Poppy’s POV

Alaric moves first, quicker now, cutting across the courtyard toward a stairwell. He takes the steps two at a time, leading us up and through an alleyway that spits us out onto a different street. Bastian stays close at my back, like a silent, brooding shadow.

When we reach the corner, Alaric pauses and glances behind us, his lips twitching into a smirk. “They missed the turn.”

My heart hammers. “How do you know?”

He taps his temple. “Instinct.”

“Or ego,” Bastian ...