“Thanks, but she also needs money to eat. Got any job vacancy?” Hector leaned on the counter and motioned for Scarlet to come closer. “Look at her,” he urged, a knowing smile playing on his lips. “Doesn’t she look like somebody we know?” Dressed like a man, with her a cap hiding most of her hair, she looked a lot like that person they knew. If she had been taller and a bit wider on the shoulders then she would be perfect. 

 Claire didn’t hear the whispered exchange between the two. Her attention was caught by Bane’s apology and his question. An odd question to ask. One that she didn’t know how to answer. “I’m sorry? Did what exactly?”

Hector glanced sideways. The rebellion needed every person who was willing to fight for the cause. This woman could be an asset or she could just turn around and walk away without listening to what he had to say. She used to live at the countryside, content with a slow-paced life. They met and he instantly saw what others might have missed – her uncanny resemblance to that bastard Levi Wolferstan. The heir to the dukedom, the king’s favorite pet and the person who managed to spoil the rebellion’s mission time and again. He and his father were not hardcore anti-rebellion, but the family’s allegiance to the crown made fighting against the crown’s declared enemies their duty. Giving Levi a reason not to intervene was an option. Because Hector learned from his associates that the woman who went as Claire Dal was adopted by a local about seven or eight years ago and that she had no recollection about her past. 

“Charm him.” Hector answered for Bane. “He meant to ask how did you charm him. Our trusty Bane is not easily charmed.” He gestured to an empty bar stool beside him so that he sat between her and Bane. 

Claire looked from Hector to Bane. “I’m sorry, sir, if I offended you. I was advised not to trust any stranger who openly offers help in the capital.”

Hector guffawed. He draped one thick, heavy arm around the shapeshifter’s shoulder. “The girl’s got a point. We’ll have an exclusive one-on-one about how not to look like a scammer.”

[hr]

Curiosity was what made Levi decide to ignore the invitation to a social event and instead accompany the lady. He was bored of upper-class parties anyway. This, on the other hand, might give him a chance to look for his missing twin.

The humans and the canine automaton walked around the area for a bit until the latter sensed something. The lady picked a piece of torn fabric from the grass, identifying it as an article that once belonged to the missing person. Levi stared at the mechanical dog. Impressive. If he had one of those, back then, he could have launched an investigation all by himself. 

He quietly watched as the lady commanded the shadows to search for more clues. Not many nobles had the power over shadows. It was the first time he closely worked with one. And she seemed to be overexerting. “Working your powers beyond your capacity will do you more harm than good. Why don’t you take a break and work this case in –” In the morning, he wanted to continue. The words died in his tongue as her shadow lengthened to a direction where it shouldn’t go. He twisted his body and looked all around them. The buildings, the passing carriage, the trees, their shadows went one way. The lady’s however, pointed elsewhere. 

So much for taking a break. With a possible lead literally at the tip of her toes, there was no way he could convince her to call it a day. Besides, he was too curious to know how effective her spell was to just walk away. They allowed her shadow to lead them across the park and into the streets of the capital. It didn’t even cross his mind to fetch their vehicle, but he might as well do. Seconds turned to minutes and minutes turned to an hour. Well, not really. But they did walk quite a lot, away from the center of the city, straight to the invisible border. Beyond it was the slums. The trail led them to the industrial section, where most of the commoners work during the day. It stopped by an abandoned warehouse. 

Levi held his arm out, stopping the lady from entering the backdoor. He shook his head, then allowed magic to do its work. The manipulation of the air was what Levi was most notable at. With it, he can do a number of things, including scouting the area for life. He found it. Them. It was a trap. 

He felt the movements in the air before his other senses realized what was happening. Part of what made Levi an exceptional fighter was his ability to estimate what was happening around him before it had an effect on him. His left hand shot forward, palms out. A circle of spell faintly glowed. Bullets clattered on the ground inches from Lady Midnight. It was aimed at her head. He pulled out a long-barreled revolver from its holster aimed, and shifted a few degrees to the left before firing. “It’s an ambush. We have to go.”