The back alley smelled of rotten food and urine, and Kamira chose her steps carefully, hoping her boots wouldn’t sink into something vile, even though the moonless night made the task close to impossible. The stench seemed to stick to her skin, making her yearn for another bath.
“What happened?”
She’d expected it but still twitched when Veelk’s voice came from behind. By the pact, for someone so big to move so lightly was inhuman, and she had no doubt that he enjoyed giving her that slight jump to keep her on her toes, and—as he liked to say—to remind her of any dangers that lurked in the dark, ready to take advantage of an unsuspecting arcanist. She sneered at that thought. As unskilled in combat as she was, her survival instincts had never failed her, and she often had her barrier up e
