THE SABLE SPY | THIRTY-ONE

  SHE WAS THINKING AGAIN. He didn't like it much when she thought too hard. It usually didn't end well for him.

"I don't like that look," he warned, moving forward against better judgement.

Her dark brows knitted together in confusion. "What on earth are you talking about?"

"You're thinking very hard," he replied, tilting his head. "It usually means you're about to make a decision you believe is wise but is actually very, very dumb."

"You must do it a lot, then," she drawled with a roll of her eyes. "Is it surprising that I think, unlike you?" She always did that, deflecting the topic back onto him whenever he prodded something touchy. Usually, he let her.

"I'm more curious as to what you're thinking about."

She gave a carefree shrug, not answering the question. With someone like her, she could be doing anything from wondering which dress she was going to wear tomorrow to plotting the demise of an entire kingdom. It was one of those things he loved about her. "I think. Not particularly about anything specific."

He was much closer to her than it was wise. He could see her shift around the bed, yanking her dress down when it revealed more than she thought it should.

(He disagreed, naturally, though he kept that opinion quietly to himself and simply watched.)

"There has to be some semblance of a topic to your thoughts," he pointed out, grinning when her head snapped towards him, eyes still in a glare. "Don't be embarrassed to share, Cass dearest."

She threw her head back and let out a loud sigh. "You're insufferable," she accused, shoving her hand up her black locks. "Don't you have someone else to bother?"

"Laurence is back in Caling. And he's injured, so I feel like having a bit of mercy on him. Feels like common courtesy, wouldn't you agree?" He offered her a cross between a grin and a smirk.

"So naturally, I'm your second choice for a victim." She grunted, nose wrinkling. Damn, she was beautiful. Sometimes he couldn't quite believe that she was real. Black hair against pale skin, red lips, dark eyes. She looked like the general queen out of a storybook. She could snap her fingers and put armies into the grave.

"Well, if you're not going to be doing anything useful, stop hanging over me like a massive dog. Sit down somewhere and let's have a conversation like intelligent, mature adults."

"You and I have never done anything intelligent, mature or adultlike around each other." His voice was filled with mirth. Well, they had done the last one. Just not the first two, he supposed.

Cass rubbed her forehead. "Why do I put up with you?"

"Because you love me?"

The words came out of his mouth before he could stop himself. Cass froze slightly, and his own body stiffened. He watched her, not daring to say another word. This was it. Six years of heartbreak coming down to this. He didn't even dare to move, just stood there, staring like an idiot.

She let out a little exhale. He braced himself for what was to come. Rejection, most probably. Or maybe she'll pass it off as a little joke.

She inched towards the side of the bed, so that she was now facing him. Stared him in the eyes, her own filled with a look he didn't quite know what to make of.

He certainly wasn't expecting her to crash her lips to his.

✴

THAT WAS HOW CIRI found them later that night. Lip to lip, skin to skin, pure bliss.

"For fuck's sake!" Her little sister exclaimed, hand flying to her eyes, trying to block out her vision. "You could have at least locked the door or given a little warning!"

"You could have knocked," Cass snarled, quickly making herself presentable. Marcus let out a laugh besides her, rolling off to the other side of the bed before landing on the floor on his feet.

"Might want to sleep on the couch, Cirinique," he drawled as she slammed the door behind herself, still glowering.

"You couldn't have done this in your room, Dalton?" Ciri asked, voice deceptively sweet. "Would have saved my sweet, innocent eyes."

"Rather you walk in on us than bloody Tyler," Marcus grunted, combing through his hair, offering her a little grin. "You'll be fine, my least favourite Sable sister."

Cass frowned. "Are you even that innocent, Ciri?"

Her sister's hand flew to her mouth in horror. "I'm a naive and sweet debutante, don't you remember? Of course I'm an innocent."

"That's your way of saying no?" Marcus mumbled, heading towards the door. Ciri's only response was an incendiary scowl sent in his direction as she stormed towards the bed, nose wrinkling in disgust.

"Sorry," Cass muttered, wincing.

