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She smiled at the thought of him returning to a ransacked office, knowing exactly who was responsible. But even as she smiled, another thought shuddered through her. The chief commander knew she was alive now, which meant her parents were in danger again. Once she’d fled the city, she’d be leaving them behind to be taken and interrogated by the king’s men. Were they even still alive? It had always been too painful to seek out information on them when she couldn’t do anything with it.

Her teeth cut into the sides of her cheeks until she focused her thoughts once more. One step at a time.

When she had enough books that her arms were shaking under the weight, she finally left the room, trying hard not to regret each and every volume she was leaving behind. Fox was there in an instant, a leather satchel open and ready for her haul. She tucked them inside and he looped the bag over his shoulder.

“Those are mi?—”

“Heavy and will be perfectly safe with me. I promise.” He gave her a look so earnest she couldn’t not believe him. She could see the blood of his father still drying under his nails.

He was wearing a cloak—one he must have found in the main study. His sword still swung from his back, joined now by the bag of books. She met his eyes and he smirked. She realized she’d been staring, a stupid smile on her face. For the briefest moment, she thought of kissing him. Her smile turned into a scowl and she pushed past him.

“Let’s go, then.”

* * *

They raninto no one on their way out of the manor and once they exited the black gates, it was clear why. The city was on fire. However many allies they had started with in the initial attack, it seemed many others had heeded the call. Flames littered the cityscape in every direction and explosions echoed in the distance, toward the prison. Civilians were scattered about, some carrying buckets of water from the canal and others clinging to their possessions.

It was easy to slip through the crowd, just two more people running in the chaos, and Sofia led them down turn after turn, the streets of the military quarter more familiar than she expected. Fox followed close behind, unsure of where they were going. It was when they were deep into the slums, only a few blocks from the inn that Fox grabbed her, forcing her to slow.

“You’re wheezing!” he snapped when she tried to pull him, needing to go faster.

“I’m fine,” she said, but her words came out in a squeak and a cough that only had him raising his eyebrows. Her breaths were knives in her chest and she cursed her lungs for their unwillingness to function when she needed them.

“I’m going to get you out of the city,” he said, as they continued to move, slower now. “Trust me.”

She nodded, not wanting to talk. Not wanting him to hear the rattle of her breath if she tried.

They made it to the street the inn sat on at last, the tall, crumbling structure visible in the distance, towering above the smaller buildings around it. But even if she hadn’t seen it, she would have known they were in the right place.

A ring of soldiers were converging on the inn as a mob of civilians screamed and waved makeshift weapons—a ring of soldiers standing between them and the inn. Sofia wasn’t sure if the mob was purposefully defending the resistance at this point or if the rising tensions between Dragonborn and Dereyans had finally snapped.

“We’re going there, aren’t we?” Fox said, looking at the crowd.

“They couldn’t make it easy, could they?” she said, looking around, trying to make a plan.

Fox had already lifted his hood, throwing his face into shadows, and pulled out his sword by the time Sofia noticed.

“Slow down, Hero,” she said, resting her hand on his shoulder. “I have a plan.”

Fox only gave a small frown as she directed him into a nearby alley and pointed to the small stack of crates along one wall. He didn’t move immediately.

“Go on,” she said, impatient.

“Yes, my captor. I missed you ordering me around.”

She barely caught the glint of his smile before he was moving, more gracefully than she expected up and over the wall. She followed, pulling herself up without his offered hand.

He only rolled his eyes. “Which way?”

It wasn’t a perfect route, and a few times they had to jump across the rooftops to reach the street over, but they were quiet, slipping through the orange-cast night without being seen. The flash of Flor’s red hair among the mob made Sofia’s stomach swoop, the tension in her shoulders easing.

Sofia dropped down a few feet from where Flor was standing. She nearly stabbed her, but Sofia ducked out of the way, showing her face in the light as she raised her hands in surrender.

“It’s me!”

“Scales,” Flor practically shouted as she lunged forward, pulling Sofia in so tightly her next breath came out in a wheeze.

Fox landed behind them with a soft thud.