The city pulsed below them, alive with distant shouts from the river docks, clattering carts, and guards barking orders. Osairin moved like a shadow, his long legs carrying him effortlessly across the uneven rooftops. Every step was precise, almost liquid, as if the tiles themselves yielded to him.
Raymun struggled to keep up. Her crimson cloak snagged on rough tiles, her lungs burned, and each leap made her pulse hammer in her chest.
"You'll have to move faster," he called back without turning, voice low and commanding. "The patrols are shifting. If we linger, they'll find us."
"I'm trying!" she panted, brushing sweat from her brow. "And you look like you could fly!"
He glanced over his shoulder, golden eyes sharp, catching the early sunlight. "Keep your balance. Don't look down."
She bit back a retort, gripping the tile edge with trembling fingers. Every time his shadow passed over her, warmth spread through her chest—a strange, unwelcome distraction.
Suddenly, he froze mid-stride, head tilting, muscles taut. Raymun instinctively paused, noting the faint twitch of his ears.
"Soldiers," he muttered, voice low, almost reverent.
Her eyes widened. He heard them… before I even knew they were there.
"They'll try to cut us off," he whispered, brushing her elbow with the lightest touch. Heat radiated through her, unnerving and grounding all at once. "Stay close."
She obeyed, heart hammering, as they vaulted across rooftops, shadows stretching beneath them. Each narrow alley they dropped into felt like a temporary reprieve from the chaos, yet the pounding of hooves and shouts echoed in her ears.
Her legs ached. Her cloak dragged against the tiles, snagging repeatedly. She swore under her breath, frustration and fear mingling.
"You move like you own the city," she gasped.
"I do," he replied smoothly, not looking back. The faint smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth made her scowl, cheeks warming in irritation.
Finally, they reached a wide ledge overlooking a quieter stretch of the city. She sank to her knees, gasping, hair plastered to her sweat-slicked face.
"Stop," she said sharply, glaring up at him. "I. Cannot. Move. Another. Step."
Osairin arched a brow, golden eyes catching the sun. "You want to stop now? We're almost clear."
She tilted her chin up defiantly. "I demand it. No arguments. My feet are about to file a formal complaint against my legs."
He blinked, then let out a low, amused chuckle that rumbled through the quiet space. "Formal complaints? Really, Raymun?"
"Yes! And I expect them to be heard." She crossed her arms, lips pouting, trying not to look utterly exhausted.
He crouched beside her, close enough that the faint brush of his sleeve against hers made her shiver. "And if I don't agree?"
Her blue eyes met his, fierce and playful. "Then you risk being smothered with my complaints while I collapse dramatically in protest."
He tilted his head, golden earrings catching the sunlight. "Dramatic collapse? You truly are a princess," he said lightly, voice teasing. "Fine. Rest. But only for a moment—"
"A long moment," she interrupted, grinning despite herself.
He laughed softly, low and warm. "Fine. Long moment. But when we move, we move together."
Raymun leaned back against the tiles, letting herself catch her breath, cloak damp and dust-streaked, feeling the warmth of the sun on her skin. She shot him a mock glare. "And then you keep up with me. Agreed?"
His lips quirked in that infuriating smirk. "Agreed."
For a heartbeat, the city's chaos faded. The soldiers, the rooftops, the danger—all distant. Only the chase, the wind, and the precarious, unspoken tension between them remained.
After a few moments, Osairin stood and stretched, golden eyes scanning the horizon. "We need proper cover," he murmured, voice low. "And I know just the place."
Before she could protest, he led her off the rooftops and down a narrow, hidden alley. Her legs burned, but she followed, adrenaline mixing with exhaustion. Soon, they approached a small opening carved into the side of a rocky hill—an unassuming cave, hidden by hanging vines and brush.
"This will do," he said, motioning her inside. The cool shade of the cave was immediately welcome against the heat of the city and the sun. "We can rest here for a while. Recharge before we move again."
Raymun flopped onto a rock inside, crossing her arms, trying to look indignant. "I said we stop. And I am resting. Full stop."
He leaned against the cave entrance, smirk widening, voice teasing. "Fine. But you rest at your own risk. I'll be watching… and judging how dramatically you recover."
She rolled her eyes but couldn't hide a smile. "You're impossible."
"And yet, you follow me," he replied, almost softly, the edge of teasing in his tone replaced by something warmer.
Raymun flopped back, finally letting herself breathe fully, the adrenaline fading. For the first time since leaving the palace, she felt a fragile sense of safety—and, annoyingly, a strange curiosity about the man beside her.