The sound was dull. A muffled clink. It echoed as if the alley were deeper than it looked.
But the figure didn't react.
Nothing.
Not a turn of the head. Not a twitch of the fingers. Not even a shift in the scent.
And that didn't reassure me.
It unsettled me even more.
Because everything here was waiting for us.
And maybe the only thing more dangerous than a trap that's been sprung...
Is a trap that doesn't need to move anymore.
Thalia took a deep breath beside me.
"I think I'm going to try," she said.
I turned my head slowly. Just a centimeter of expression was enough to make it clear what I thought of that idea.
"We don't even know if she's alive, Thalia."
"And if she is, what if we lose the chance?"
"Sometimes, losing the chance is what keeps your eyes in your skull."
But she was already taking the first step.
I followed. Half a step behind. Hands close to my coat. Eyes on everything except the target.
The figure remained motionless.
Until something changed.
