THE SABLE SPY | THIRTY-TWO

THE MOMENTS BEFORE you set out on a mission always almost felt magical. It was blood rushing through your veins, war and battle carved into your bone, mind sharp and alert like a polished knife. A sense of purpose, a goal to complete.

The six gathered in the room might as well have been preparing for battle. Cass tucked her bladed hair stick into her bun, helping Ciri with hers as well. She wore a white shirt and black breeches, both covered with an overlying cloak. That would be discarded in the carriage Sterling would drive.

If anyone noticed the change between Cass and Marcus, no one uttered a word. Ciri remained faithfully quiet. Perhaps she was worried Cass would tell them all of her foolhardy plan. She was right to worry. She was very tempted to do just that.

"Are we ready?" Tyler, undoubtedly the most experienced field agent among them, had easily taken control of the mission. Perhaps Luke could beat him, actually, in terms of that, but Fitzwilliam had always preferred playing other roles. He was a lone wolf at heart.

"Always," Ciri shrugged, pulling her cloak together to hide the mismatched clothes underneath.

"I'll go grab the coach." The coach they'd be renting from the innkeeper for an extraorbitant price. It was worth it, though. Sterling headed out of the door in large steps, shutting it behind him. A moment passed, then two.

The plan was rather simple. Ciri was in charge of ensuring the girl was there. She'd be scaling the walls into the room they thought the child would be in. If she was, Cass would climb in with her and get the girl out through one of the passageways, where Marcus and Luke would be waiting. They'd get her out to Sterling.

Tyler, they decided, would blend in most easily with the people who frequented the Golden Mice, which was why he'd be in the crowd. With a signal that showed that the girl had been spirited away, he'd head up to Hua Jueying's suite and guard the corridor while the rest of them went in to capture him.

It wasn't a detailed plan at all. They hadn't had time to do calculations and care much for the finer details. It was crude and messy and general, and the best they could do in such a short amount of time.

And it would work, because they were miracle workers. They'd make it work.

"This is it," Luke murmured. "Feels rather anticlimactic, doesn't it?"

"We are spies, not actors," Cass scoffed, sheathing her blade. "Though you could probably make a living on the stage, Fitzwilliam. But we waste time here chit chatting. Let's go." They filed out of the room, avoiding any attention as they left for the stables where Sterling was waiting. Moments later, they were in the carriage, on the way to the inn.

No one, thankfully, was in the mood for speaking.

The carriage finally slowed after what felt like an interminable amount of time. Cass exchanged a glance with her sister, whose face was stony calm. With a nod from Tyler, Ciri left the carriage first, leaving her cloak behind on the seat. Cass pulled back the curtains slightly, giving her just enough of a view of the window where the girl should be held.

Like a spider, Ciri easily made her way to the window of the room, the curtains pulled shut, not a single beam of light seen. She made quick work of the locked window, pushing it open within minutes.

And then she was inside.

Cass was too far away to hear anything, but there was silence for a while until Ciri's hand darted into view, flashing a quick signal. She pushed open the carriage door, watching Marcus and Luke quickly exit before following herself, climbing up the same way Ciri had as the two boys found one of the entrances and entered. Slipping through the window, Cass was greeted with the sight of a large, spacious, dark chamber. There was a large, messy bed, and a few random toys tossed on the ground. On the floor laid a half-opened storybook. She could vaguely make out the three figures within— her sister standing straight, a girl who couldn't be older than eighteen crouched next to a small girl.

Ciri turned. "This is Laura," she murmured, voice barely above a whisper. "She's a maid here. Since she had little sisters, they placed her in charge of Moli."

The girl was shaking. Cass found that she couldn't blame her. Studying the girl in the darkness, Cass couldn't help but feel a dozen years older.

"Laura," she tested the name on her tongue. "We're just here for the girl."

Ciri spoke for her, the two clearly having conversed before Cass had joined in. "She'd be sacked if she lets Moli escape, and she has two little sisters to take care of. We can get them out of here."

Cass fixed a cool gaze on the girl, thinking. "Lady Janae would enjoy that. Risky, though, sneaking a child and a maid out."

"If it helps," Laura spoke, voice trembling, "I could help calm the girl. She trusts me, I think."

