Chapter 1

Javert was a man of rigid morals. He lived by harsh and strict rules, and he never once strayed from these rules. The creatures of the night, the gamin and the whores littering the street, they all disgusted him, for they did not abide by any rules. They stole and murdered and spread their filth like disease-infested rats, hell-bent on causing chaos and only in it for themselves. Javert would rather be a dead man than be forced to associate with these kinds of people, these people that did not understand, or did not care about, the Law.

He walked the cobblestone street with a confident, almost proud stride. He had nothing to fear. He owned these streets. He could go down the darkest alley and feel completely safe, though he never faltered in staying alert. His pale eyes glimmered with an almost-need to find someone guilty of a crime. It was too quiet tonight; something terrible was bound to happen.

He took a moment to gaze to the left of him, at the dark, swirling waters of the Seine. The glassy river mirrored the night sky and he could see, without having to lift his head, the multitude of stars guarding the sky. Never changing shape or position, the only thing in the world that followed by his rules other than himself, they sparkled with a fierce brightness, lighting his way. He smiled then, without realizing. He also didn't realize he had just been mugged.

I don't think I could have run any harder. What in God's name did I just do? I thought to myself. I only saw his back, and it was shadowed because of the lamppost he was close to, so there was no way I could have made out that tell-tale ponytail. And how was I supposed to see a uniform under that ridiculous topcoat? I thought he was just a passer-by – for me to have actually stolen from infamous Inspector Javert from the Paris Police, I am so incredibly dimwitted that I'll get a lashing from my brother if he finds out. That's saying I get out of this mess with my head still intact. He didn't seem to see me, I rationalized, trying to settle my breathing, getting far more tired and breathless than I should be. I had only been running for a few minutes, but the fear that the Inspector sparked in my body set my heart pumping far quicker than usual and it was a pain trying to level it out while still running.

I shook my head, trying to concentrate on anything but the possibility of prison, the possibility of seeing his face up close, and continued to run, until I saw my chance. I twisted on my ankle and whipped into the alleyway, feeling my hair whip against my cheek. I heard the footfalls grow in volume, then recede; unable to see anything out of the alleyway without making my presence known, I trusted the sounds. So he had noticed me. He's fast… I thought.

I sighed in relief, gathering my senses, and closed my eyes until my heart stopped hammering against my breastbone. I took a few long breaths, until I felt like I could open my eyes once more, and so I did.

And gazed straight into the glare of two ice-cold eyes squinted beneath thick eyebrows. A livid expression covered the face of Inspector Javert; the nostrils of his great nose were flared and the puffs of air that escaped with each heaving breath gave him the appearance of a bull. His cheeks were stained pink at the line of bone, but this just added to the threatening air of him. His arms grasped the protruding bricks of the wall of the building I was leaning against on either side of me, giving me no way to escape. I was stuck, my back forced against the cold stone as he leaned forward uncomfortably close.

"What, exactly, did you think you would achieve," said the man, "by stealing from me?" His voice was low and gruff and agitated. He seemed to be holding back, either from shouting or hitting me. Either he had been in a bad mood I had managed to make worse, or he was somehow enjoying himself – Javert? Enjoy himself? – and I ruined his night. Neither option was favourable. And he really was abominably close. Thank God his breath didn't stink.

"To be fair," I replied hesitantly, after gathering up courage to speak to the man I had learned to fear, "I had absolutely no idea it was you until I already committed the deed, monsieur."

"You are to call me by Inspector, wench," he spat. He really has a complex, I swear. His bright white teeth glinted in the moonlight as he bared them like a wolf defending his kill. "Give me back what you stole, and I will not have to resort to force to bring you to the prison."

My heart filled with fear at the mention of prison. There was no way I'd survive, and even if I did, Flora's children…

"Listen, sir – Inspector, I mean, please… I didn't want to steal, I swear, but the children that live with me are starving, and their mother is very bedridden and there is no way to get any money. My brother works in a factory and barely makes enough to get us through a day, let alone a week, and I thought, if just this once—"

"You insolent girl!" He gripped my arms tightly. I could feel his fingers digging in my flesh and I knew I would be bruised tomorrow. "You committed a crime, and you honestly believed it would go without punishment? In what world do you live? In the real world, we are under the Law, and must follow it, lest we falter and suffer the consequences."

"But, Inspector, I beg you! I will pay you back, I promise. Somehow! Just let me buy bread for the family. Let them eat. Please. I can't afford to go to jail but I promise to pay my dues in any other way you see fit. Please, I'm a young woman; I wouldn't survive a month in jail." My eyes began to sting, and I looked at my feet, trying to sell my story better. I was shocked when I felt his grip lessen. I looked up, and though his face was still hard, it certainly wasn't the glare of death I was being treated to just moments ago. Could it be that the Heartless Inspector has a heart?

Nonsense.

"Your offer intrigues me," he said. He seemed to be pondering deeply my words and it unnerved me. It seemed to him as well that what he was thinking was quite foreign and almost scary; he was clearly thinking very hard and seemed rather at war with himself. I'm sure the only comfort was that he would be able to punish me otherwise. "I will agree to this," he finally said, and scowled slightly at my wide eyes. "You may buy this bread, only for this family, and only this time. But you will pay me back, with your body."

I flushed deeply. "Excuse me?!"

His scowl darkened. "Don't imagine such vile things, woman. I mean you will work for me. You will be my spy, and you will become my subordinate officer as well, so that I know where you are and what you are doing at all times. It will be nothing to you to put yourself at risk for me and the police. You will report to my office first thing in the morning; I will get you cleaned and dressed into a proper uniform. You will listen to everything I say and do everything I tell you, without questioning me. Who knows; perhaps this might work for my benefit after all."

"And how long," I murmured shakily, "will this go on for?"

And that was when I found out that something I feared perhaps even more so than Javert's scowl was his smile.