Most went to the summer masquerade hoping to find love; she went intending to deliver death.

With seven concealed weapons on her person, it was two more than she originally planned, and that didn't include the poison.

The two pins that held her dark hair in its conglomeration of curls and spirals were easily accessible for close combat. The space between her bosom and the dress' dark corset was sturdy enough to support the weight of the small dagger, and her blossoming cleavage made hiding the hilt just as efficient. The corset itself was sewn into the body of the dress, leaving little room to stash a knife. Luckily, the edging toward the back was open just enough at the bottom that she could store one between the bones next to the bodice lacings.

Another dagger sat comfortably in the garter on her left thigh, easily hidden under her billowing skirts. She made certain the boots she wore would conceal a knife at each calf.

One could say Lilia Cortova always arrived prepared.

She leaned over her vanity for a closer look in the mirror as she applied rouge to her lips and powder to her eyelids. There was nothing overly particular about her appearance, but her eyes were just bright enough, her lips just plump enough, and her bosom just supple enough that she seemed to catch the attention of every man—and woman—she had the pleasure of encountering.

Attraction was just as deadly as it was pleasuring, and her victims found that out in the most painful of fashions.

"You're going to die from overheating if you go out like that tonight."

Lilia's gaze shifted to the reflection of the woman standing in her bedroom doorway, and she couldn't help but smile at her younger sister's observations regarding her dark attire.

"I need somewhere to hide my knives, Cassandra, and this dress is the safest way to do so," she mused as she returned her attention to her own reflection.

"I still say you only need one," her sister countered as she crossed her arms upon her chest while she leaned against the doorway of the lavish bedroom.

"And that is why this assignment is mine, and you're still within your first year of training." After slipping a poison-filled ring upon her left hand, she gave her bodice its last adjustment, and with a final fluff of her piled hair, Lilia turned to face her sibling.

Where Lilia was darker in complexion, her younger sister was far fairer, and the assassin always wondered why Cass wanted to follow her into the depths of the Underground. Cass shined like a ray of sunlight, not a dweller in the shadows. She should be at court, fawning over this lord or that prince, instead of hiding behind a curtain, trying to decipher the best way to kill them.

But Cass insisted and proved herself during her training sessions well enough, and now she prepared for her Trials to take place just months away. There was nothing Lilia could do or say to change her mind; she knew her sister was old enough to manage herself, but it was in the elder Cortova's blood to worry about her.

"Can you at least do something constructive while you stand there?" Lilia finally asked, as she held out a necklace to her sibling.

Cassandra furrowed her brows at her sister's smirk, uncrossing her arms with an annoyed huff. "At least Baz will be there to keep an eye on you," Cass taunted as she grabbed the chain from Lilia's hand.

"Why?" Lilia snapped incredulously as she turned her back toward Cass, pulling her hair gently out of the way. "This isn't his assignment."

With a shrug, Cass grinned as she met her sister's gaze in the mirror. "He didn't say he was going for an assignment. He said he received an invitation."

Glaring slightly, Lilia faced the mirror, letting her rage wash quietly over her. Baz—Lord Sebastian Gaylen—was the leader of the Guild of Assassins, and Lilia's only true competition within the Underground. That, other than his insistence on having her sister as a paramour, was reason enough for Lilia to loathe the man.

It shouldn't have surprised Lilia to discover Baz would be there, she considered as she picked up the mask that would hide her face for the night. Its silver accents upon a sea of black matched her dress perfectly, and it would cover her just enough that a glance would keep her identity secure until the time was right.

Anyone prominent enough within the city of Lathos would be at the Midsummer Solstice Festival, and despite being the Leader of their Guild, Baz also was a well-known diplomat within the city walls.

Fastening her mask behind her ears, Lilia smiled slightly at herself. Regardless of her nightly employment as an assassin, as a successful silk merchant within the city, she also garnered an invitation to the Festival.

Even more unfortunate for her Mark.

"Your carriage is here, m'lady!" the housekeeper yelled from the stairs below, pulling Lilia from her thoughts.

Before she could respond, Cass had already found her voice. "She'll be there in a moment, Lucas!"

