THE SABLE SPY | TWENTY-EIGHT

NED'S RESIDENCE WAS in a respectable, upper-middle class part of town, but the area was quiet. It was a building full of bachelor apartments, Marcus informed then. He had been told of this place when he was searching for his own personal residence, but since he was more than wealthy enough to afford an apartment in the more fashionable parts of town, that was what he did. Cass hadn't known he got himself a bachelor's lodge. She should have— he obviously was only temporarily staying with his family because of her.

Cass took one glance from the carriage and frowned. "He tried to invite me to dinner here. At a bachelor's quarters. Are women even allowed?"

"No," Ciri said, a small smile dancing on her face. "How do you feel about a bit of breaking and entering, sister dearest?"

Tyler was driving the coach. Laurence had opted to stay behind to regain his strength, so Marcus accompanied them, eyeing the building. "You two could make quick work of that wall. He's living on the second floor. I'm concerned whether Ciri has the energy for this, though."

Ciri waved his concerns away. "I'll be fine," she said with a roll of her eyes. "I've gone through worse." They hadn't had much time to waste. It had been less than twenty four hours ago Ciri was rescued in the first place.

"We can handle this," Cass agreed, taking off her cloak to reveal the blouse and breeches underneath. She hadn't bothered carrying too many weapons. Ciri, besides her, did the same. A moment later, the two girls slipped out of the carriage and silently made their way across the streets. It was past midnight, and not a single candle was lit in the building. It didn't matter. They had already scouted out this area weeks before, and Cass quickly found herself directly under Ned's bedchamber's window. She glanced over, where Ciri was trudging behind, alert.

She was wearing gloves, and she gripped the brick of the walls and hoisted herself up. One by one, brick by brick. Up, up and up, flipping herself onto the windowsill of what should be Ned's window. Ciri followed. Despite her exhaustion, she was still as nimble as a cat, and slipped her way up quickly. Cass had already made quick work of the window, and slid it open soundlessly.

The two went in. Ciri crossed the room and locked the door, nothing more than a shadow in the night. Cass strolled towards the bed, where their murderous cousin slept peacefully. It was so ironic she wanted to laugh.

She placed her hand over Ned's mouth to silence any sound he'd made, and shoved with her other hand. He jolted awake with a thud, eyes snapping wide, body tensed. Ciri walked over, having lit a candle, grinning.

Ned paled, but his body relaxed. Perhaps he was intelligent to realise that no matter what he had done, Cass and Ciri would not truly harm him.

They could try, though.

"Biaogge hao," Ciri greeted cheerfully. Hello, cousin. As Ciri placed the candle a careful distance away, Cass slowly took her hand away and wiped it on his sheets.

"Ciri? But..."

"She's supposed to be captured?" Cass asked, her voice dry. "We're the little sables, Ned. It takes more than a weak cousin, an exiled noble and a Joskum mercenary to keep us locked down."

Ned was trembling as he pushed himself up, visibly swallowing. Ciri strolled around, rearranging little things. Cass leaned against the bedpost and waited. "I can explain."

"It's why we're here," Cass shrugged. "Take your time. We have all night. Don't try screaming for help. We will get to you first."

Ned, as idiotic as he was, was smart enough not to attempt anything foolhardy, slipping out of his bed and wrapping his sheet around himself. Shaking slightly, he walked over to the chair in the corner and sat down. "What do you want to know?"

"Where is he?"

"Hua xiansheng? I don't know, not exactly. I have ideas. I'm guessing Lord Archsham escaped as well. He'd probably go camp out with one of his friends. I can give you names."

Ciri picked up a pen and a piece of paper from the desk and shoved it in his hand. "Yes please." That was Ciri. Even when she was interrogating a man after breaking into his bedroom at midnight, still polite as if she was in a splendid ballroom. Smiling pleasantly. This was Cirinique Diao's charm.

Ned's hand trembled when he picked up the pen. The two sisters stood in silence, still as statues as he scribbled down a few names and addresses. When he placed down the pen, Cass took the paper, glanced through it, and placed it at the other end of the desk.