As the door swung shut behind them, Marcus slipping out, Ciri's expression morphed into something more akin to a grin. "Well. That was interesting."

Cass studied her sister's expression before understanding finally dawned upon her. "Oh, you little bastard."

Ciri let out a laugh. "I'm not sleeping in this bed tonight, no thank you. And as glad as I am with this turn of events, I'd ask you to keep the scandalous activities for later. I, for one, have a reputation to uphold."

Cass threw a pillow at her, but it only made Ciri laugh even louder. She had never wanted to commit sororicide more than in that moment.

She threw her head back, leaning back into the bed, and released a soft sigh. Ciri's mirth finally died down. "I left a message for the Panther."

Cass shot up, eyes narrowed. "We didn't agree on that."

Ciri shrugged. "I know."

"What did said message contain?" She asked, scrambling off the bed, landing on the floor with a thump.

"If it works, you'll see tomorrow." Ciri's answer was avoidant. She tore off her gloves, tossing them onto the vanity on the other side of the room, unsheathing her knife and placing it there as well. Next went the hair sticks holding up her hair, and Ciri's ash brown locks fell onto her shoulders. She combed them back.

"Ciri..."

Another place where the two of them were similar. Both had a love for risky plans that their allies and friends would most definitely not agree to. Cass doubted Ciri was a match for the Panther's battle prowess. She was smaller, slower, and less experienced. If it comes down to it, she'll lose.

"I have a plan."

"That you would not elaborate upon?"

Ciri sucked in a breath, tilting her head heavenwards. "Just trust me. Please. I know what I'm doing."

"You think you know what you're doing. Even I don't think I can go against the Panther and easily win, and I'm a better fighter than you are."

"He owes me. I'm calling in a favour."

"He helped kidnap you." Cass watched her sister drag herself off the room to behind the screen, where she quickly changed and emerged in a nightgown a moment later. "If he owes you one, he probably should have broken you out the moment that happened."

Ciri rolled her eyes in irritation. "He never came down to the prison, so I couldn't call on the favour. This time, he can't refuse it. He takes oaths very seriously, Cass. Religious as all hell. Gives Countess Mai a run for her money."

Countess Mai...? Oh, Myrina Mai. Any friend of Asteria's was probably acquainted with Ciri as well. And Lady Asteria had said that her friend was religious.

"Ciri..."

"Don't worry," her sister muttered. "I'll be fine. Even if it doesn't work, we'll be alright."

No it wouldn't. If the Panther shared that information with Hua Jueying, they'd be gone before sunrise. This was a dumb risk. Ciri had to know it.

"You better not mess this up," she warned, spine straightening. There was too much on the line here. Hua Jueying still held enough power to set back Sai years in progress. And the kid...

"Have I ever?" There was arrogance in her voice, but Cass supposed it was well-deserved. Ciri was one of the best societal liaison and diplomats of the generation, navigating foreign courts and charming dignitaries with ease and grace. There was no one she couldn't win over. Maybe that included solemn, ruthless Joskum mercenaries.

This wasn't a dazzling royal court. This was the world of the ugly. Cass's turf.

"Ciri."

"It'll be fine." Her sister was starting to sound irritated now. Neither sisters liked having their judgement questioned, which usually suited them both just fine. But when their opinions clashed, hell usually broke loose. There was no mediator here now. One of them had to back down sooner or later, because they couldn't afford disagreement.

"I'll trust you," Cass said, the words slow and heavy on her tongue. "This better not ruin everything we've got."

"It won't." Simple words, firm and honest. Ciri believed this plan would work wholeheartedly. That made Cass feel slightly better. Ciri was no hopeless optimist. She was skilled and experienced, painfully realistic and practical to a fault.

"Should I tell the others?" One final push. Cass raised a raven-black brow.

Ciri shrugged. "If it works, it'll reveal itself tomorrow."

Another avoidant answer. Ciri quite liked those tonight. Cass didn't, that was for sure. But arguing was futile. One didn't argue with a Diao when she was in a mood like this. It was a hopeless endeavour, and she knew it. Instead, she sighed. "I'm going to bed. Feel free to join me."