Perking a brow above her mask, Lilia turned and approached her sister. "You really should get used to it—the titles. They're not going anywhere, and neither are the housekeepers."

Cassandra grumbled as she followed her sister down the flight of stairs. "The Lady Cortova—beautiful merchant by day, deadly assassin by night."

Lilia turned to face her sister with a swirl of skirts. "Don't you have any practicing you should do? I'm sure Wil would love another chance to knock you on your ass."

Cass only shrugged. "Baz gave me the night off."

Lilia cocked her head to the side in question. "Why aren't you going with him tonight, anyway?"

Cassandra smiled slightly, though Lilia could see a flash of disappointment cross her face. It disappeared in an instant, replaced by a gleam in her eyes, as mischievous as she was. "Because he doesn't need you any more distracted tonight than you're bound to be."

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Lilia asked, as she crossed her arms around her tight corset.

Cass only smiled as she waved her sister off as she ascended the stairs in the opposite direction.

"Enjoy the masquerade, Lady Cortova!"

The carriage brought Lilia through the city toward the fields that surrounded the outskirts of the neighboring towns. The solstice festival was hosted by whichever local lord could offer the Council the most money, and this year's lucky patron was one Lord Andro Millian.

Targeting public officials wasn't unusual to Lilia—she'd dealt with plenty in the past. There was something about the night's setting, however—the caliber of guests, the consequences of her actions—Lilia felt as though the gods above watched her commit the night's deeds, and it chilled her to the bone as the evening's warmth swirled around her.

She had asked Baz for more information about the client who paid for the Mark, just as she had with all of her missions, but he was more clandestine than usual this time around. Instead, he merely informed her it was a foreign merchant who had been done wrong by Lord Millian in the past. She would have questioned him further, but he informed her of the price point in question, and that meeting this Mark would cover Cassandra's training, Trial, and dues to the Guild.

It was more than enough for Lilia to keep her mouth shut.

Whoever wanted Lord Millian dead was sparing no expense.

She bit at her thumbnail at the thought—a nervous habit very unbecoming of a Lady, her sister would mock. But it was one nail and only on her right hand, and if that alone was enough to calm her nerves and get through the tasks she faced nightly, then so be it.

Soon, the road beneath the carriage became more uneven, jostling Lilia where she sat. She could see the countryside come alive with the lights and sounds of the outdoor festivities celebrating the summer solstice, so she knew she was close. The swirling reds and oranges and yellows of the paper decorations and lanterns lining the party's boundaries culminated at its focal point—a giant bonfire rising towards the sky.

Immediately, she felt as though she was going to melt beneath the layers she wore as soon as she stepped near that fire, and Lilia cursed her sister for being right.

The carriage stopped in line with others as their inhabitants stirred from their seats. The door to Lilia's own coach opened, and she took the hand offered to her as she carefully stepped onto solid ground.

"Lady Cortova."

But the hand that held hers did not belong to her driver.

Baz smiled, his blue eyes gleaming through a mask of gold that matched his shaggy hair as he interlocked his arm with hers. He was charming, Lilia knew well, and that made him dangerous.

"Lord Gaylen," Lilia responded through clenched teeth, leaning in closer to feign affection. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I am here for the same reason you are, Lil," he said through his smile as he nodded at a passing lord. "I was invited."

"You of all people know better than that. I don't need a chaperone."

"I didn't say I was your chaperone. I told you—I was invited."

He led her past the clearing used as a dance floor, where couples were already swirling by in flashes of color, silks, and feathers. Each wore a mask to add to the mystery and enchantment of the summer evening.

Lilia would not allow the pleasantries to distract her.

"I don't have time for this, and Cass will be beside herself when she discovers why you didn't allow her to come," Lilia hissed as Baz led them on.

"You don't need to worry about Cassandra," he assured her. "You need to focus on the man you're going to kill tonight."

The hand on her arm tensed slightly as Baz turned to face a man whose very presence exuded power, even from across the clearing. He dressed in the finest clothes gold could acquire, and strands of his dark hair fluttered in the warm summer breeze where they escaped from the tail tied at the base of his neck. He spoke to a pair of guests dressed in finery similar to his, but still he stood like a king holding court. As though he could sense an audience, his gray eyes glanced in their direction, as dark as a storm beneath his mask of silver that covered all but his lips.

