Lumi was looking for a wealthy man.
Not to bed. No, she did not have the time nor the luxury to indulge in such trivial pleasures.
She was looking for a man to rob.
The hood of her cloak concealed her features from passerby as she navigated through the narrow market. Stalls brimmed with all kinds of exotic goods, vendors calling attention to their merchandise.
She passed by rows of dead fish, their mouths ajar, eyes unblinking. Tropical fruits cut into delicate patterns. Herbs and spices held in burlap sacks, their colorful aromas swirling through the air. Glowing crystals and bottled potions displayed on shelves.
In the horizon, the sun was melting into the sea, taking with it the last remnants of day. Lanterns illuminated the darkened alleyways, painting the dusk with yellows, oranges, and reds.
Lumi thrived during nightfall. Particularly in Lover’s District, where inhibitions were low and pockets were heavy. As she turned onto the murky neighborhood, she spotted her prey.
A man like him did not belong in a place like this. Sludge marred the uneven stones at his feet, grime dripped from terracotta-tiled rooftops. And there he stood—amongst filthy sailors, inebriated pirates, and prowling pleasuremaidens.
He was wealthy, alright.
Newly shined shoes made of immaculate leather. A three-piece suit tailored to fit him just right. It was sewn from some expensive fabric she could not name, and it made her own costume look like mere rags.
Everything about him was exquisite. Even his chocolate locks touched his shoulders in flawless waves. Lumi wondered if he had used some kind of styling gel to keep them in place. The smothering climate had her own curls frizzing and sticking to the back of her neck.
She looked him over once more, and still found no imperfections. It made her loathe him.
At the same time, a thrill shot through her. He was exactly the type of man she’d been searching for.
She fell into step behind him, keeping a careful distance as he sauntered through the lantern-lit streets. His strides were lazy and unhurried. Legs long, shoulders broad, he took up more space than the average pedestrian. Yet he never strayed to the side to clear up room for others to pass. No, he walked the streets like he owned them. And everyone else bent to his will.
Lumi scoffed at the sight of it.
Cocky bastard.
The wealthy always behaved this way—like they were above, and all the commoners weren’t worth more than the dirt beneath their soles.
The thought made her blood roar in her ears. She had to quiet that part of herself. The part that demanded vengeance for her circumstance. She needed to stay focused. She could not involve her ego if she wished to achieve her goal. And she desperately needed to achieve her goal, or she would be in trouble with Lady Sol.
She shadowed the man along an uphill slope, noticing a burlap sack fisted in his hand. Its coarse weave was pulled taut by the weight of whatever lay hidden inside. Their bustling surroundings did not allow her ears to pick up on the clinking of gem, but her heart soared with hope nonetheless.
If the sack was full of gem, if she was able to get her hands on it, she may finally have enough to buy both her freedom and her memories. She could escape this cesspool of depravity and never look back.
The man slowed as he approached Sable & Silk—an opium den.
Every night, for three years, Lumi haunted the streets of Port Bram. She had explored every nook and cranny, traversed every corner and crevice. But she had never stepped foot in this particular establishment.
Sable & Silk was where nobles and aristocrats gathered to conduct business, forge alliances and trade in secrets. It was no place for a street rat like herself.
Still, she strode in after him.
All at once, she was engulfed by low ceilings and a smoky haze. Amber lanterns cast a flickering glow against dark walls. The murmur of lethargic voices blended together into a steady hum. Clients gathered around tables and reclined on cushions while staff members provided pipe service. The air was so dense with the scent of opium, it made Lumi’s brain whirl.
She kept her hood up and her head down as she followed the man across the smoggy expanse. He stalked to the back of the lounge and slipped behind a maroon curtain. Lumi slinked after him just as the drape fell closed.
She took in the space—two suede settees facing each other with a low table between them. One was occupied by a man in uniform.
Lumi’s pulse quickened.
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She moved silently, pressing herself against the wall. From this position, she could observe them without being noticed, her body half-shadowed by the curtain.
“Rook,” drawled the uniformed man, “Never a minute late.”
Lumi glimpsed the Royal Kingdom crest on his breast pocket and shivered in displeasure. An officer in the royal navy. The plates on his shoulders shimmered gold, signifying his elevated rank—a general.
A cold knot formed beneath her sternum. It twisted and sank, lower and lower.
Lumi ignored it. She couldn’t leave now. She wouldn’t. Not when freedom was at her fingertips. Not when she was so close to knowing—truly knowing herself.
She watched with bated breath as her prey lowered onto the empty seat and deposited the sack on the table between them. It did not jingle with gem as she hoped it would. Instead, it echoed with a hollow thud.
Lumi noticed the woven cloth was stained. Something was seeping from it. The hairs on the back of her neck stood upright as she watched the officer open the sack like he was unwrapping a gift.
Her hand flew up to cover her mouth.
A head.
A severed head.
It was beyond deformed—discolored flesh, eyes cloudy and half-open, blueish lips twisted in terror, frayed edges along the wound where skin and muscle had been torn.
