Jarek stared at the map, then at Sylva, then back at the map.
Maybe he was still feeling the effects of the poison. Maybe he was hallucinating.
Because there was no way she just suggested walking into the Shadow Syndicate's headquarters.
Lena folded her arms. "You're insane."
Sylva smirked. "Probably. But that doesn't mean I'm wrong."
Jarek ran a hand down his face. "Just to be clear—when you say 'headquarters,' you mean the actual, real base of operations for the deadliest criminal syndicate in the city?"
Sylva nodded. "That's the one."
Lena scoffed. "Great. Just great. And what? We're supposed to march in and ask nicely for help killing Kael?"
Sylva chuckled. "More or less."
Jarek stared. "That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard."
Sylva shrugged. "Then I guess you'd better come up with a smarter idea, Thorn."
Silence.
Jarek exhaled sharply. He hated that she had a point.
Kael wasn't just some rogue assassin. He had resources, connections, and enough power to kill them without breaking a sweat. If they wanted a real shot at taking him down, they needed more than just luck.
They needed allies.
Sylva tapped the map again. "The Shadow Syndicate has a long history of… let's call it mutual hatred with Kael. If we offer them something valuable, they might be willing to help."
Lena frowned. "And what exactly do we have that they'd want?"
Sylva's grin turned sharp. "You."
Lena blinked. "Excuse me?"
Jarek immediately tensed. "Hold on—"
Sylva waved a hand. "Relax. I don't mean sell her. I mean leverage her reputation." She turned to Lena. "You're a Thornblood. Even if you abandoned your family's legacy, people still know your name. And in this world, names carry weight."
Lena scowled. "I don't want anything to do with my family."
"Doesn't matter," Sylva said. "What matters is that they do."
Jarek shifted uncomfortably. He knew Lena's past with the Thornbloods was a touchy subject. She had spent years trying to distance herself from them, refusing to use their influence for anything.
But right now…
It might be their only real bargaining chip.
Lena exhaled through her nose, clearly irritated. "I don't like it."
Sylva smirked. "You don't have to. You just have to use it."
Jarek watched Lena carefully.
He knew how much she hated this. But he also knew she wasn't stupid.
Lena crossed her arms. "…Fine."
Jarek blinked. "Wait, really?"
Lena shot him a glare. "Don't make me change my mind."
Jarek held up his hands. "No complaints here."
Sylva clapped her hands together. "Perfect. Then let's move."
Jarek sighed. "Just one more thing."
Sylva raised an eyebrow. "What now?"
Jarek pinched the bridge of his nose. "Please tell me you at least have some kind of plan."
Sylva grinned.
"Oh, of course."
Then she turned and walked toward the door.
"Step one: We get in."
Jarek frowned. "And step two?"
Sylva threw him a wink over her shoulder.
"We improvise."
Jarek groaned. He was definitely going to regret this.
The Shadow Syndicate's Headquarters
An hour later, Jarek, Lena, and Sylva stood in front of a heavily fortified building, nestled deep within the underbelly of the city.
The structure loomed over them, its walls reinforced with thick steel plating. Guards in dark armor patrolled the perimeter, each one armed to the teeth.
Lena exhaled. "Well. This is suicide."
Sylva smirked. "Only if we mess up."
Jarek adjusted his coat. "That's… not as comforting as you think it is."
Sylva ignored him and strode forward, confident as ever.
The guards tensed immediately, hands shifting toward their weapons.
One of them—a burly man with a scar running down his cheek—stepped forward.
"Halt," he barked. "State your business."
Sylva flashed a charming smile. "We're here to see your boss."
The guard raised an eyebrow. "And why would he care about you?"
Sylva's grin widened. She stepped aside, gesturing toward Lena.
"Because we brought a Thornblood."
The guards froze.
Then, like a ripple through the air, the atmosphere shifted.
Murmurs spread among them. Some of the guards glanced at each other, uncertainty flickering in their eyes.
Jarek saw it immediately.
They knew Lena's name.
And more importantly… they feared it.
The lead guard studied Lena for a long moment. Then, slowly, he turned toward another guard and nodded.
The second guard disappeared into the building.
Jarek exhaled. "Well. That was easy."
Lena shot him a look. "Shut up. It's never easy."
Jarek winced. She was right.
A few minutes passed before the second guard returned.
"The boss will see them."
The lead guard gave them a final warning look. "Don't try anything stupid."
Jarek forced a grin. "No promises."
The guards led them through a maze of hallways, past armed enforcers and secured vaults.
Then, at last, they entered a grand chamber.
At the far end of the room, seated on a leather chair, was a man draped in a black silk suit.
Dark eyes gleamed beneath slicked-back silver hair. A slow smirk curled his lips.
"Now, this is a surprise," he drawled.
His voice was smooth. Calculated. Dangerous.
"Lena Thornblood… in my den."
He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk.
"So tell me… what exactly are you offering?"
Jarek felt it in his bones.
This was the moment.
Either they walked out of here with an alliance…
Or they didn't walk out at all.