Cass pursed her lips in response. "Tyler is going to have our hides for this, but damn it. We'll get the kid out first. You... you can pretend to be getting food or something like that. Head out through the back. We have a carriage parked across the street from this window. A Cheonuang boy should be there. Tell him Diao sent you." She turned her attention to the two-year-old. Her cousin's daughter. "Are you Liu Moli? Jasmine?"

A faint nod was the girl's answer. She didn't look anything like her father. If her mother had been an actress, her beauty made sense. She had wide eyes, not dissimilar to an oxen's, her hair a dark brown. Her features were soft.

"Your father is our cousin," she said. "We're here to return you to him."

She waited for a reply. The girl was two, and Ned certainly had enough brains to make sure she was sufficiently educated, but Moli said nothing. Something like shock flickered in Ciri's eyes as she snapped her gaze to meet the maid's. "She can't speak."

Laura replied, with a slow nod, "Kids her age should be speaking. I don't know if she's just developing late or if she's mute. I haven't heard her utter a single word, ma'am."

"Ned didn't feel the need to mention this?" Cass asked, voice thick with sarcasm and annoyance. At this point, she wasn't sure why her cousin's continued incompetence even mildly surprised her. You'd think she'd be used to it by now. "Whatever. We'll get her out of this first, and then I'll give her father a tongue-lashing. Laura. Listen here. We are going to take Moli out of this room, and sneak her out. I want you to walk out and try your best to not be noticed, but don't be unnatural about it. If anyone asks, say the girl's hungry ad you're hoping to grab food. Then head down to where this room faces and get onto the carriage there. Understood?"

Laura nodded, eyes wide.

"Good," Cass muttered. "Ciri."

Her sister wrapped her arms around the girl and picked her up, murmuring in her ears. Cass held the doorknob and waited for a few seconds to make sure no one was outside, before pulling it open. The door swung open without a sound, and Cass let her sister exit first. They headed down the corridor, passing the suite where Hua Jueying should be— it gave her a sick sense of pleasure, taking his prisoner away right underneath his nose— until they reached the panel that Luke had told them about. Pushing the wall, it opened enough for the two to go in.

Moli remained quiet.

The passageway was dark and narrow. They walked down until they reached a ladder, in which Cass quickly climbed down as Ciri lifted Moli down. A moment later, all three were on the second floor.

Luke and Marcus were at the end of that corridor. "The maid's coming with us," Ciri whispered. "Girl has little sisters. We could probably drop her in Lady Janae's care."

"Mrs Cadieux now," Luke replied, voice soft as he regarded the child in her arms. "This is Moli?"

"She doesn't speak," Cass informed them, the words matter-of-fact. Neither Marcus nor Luke showed even the slightest sign of shock, only responding with a slight nod of the head. "Let's get her out of here." Moli was transferred to Luke's arms, who quickly sped down the corridor, sure-footed as a cat. The rest of them followed.

This passageway, it seemed, led straight to the back of the building. Luke had said that the servants used this the most to get in and out unnoticed. Laura was already there, chatting quietly with Sterling. Quietly, Luke lifted Moli into the carriage, and Ciri whispered at Laura to get in with her to ensure her safety.

"It's going to be crowded," Cass murmured to Marcus. "One of us would have to ride at the driver's perch with Sterling."

"That's the least complicated thing that's going to happen tonight," he whispered back, mouth practically kissing her hair. She scowled and took a step sideways. She could swear his eyes were glimmering when she glanced in his direction.

A moment later, after Luke and Ciri had gotten the two settled, they came back. "And now, Hua Jueying," Ciri said.

"He won't know what hits him," Luke said as well, eyes leaping to the window of the suite besides the one Laura and Moli had been in. The candle was off, but they had it on good authority that Hua Jueying was inside asleep instead of elsewhere. Somehow, Ciri had done her job. The Panther was not spotted once throughout the day.

"We hope so," came Cass's quiet reply. "Let's hurry up now."

Luke was the first to climb. With their luck and skill and Hua Jueying's general ineptancy, all of them could probably be in the room unnoticed before the man even realised something was wrong. As nimble as a cat, Luke was up and perching by the windowsill. Ciri went next, and once she was high up enough, Luke slipped through the opened window.

He didn't even bother shutting the window. Cass wanted to sigh.

She went afterwards, Marcus following a moment later. And then they were inside.

