Shadow and Bone

It took me longer than I’d expected, and I didn’t reach the
western outskirts of the city until well past nightfall. The
streets were dark and empty except for a few disreputablelooking
taverns and an old drunk leaning up against a building,
singing softly to himself. As I hurried past a noisy inn, the
door flew open and a heavyset man toppled out into the street
on a burst of light and music.
He grabbed hold of my coat and pulled me close. “Hello,
pretty! Have you come to keep me warm?”
I tried to pull away.
“You’re strong for such a little thing.” I could smell the
stink of stale beer on his hot breath.
“Let go of me,” I said in a low voice.
“Don’t be like that, lapushka,” he crooned. “We could have
fun, you and me.”
“I said let go of me!” I pushed against his chest.
“Not for a bit yet,” he chuckled, pulling me into the
shadows of the alley beside the tavern. “I want to show you
something.”
I flicked my wrist and felt the comforting weight of the
mirror slide between my fingers. My hand shot out and light
flared into his eyes in a single quick flash.
He grunted as the light blinded him, throwing his hands up
and letting go of me. I did as Botkin had instructed. I stomped
down hard on the arch of his foot and then hooked my leg
behind his ankle. His legs flew out from under him, and he hit
the ground with a thud.
At that moment, the side door to the tavern flew open. A
uniformed soldier emerged, a bottle of kvas in one hand and a
scantily clad woman clutched in the other. With a wave of
dread, I saw that he was dressed in the charcoal uniform of the
Darkling’s guard. His bleary glance took in the scene: the man
on the ground and me standing over him.
“What’s all this?” he slurred. The girl on his arm tittered.