"This way," he said, leading her to the backroom, his mind racing.
Weak aura. Full of openings.
Too easy.
But he couldn't be too hasty.
Either she was a decoy, or she was far more dangerous than she appeared. Either way, he'd play along—for now.
As the door shut behind them, his fingers brushed the hidden dagger at his wrist.
Let's see what this "commission" truly is.
He turned—
—and froze.
Her eyes.
Those cold, needle-like pupils were locked onto his, unblinking. The air thickened, the dim light of the backroom seeming to warp around her silhouette. His breath caught in his throat.
Then—
"Disgusting."
Her voice was the last thing he heard before the world dissolved into static.
(Who knows how long later...)
"!"
Suddenly, the man's vision cleared in jagged increments—first the cobblestones beneath his feet, then the distant murmur of voices, then the biting chill against his skin.
Something was—
Wrong.
