VINCENT

Father's guards entered the small jewelry shop, forcing all but the owner out a back entrance.

"Stay here," Father said as he stepped down from the carriage. "I won't be long."

Long enough for me to die, I was certain. Or just long enough for an assassin to get into position, my father to return to the carriage, and then death. Close enough to imply he was the target.

The thought no longer scared me. If anything, it was comforting that it would all be over.

As I waited for death, a couple shopgirls exited the alley nearby, whispering loudly to each other as they continued down the main road and past a guard. A customer soon followed, glowering at the road ahead of her. She turned her nose up at the guard as she passed. His eyes were planted firmly on a street sign.

That was odd. Normally, the guards jumped at any excuse to exercise their power.

With a sharp lurch, I realized the guards weren't watching me closely. Even the guard posing as a footman stood off to the side, window shopping.

Defiance began to bubble up within me. I could walk away. The alley was right there. My freedom was within reach.

I slowly stepped down from the carriage and edged toward the alley. No one looked my way. Even if I didn't make it, then Father's plan of making it look like he was the target would be ruined. Hope bloomed warmly in my chest.

I paused as I peeked around the corner. Even the alleys of the city were quaint and charming with discarded boxes and furniture lining the sides and laundry hanging between buildings. The final shopgirl was speaking to a young man as she locked the shop's side door.

"Please return … tomorrow?" she asked, a pretty blush dusting her cheeks.

The young man rubbed at the back of his neck as he looked down the alley. "Sure. I'll see if I can find the time later this week," he said with a soft voice.

I was privy to an adorable meeting between two potential young lovers. I wanted that for myself, and the scene bolstered my fortitude.

"I— We look forward to your business," she said before darting away. I leaned back, letting her pass without seeing me.

I ducked into the alley just as the young man heaved a sigh and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, right," he scoffed.

He looked forward, and his eyes widened at the sight of me. From just under his cap, I could make out dark red hair poking out. It looked nearly brown in the dark of the alley. He was the young student I'd seen in the market. I convinced myself that he was a sign from the Lady Below.

"Does this alley let out on the other side?" I asked, gesturing to the winding, narrow path behind him. I hoped so. If not, I would truly be trapped.

He glanced over his shoulder then looked past me, possibly to see if a guard was coming to punish any who approached me. "Yes?"

I stepped further into the protection of the alley's shadow. My heart beat wildly at the prospect of my freedom. I wouldn't be relying on anyone to save me, and I wouldn't be giving in to the inevitability of my death. Figuring out what to do about money and the dampeners would have to wait until later. For now, surviving was my only thought.

"Sorry," the young man muttered as I walked past him.

That simple word froze me in my tracks, and my world came crashing down around me. The pretty student was my assassin. I closed my eyes with a soft sigh.