The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows Page A

been trying to find where you and your gang stay, but no one seems to know. No one seems to know even your first name.”
    â€œI treasure my anonymity. I’m sure you can appreciate that.”
    In his humph , I could almost hear a smirk, but the black cloth concealed the expression. “I’ve never seen you alone before,” he went on. “Usually, you have quite the entourage. Or at least that black-haired girl. You two seem close.”
    Why was he talking so much? To confuse me? To trick me into relaxing? Whatever he was up to, it wouldn’t work.
    â€œI don’t need my friends to protect me from you.” Wind picked up, howling now. A faint, acrid stench rode the air. A trash bin clattered and a cat yowled.
    â€œNo. That is obvious.” He broke our stare, glancing toward the street below. “I have a proposition. We both agree that standing here with blades at each other’s bodies is not going to accomplish anything but cramped muscles. So why not back off and sheathe our weapons? And if we decide to fight, we can get right back into this position. I prefer this to potentially falling off the roof.”
    I narrowed my eyes. “I don’t trust you.”
    â€œI don’t trust you, either.”
    â€œSo we don’t move.”
    â€œEver?” He met my eyes again, and seemed to search me.“You may not believe that I have things to do besides chase you around the city, but it’s the truth.”
    â€œDoesn’t change that I don’t trust you.”
    â€œIf I dropped my dagger?”
    I let the corner of my mouth curl up. “You’d pick it up and throw it at me as soon as I retreated.”
    â€œIf I handed it to you?”
    â€œI’m sure you have more weapons.” That sword he used so much.
    â€œSo you’d rather stay like this.” When I didn’t answer, he pulled back his blade and my clothes shifted straight again. “I’m not going to stab you. I’m lifting my hand, see? I’m going to put the hilt by your hand. You can take it.”
    His movements were slow, both of us waiting to see if I’d slice his neck open, but when the dagger came into view, he’d shifted his hold so the weapon hung between his first two fingers; it would be impossible to get a good grip on it before I attacked.
    â€œThat’s my dagger.”
    â€œI know. In your haste to escape our last pleasant meeting, you abandoned it in a glowman’s hand.” His eyes never left mine. “Take it.”
    I snatched the hilt and took several strides backward, keeping the edge of the roof to my left.
    But before I could decide to run or attack or anything , Black Knife drew a miniature crossbow from his belt and leapt off the roof.
    I reached the edge of the roof just in time to see him hit the ground, crouched and balanced on the balls of his feet and onehand. Like the jump didn’t faze him, he lifted the crossbow and shot a bolt into the darkness across the street.
    The darkness roared and reared up, assembling itself into the shape of a huge black cat, all pale scars and sinewy muscle. Crates and beams clattered aside as the beast charged Black Knife, who reloaded his crossbow and shot again. The bolt struck the cat’s throat, making the cat stumble, but it didn’t halt.
    With another yowl, the beast pounced. Black Knife rolled away as immense paws thudded on the ground, making even the building shudder under me. The cat seemed to be growing as it prowled around Black Knife, who shot it again and again.
    Small black bolts protruded from the beast like whiskers. It let out another bone-shaking roar as it closed in on Black Knife, trapping him against the wall.
    That hardly seemed to concern him. From a sheath along his back, he produced a black-handled sword and pressed his attack.
    The cat swiped at Black Knife, who raised his sword and blocked the fan of claws. A fine spray of blood coated the ground