Lumi wanted to wretch.
Even more so when the officer grasped the dismembered head by a patch of dark hair and lifted it up for closer inspection. A pleased expression spread over his face. Then he proceeded to toss its weight between his hands, handling it like he would a playing ball.
Dread twisted Lumi’s belly.
She should not have come here.
She couldn’t move, couldn’t make a sound, or she would be caught. She had to wait in the shadows. As long as it took.
The general tucked the head back inside the burlap sack. “I take it he suffered in his final moments?”
The man who led her to this place tipped his chin down in confirmation, “Quite.”
“Very good,” the general grinned wickedly, “I believe drinks are in order.”
“I did not come all this way to drink with you.”
“Ah, of course,” the officer reached into his pocket and dropped a pouch on the table between them. This one did jingle.
Lumi’s mouth went dry.
Gem. Not enough to buy her freedom, but no humble amount, either. She could pay Lady Sol her daily due, fill her empty stomach with something warm, and slip the rest into her growing collection—the hidden stash beneath the loose floorboard in her cramped quarters, where her hopes lay buried.
The wealthy man took the pouch and tested its weight between his large fingers. Only when he was satisfied with the amount did he tuck it into the secret lining of his suit. His hand lingered there a moment longer, savoring the assurance of his prize.
The truth struck Lumi like a blow to the chest. This mammoth of a man had killed—brutally, without a hint of remorse—and here she was, hiding in the shadows, ready to take what he’d claimed in blood.
Lumi was usually more careful than this, more rational. But lately, a strange restlessness gnawed at her, as if her own skin had grown too tight, too alien. She needed out of this life, and if it meant risking everything, so be it.
“With that out of the way,” the general drawled, “There’s something I’ve been curious about.”
With a snap of his fingers, two glasses materialized on the table, each cradling a sliver of amber liquid. Lumi blinked once, twice, three times, her mind struggling to comprehend what she was seeing.
The general was gifted by the gods.
There was no other explanation for what he had done. Ordinary people could not make something appear where there had been nothing.
The general took his glass, swirling the liquor with lazy precision before taking a slow, measured sip. “How does it feel?”
“Excuse me?” The man stiffened, betraying that he knew exactly what the general was alluding to.
“Do you still feel it? That missing part of you? Do you wake at night clutching empty air, haunted by what you’ll never have again?”
“Do not test me, Sivan,” his tone rang with ice-cold authority, “You know I am not a patient man.”
It was a threat, Lumi recognized.
His voice was so lacking in warmth, it made her spine zing. She wasn’t sure what she was expecting from a man who brought a detached head into the room, but still.
How could he speak like that to an officer in the royal navy? A general, no less.
Tongues had been cut for lesser crimes. Lumi had seen how they beat beggars in the streets, and whipped pickpockets in the town square, and hung witches from the rooftops for all to see.
And yet, this officer…he simply tossed his head back and laughed. “You really despise me, don’t you?” His voice was full of mirth, clearly enjoying the man’s reaction.
“You,” the man confirmed, “And everything you stand for.”
“And yet, you’ve done nothing about it. On the contrary. You’re helping the kingdom cleanse the seas of pirate filth. You know what they call you, don’t you? Pirate-slayer Rook. You’re a traitor to your own kind, your own blood.”
A traitor to his own kind. A pirate, then. That bit of information surprised Lumi. He did not resemble any pirate she had encountered before—did not dress like one, nor speak like one, nor carry himself like one.
“You really want to talk to me about traitors, Sivan?”
The general took another swig from his glass, “I’ve known plenty of men like you. Loyal to nothing but their own survival.”
“And I’ve known men like you,” Rook said, his tone flat and cold. “Those who cling to whatever side they think will get them out on top. The worst kind of man is one who stands for nothing.”
The officer’s lips curled into a sneer, “And what do you stand for, Rook? Enlighten me. I’m dying to hear.”
“We’re done here,” Rook stood.
“We’re done when I say we’re done,” with a snap of his fingers, Rook once again occupied the settee, “You’d do well to remember who holds the power here.”
It happened in an instant. One moment, he stood. The next, he sat. Just as their drinks had appeared out of nowhere.
The swift movement startled Lumi. Her breath caught in her throat, and before she could stifle it, a strangled noise escaped her. She thought it had gone unnoticed, but then the general’s gaze snapped in her direction.
She stopped breathing.
“Command your troops as you like,” Rook said, “But don’t pretend your authority extends to me. ”
The general shrugged off his words, his attention remaining laser-focused on the shadows where she stood. Time stretched as his eyes scoured the dimly lit corner.
She dared not move, her muscles frozen in place.
The general’s mouth curled into a wolfish grin, “It appears someone is listening in on our conversation.”
With a flick of his wrist, he materialized in front of Lumi. The breath whooshed from her lungs as the general grabbed her wrist. Suddenly, they stood together in the center of the room.