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She huffed a laugh. “No, Cass. I do not need any help.”

He gripped her shoulders and turned her to face him. His brown eyes scanned her blue ones. “Who is your target?”

Scarlett pressed her lips together as the Assassin Lord’s threat echoed in her mind. He would do it. He would hand her over on a fucking silver platter to Mikale to prove to her that he could. He would do that and still expect her to carry out her responsibilities to the Black Syndicate.

Cassius pulled her to him, his arms wrapping around her tightly. “Scarlett, talk to me.”

“I can’t, Cassius,” she whispered. “I do not want you to know. I do not want him to use it against you.”

“Seastar, please. This is eating you up. Tell me. Please tell me how to fix this.”

She could hear the pleading in his voice. Hear the desperation. But there was no fixing this. There had been no fixing this since that night.

There had been no fixing her.

There never would be.

Scarlett was awakened the next morning by the bed shifting as Cassius got up to get ready to report to the manor. Nuri had left last night when Cassius had brought her the tonic. Cassius, unsurprisingly, had refused to leave her at Sorin’s alone. After assuring him repeatedly that she would be fine with Sorin alone today and that she knew what she was doing taking him to the Syndicate, he reluctantly left to report for his day’s duties.

Scarlett now prowled hooded and heavily armed down the streets and alleys of Baylorin with Sorin keeping pace beside her. They had hardly spoken this morning. She had only come out of the bedroom, fully dressed and armed, saw Sorin was also ready, and said “Let’s go.”

As she turned into the Black Syndicate and led him down the main street, she said quietly, “The healer’s compound is on the right. Across from it is the Fellowship.”

“This is the Black Syndicate?” She could hear the surprise coloring his tone.

“What were you expecting?” she asked

“Something darker? Not… It looks like every other wealthy district in the city,” he replied.

“We hide in plain sight,” she said with a shrug, “but rest assured we were marked and have been watched entering from at least three blocks away. The reason you haven’t been knocked out and taken somewhere to be questioned is because I am with you.” They turned down a side street. “But should I be…needed somewhere else while here, use whatever means you can to get out.”

“Is this in regard to your assignment?” Sorin asked as they turned down another corner.

“Just don’t let your guard down,” she answered.

He remained silent, and they turned down an alley. She climbed rooftops and led him to that upper tavern room.When they had both swung in and she had closed the window, she pulled her hood back.

“I cannot believe you really brought him here,” Nuri drawled. She was sitting at the table, her feet propped on it, sipping ale.

“It’s not even mid-morning and you are drinking?” Scarlett asked, plopping down on the bench across from her.

“It’s been a long few days,” Nuri said, sliding a full mug sitting beside her across to Scarlett.

“Indeed it has.” She took a long drink of the frothy liquid.

“The Assassin Lord has forbidden me from spending time with you while you are here, but you will be fine?” Nuri asked, glancing skeptically at Sorin.

“I will be fine,” Scarlett answered tightly.

“Are you sure? Because last night he pinned—”

“I will be fine, Nuri,” Scarlett answered, taking another drink, ignoring the grin that spread across Sorin’s face. “He will let me be today?”

“As of right now. I was not commanded to bring you in, although he likely wouldn’t assign me that task, I suppose,” she said with a shrug.

“You could kindly tell him to fuck off for me when you see him,” Scarlett said, taking another drink.

Nuri snorted. “We both know he’d smile and then have someone drag you through hell the next time you were summoned to train.”