a's trembling fingers and

His face half-hidden in s

of the photo burned in

him? Co

the military jacket. "W

eadable look. "If you go, yo

here for

small flash drive. "Blueprints. Guard rot

caught. "You

life. Maybe no

and vanished into the shad

mind screamed that this was suicide. That she wasn't a killer. That she

old rules. And the old rules ha

her jacket, gritted her t

retti would make

ed deep within the docks, surrounded by rusted cont

ad to toe, her father's old combat boots laced tight, Dante's knife strapped to her thigh. She had memor

the entrance. Ta

had always been shielded from this part of the world. She had lived behind

inside, and no one els

ante move-swift and quiet. Th

ibs, angled up, just like Dan

his wasn

wide with surprise, a

gently, blood po

ently. Her breath hi

e didn

e clean on his coa

-

oes that twisted sound into menace. She passed two more guards by hiding in the

choed down a d

fr

ssassin thought he could outplay us. Let's se

r sla

the corridor, a thick steel door stood sl

om-bare walls, a single c

s shirt had been stripped away, revealing bruises

eyes were still

inside, sil

" she w

jerked up

knife already wor

?" he hissed. "

one but you," she replied, cutting throug

nd behind

rned t

e doorway, a gun

red. "The princess

owl. The gun fired-once, twice-before sliding across the

free of Dante,

a

ad before he h

aimed, her arms trembling. The ech

t her, eyes wide.

gun. "I didn't

d quietly, rising to h

mething shifted in that moment-some

ping a smear of blood from

killed

aved m

in. This kiss was different-less fire, more

apart, her voice was bare

l be crawling with rein

let'

hadows. Aria's hands were still stained red. Her mind w

nto a stolen car parked nearby. As they

w battlefield-dangerous, unpredictable,

time, Aria didn'

t like

until the city lights f

and pulled the car into a thicket. Aria stepped out, breathing

ria cleaned her hands in the sink.

st," he said softly, ha

"Does it ever

ted. "But you

dancing across his bruised face.

said, then smirked. "That's how

by the sound. Then her smile f

kno

my fa

betrayal as a de

er. "Then I'm ch

ark and fierce flashing in his

him again-this time not because sh

irelight between them, Aria Moretti became somethi

ame a f

ill

nt to destroy her world-and now, perh