Hua Jueying's suite was almost identical to Moli's, though the belongings littered around were different. Paperwork, mostly. Piles upon piles of paperwork. She had no doubt that among these were some rather incriminating evidence. Once they got the man out, a few of them would return to clear up this mess, look through everything.

The man himself was asleep in his bed, snoring. Cass wrinkled her nose. She didn't hear Marcus enter, but she knew when he did. They were four ghosts in the night. There was a slight scrape against the door. That was Tyler, telling them he was in place.

Cass yanked free the scarf she had tied around her wrist like a bracelet, heading towards the sleeping figure with wide strides. Marcus flanked her. Ciri stood guard besides the window, and Luke lingered near the door.

This was her first close look at the villain. Upon closer inspection, he was younger than she thought, probably in his late-thirties. Tall and lean. His face was angular, not exactly handsome but still having something charming and suave about it. He probably used that to his advantage. He didn't seem like someone who'd commit treason or kidnap so many people.

Quick was lightning, she stuffed the scarf down his mouth, knee pinning him down on his chest, other hand holding a knife to his throat. Marcus was by her in a second, pinning down his arms.

Hua Jueying woke up with a start and he tried to scream.

"Shh," she murmured. "Don't struggle. It'll make this more painful for you."

His body was stiff, trembling with fear and anger and despair. After a moment, he relaxed, but his expression was now twisted into a snarl as his eyes locked onto hers, recognition and hatred flashing through them..

"I'm afraid you're trapped, Hua xian sheng. You picked the wrong fight with the wrong people."

He tried to move, but Cass and Marcus's combined strength easily kept him down. His eyes darted around the room, quickly taking note of Luke and Ciri. Outnumbered, outplanned. Under her, he went limp. Marcus bound his hands in front of him, Ciri stalking over with something for his legs. Within moments, he was tied up nicely and gagged.

Luke rapped his knuckle against the door once. A moment later, Tyler returned the sound. "Coast is clear."

Cass returned her attention to their captive. "He can't walk."

"We carry him out," Luke shrugged. "Get the blanket. We can make a stretcher."

"Wrap him in a blanket and carry him out like an invalid?" There was a hint of humour in Ciri's tone. "That's one way to go, I suppose."

"Come on," Cass said, yanking at one edge of the blanket that was covering the man. "Help me out here." Marcus and Luke pushed him to one side, and they laid the blanket underneath him before setting him back in the centre. "It'll be difficult getting out."

"We'll manage," Marcus shrugged. "If it truly comes down to it, we'll make him walk on his own. Between all of us, there's no chance he'll escape."

Ignoring Hua Jueying's silent complaints, the four of them heaved him up and left for the door. Tyler, waiting outside, regarded them with a raised brow before ushering them down the passageway. It was too narrow, as expected. Once Tyler had shut the secret door behind them, Ciri untied his legs. "Walk," she commanded, holding a small knife to his throat. "I'm not particularly inclined to be merciful considering all you did to me, sir."

Hua Jueying, showing an impressive amount of wisdom, reluctantly obeyed the orders, trudging in front of them. His steps were loud, and she wasn't sure if it was on purpose or due to a lack of experience. Either way, it was annoying.

But theirs wasn't the only footsteps in the passageway. A shadow loomed in the path ahead, and Cass unsheathed a dagger.

The Panther stepped into the light, grinning. "I've upheld our end of the deal, Miss Cirinique."

"I thank you, sir," came Ciri's smooth reply. "As you can see, it all went quite well for us."

The Panther swept into a mocking bow. He wore his signature mask, only his eyes visible. His dark hair, tied back in dreadlocks, reaching his shoulders, seemed to glow under the faint candlelight.

Hua Jueying was glaring furiously. Cass had a feeling that if he had not been gagged, he'd be spewing all manners of profanity and insults. Cass met the Panther with a cool stare. "Is there something you require, mercenary?"

"Just wanted a front seat for the show, Miss Diao," he replied. "Feel free to continue on, please. This better not be spread anywhere. If you besmirch my reputation and my honour, there will be consequences."

"We won't tell. We're smarter than that, sir," Ciri said. "I hope our paths do not cross again. You are rather unpleasant to be around."

