Page 148 of Loreblood

She matched my grin.

We hurried down the stairs like schoolchildren, padding along as quietly as we could. When we went outside, I took in a deep breath of crisp mountain air. We headed toward a covered shed where the carriage and horses waited.

“Truehearts fuck me, Jin. I think this is just what we need—get out of the cycle of damnation here and seepeopleagain.”

“Got that right, Sephy. Just like old times, yeah?”

Except unlike the old times of our childhood, we weren’t stealing coins from destitute pockets. By running out in public unprotected, we were jeopardizing everything my vampire trio and Jinneth’s Chained Sisters had been working toward.

I scoffed at the notion once I vaulted for the carriage bench, slapping the seat for Jinneth to get on.Who am I kidding?I thought.We aren’t frail girls or “unprotected” weaklings. We’re fighters.

We haveme, dammit.

Chapter 46

Getting over the protective walls at the base of the mountain was best done during the day. It made sense: How could vampires guard the ramparts during the day when they were asleep? And human slaves made for much worse guard dogs than dhampir or fullbloods.

We stashed our carriage in the woods a few miles from the towering wall encircling Nuhav, trekking the rest of the way on foot.

Since we didn’t have a vampire like Garroway to launch me up to the lip fifteen feet up, we had to get inventive. We snapped a few thick branches from trees and rested them diagonally against the wall so we could use them as leverage.

I was tall, so I went first, managing to get over the rampart and onto the battlement with relative ease and only a few scrapes against my skin. Then I turned on my belly and reached down to help Jinneth get up and over.

We stayed still and silent for many long minutes as we examined the surroundings. Once we were fairly certain no one had seen us, we scurried down a staircase on the other side of the wall and vanished into the morning bustle of Nuhav.

It was exhilarating being in my old stomping grounds. I didn’t realized how much I missed it until I was deep among the throng of faceless peasants who called Nuhav their home and prison.

Jinneth and I cut through the streets like we owned them. After being with vampires for any length of time, not even the Bronzes scared me anymore.

Our stomachs rumbled, but Nuhav provided. We found a humming bazaar near the northeast district and came away with two pilfered apples and half a loaf of bread. Dust billowed thick from the mass of humanity, making the thieving easygoing.

To make our way south and avoid run-ins with the bronze-armored lawmen, we utilized the many snaking alleyways.

In one such alley, we came across a group of rough-and-tumble gutterboys waiting for prey such as us.Some things never change,I thought with a sigh as the four boys emerged from the shadows to surround us.

The difference between my scared youth and now, however, was vast.

Jinneth’s eyes narrowed. My fists bunched at my sides. I was stupidly weaponless, yet quickly surmised I wouldn’t need a sword to talk these lads down.

The tallest and oldest—who only came up to my chest and reminded me of Jinneth’s brother Jeffrith in his younger years—stepped forward with a sneering smile. “Morning, ladies.”

“Don’t you know who this is?” Jinneth asked, presenting me like a trophy. “This is the prizefighter of the Grimsons, yeah? You absolute bog-shit.”

His wicked smile only widened and he looked me up and down. “I’ll take my chances to climb a tree like that.”

The lad ran at me with a dagger. I was not only taller than him but, to his surprise, faster as well. With a quick side-step, I launched my elbow into his face and broke all the little bones of his nose.

He went down in a heap of spraying blood and a muffled yelp. The other three turned tail and scattered, one of them screaming, “She killed Tarvy! The Grimson bitch killed Tarvy!”

The boy writhed on the ground, clutching his nose and whimpering. I gave him a good kick in the ass. “Word of advice,Tarvy? Find something better to do with your time. You don’t have the street life in you.”

It felt good to hurt boys again. Especially bullies and would-be assaulters.

Jinneth was all smiles and laughs as we made it out of the alley. We came to one of the grated entrances of the Firehold an hour later, deep in the southern district.

As we descended the ladder, Jinneth announced our arrival. “Hoy! Any of you scumbags still livin’ down here, yeah?!”

The stale scent of old run-off and underground sewage met our noses. I grimaced. “That’s something I don’t miss.”