Leona's breath hitched—just once—before she forced it down, snarling low as the man groaned beneath her. His face was half-buried in the soil, blood spreading like a black stain beneath the moonlight. She had driven him down with everything her legs could give, and the ground cracked from the impact.
She didn't just break his nose... but had caved it inward like a stomped peach. His front teeth scattered like crushed ice, pink and red from where they'd snapped in half against the stone.
She grabbed the back of his collar and lifted his head. Not gently.
"You thought you could sneak out?" she growled.
The spy wheezed, but nothing came out. His eyes were unfocused. Maybe he hadn't even realised the damage done to his face yet... it looked horrible.
That was when the footsteps came—first one, then a dozen more.
A pack of guards surrounded them from every direction. Two were already unsheathing their weapons before a deeper voice cut across them all.
"Stand down," Nikolai ordered.
