Page 131 of The Dragon and the Dove

Sera dodged to the left, bringing her knife backwards in an arc.

It slashed through Lisette’s leather tunic, but the Dagger was quick on her feet. Reeling backwards, she ducked Sera’s next blow and slammed her fist into her throat.

Sera collapsed to the ground, choking.

Lisette went for the kill, kicking away her dagger.

‘Pathetic,’ she scoffed, backhanding Sera in the mouth. Blood spattered across the cobbles, and to her shame a whimper eked out.

Lisette crouched over her. ‘I never understood what Ransom saw in you. Why he would risk it all for such a little moth.’

Sera yanked Lisette’s ponytail until her chin jerked back to the sky. Using it like a rope, she hinged upright until they were nose to nose. ‘You mean Maker,’ she said with blood on her teeth. ‘I doubt destiny even knows your name.’

Eyes streaming, Lisette hissed, ‘Doesn’t matter any more, farmgirl.’ Her blade struck true this time, sinking into Sera’s shoulder. In the squall of pain Sera released her. Lisette’s free hand shot out, seizing her throat.

Sera’s scream cut out.

Lisette raised her blade, ‘Let’s try this again, shall we, farm bitch?’

‘Good idea,’ croaked a new voice. A cane swung out of thin air and walloped Lisette in the side of the head. The crack was sharp, like an egg breaking on the cobbles. Those taunting eyes rolled backwards as the Dagger collapsed in a heap.

Removing the hood of her cloak, Madame Fontaine stepped out of a shadow and casually examined Lisette’s corpse.

Sera blinked up at the old woman. ‘You just saved my life.’

‘No shit.’ Fontaine straightened the clasp on her cloak. ‘You’re lucky I decided to show up.’

When Sera didn’t reply, just stared dumbly, the soothsayer prodded her with her cane. ‘For the love of Oriel, go put an end to this unholy disaster before those reckless Hales destroy the whole city. And watch your back this time. Andreas’s assassins are skittering about like rats.’

Staunching the wound in her shoulder, Sera rolled to her feet and continued towards the bridge. Ransom and Anouk had pushed north by then, moving towards the scattered parade. Townsfolk were running for cover, while Ransom’s dragon circled Merchant’s Way. Anouk’s giants flattened everything in their path. Not just buildings, but bannermen too.

When Sera made it to the bridge, Paola came running from the other side. Her eyes were shot with terror, her hands trembling as she reached for her. ‘Tobias took an arrow in the back.’

Sera looked past Paola, to where Theo was holding up his younger cousin. Blood spattered the cobbles around them as Tobias’s head lolled back and forth.

‘Andreas has sent out his Daggers,’ said Sera urgently. ‘They’re coming for all of us.’

Paola’s gaze fell to the wound in Sera’s shoulder, the dried blood there a crimson starburst. ‘Take him back to the cathedral with you. He’s not safe out here. And neither are you.’

‘I have to get to Ransom. He’s lost his grip on his magic. They’re going to kill innocents.’

‘We’ll go,’ said Paola, gesturing to Theo. ‘We have our own protection.’

The kind of power Sera could give but never possess. If she remained out in the open like this, Andreas would come for her again. And next time, Fontaine wouldn’t be there to save her.

‘Please.’ Paola’s voice was ragged. ‘Take him. Protect him.’

There wasn’t time to argue. Sera reached for Tobias. He staggered into her embrace, both of them bleeding as they turned back towards the Saints’ Quarter. With a parting nod, Paola and Theo went headlong into the chaos on Merchant’s Way, chasing after Ransom and Anouk.

Tobias groaned against Sera as they made their way to Our Sacred Saints’ Cathedral, their designated safe house. The sanctuary was being overseen by Madame Mercure, guarded by Albert and a group of Cloaks who had volunteered as backup.

Despite the short distance, the journey to the cathedral was an arduous one and she tensed at every flitting shadow.

She told herself she was being paranoid, that the darkness on this side of the city belonged to them. But as the steps of the cathedral finally edged into view, the hairs on the back of her neck rose.

A figure stepped out from behind a nearby streetlamp, and she braced herself for another attack.

By the time she recognized Nadia, the Dagger was pointing a crossbow at her.