever gets her can’t disappear one night? Take her for myself. Get out of this Fatesdamned city. Magic like that could make a lot of money selling fortunes on the road.”

The others snickered. “The magic alone is worth it, but she’s also a fine piece.”

The conversation tightened Emmeline’s throat, their hunger for her dousing her skin in ice water. She couldn’t even go out for one night in this starsforsaken city without being wanted.

She retreated quickly, but after what they’d said, she wasn’t as aware of her surroundings as she should be. The edge of her cloak snagged on the corner of a crate, and the pile toppled over, crashing against the stone floors.

“Fates,” Emmeline swore beneath her breath.

“Who’s there?” one of the men called.

Footsteps splashed through the puddles toward her, and Emmeline let her eyes slip closed with a resigned sigh. She really hadn’t planned on killing anyone tonight, but she whipped a triple-blade from her thigh and sent it flying toward them. It landed with a solid squelch followed by the target’s cry and two threatening shouts.

She didn’t wait for their minds to catch up to what she’d done.

She ran.

At the end of the alley, she whipped around the corner and smacked face first into a broad form. She was reaching for another knife before she could think but a familiar, disgruntled voice whispered, “Easy there.”

“Graves?” Emmeline asked, bewildered as he pulled her behind a swinging tavern door, the lights in the place off.

“Come here.” He wrestled her through the closed dining room and out the back door. In the rainy mystlight, her guard’s tired expression came into view.

“How did you find me?” she asked when she was certain they hadn’t been followed.

“After the scene today, I guessed this was where you’d go when you weren’t in your suite.”

Fates, she swore he was patrolling the other end of the wing when she snuck out. She must have miscalculated the time it took him to make his loop.

At least he thought she was here for the murder, not her personal vendettas.

“You can’t be coming out here alone,” Graves said.

Guilt twisted through her. Not for Graves—for Roremar and her friends. Graves was trying to do his job, and she wouldn’t let that deter her goals, but she’d promised them she’d be more careful, and then she’d almost been attacked. Again.

She couldn’t sit idly by as this city ate away pieces of her, though. And she’d gotten information from the Archives that she desperately needed. A little blood was worth it.

“I’m fine,” Emmeline swore, not willing to repeat any of that to her guard. “They were only stupid men. Probably didn’t know their heads from their asses.”

They weren’t the ones working on the Fate of Chaos and Revelry’s rituals.

“You aren’t listening, Miss DeLeoste,” Graves cut her off, tone gruff but full of the respect and care so few in this city showed her. Enough to make her halt. “You heard those idiots. There are hundreds of them out there, and the things those three were saying pale in comparison to what else I’ve overheard. What they’re doing to you is wrong, but don’t make it easier for them.”

“I won’t live in a cage,” Emmeline bit out.

“I’m not asking you to.”

“What are you saying then?”

“You’re a smart girl. Act like it.”

Emmeline didn’t bother pointing out to Graves that the issue wasn’t that what she did tonight wasn’t smart. It was that no matter where she went in this city someone wanted her.