Marcus crouched behind a stack of metal crates, scanning the dimly lit alley outside the warehouse. The dockmaster had sung like a canary after Marcus' concussive pulse sent him reeling, and the news wasn’t good.

  The contract hadn’t been broken out of greed. It was coercion. The Ribeiros had forced the dockmaster’s hand, leveraging some unpaid debts. It wasn’t a surprise. That was how the Ribeiros operated: a missing shipment, a family member conveniently in danger. They didn’t take no for an answer.

  And now Marcus had to clean up the mess.

  He exhaled through his nose, forcing the frustration down. The Ribeiros weren’t some backwater gang. They were precise, ruthless, and far better equipped than the average smugglers. If Matteo wanted this problem handled, Marcus would have to be fast and efficient, before the Ribeiros realized someone was moving against them.

  If they hadn’t already.

  But the da Silvas didn’t tolerate smuggling in their ports. It made them look sloppy.

  And that was unacceptable.

  Still, Isi and Matteo’s orders rubbed him the wrong way. They didn’t just want the smuggler out. They wanted logs, information, everything that he’d been involved in. And that meant there was something more at play here. Something more even then the file Isi had already nudged him to steal.

  His comm band buzzed, he swiped across, answering when he saw the name. “This is a hell of a time to call,” Marcus muttered as he peeked around the corner, catching movement at the far end of the alley.

  “Is there ever a good time?” Isi’s voice came smoothly through the channel.

  “Yes, and this isn’t it, so this better be an extreme emergency.”

  “Did you get that file I wanted?”

  “Really? Now?”

  “It’s relevant. Just answer the question.”

  “Fine. Yes. I did. Pulled it from the dockmaster’s records myself after leaning on him about an illegal gun. I hope it was worth it, because you aren’t going to like the contents.”

  “Marcus.”

  He exhaled sharply.

  Isi’s voice came again. “I’m sorry you had to lie, but I had to know.”

  He bit his lip. “Trevor bought a ticket on a freighter. Doesn’t look like he ever got on. Wherever he was going, he tried to bury his trail—receipts on receipts, all leading in circles.”

  The silence stretched, long enough that Marcus’ gut twisted. He glanced down at the comm band. Still green, still live.

  “Isi?”

  A sharp breath, then, “I was worried that might be the case.” She paused. “Novem officially declared Trevor missing. They have no idea where he is. From what I can tell, not even the Novar know what happened.”

  Marcus froze for half a second, a pressure pulse instinctively coiling under his skin, before forcing himself back into motion. He tucked himself deeper into the shadows as two armed men exited the warehouse across the street, their jackets bearing a serpent coiled around a dagger, the unmistakable mark of the Ribeiro clan.

  He took a deep breath, processing. Her uncle missing. And even his secret quasi-governmental group didn’t know where he was? Where in the cascades had he gone?

  And Isi… Her voice was business, not a breakdown. Still—“Isi, I’m sorry.”

  There was a silence, then a deep sigh. “Comfort later. Siera is going to send you to confiscate some of his belongings.”

  Marcus’ jaw tightened. “How did Siera even find out?”

  Silence for a moment. “She intercepted a call meant for me. One about Trevor’s will.”

  Bursts. That was bad. “If Siera’s the one sending out the orders, there’s no way I’ll be leading the mission.”

  “Sasha’s taking lead,” Isi confirmed. “Siera might have already messaged her.”

  Of course. Matteo gave him one job, and Siera was already throwing complications into it. He ground his teeth.

  “Does Matteo know that his wife is undercutting the operation that he ordered?”

  Isi snorted softly. “Probably not. They’ll have another argument, I’m sure, but that won’t save you from Siera’s wrath in the meantime.”

  Marcus let out a slow breath, watching as one of the Ribeiro men lit a cigarette, the ember flaring bright in the darkness. “This isn’t going to turn into a council fight between Matteo and Siera, is it? I really don’t need the conservatives breathing down my neck with their Luminar superiority.”

  Isi snorted. “They wouldn’t breathe so hard if you just stayed in your lane.”

  “Are you suggesting you want me to?”

  “Never.”

  “Just checking if I needed to bring you flowers or something.”

  “I do like flowers.”

  Marcus snorted. “Focus, Isi. Council war?”

  “Hard to say.”

  Then he wouldn’t worry about that now. First things first. “So, why call me?”