"Second question. Why?"

He couldn't meet either of their eyes. But they had patience.

"We've never been best of friends, but I doubt you hated us enough to aid an attempt to kidnap and potentially kill us," she continued, drumming her fingers against the table, the thud thud sound loud in the night's silence. Her voice never raised above a whisper. "We've been following you around for a while. It's fear we see in your face when you speak with Hua Jueying's men. Blackmail. What does he have over you?"

He breathed. In and out, in and out. Finally, he said, "I can't tell you that."

"Ned. You're family." Ciri played the angel in this conversation. "We can help you. It's obviously big. What did you do? You do know that Hua Jueying is committing treason? Whatever it is he holds on you, we can waive it away with his crimes. We have the ears of the princess." Ciri laid an arm on Ned's shoulder, squeezing.

"I can't."

"We don't have all night," Cass shot. Ciri gave her a warning glare before turning back to the sullen Ned.

He still didn't talk. Ciri sighed. "You realise the consequences of what you've done, right? What great-aunt Vinelle would do?"

He bit his lips, solemnly nodding.

"You shouldn't have done it," Ciri murmured. "It was stupid. And you're clever enough, no matter what everyone else thinks. So it was big. Something important to you. Something you were willing to give up everything for, to die for."

He gave a stiff nod.

"No one needs to know we've been here. No one needs to know what you've done. I have Saian Intelligence behind me, and Cass has Arecian Secret Service eating out of her hands. We can solve this, but we need your help. Can you offer it?"

Ciri could talk a man into eating his own fingers. This was why they were set on different paths. Miss Danna had been like this too, a few days ago. She wondered if Ciri had been the one to teach her. Cass took a step into the shadows, as if trying to make Ned think she wasn't there.

"He'll know," Ned managed to choke out. "He somehow always does."

"Ned... what have you done?"

There was no judgment in her sister's voice. Damn she was good at this. It was understanding that oozed out of her tone. Acceptance. A simple and firm message. Whatever you've done, I'll be behind you.

Cirinique Diao was a beautiful liar, and she damned knew it.

Ned was still shaking. He looked like he was about to cry. Ciri wrapped her arms around him, letting him lean his head on her shoulder. He started to shudder, and then Cass heard the sound of crying.

"If you tell us, we can help you."

It felt like forever had passed by until Ned finally pulled himself away, gulping.

The next words came out, wholly unexpected.

"I have a daughter."

A rush of cold ran through Cass's body and she took a step forward, eyes narrowed into slits. Ciri's widened. "But you're not married."

"She's... she's illegitimate. Her mother was an actress. When I learnt that she was married, I wanted to marry her... But I knew the family wouldn't approve, so I tried to find a way to disguise her as someone else. Someone acceptable." He was choking on his words. He was telling the truth. People didn't lie while in states like these. "I loved her."

"Hua Jueying has your daughter?"

Ned nodded frantically. "Her name is Moli." Jasmine. "She has my eyes and her mother's nose. She's two and... she's so smart. And clever. And adorable. I love her so much. I sent her to Barlen and tried to visit her as much as possible."

Cass could imagine little Moli. A child in the clutches of that man... No wonder Ned had done what he had.

"He threatened to hurt her if I didn't tell him where you two were. When I said I didn't know, he forced me to come here and try to figure out what you were up to. I haven't done much, I swear! Just reported on what balls and events you went to."

"Where is she?" Cass demanded.

"He said he'd give her back to me unharmed if I managed to help him get both of you. I thought you'd be able to get out yourselves. But my girl, she's a child! I—"

Cass held up her hand. "I don't blame you. Not for protecting your child."

Ned seemed to calm considerably, sucking in a breath. "I don't know where she is. But I'll assume he has her close to him. I'm his... only real connection to you two."

"I didn't hear any children in the White Mole," Ciri muttered. "He'd be keeping her elsewhere. One of those friends' homes, maybe. Some of them have to be involved in his work."

"From treason to kidnapping a little child. Hua Jueying has no bounds."

