The Thief: A Craft of Shadows Tale

by Diavosh Bassiti

  * * *

  In the harem-room the beautiful young girl sat on her bed, the silken sheets pulled up around her shivering shoulders as she hugged her knees to her chest and rested her chin on them. The midnight visitor had scared her. Despite being little better than a prisoner, she had always felt secure. The guards who brought her food, or watched her as she played in the gardens, were always deferential and polite. The handsome stranger was dangerous, but the sparkle in his eyes intrigued her and she wondered if she shouldn’t have screamed when she did. Maybe even something else? Her lips still tingled. Could it be possible that he’d been there to rescue her?

  The girl noticed that her jewellery box lay ajar on the floor, and her musings were cut short. She slipped off the bed and knelt beside it to confirm her fears. Empty.