Reluctance weighed his every step toward the ball venue as memory after memory came to mind. Honestly there was still plenty of time for him to turn back and forget the whole thing, but the thought of running from Sice for the rest of his days in the city wasnât something heâd want to entertain. There was one other thing pulling him there. A twisted grin pulled at his lips as he finally arrived. Honestly he was doing his best to stifle his laughter, but he was no less pleased with what he saw.
âA catch? Me? Perhaps if you were to catch me leaving maybe, but donât you clean up nicely. Iâd almost go so far as to say you looked rather charming. Almost.â
âI think it suits the occasion, and Iâve seen people nearly get assassinated wearing less.â he was the one nearly assassinated, but she didnât need to know that.
âNo no, I donât doubt your skills in the slightest, howeverâŠweâll see how things play out. Well then, shall we?â
Stifling a giggle, he offered his arm and waited for the inevitable rebuff.Â
She expected a sort of laugh to come from the liar, especially after he laid eyes on what she wore. Sice felt like a curtain that adorned Akademeiaâs lounge windows. If any one of her fellow cadets saw her in this, theyâd never let it go. However, it was their absence that gave her enough comfort to do this anyways. An opportunity to steal supplies and other valuables she could sell for a profit? Absolutely. There had to be a bounty of street rats longing to spend their dust encrusted money on bottles of booze.Â
The cadet knew that she wouldnât be the only citizen hoping to steal valuables tonight. Getting there early and leaving without a trace. That was her plan. Whatever happened afterwards fell to chance.
âSave it. Your compliments are empty; donât waste âem on me. Last thing I need is a cushion of lies for my âfeelingsâ. Weâre only here tâsettle a wager. Nothing less, nothing more.â
Sice shot a glare back at her companion, angered at his wit. Yet, she didnât have much of a choice. He was merely doing his job. Lowering suspicion as much as a could through acting as her partner. Did he know that? Probably, probably not. Lies, honesty... all of that was out of the window. She couldnât care less at the moment. He could run off if he really wanted to; his job was done the moment her arm linked to his.
âI take I donât have tâtell ya not tâthink much of this. Itâs a disguise, got it?â