"He's done worse." Ciri rubbed her forehead. Iolanthe. But Cass didn't ask. "Thank you, Ned, for what you've told us tonight. We'll try to find your girl. If he comes to ask you questions, tell him that you haven't seen us at all. We won't be attending any social events for a while. He'd be expecting us to vanish. But I doubt he'd come to you."

Ned swallowed. "I know."

"We're grateful for your bravery."

In Cass's opinion, Ciri was laying it on a bit thick now, but she knew her sister knew what she was doing, so she stayed quiet, picking up the paper he had written and folding it before tucking it in her pocket.

"I... Keep my Moli safe, please."

He was begging. Imploring. Cass felt a twinge of pity for him. It couldn't have been easy, being separated from your child after you lost her mother, and before you could even give her everything you had. And he was right. Their family would never accept an actress wife, especially one who came into the marriage already with a child in her belly.

Ciri said, "We'll bring her back to you. Safely. Don't you worry. When have we ever broken our promises?"

Yesterday, maybe. They kept making promises they'd break. It was part of their job, they told themselves, but sometimes Cass thought they just liked it. It made life easier. But she was going to make sure this one wasn't an empty oath. With Ciri and Laurence gone and his plans falling into shambles, Hua Jueying might just be unstable enough to turn his fury to a two-year-old little girl.

"Thank you." His breathing was still ragged, but his body wasn't tense anymore. His shoulders were slumped, back hunched, leaning forward slightly as if he could curl himself into a ball and hide from the world.

Cass had no doubt that if he could, he would. Cowardice was in his bones. He was a craven to his soul. It didn't make him any less of a father. That wasn't just fear they had seen. It was anguish, it was guilt, it was pain. Hadn't his company suddenly started making profit? Maybe there was something they shared between them. When they wanted to hide, they turned to work. Buried themselves in it.

"We'll go now," Cass said the obvious, sauntering towards the window, sniffing out the candle. She didn't glance behind her to make sure Ciri followed as she pulled open the windows and flung herself over the window sill, perching on it before shimmering down like a spider. A moment later, Ciri landed besides her on the ground. Not making a sound, the two crept towards where the carriage waited at the end of the street, almost invisible in the darkness.

Tyler tilted his head, quizzical.

Cass nodded. Ciri pulled open the carriage doors and slipped in, Cass following. Marcus, inside, raised a brow in question.

"We got it. But you're not going to like what we discovered."

✴

"A MONSTER. A FUCKING monster. That's what he is."

Cass couldn't help but wonder if Tyler's emotional reaction had something to do with the babe in his wife's belly. She remained quiet, taking a quiet sip of water.

Tyler continued on. "What kind of beast takes a child and threatens them to get their parents to comply?"

"A heartless one," she responded flatly. "You've seen how Iolanthe Mi reacts to him."

Tyler's expression darkened. "He didn't hurt her, I think. That was vengeance she was after, but not for herself."

"Her aunt," Ciri confirmed, voice soft as first snow. "Both sisters had been in the trade." Prostitution. The only option for a young girl with nothing. "I think... I think her aunt's death had a little something to do with him. She never confided in any of us— Io has always been private and mysterious about her past. Lady Kuroki likes to say that she came to us broken."

Laurence shook his head. "We need to get that girl away from him. Quickly. I'll get someone to scout out the houses immediately."

Cadieux shook his head. "I'll deal with it. Get some rest, boy. You too, Ciri. You kids have had enough excitement for a few days, go get some rest, damn you. You're no use to anyone exhausted and tired to the bone."

Laurence's nose flared. "She's a kid—"

"You're no use to the kid if you fall asleep halfway through the bloody mission. I'll deal with it. Some of the agents are still up and here." A lot of the agents had their own quarters nearby, but they did odd hours. Many of them went back in the wee hours of the morning, bleary-eyed and sleepy. "You can worry your asses over this tomorrow."

"He's right." Cass was exasperated. "We can deal with this tomorrow. We need to at least catch a few hours of sleep. I don't like this either, but it's not as if we could do anything tonight. I heard Georgie shuffling upstairs, Tyler. Dumont, Ciri, you were just rescued from the madman."