If she wasn't going to kill him, Lilia wanted to get to know him better.

"You're staring, Lil," he whispered into her ear as he handed her a glass of sparkling wine.

"So are you," she retorted quickly, blindly taking the wine as her eyes remained on her Mark.

By habit, she subtly sniffed and swirled the wine, and when no evidence of poison was obvious, she took a small sip and held it in her mouth, waiting for any unseen effects. Once she deemed it safe, she swallowed and took another.

"Tell me about him," she whispered, sensing Baz smirking beside her. But whether it was at her question or that she thought he'd poison her drink, she was uncertain.

Baz took a sip of his own wine before speaking, his eyes returning to the man before them.

"Lord Andro is a merchant and diplomat outside of Lathos, but his money is new—careless, according to some. He bid too much gold to host this year's solstice gathering, and there are those who believe he only did so to display his riches further, to make others look feeble while attracting the attention of potential clients simultaneously. Unfortunately for him, his growing success has gained him many enemies, and the more local merchants saw his arrival as a blatant threat to the commerce within their city."

Baz took another sip of wine and smiled with a wolfish grin. "And that's where you come in."

Lilia finished her glass before gathering her response. "Those merchants must have offered an outstanding sum for you to stoop to their level."

"Some called in a few personal favors."

Lilia furrowed her brows as she turned to him in a swirl of skirts. "We don't make our jobs personal, Baz—that's our very first rule."

"I don't need you spouting the Code at me, Lilia," Baz snapped as his eyes blazed into hers. "And I suggest you remember that yourself when he has your skirts above your waist once you drag him into the shadows."

She could only glare at him, ever so cautious about the potential audience around them. She never believed her methods were conventional, but Baz never lost the opportunity to remind her of his distaste.

"I hope I'm not interrupting."

Lilia quickly turned toward the unknown stranger attempting to interrupt their conversation, but before she could bite their head off as well, she realized she was standing face-to-face with Lord Andro Millian. She hesitated only for a moment, allowing herself a single glance towards Baz as he nodded slightly and backed off before she turned her attention to the evening's host.

Bowing slightly, she plastered on a smile she knew he would consider only for him. "Not at all, my Lord. In fact, I saw you standing there and was afraid to interrupt."

He smiled in return, offering her his arm. "For a beautiful Lady like yourself, I would consider it a welcome interruption."

Lilia took the Lord's arm and allowed him to lead her around the festival grounds. It was all part of the game she played—she would smile and bat her eyes, nodding occasionally while she pretended to listen to whatever it was they wanted to talk about.

"It's a lovely party," Lilia finally said softly while contemplating the darkest shadows and quietest corners.

Andro glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, the edges of his lips curling slightly. "I hear in your accent that you must be from Lathos."

"And I hear in yours that you are not," she retorted smoothly.

He grinned in response. "Thuria, my Lady, but let's not discuss me. What I want to know is more about you. What do you do when not attending bonfire festivals in the middle of the summer?"

His inquiry snapped her from her reverie, and her mind was already contemplating which answer to give. The truth? A false identity? But she was on the guest list, and as far as anyone else was concerned, she remained the Lady Lilia Cortova.

So, truth it would be.

"Silk," she said proudly, holding herself a little taller as she continued. "I'm a silk merchant."

She was met with a knowing grin. "Then you're aware of the quality of stock that's arrived from overseas?"

She scoffed and rolled her dark eyes in acknowledgment and annoyance. "I've told my bookkeeper I won't accept the order, regardless of how hard the peddlers are trying to push it. I'd rather waste the gold I spent on the deposit than throw any more into the ocean over that shit."

Andro left out a hearty laugh, and she answered with a smile all her own.

And for a fleeting moment, as they discussed their adoration for certain weights of their beloved stock, and which color preferences from which vendors seemed to sell the best during which season, Lilia wondered if there would be any chance to reconsider her position.

It truly was going to be a shame to kill him.

"What is it?" he asked as he caught her glancing in his direction for the third time. She could tell he tried to hide the amusement from his tone.