Ciri yanked her pillow off the bed. "I'll ask for an extra blanket. Good night, sister."

✴

CASS OPENED HER EYES. The room was dark, unlit, the only source of light the slit in the pulled curtains of the window. But that was more than enough for her to realise that she was alone. Her eyes turned to the couch where Ciri had been sleeping.

Empty.

Her eyes went to the table, where Ciri had left her knife. The blade was gone. As were her shoes, left on the floor in the corner. Ciri had snuck out. Probably to complete her godfucked plan to neutralise the Panther.

She let out an involuntary hiss. Her sister was downright insane to sneak out at this hour of the night. She leapt out of bed, feet landing soundlessly, quickly changing into a gown she had packed for situations like these. Once she was done, she grabbed two knives, sheathed them, flung a cape over her shoulders, put on her shoes, and slipped out of the room.

She was out of the inn in minutes, pulling the hood over her head to hide her face. Disguised by the darkness haunting the streets, Cass made her way down the road. Her sister would be near the Golden Mice. She'd start her search there. Hopefully she won't be stepping over her sister's corpse. She'd be very displeased in that case.

There was barely anyone in the streets. When she saw someone in the distance, Cass dodged into the shadows. She wasn't afraid. She doubted there was anything here she couldn't fight her way out of.

"Son of a—" Her sister was heading in her direction, similarly attired, but Cass would recognise her anywhere. She yanked her hood down. Well, she was coming back alive, at least. "Ciri!"

Her whisper-hiss caught Ciri's attention, whose head snapped up. A moment later, the two were in a dark alleyway, scowling at each other.

"Are you insane?" Cass demanded, shaking her head.

"Same question goes to you," Ciri snapped, pulling her own hood down. "What are you doing here?"

"What are you doing here is the right question?"

Ciri pinched her nose. "I had to see if the Panther received my message, Cass. If you want this to work tomorrow—"

"You snuck out alone in the dead of the night to visit the enemy. Without telling any of us. This is stupidly reckless, even for you, Ciri. Please tell me this at least worked."

Just like that, Ciri's frown turned into a beam. "It worked. We'll be fine tomorrow, don't worry. The Panther wouldn't be causing us any trouble."

Cass studied her sister with shrewd eyes "I shan't ask how you managed to achieve that. I have a feeling I won't like the answer."

She shrugged. "I simply called in a favour, as I told you. Rather simple, really."

"Why does the mercenary owe you a favour anyways?" Cass asked suspiciously, wrapping her cloak tighter around herself. "When did you cross paths with the Panther?"

"He was in Kon Ria," she shrugged, "and in a bit of a pickle. I had time so I managed to help."

"Laurence was there in Kon Ria with you. He didn't say anything about this."

"To be fair, you didn't know that the Panther was involved in this until he was taken. Also, I am amazing at keeping secrets."

"No kidding." That was punctuated with another glare. "Don't sneak off like this again. Please. You're going to give me a heart attack and send me off to an early grave."

"You'll manage that yourself." But Ciri didn't complain when Cass started leading her back towards the inn. The two sisters slipped in through the front door, making their way up the stairs until they reached their room. Cass let out a huff, flinging her cloak onto a chair. Ciri did so, but much more elegantly.

"We should catch some sleep," Ciri said, sounding almost rueful. Cass knew better.

"We should. I wonder who roused up from bed at—" she glanced at the timepiece "—two in the morning to chase a goddamned message."

"You didn't have to follow," Ciri pointed out. "I was perfectly fine alone."

Cass glared. "I was caring for your safety. Be grateful." Changing back into her nightgown, she climbed into bed, pulling the blankets up. "Good night, sister, for real this time."

Ciri let out a sigh. "Of course, Fengyan." She used her Saian name just to spite her.

Cass shot back, "Go to bed, Fengmei." Fengyan and Fengmei. Phoenix beauty, and phoenix blossom. Both sisters seemed to have missed the era of naming their children normally by just a few years. A tragedy. And people wonder why they always went by their Arecian names.

And they slept.