Page 74 of The Light Within

It was fancy in here indeed, and Cinn had just traipsed muddy footprints in.Oh dear.

Cinn was momentarily distracted by the sun streaming through the glass panels around him, refracting the light into a dazzling array of colours, which scattered across several marble busts set into alcoves.

All very lovely, but there was no time to admire the surrounding beauty. He had a spy to catch.

Cinn took the far door that led deeper into the Atrium. He stepped into a vast chamber with tiered seating, sleek lines forming a semicircle around a podium. An auditorium. This must be where the consortium heard presentations. The sheer size of it left him momentarily awestruck.

Cinn’s feet slowly took him down the staircase towards the stage. The silence amplified every squeak of his boots. He tiptoed down the last few steps.

A faint murmur of voicesjustreached his ears. The source was hard to place, but there was definitelysomething. He moved quickly—climbing the stage’s stairs two at a time to slip behind heavy curtains, pressing himself into the folds.

He strained his hearing. Yes, definitely voices. Two, one far higher pitched. For one confusing moment, his brain struggled to pinpoint where it was coming from. Then it clicked. The voices wereunderhim.Under the stage.

He was about to drop to the floor and press his ear to the polished wood when a creaking sound, then a scuffle, froze him still. The conversation became abruptly more audible as the pair moved out from under him.

“This is the very definition of careless!” a stern voice said.

Cinn knew that voice.

It was extremely tempting to peek his head out of the curtains to confirm it.

The second voice, the deeper one, sounded almost amused. “But they were totally clueless up until now, Madame Sinclair.”

Score.

Cinn would’ve fist-pumped the air if he wasn’t wrapped up like a burrito.

“I don’t want to hear it. Listen to me. You’re off this job. Honestly, how was it possible to fuck up twice within a few hours? What part of ‘from a distance’ do you not understand?”

Madame Sinclair had often shown her temper in front of Cinn, but this was on a new level: venomous, filled with a seething intensity. He almost felt sorry for the guy.

His mind reeled. This must be their pursuer. Though, what possible reason did Eleanor have to make this random guy follow them?

“If I could—”

“No,” Eleanor snarled. “Stop talking. I’ve never seen such incompetence. I should have known you weren’t capable of this.” She unleashed a frustrated growl. “I’ll need a new plan now. After this, they’ll be constantly vigilant.” Footsteps sounded on the staircase leading out of theauditorium. Eleanor’s voice became fainter. “Go, lie low and wait for further instructions.”

The heavy doors on the far side banged shut, the sound echoing off the glass dome and leaving Cinn with only the sound of his racing heartbeat. He remained in the curtains, the risk of one of them returning too great. He counted until he grew bored at fifty-two. That would have to do. He’d sneak around the side, and duck if he heard something. His fingers twitched towards the curtain—

The fabric was wrenched to one side.

“What the hell are you doing,vraiment?”

Cinn flinched so violently he nearly fell backward, fumbling around for a fistful of material to steady himself.

Julien was there. Standing on the stage. Wearing those ridiculous suspenders of his again, in addition to his puzzled expression.

Cinn glowered at him, folding his arms. “How did you know I was here?”

Julien pointed at Cinn’s boots. “Your shoes were poking out.”

“But… how did you know I washere,here?” Cinn gestured to the glass-domed ceiling.

“I was watching you from a window at MEET.”

“Well, that’s not fucking creepy as hell.”

“Not as creepy as you having a stalker!” Julien raised his voice, and Cinn shushed him. “Elliot swung by to tell me about it. So I assume you followed that guy in here because you recognised him from earlier? Because any other reason would be weird, obviously.”

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