Eli pushed himself off the dirt. Beside him, Juli mirrored the movement, her golden sword unleashed of its sheath. The lazy droop of the spar's afterglow vanished from their shoulders.
Neither of them needed to say a word. Gillian, the florist, had told them midnight, and Gillian had delivered, just as promised.
They arrived at the back gate within a few steps. Eli set a hand on the latch and lifted it.
The man on the other side was middle-aged and plainly dressed, holding a slim parcel against his chest.
"Monsieur Gillian sends his regards, per the agreement."
He extended the parcel.
Juli stepped forward, took the package, and opened it to check the contents for anything suspicious. Satisfied, she gave Eli a nod and fell back behind him.
He took the parcel from Juli, weighed it briefly in his palm, and offered the courier a small nod.
"Received. Please pass our thanks to Monsieur Gillian."