  “I—”

  A sharp whistle cut through the alley. “Hold on.”

  Marcus tensed as the Ribeiro men started moving, but it wasn’t for him. No, someone else had just drawn their attention.

  Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

  Sasha.

  She dropped down from a ledge above, landing in a smooth crouch between the two men. They barely had time to react before the first throwing star found its mark, a glint of metal catching the cigarette’s glow before embedding itself into one man’s wrist. He howled, dropping his weapon, while the second spun to aim at her.

  Marcus moved before thinking. He stepped into the open, pulse surging. A sharp blast knocked the man’s gun loose, sending it clattering across the pavement. Before he could recover, Marcus leveled his stun pistol and fired. The dart thudded into the man’s chest; he staggered, growling, but didn’t drop.

  Marcus sighed, caught him by the collar, and slammed him into the wall. Pressure rippled through his arm, strengthening it and locking the man there as if nailed in place. The Ribeiro thrashed, clawing at Marcus’ wrist in desperation.

  Without looking, Marcus flicked a pulse down his arm. The man’s hand snapped away with a crack of air, fingers splaying against the brick. He gasped, wide-eyed, but Marcus attention was already turning elsewhere: watching the first man go for a knife. Too late. Sasha had already closed the gap. Another star, another weapon on the ground.

  She turned toward Marcus, eyes sharp. “You know, if you broke them, they’d squirm less.”

  Of course, she would suggest that. Marcus didn’t even glance at the man pinned under his arm. “Because I care if they squirm?”

  She gave an annoyed huff. “Didn't think you'd jump in.”

  He rolled his shoulders, still holding the man like a pinned insect until the drug finally seeped in. Then he let him slump to the pavement. “Didn’t plan on it. You just looked outnumbered.”

  “Really? You stepped in front of me for that?”

  Marcus shrugged. “Instinct.”

  “Right. Because clearly, I was struggling so much,” Sasha said, rolling her eyes. “I’m not some rookie, Marcus. I don’t require your supervision.”

  Marcus snorted. “Clearly, I've offended you. My deepest apologies for robbing you of your dramatic moment. Next time, I’ll let you handle the armed men and keep my instincts to myself.”

  “Please do.” She flicked another star into her palm and slipped it back into her belt. Then, more softly, “Though admittedly, you do make it fun—sometimes.” A beat. “When you’re not being stupidly moral.”

  “Wow. Was that a stupidly backhanded compliment?”

  Sasha gave a half-shrug, not quite smiling. “Take it however you want.”

  Sasha dart forward, scoping another street, then looked at him.

  Marcus lifted a finger in a silent wait gesture and tapped his comm band. “Isi, do we still have that dinner reservation?”

  There was a brief pause before Isi answered, her tone immediately shifting. “Marcus, if you're trying to wine and dine me, you’ll have to do better than that.” She’d gotten the message: line no longer secure.

  Marcus chuckled. “I'll work on it. Right now, I need more on the Ribeiros. Someone forced that dockmaster into the deal. I want to know who.”

  Isi let out a low whistle. “You really know how to pick them. Those aren’t the kind of gears that move without a lot of grease. If someone forced the dockmaster into this, someone has a bigger dog in this fight than we thought. I'll dig around, but if you start poking too hard, expect company.”

  “I'd expect nothing less,” Marcus said.

  Isi’s sigh was almost amused. “I’ll see what I can do. Try not to get yourself killed before I call back.”

  “No promises.”

  He hung up.

  “Do you flirt with all your informants?” Sasha asked.

  Marcus rolled his eyes. “Let's go.”

  Sasha shot him a knowing look, but didn’t argue. They slipped into the night.

  ---

  Ten minutes later, Marcus leaned against the shadowed storefront. The night air was cool and heavy, shifting to morning. A cart rumbled somewhere down the street, and there was a hiss of steam from a vent that carried the faint, warm smell of bread and… cinnamon? For just a second, he thought about stopping. Cha and something sweet—he could imagine this was a safe place, not whatever his life was right now, but… Ribeiros. Isi. Siera.

  He sighed. The early risers were starting to appear. They needed to finish this before too many people trickled into the streets. He flicked on his comm band.

  “Alright, Isi, I'm alone now.” Sasha had moved ahead, scouting a safe route out. She wouldn’t hear this. “Why don't you tell me what's so important? Preferably quickly.”

  “I need you to get something,” Isi said almost nervously.

