Chapter 18 · Undercity Broker - Chapter 18: Su Jin Names Her Price

Lin shot the one on the left.

Not because he was sure. Because the mark on his arm burned when the one on the right smiled, and the curse didn't waste heat on things that didn't matter.

The bullet took her in the chest. She staggered back, hit the edge of the platform, and her face did something wrong. The edges blurred. Then she wasn't a person anymore, just a column of black smoke that folded in on itself and vanished.

The real Su Jin lowered her gun. "Took you long enough."

Lin's hand was shaking. He shoved the pistol back in his belt. "Your platform's a real charmer."

"It eats liars first." Su Jin stepped over the scorch mark where the fake had stood. "You hesitated. That means you thought about shooting me instead."

"I think about a lot of things."

"Smart." She holstered her own weapon, then leaned against one of the support beams, arms crossed. The fluorescent overhead flickered, throwing her face in and out of shadow. "So. You came down here because you need something. And whatever it is, it's bad enough you risked the platform."

Lin wiped his mouth. His heartbeat was still too fast.