Ghost in the Storm (The Ghosts) by Jonathan Moeller

the Ghosts, it blended with the shadows, greatly enhancing her abilities at stealth. It also protected its wearer from any divinatory sorcery. Once she wore it, Sicarion would not be able to track her. 
    But until she had it, Sicarion could track her. And if she went to the safehouse now, she would lead him right to it. Worse, other Ghosts might have taken refuge there, and she would not expose them to Sicarion. 
    She needed another location.
    The street widened, and Caina realized she was moving closer to the Great Market. Could she lure Sicarion and his followers into the Market, and trick the other Istarish soldiers into attacking him? That might work, if the Istarish assumed Caina was one of their own. 
    Then she recalled where she had seen Sicarion’s scarred face before. He had been on horseback in Rezir Shahan’s entourage, moments before the attack began. Sicarion had come to the city with Rezir. Which meant he was working for the emir.
    What did Rezir and Sicarion want with Caina? She had never seen either man before today.
    Later. She could figure it out later. After she killed Sicarion.
    The street ahead of her led to the Great Market. Caina looked around for an escape. On her left stood a large warehouse, its roof blasted away by one of the stormsinger’s lightning bolts. A half-burned stone watchtower, still smoldering, rose out of the ruined warehouse. As Anna Callenius, she knew the owner, a merchant who bought whiskey from the Caerish and Mardonish provinces. Whiskey…
    An idea clicked in Caina’s mind.
    The side door to the warehouse hung on its hinges, knocked loose by the lightning. Caina pushed it aside and ran inside.
    And came to a skidding halt. 
    The lightning blast had torn away the warehouse’s roof and burned the interior of the watchtower. But the fire had not spread to the warehouse proper, which was just as well, since row after row of heavy wooden shelves held barrel after barrel of whiskey. There was even a clever of arrangement of ropes and pulleys to raise and lower the barrels. Caina nodded to herself and ran down the aisle of stacked barrels.
    She ripped the plugs free as she did, and whiskey splattered across the floor. 
    The entrance to the ruined watchtower opened before her, the damaged stairs winding up the interior of the tower. Caina ripped a strip from her sleeve, wrapped it around a fragment of wood, and scrambled up the charred stairs. Some of the beams still smoldered, and she raked her improvised torch across the coals, setting it aflame.
    She stood on the stairs, hid the torch behind her back, and waited. 
    It was not a long wait. The mercenaries charged into the warehouse, breathing hard, followed by Sicarion himself. Sicarion held up a hand, and the men stopped. Just at the edge of the massive whiskey puddle. 
    Caina forced herself not to grimace. 
    "A goodly race," said Sicarion. "Yes, I can see why the mistress chose you. But you cannot hide from me. You cannot elude me. "
    "If you want me," said Caina, "come and get me."
    "Easily done," said Sicarion, and he waved the mercenaries forward. They ran at her, their boots splashing through the growing puddle of whiskey.
    Caina threw the torch.
    The entire aisle erupted in a sea of pale blue flame. The mercenaries screamed and threw themselves to the ground, trying to smother the flames dancing up their legs. Sicarion snarled and came to a halt, dodging around the fire. 
    Caina jumped from the stairs, a dagger in either hand. 
    She landed in front of a stumbling mercenary, and her blades lashed out, opening his throat. The man fell without a sound, his blood sizzling against the hot floor. Most of the whiskey had burned away, and Caina plunged her dagger into the chest of a second mercenary. The man stumbled, and Caina twisted past him, reaching for Sicarion. The scarred man drew a heavy serrated dagger, but Caina was faster. She drove her remaining dagger into his chest. Sicarion staggered, slashing his blade at