  “Alright.”

  “It's not going to be easy.”

  When was it ever? “Just tell me. I'm on a schedule here.”

  “It's a drive. Red casing. Eagle emblem on the side. It's at Trevor's outpost. You still have a key from the last time you visited, right?”

  Marcus didn't like where this was going. “I do. I'm assuming by your tone that this is not on Siera's orders?”

  Isi let out a long breath. “No. No one can know about this.”

  Marcus exhaled slowly. If no one could know, this wasn’t just classified, it was dangerous. He wanted to press, to ask, but there wasn’t time. He trusted Isi. That would have to be enough. “Fine. I’ll get it. Where is this drive?”

  Isi was silent for a few moments. “It's in the basement.”

  “The basement?! Have you found some way for me to get past Novem’s hand scanner? Because last I checked, those doors are a couple feet of steel and concrete.”

  Isi sighed. “Maybe one day. For now, you're either going to have to break in... or intercept whoever Novem sends as a courier.”

  Marcus frowned, shifting his weight. They wouldn’t send Teorin. Would they? He scoffed. Ridiculous. Too dangerous. Too far south. But the thought gnawed at him, a thorn refusing to be pulled free. Because if Novem was sending someone, it had to be one of their own.

  And Teorin was Novem.

  His stomach twisted. If Teorin showed up, this whole job would get a lot more complicated. The last thing he needed was a personal reunion tangled up in this mess.

  But he couldn’t think about that now. The drive came first.

  Marcus ran a hand down his face, exhaling sharply. “I'll figure it out,” he muttered more to himself than Isi.

  “You always do," Isi said, voice softer now. There was a pause, barely a hitch in her breathing, before she added, “And... if you need an inside woman, maybe try Kathrine. I think there's a good chance she'd help you.”

  Marcus blinked. “Kathrine? She's a little...” He searched for the right word. “Enigmatic,” he finished finally.

  “She is,” Isi agreed, almost too easily. “I just think she’s more receptive than you think. But do whatever you think is best.” She hesitated, then added more quietly, “Just... be careful, alright?”

  Marcus forced a smirk. “Careful is my middle name.”

  Isi snorted. “Pretty sure it's trouble.”

  "You know me too well."

  Isi chuckled but then went quiet. “And Marcus?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Siera wants that drive. Badly. And whatever’s on it? It’s dangerous. Enigma-level, people-getting-murdered dangerous. I think it’s why Trevor’s missing. Don’t get caught.”

  Alarm bells went off in his head. Enigma level? “Why does Siera want it?”

  Isi was silent for five seconds. Ten. Finally, he heard her exhale. “She thinks it’s proof Novem covered something up, maybe even something related to my mother. If that’s true, it’s the card she needs to bring them down.”

  Marcus’ breath froze in his lungs.

  “It doesn’t,” Isi said quietly. “I trust Trevor. They didn’t kill my mother. But that drive probably does contain other secrets, ones that could ruin Novem.”

  Cascades. “Isi, if it has those kind of secrets…”

  “Then Novem has every reason to bury it,” Isi finished. “But I don’t think they know what Trevor was protecting. That’s our advantage, for now. Siera thinks they do, so she’s pushing hard. That’s your window.”

  Marcus didn’t like it. None of it. He ran a hand through his hair, forcing the tension out of his shoulders. “Got it,” he said finally. “I'll handle it.”

  “I know. I love you.”

  He sighed. “I love you too.”

  He cut the connection, exhaling slowly. Then just stood there.

  What in the cascades was Isi doing?

  This wasn’t just a rogue request; it was a power play. And the drive? It apparently held world-altering secrets Trevor had buried for a reason.

  And if Trevor had buried them… Did that mean it could have information about his own father?

  He breathed in slowly. If had those secrets, Trevor had been hiding it from him for years, but it wouldn’t be the first time Trevor chose to protect with secrets instead of truth.

  First, he had to get the stupid thing. Then answers. That was going to be hard enough because if Novem knew what it was, they would kill him for trying to take it. He just had to hope they didn’t know.

  And how in the cascades was he supposed to get his hands on a drive he couldn’t even reach without tipping off his own team?

  He needed a plan. Soon.

  Marcus massaged the bridge of his nose. He'd figure it out. Just not now, because Sasha was probably already wondering what happened to him.

  And if she found out what he was up to, she’d kill him.

  Archivist, Department of Reconstruction