A small laugh. "Agreed, Miss, agreed. We shall try to stay out of each other's paths. Pretend I was never here, yes?" He retreated back into the shadows, as if he was never there. Behind her, Marcus frowned. Ciri gave Hua Jueying a little push to get him walking again.

Sterling was waiting outside, with the carriage. He hopped off, pulling the carriage door open. Cass told Laura to hold Moli tightly as they lifted Hua Jueying into the carriage. Tyler got onto the driver's perch with Sterling as the rest of them filed into the coach, the prisoner flanked by Luke and Marcus.

Cass sat directly across him and smiled pleasantly. This did not please him. The ride to the inn was silent, the four spies among them too trained to speak in front of the prisoner, and the other two probably too terrified. Sterling took his damned time with the ride, and Cass made a mental note to talk to him about that later. The boy usually drove like the bloody devil.

They pulled up at the back of the inn. Two knocks from the outside against the carriage, and Ciri pushed open the window, hopping out first. Cass followed, helping Laura and Moli down. Ciri went inside, probably to request an extra room for their new guests. Cass stayed behind to supervise the men move Hua Jueying inside. "We're putting him in our room," Marcus said. "We can all take turns watching him."

"A logical decision," she replied. She was in a good mood tonight. He'd capitalise on it while he could, she knew that, making dry jests and subtle jokes. "We may have to send for Cadieux, ask him to get us a carriage to transport him back. I am not particularly inclined to carry Hua Jueying back to Caling on horseback. He will no doubt tumble off accidentally and die. It is immensely difficult to stop someone from accidentally killing themselves."

"Which you'd no doubt know," he said. "Let's go in before we're abandoned."

In the early hours of the morning, the inn was quiet. They made no noise as they moved Hua Jueying upstairs, depositing him in the chamber, locking up the windows and removing anything that could be used as an efficient weapon somewhere else. There would be no escape for him. The innkeeper, visibly annoyed at being woken, rustled around, preparing two new rooms for them. Cass gracefully gave him some money to curb his complaints and make him more compliant.

Marcus muttered something about Laurence being proud when she did that. She had no clue what he was talking about.

"You are a madman," she declared when he unceremoniously dragged her aside after all their affairs were settled and everyone decided to catch a few hours of sleep. "I am sweaty and exhausted. Where are you taking me?"

"Just follow," he said in reply, barely hiding the grin on his face. She let out a groan and made a great show of not wanting to follow.

He led her to the roof of the inn. Cass frowned. "Is this all? There are better places to freeze to death, you know?" She had left her cloak downstairs. Marcus glanced at her and wordlessly took off his coat, slinging it across her shoulders while leading her closer to the edge. She let out a weak protest.

"You're not looking," he complained. "Look."

And so she did, raising her head. "It is dark."

"It's prettier in a few hours. We can stay until then if you want, or you'll have to make good with what you can see now." His voice was calm, matter-of-factly. This was the aftermath of a battle, a successful mission. When they were younger, they would be celebrating. Both of them might be inebriated by now. But they weren't those children anymore.

Time had stripped away pieces of them. The childish naivete, the optimistic hope, the trusting nature. It left behind two battle-hardened young people in its place with guarded hearts and a half-shattered trust. A jaded view, the cold eyes of a cynic. In a world full of domesticated dogs and wild wolves, they had chosen and embraced the latter. They had paid the price, spending years as lone wolves or hunting for a lost mate.

She did not regret a single second of it. All of the pain brought her to where she was now, didn't it? Standing side by side on the rooftop of an inn in Kneighton, watching the coast of the sea, the quiet beaches in the early morning, the sky still dark. When his hand reached out to grab hers, she let him.

Both of them were powerful people. Their mind hid information that could topple empires. Even now, with nothing on hand, they could find a way to lie and kill and survive. But there was nothing complicated about the moment. There was a boy and a girl standing on the rooftop. Anyone else would assume them to be lovers on a midnight, rooftop tryst. Perhaps they were. It was perfectly elemental, as natural as snow or rain or the sunny day. It was water flowing and fire blazing. They'd always belonged like this, even when she was just twelve and shivering and starving, and he was fourteen and puzzled as he studied and watched her.

When his hand snaked out and wrapped around her waist, she leaned onto his shoulder.

"I missed you," he whispered, the words soft in the crispy air.

"I know," she replied, fighting a smile. "I know, Marcus."