We left the fish-market safe room the way the hunters expected us to: loud enough to be noticed, wounded enough to look desperate, and moving north. The street was empty, the lamps unlit. Our footsteps echoed off the walls, a deliberate invitation.
Lina took the first turn without being told. She had stopped asking whether the plan would work. She simply adjusted her grip on the short blade and matched our uneven pace. The brand under its wrapping gave a hard, eager pulse as soon as we stepped into the open street. The tracking charm had reacquired us the moment we surfaced. Perfect. That was exactly what we needed.
Darius's voice was low and rough beside me. "We give them a clear trail for twenty minutes. Long enough for the water route to clear the inner quays. Then we disappear again.
