Crow wasted no time putting distance between himself and Penelope. As soon as he started running, he immediately fell back into old habits, dipping into the closest alleyways and using the natural structures of the city to his advantage in the escape. It had been a long time since he’d last been chased through the inner kingdom, but he’d had enough practice to find it easy. His heart raced with excitement and an eager grin took over his face as he turned a second corner.

The thrill of the chase aside, he was also curious to find out how well Penelope would keep up with him on a more level playing field. He’d been terribly out of shape the first time she had caught him at the river, but now, he was nearly as fit as he had been at his peak—aside from the slight toll of how long he’d been bedridden after Jaxon had stabbed him, but he was determined not to let that hold him back from winning their competition. His other tricks would make up for it anyway.

Sure that the knight was pursuing him by now—it didn’t take that long to count to five—he decided to test the waters with her a bit. She’d been with him long enough to know some of his escape tactics by now, but would she catch on to them in the middle of a chase? He glanced back over his shoulder, pivoting on the ball of his foot to press his back against the edge of a building around a third corner. Not seeing anyone right away, he quickly fished out a coin from the purse he’d stolen and tossed it on the ground on the other side of the alley, hoping to send her in the wrong direction by pretending he’d dropped the gold on accident.

With the distraction in place, he spun around and continued running in the opposite direction, not waiting to find out if she’d fall for his ploy as he tried to put distance between them yet again.