"Tomorrow," Tyler growled, fists tightening.

"Tomorrow," she promised, before ushering them all off to bed like a doting mother.

✴

CASS DIDN'T SLEEP WELL. She woke a little more than three hours later, and found herself unable to rest again. Stifling a groan, she crawled out of the guest room bed in Borewood Street she occupied, quickly changing into a white qipao before creeping out of the room. Immediately, she went down to the kitchen, hoping to make herself a meal.

Ciri was already there. She scowled. "You should be resting, meimei."

Ciri shrugged apologetically. "I'm a restless person, jiejie. Did you expect me to stay happily in bed? Laurence tells me you didn't do that when you were injured."

"I was not kidnapped by a psychotic madman."

"No. You were stabbed by the hired men of the psychotic madman. I, at least, was in pristine condition."

Cass wrinkled her nose. "You smelt like shit, though." Ciri laughed and walked across the room. Cass watched. She always thought the two of them were built differently. Ciri walked as if she floated, her feet barely seeming to skim the ground. Completely soundless like she was skating on ice. Cass's strode was much more forceful, fit for a soldier. And while Ciri's face was placidly serene, as befitting of a young debutante, Cass had been told that she always looked strong, even when she tried to hide it. One of her weaknesses. She could never play the snivelling coward quite right. There was always a stroke of defiance in her eyes giving her away to the trained eye.

"I could hardly have been expected to bathe daily while being held captive," Ciri murmured, pouring herself a cup of water. "So. Let's discuss what we've discovered yesterday while everyone else is still asleep."

"Ned has a child. We have an illegitimate first-cousin-once-removed who we had no idea existed, and she's in the hand of Hua Jueying."

Ciri frowned. "Put it that way, it truly sounds awful."

"It is awful. Do you think the duchess knew?"

"Of the child? Probably," Ciri replied.

"She did nothing. Said nothing."

Ciri shrugged, and Cass saw the rueful smile on her face. "She's Vinelle Diao Luoping, the Duchess of Dai. We both know how she is."

They did. Even as children, when they loved her with every inch of their hearts, they knew what she was like. They called this the game of spies, but every single one of them knew that they were playing with people's lives. Cadieux grimaced and couldn't sleep over the guilt every time one of his agents got into trouble, every time he had sent one of them to a dangerous situation. Great-aunt Vinelle didn't. To her, they were all chess pieces. She loved them not for being human but for their usefulness. If one of her agents got into trouble she sighed, silently reprimanded them for being incompetent and continued onwards in the game without them.

"Her great-great niece, Ciri."

"We're her great-nieces. Her proteges. Her favourites. Her legacy. And even we only got so much from her. She hates Ned. Why would she care about his kin?"

Cass groaned. "Sometimes, I hate her."

"I do too. But if not for her, we wouldn't be where we are today. I'm grateful. If I must repay her by obeying her orders and turning a blind eye to her cold-hearted ruthlessness and practicality, so be it."

"Ciri, Ciri," a small smile danced on Cass's face, "when did you become so wise, my meimei?"

A laugh was Ciri's reply. "Perhaps I always have been, dearest Cass. How have you been, jiejie? It has been a while since we've spoken."

"Quite well," she replied with a tilt of the head. "How have you been?"

A shrug. "Decent. I've been quite busy, but that's normal, as you'd know. Our job rarely gives us a chance for a break. I might now consider the duration of my captive one."

Cass paused. "That sounds morbid," she finally decided to say, blinking. "Once we arrest Hua Jueying, we're to bring him to Sai. We'd be given a royal pardon, I think. We could have a vacation there."

"You won't let yourself relax though, would you? Not while Lord Farnsworth is there." Ciri was inspecting her with a devilish glint in her eyes. Cass stiffened.

"My god," she muttered, "they got to you too? And call him Marcus. It's not as if you haven't known him since you were a child."

She shrugged, sauntering forwards. "Have you taken him back yet?"