"Why haven't you asked me for my name?" she pressed with a slight tilt of her head.

"The Solstice celebration is a masquerade for a reason," he informed her as they continued their route. "All attend for a night of mystery and enchantment, as the gods have allowed over the years. Who am I to break that promise, regardless of how much I want to know?"

He stopped walking, pausing within a quieter section of the celebration's surroundings. He faced Lilia, and she couldn't tell if it was the lingering heat from the solstice bonfire or the piercing gaze that led straight through her bodice to her heart, but she found her face hot as a hand brushed a tendril of hair back over her bare shoulder.

"I would very much like to get to know you better," he informed her, his breath a cooler breeze against her.

"Well, allow me to get us a drink before we begin," she purred as she spun away from his stare, his breath, his grasp. She knew he watched her as she sauntered toward the refreshment table a short distance away and realized this task was going to be more difficult than planned.

For the first time in Lilia Cortova's professional history, she hesitated.

Don't make it personal, Lil.

She did an excellent job of making sure it was not, and yet...

Out of the corner of her eye, a flash of gold caught her attention, and she spotted Baz casually in conversation with another partygoer. She caught his eye, glaring slightly at his lingering presence. As though in response, he casually pulled out his pocket watch as though he had somewhere to be, and gave her a concerning glance. Lilia assumed either her time was running short, or his patience was running thin.

Either way, she would not allow Baz to control her actions. Ever.

With a flick of her thumb, the lid of her ring sprung open, immediately spilling its contents into the beverage underneath. There were too many people around, too many eyes, and for once, she didn't want her mark to know she was the one to deliver his death. This draught of poison was quiet, deadly, and slow.

Turning back toward her companion, her hands were steady on the glasses before her as she walked, her left hand gracefully extended as she offered the tainted drink to the awaiting Lord.

He smiled under his mask as he accepted her offer, and Lilia took a bashful sip from her own glass as she watched the wine in his hand swirl and churn, turning from the light pink of the rose blush to a dark, twisted orange.

The glass dropped it from her hand, sending shards and alcohol along the ground and her dress as she watched in complete horror.

"No," she whispered in disbelief as her eyes trained on the glass in Lord Andro Millian's hand. Counters were often requested when assassination attempts were an imminent threat, and they were only acquired through sources within the Underground's darkest markets.

And she only knew one individual who had tapped that source.

Her gaze darted around the forming chaos around her for the individual in question. Sure enough, Baz remained along the edge of the party's clearing, alone now, leaning against the trunk of a tree with his arms crossed upon his chest.

With a disgusting, knowing smirk plain upon his face.

Lilia's panic surged through her gut. No one—no one—had access to that knowledge outside of the Guild, and the only one with the authority—or ability—to produce the counter in such a mass quantity...

A venomous rage coursed through her as her eyes locked on Baz again, but before she could take that destructive step toward him, arms pinned her from behind, throwing her to her knees. She twisted and turned to remove herself from their grasps, but it was no good—two were on each side, arms braced, shoulders pinned, and stepping before her blocking her view of Baz, with nothing but hatred in his masked face, was Andro Millian.

"I should have known the attentions of such a cultured, seasoned woman would be my undoing."

The hate in his words hit Lilia harder than they should have, and she dared look into those storm-dark eyes one more time. But before she could begin to explain her way out of the situation, an unseen hand ripped the mask from her face, tearing the pins from her hair as Lilia clenched her teeth against the pain.

She heard the surrounding gasps—she was Lady Lilia Cortova, one of Lathos' renowned silk merchants. These people knew her.

And she got caught.

Her ears were ringing as the anxiety tightened her chest. Lord Millian spoke to onlookers in an attempt to ease their concerns for the altercation against a woman of her status. Commands were issued to the guards who held her in place, but Lilia's eyes remained on the trees at the edge of the clearing.

Baz had removed his mask, discarding it into the bushes, forcing Lilia to look one last time upon the face of the Lord of the Guild of Assassins.

The face of the man who betrayed her.

Hatred seethed through her as he gave her one last arrogant smile, and with a flick of his hand in a final farewell, he pushed away from the tree and walked away, disappearing into the night.