Chapter 35 · The instructions were unclear

"The instructions were unclear."

"You are enjoying this."

"You noticed."

Her fingers tightened against his neck. "Take off the mask."

His stare dropped to her mouth.

The moment stretched, hot and dangerous despite the chaos around them.

"Why?" he asked.

"I need to see your face."

"You can see enough."

"I need a clear view to aim."

His eyes stayed on hers. "Liar."

"Keep talking and I will leave you here."

"You can't."

"Try me."

A soldier crashed into the cart behind him.

Cassian shoved Sylvia beneath the wooden frame and turned. The soldier swung a hammer. Cassian blocked it with his forearm. The impact forced him back, but his hand found Sylvia's wrist without looking.

She crawled through the dirt, still connected to him.

The soldier raised the hammer again.

Sylvia seized Cassian's dropped blade and drove it into the man's armor seam. The soldier jerked away. Cassian finished the move with a kick that sent him into the cart wheel.

"You stabbed him," Cassian said.

"You sound surprised."

"You hate killing."

"I hate being killed more."

"Good answer."

"I wasn't trying to impress you."

"You keep doing it anyway."

The mage shouted something.