"Get down!" Cassian rasped, his broad hand slamming into my shoulder to drag me into the shadow of a decaying stone archway.
The heavy thud of iron-soled boots echoed down the narrow cobblestone alley. Three High Council enforcers marched past our hiding spot, their silver-trimmed cloaks sweeping through the mud, broadswords drawn and ready.
I pressed my back flat against the freezing brick, holding my breath until the sound of their footsteps faded into the ambient noise of the lower city. The stench of wet soot, stale river water, and woodsmoke hung heavy in the air. We had made it back to the capital, but the city was no longer a home, it was a cage.
"That's the third patrol in two blocks," Lyra muttered under her breath, pulling her oversized cowl deeper over her face. "They've lock