"No."

"Do you want to take him back?"

The lie came out easily. "No."

"Are you lying?"

She sent her sister a look of pure irritation. "No! You're worse than all of them combined."

"I'm your meimei, it's my job." Ciri took a sip from her mug. "But you are lying. I see how you look at him. And his eyes literally never leave you. It's so adorable it's suffocating."

"I cannot wait until you find a persistent suitor you actually care about."

"So, never?" Ciri's voice was sardonic.

Funny, how the sister with all the suitors and attention was the one most skeptical about the idea of romance. It wasn't that Ciri didn't believe in love— she'd seen far too many love matches for that, but Ciri had confided that while she could easily see herself as the protagonist of an adventure or action novel, a romance...?

Moonlight romances aren't for girls like us, Ciri had mused. It's for those golden girls with hearts of diamonds, who glitter under the sun. Those are the ones who get true love and happily ever afters. Us? We're liars, Cass, both of us. Dirty fucking liars to the core. If someone cut us open, they'd find our insides rotting. At this point, Cass had wanted to interfere, but Ciri waved her off. We're not built for happily ever afters. Well, I'm not, at any rate. I'm not sure about you.

"You know both of us will eventually have to settle, whether we like it or not."

"You can marry Dalton," Ciri said with a shrug. "Maybe I'll marry some odious, rich duke and wait to become a wealthy widow."

"So anxious for your husband to die, aren't you?"

Both girls' eyes went to the door, where Laurence Dumont stood, a tight smile on his face, leaning against the doorway, obviously in pain. Ciri scowled. "Go back to bed."

"But you were just having such an intriguing conversation." He sauntered in, grabbing a jar of water and pouring himself a cup. "Already planning to kill your future husband, Ciri?"

"A natural death, obviously," Ciri scowled, but then added sweetly, "At least it'd seem that way."

Cass released a snort. "Poor man," she mused. "I pity him."

Ciri flashed a toothy smile, pure malice with no pleasantry. "You should."

"A little club of our villain's victims," Laurence murmured between sips of water, now half-sitting against the table, still wincing every time he moved his body too quickly. "We have a child to locate."

And just like that, both of them fell quiet. "This is dastardly work," Ciri finally declared. "Holding two experienced agents who are actually endangering your plan is one thing," she continued, "a mere child to blackmail the father?"

"I don't think Hua Jueying has scruples over morals," Laurence responded dryly. "A very unpleasant man, I must admit."

Ciri ignored him. "I wouldn't be surprised if he just neglected her somewhere. The company he keeps are all brutes and thugs. None of them would know how to care for a two-year-old girl."

Flatly, Cass said, "She might be dead. By accident."

Both of them flashed her a glare, silently reprimanding her for her words. She shrugged off their searing hot gazes. "I don't suppose any of you have anything on the locations?"

Laurence shrugged. "I took a glance before heading to bed. Exactly the kind of people a businessman would associate with. Other tradesmen. One or two more progressive nobles. No one that stands out. I don't think he's with them."

"Ned didn't lie. A man doesn't lie like that," Ciri waved away their silent question. "There were no mad dashes to the harbour, considering yesterday's silence. He's still out here somewhere."

"And the Ivory Rats? Anything from them?" They hadn't said anything about it yesterday, but Cass would be a fool if she didn't think at least a couple agents had remained there afterwards to see what happened.

Laurence shook his head. "Don't know. We'll have to ask later."

"Someone's coming." Footsteps neared. Everyone in the house knew how to stay quiet, from the newest recruits to Georgie. Cass listened a bit closer. "Cadieux." The footsteps were heavy, and Cadieux was a heavy man.

As expected, a moment later, the man appeared at the kitchen door, grunting at the sight of them. "Of course none of you stayed in bed. Damn it. Go wake the others. I want you all in the library in ten." And then he vanished where he had come from.

Ciri remarked, "He's in an awfully bad mood."

Laurence snickered. "He's always in a bad mood, Cirinique darling. Let's not anger him anymore than we already have. Shall we?"