The door to the briefing room slammed open hard enough to crack against the wall.

  Kazane sauntered in, hands in his pockets, hair still damp from the bath he'd taken instead of arriving on time. The captain, a thick-necked man with an ogrish face, had already gone an impressive shade of purple.

  "Kazane," the captain said, his voice trembling with barely restrained fury. "How kind of you to finally grace us with your presence."

  "Got held up. Bath was too relaxing."

  "I arrive to meetings on time because I have discipline and respect for—"

  "Sounds exhausting." Kazane yawned, stretching his arms above his head.

  The captain's eye twitched.

  It wasn't until the captain said "House Jhael" that his ears perked up.

  "The Noble Houses are placing enormous pressure on this department to find the person responsible for Loric Jhael's murder." The captain's glare swung toward Kazane. "Which brings me to you."

  Kazane's smile widened slightly. "Me?"

  "You had the suspect cornered. Dead to rights, according to your own report. And yet somehow she slipped away."

  "She had unusual abilities. Never seen anything quite like it. Really fascinating, actually."

  "She escaped through a sewer grate!" The captain was shouting now. "A sewer grate, Kazane! While you were standing there—"

  "I cut her." Kazane's voice stayed calm. "Deep enough that she should have bled out in minutes. But she didn't. Like I said. Unusual." He tilted his head. "Would you have preferred I jump into the sewers after her? Ruin my uniform chasing someone who was already dead?"

  "CLEARLY SHE WASN'T DEAD!"

  The captain was fully in his face now. Kazane didn't flinch. Just kept smiling that empty smile.

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  "Do you have any idea what's at stake here? The Noble Houses want this girl found. And they want her brought in alive."

  Something shifted in Kazane's eyes. A flicker of genuine interest.

  "Alive," he repeated softly. "That's new."

  "They've changed their orders. Whatever they wanted before, they want her breathing now. Which means your little habit of cutting first and asking questions later needs to stop. Understood?"

  "Understood. I'll be careful. Very, very careful."

  "Kazane."

  "I mean it." That smile widened. "I'll bring her back alive. Promise."

  The captain's jaw worked. "House Jhael is breathing down my neck. Get out of my sight."

  Kazane stood, stretching lazily. He paused at the door, glancing back. "Don't worry, Captain. I'll take very good care of her."

  Something about the way he said it made the captain's skin crawl.

  * * *

  Kazane stood in the hallway, rolling his neck.

  "That sounded productive."

  Varn was leaning against the opposite wall, arms crossed, his hound sitting placidly at his feet. The beast's white eyes tracked Kazane with lazy interest.

  "You heard?" Kazane asked.

  "The neighboring district heard it."

  Kazane fell into step beside his partner. "Change of plans. We're bringing her in alive now."

  "I warned you about the monologuing. About securing the target before turning your back."

  "Where's the fun in that?" Kazane's smile was sharp. "You have to let them think they've escaped first. Build up the hope. Makes it better when you catch them again."

  Varn gave him a long look. "You're not going to accidentally kill her, are you?"

  "I don't do accidents. If I kill someone, it's intentional." He paused. "But don't worry. I'll bring her back alive. Mostly intact, anyway."

  "That's what worries me."

  They continued down the corridor in silence.

  "We'll find her," Varn said eventually, scratching behind his hound's ears. "Once Brutus picks up a Grace's signature, he never forgets it. That girl's scent is burned into his memory now. Doesn't matter where she runs." He smiled, thin and sharp. "He'll find her. It's just a matter of time."

  Kazane crouched down, meeting the hound's white stare. For a moment, his expression was almost gentle. "Good boy, Brutus. You're going to find her for me, aren't you?"

  The hound's tail wagged faster.

  Kazane stood. The mask of flippant humor slid back into place, but something darker lingered in his eyes. "Well then. No point wasting time."

  He started down the corridor, hands in his pockets, already thinking about the hunt.