. Run, run, run, run, run.

Clenching the pearls tightly in my fist, I sprinted away as quickly as I could. Before me, men and women gasped and tutted, while behind me, a woman shrieked and hollered.

“Stop her! What are you doing, I told you to STOP HER! That has my pearls!”

I smirked.

Sharp woman. Too bad she realised too late.

I sprinted out of the marketplace into canals. Heavy boots rammed against the stone pavement behind me, damping to a soft thud as the terrain changed from stone to densely packed dirt.

Seems like that harpy’s screams had attracted soldiers. My eyes scanned the sides of the river for alleyways which I could hide in. Hopefully, an alleyway which would also lead me back to Darkcity. My heartbeat doubled as I realised that there wasn’t a single crevice to be seen in the tightly-packed buildings along the river. The thudding drew nearer.

“Stop right there!”

Fat chance, fool.

A break in the buildings appeared. I laughed and veered sharply to the left, into the alleyway.

Crashing headfirst into a soldier.

I fell back painfully on my bottom, while the soldier merely staggered back a few paces.

I glared up at the soldier, my body coiled and tensed to fight, but the strength drained out of my limbs once I recognised the crimson red uniform.

The captain of the Sky Guard.

The thudding of soldiers’ boots quickly filled the enclosed space, coming to a halt as the beams of sunlight cast their long shadows over me. Silence echoed in my ears.

I cursed under my breath as I raised my eyes to glare defiantly at the captain. His face was shrouded in the shadows of the wide brim of his hat. With his face hidden and myself on the ground, his already imposing height was even more intimidating. I felt the urge to cower and whimper, but that was obviously too stupid a thing for me to do.

A flash of white appeared in the dark shadows as he sneered at me.

“Well, hello, mon petit chou.”