up,” the lamplighter said.
The gap closed, and the lamplighters rushed us. Although the kids showed an impressive amount of skill, the math just wasn’t in our favor. Shorter weapons and a dozen against four. My switchblade was knocked from my hand, and it didn’t take long for the four of us to be backed against the building.
A torch was thrust at my chest. “Hands up, or we’ll set your clothes on fire.”
I didn’t need any more incentive. I held my arms up as heat brushed my face. The bright light seared my vision, turning everything behind the fire black. Next to me, Fisk punched one of the lamplighters, but another ambusher swung his torch at Fisk’s temple. Knocked unconscious, Fisk collapsed to the ground with a heart-stopping thud. Lyle and Natalie dove through the lamplighters’ legs, and four of the attackers chased them. I hoped they escaped.
“Lace your hands behind your head,” a voice ordered me.
I did as instructed, not only hooking my fingers together, but through my bun as well.
“Turn around.”
I faced the wall. Someone grabbed my wrists. Then each one was pulled down behind my back and snapped into a cuff. These guys weren’t taking any chances. But they failed to check my hands. I held two fistfuls of bobby pins.
Dousing their torches, they ignored my questions as they led me through the Citadel without saying a word. I hated to admit it, but posing as lamplighters had been a smart move. No one so much as glanced at us. Six of them kept me boxed in the middle, hidden from casual view. I dropped one bobby pin after each turn, hoping that Valek could follow my trail and I didn’t run out before we reached our destination.
I wondered just how long they’d been waiting for me to leave the security of HQ. The ambush must have taken some planning. Did they set it in motion as soon as I was spotted this afternoon? How did they know I’d still be out at twilight?
Did it really matter at this point? No. All that mattered was that it had worked, and I was caught.
We entered the rings of warehouses, factories and businesses in the central area of the Citadel. Looping around to the alley behind a sprawling structure, the lamplighters led me inside. Before I stepped over the threshold, I dropped my last two bobby pins. Piles of crates littered the floor, and we wove around them before stopping at a set of stairs that disappeared down to the dark basement.
One of the group found a lantern and lit it. A skittery prickle coated my skin as we descended. My imagination conjured up visions of a dank cell and being tortured. I slowed. Hands grabbed my arms and pulled me along. At the bottom of the steps was a narrow hallway, and at the end was another door. My insides turned to goo and I braced for the horrors that waited for me within.
VALEK
“That’s it?” Onora asked, sounding disappointed. “Thought I’d get to see a show. You versus The Mosquito on a rooftop venue.”
Valek gestured with his bloody dagger to the four prone forms around her bare feet. “Thanks for the help.”
She shrugged. “Trapping you in a null shield wasn’t fair.”
“Are they dead?”
“No.”
“The Commander send you?”
“Yup.” Onora studied Valek without emotion. She had pulled her long brown hair into a bun on top of her head. “But you knew that already.”
“It never hurts to pretend ignorance.”
“Or to have people underestimate you.”
“Yup.” Valek wondered if that was a hint about her true abilities. He’d expected her to ambush him, not square off against him in a fair fight. That meant she was either crazy, brave or very confident. He’d put his money on confidence.
Onora stepped over The Mosquito’s sleeping goons. When she was within six feet, she pulled her daggers. Valek excelled at knife fighting, but Onora had been trained by the same teacher—and she was about twenty years younger than him.
He met her gaze. “Stay in Sitia with us. We need you.”
There was a split-second flash of hesitation in her gray eyes, and then it was gone. “I gave my loyalty to the Commander. I don’t go back on my word.”
“The Commander is not the same man I pledged my loyalty to. Even you have to admit he’s changed.” When she didn’t respond, he added, “You’re taking orders from Owen Moon now.”
“I thought only Janco talked this much before a fight.”
Valek shrugged. “Just trying to prevent an unnecessary death.”
“Keep it up, and I’m gonna die of boredom.”
Valek laughed. “Now who’s picking up habits from Janco?”
She pressed her lips together and slid into a fighting stance. He waited for her to make the first move. Good thing he didn’t blink, because when she came at him, he barely blocked her knives in time. His suspicions were correct—Onora had been hiding her skills.
This was going to be...interesting.
At five feet eight inches, Onora was four inches shorter than Valek, but she made up for her height disadvantage with speed and agility. Valek remained on the defensive as she shuffled in close, executed a flurry of strikes and danced back before he could counter. Then she switched tactics, circling him and coming in at an angle. Worry flickered in his chest.
“The Commander’s been training you,” he said.
“Yup.”
A brief stab of hurt and jealousy almost broke his concentration. While the Commander had always been willing to spar, he’d never offered to teach his fighting techniques to Valek.
Fire raced across his neck as her blade skimmed over the skin, snapping Valek back to the fight. He returned his full attention to Onora. But an impressive number of cuts peppered his arms and ribs by the time Valek had seen enough of her tactics to plan a counterattack. The next time she stepped forward, he also shuffled in close.
Valek launched an aggressive offensive of strikes with not only his blades but also his feet. His longer legs kept Onora at a distance.
She grinned at the new challenge. Grinned. Ah, hell.
He kept the pressure on her but knew he wouldn’t be able to maintain the pace for long. Already he sucked in breaths, while she appeared unfazed by the exertion. Real fear pumped through his heart.
He changed tactics again, this time trying all his tricks. He hooked her ankle and sent her to the ground. She rolled and regained her feet with ease. Valek poured on the speed and backed her toward the edge of the roof. She dodged and sidestepped.
Then he started fighting dirty. She growled, but countered. In a flash of understanding, Valek knew he wouldn’t win
