[Ann's POV]
With a final burst of speed, I closed the last few inches. My hand shot out, not to grab his cloak, but to seize both of his arms at the elbows. I wrenched them up and back, pinning them firmly against his spine in a single, brutal motion that forced a shocked gasp from him.
"What are you doing?!" he yelped, his voice muffled and distorted behind the cobalt blue mask. He tried to twist, but my grip was unyielding.
I drove my knee hard into the back of his knee joint. His leg buckled, and he dropped to the cobblestones with a pained grunt, kneeling awkwardly before me. A circle of spectators had formed around us, their festive chatter dying into a tense, whispering silence. I could smell their fear and confusion, a sour note in the air.
"It hurts! What do you want from me?!" he snarled, the anger in his voice edged with genuine pain.
"Are you connected to the transaction of black magic restraints?" I demanded, my voice low, flat, and devoid of any emotion.
