Chapter 461: A Little Too Curious

"You ought to be a little more careful with that steel, Brother, unless you’d rather not have your favourite sister anymore," a light, teasing voice came from beneath the dark hood.

Gillian’s breath caught in his throat. His entire body froze, his blade stopping a fraction of an inch from the intruder’s pale neck.

"Iryna?!" Gillian rasped, his voice cracking slightly under the sudden shock.

The figure reached up with gloved fingers, casually tugging down the dark hood to reveal a wide, mischievous grin that completely shattered the grim, dangerous atmosphere of the damp tunnel. Her hair was loosely pinned back, a few stray locks framing her face, and her dark eyes glinted with quiet amusement.

"What in the high heavens are you doing here?" Gillian snapped, his jaw setting in utter disbelief as he let out a harsh, irritated breath.

"Following you, obviously," Iryna answered breezily, stepping past the sharp point of his short sword without giving the steel a second glance. She adjusted the heavy cloak over her shoulders as though nothing unusual had happened. "Though I imagine you had already come to that conclusion."

"I know that," Gillian groaned, rubbing the bridge of his nose with his left hand before sliding his short sword back into its scabbard with a sharp click. "I mean, why are you sneaking through the filthy back alleys by yourself?"

Iryna rolled her eyes, turning back toward the mouth of the passageway, where daylight streamed in from the street. "What do you mean ’why’? Because you slipped out of the palace without telling me, of course! Did you honestly think I wouldn’t notice my own brother sneaking through the gates like a thief in the night?"

Gillian caught up to her in three long strides, his cloak sweeping around his boots as they stepped out of the tunnel and onto the muddy cobblestone street side-by-side.

"I only left for a few hours, Iryna, and I was already on my way back," Gillian said, keeping his voice down to a low, warning rumble as his sharp eyes scanned the surrounding rooftops and shadowy doorways. "You shouldn’t be out here. You’re still recovering."

Iryna let out a soft, dramatic sigh, tucking her hands deep into her cloak pockets as her boots splashed lightly over a shallow puddle. "Oh, please. I am well enough now. Besides, what are you doing in a place like this?"

"Well, if you must know, I was asking for updates from our soldiers. The ones I personally placed around here."

Iryna paused mid-step, giving him a skeptical sideways glance. "Our soldiers? Why?"

"Yes, our soldiers," he said, raising his chin slightly with a sharp, regal pride. "I wanted to make sure the Auzelian soldiers the posted near the trade routes are actually doing their jobs right instead of wasting their time in the local taverns. Auzelian ought to be capable of keeping order without our men having to look after everything."

Iryna watched her closely as they kept moving, their shadows stretching long against the damp brick walls of the residential quarter. "Just that?"

Gillian tilted his head, glancing up at her through his lashes with a sly, knowing look. "Just that. What else would it be?"

"Right. Fine," Iryna muttered. "Well? What did they find?"

"Nothing," Gillian answered smoothly, keeping his eyes fixed straight ahead on the archways. "Nothing suspicious, anyway. The Auzelian guards are keeping their perimeter tight, and our own soldiers certainly aren’t doing any better, they didn’t find a single trace of the merchant who supplied that poison."

Iryna let out a heavy, dramatic sigh, kicking a small loose stone across the road. "Well, that’s disappointing. I was hoping our men would at least outdo the local."

Gillian adjusted his hood slightly to shield his face from a passing street vendor pushing a squeaking wooden cart. "Regardless, please don’t sneak around like that ever again. You’re going to get yourself seriously hurt before I even realize who it is."

Iryna let out a clear, melodious laugh that echoed softly against the cramped alley walls. "Oh, Brother, you worry far too much. You’re forever looking over your shoulder. Besides, I was about to hit you with my ice earlier, but you struck first."

Gillian gave her a flat, unamused look. "Yes, right. Of course you were. Let’s just go back now, shall we?"

"Already?" Iryna protested instantly, stopping in her tracks and turning around backward so she could glare at him while walking away from the main avenue. "I haven’t even had a chance to enjoy the city yet! I spent my time trailing your slow, ever-cautious self, paranoid self through endless piles of trash and damp alleys!"

"We are going back," Gillian insisted, catching her by the elbow and steering her in the proper direction. "We can always go out tomorrow, or the day after."

Iryna grumbled loudly under her breath, stomping her boots against the cobblestones in exaggerated annoyance, though she didn’t actually pull away from his grip.

As she continued to chatter beside him about the dreary weather, the sour smell of the lower city, and how stiff the embassy guards were acting, Gillian’s thoughts drifted far away from her lighthearted complaints. His right hand rested heavy against the his cloak, his fingers sub-consciously pressing against his ribs where the folded parchment lay hidden.

The list of orphanages was extensive, containing dozens of names, locations, and records. Somewhere among them was the clue he needed. At least, he hoped so.

"Gillian? Are you even listening to me?" Iryna’s sharp voice snapped him out of his reverie.

Gillian blinked, shifting his focus back to his sister’s expectant face as they approached the towering archway that separated the lower slums from the middle quarter.

"I heard you," Gillian lied smoothly, offering a faint, tired smile. "You were saying this place smells terrible."

"It does," she huffed, crossing her arms tightly over her chest. "And you owe me for making me track you through it."

"Deal," Gillian said softly, pulling her closer beneath his cloak as they approached the waiting carriage. "Let’s get back before anyone notices we were gone."