The darkness inside the ballroom felt like a thick liquid, swallowing every sound. Cassian did not wait for his eyes to adjust. His senses, honed through years of Syndicate operations, instantly mapped the room. He could feel the shift in the air beside him—someone moving far too fast for a typical party guest.
Lianna! Get down! Cassian shouted, his voice booming over the frantic screams of the guests.
Cassian lunged forward, grabbing Lianna by the shoulder and pulling her under a sturdy teak table just as a shimmering silver object sliced through the air, thudding into the wall exactly where Lianna’s head had been a second ago.
Cassian? What was that? Lianna gasped, her fingers gripping Cassian’s suit jacket with painful strength.
Stay here. Do not move, Cassian whispered, his voice t
