Rules for Thieves

by Alexandra Ott

  He hides it, but I know him well enough by now to know the words are painful. He might be lying, just agreeing with whatever Ariannorah says, just trying to keep her talking and distracted. But then again, maybe not.

  “It’s like . . . it’s like I don’t know what to do to get through to her anymore,” Beck continues. “Like I just need to get her attention.”

  “Right,” Ariannorah says quietly. “But then when you have it, you wish you didn’t.”

  “Yeah, exactly,” Beck says.

  There’s a pause. Beside me, Lady Atherton is still droning on about “imports from Cerda,” but I don’t really hear her at all.

  Then Ariannorah says, “You’re so different from the rest of them. You’re the only person here who actually says what you’re thinking.”

  Beck’s voice is tense, cautious. “Is that a good thing?”

  Ariannorah’s reply is so soft that I can’t hear it. I glance at Lady Atherton, make sure she’s not looking, and take a step backward, closer to the hedge.

  “You’re really not from around here, are you?” Ariannorah is saying now.

  “What do you mean?” Beck answers a little too hastily.

  “I mean, the way you talk . . . I knew Azeland was much more informal, but it’s just . . . surprising. I thought you said you were only visiting your cousin there?”

  “I was. It—It was a long visit,” Beck says awkwardly.

  Ariannorah giggles. “Is Allianna really your cousin?”

  I stiffen. Does she suspect something?

  “What makes you think she might not be?” Beck asks. He’s keeping his tone nonchalant, but it still sounds tight.

  “Oh, nothing,” Ariannorah says, giggling again. “She’s just so . . . so very protective of you. The way she glares at anyone who speaks to you, I thought . . . I thought she was going to kill me.” She says it flippantly, but it still takes me a second to realize that it’s a joke. Of course Ariannorah doesn’t live in a world where everyone’s keeping a dagger or two up their sleeves. To her, the idea of me committing acts of violence in a ballroom is silly. Laughable.

  Beck does laugh, but it’s a second too late. “Allianna is fierce,” he says, and this time his amusement sounds real. “Protective is a good word for it, yes.”

  Ariannorah laughs too. “Not to mention vicious.”

  They both burst into laughter, Ariannorah’s high-pitched giggles sounding less and less dignified each time.

  Ha-ha. How hysterical.

  I turn away from the hedge, striding closer to Lady Atherton. Let them laugh, I don’t care. I’ll be the one laughing in a minute, after I steal this necklace and wipe that stupid smug smirk from Ariannorah Atherton’s stupid smug face—

  “What do you think, dear?” Lady Atherton says abruptly, looking at me.

  “Oh, uh, I agree,” I say quickly, trying to shake all thoughts of Beck and Ariannorah from my head.

  Lady Atherton frowns. “I said, do you prefer the red or the white?” She’s gesturing toward two flowering bushes.

  “Uh, the red,” I say.

  Her frown deepens. “Yet there’s something so elegant and understated about the simplicity of the white—”

  “Oh, definitely,” I agree. “Definitely the white.”

  She’s confused for a moment, but then she nods, a sharp dip of chin. Satisfied, she continues on with her speech, leading me up the garden path and farther away from her daughter and Beck, who I am trying very hard not to think about.

  The necklace, the necklace, focus on the necklace. . . .

  Seeing it this close, I can tell that the drawing we saw in the Guild didn’t do the necklace justice. In addition to being massive, the stone is an incredibly rich, deep blue, its hue shifting and glimmering in the candlelight. I don’t know anything about jewelry, but I’d bet it’s worth at least a million jamars. Enough to buy me a trip to the Healing Springs ten times over.

  I scan the garden. We’re alone now. There are people nearby who will hear, but no one can see us over the tall hedges, and that will give me an advantage. I look back at the house and guess where we are, based on the blueprints I studied. We’re on the opposite side of the lawn from where the carriages are, unfortunately, but we’re not far from a side door to the house. Maybe I could cut through, exit the house on the other side, and make a dash for the carriages? But how will Beck make it? Will he run when he hears Atherton scream?

  Atherton doesn’t wait for me to ask another question. She’s already moved on to the next flower, just up the path, and I’m behind her now. She passes beside one of the lanterns, and the necklace’s chain sparkles dimly, drawing attention to her neck. A few tendrils of hair escape her spirally bun and cling to her skin.

  Which gives me an idea.

  “Oh, Lady Atherton!” I gasp as if scandalized. “A bit of your hair has caught in your necklace clasp!”

  She freezes. “Oh dear, does it look dreadful?” She brings one hand up toward her hair.

  “Here, I’ll fix it,” I offer. “I mean, if you’ll allow me, my lady.”

  She nods. I step forward, so close that her musky perfume fills my nose. I reach for her necklace. Good thing she’s so short. As quick as I can, I undo the clasp, batting at some of her hair for good measure. And as she breathes a sigh of relief, I drop one end of the necklace, grip the other tighter, and run.

  There’s a gasp as she tries to figure out what just happened. I almost reach the fork in the path by the time she screams, “Stop! Thief!”

  Hearing her footsteps behind me, I kick off my shoes, hoping she trips over them, and gain speed. I shove the necklace down my dress, where it’s cushioned by the many layers of fabric. I can only hope it doesn’t fall out.

  “Thief! Get her, she stole my necklace!”

  Who’s she talking to? I look back.

  Two guards. I can’t see their uniforms in the dark so I don’t know if they’re protectors, but they’re tall and big and they have swords belted at their waists and they’re coming toward me. I sprint, turning abruptly, trying to lose them among the twisting paths, thinking only run, run, run, run—

  Dead end. There’s nowhere to go but—

  The hedge. I throw myself into it, scrambling up, hands scraping on leaves and branches that rain down as I vault up and over, land hard on my bare feet, and keep running.

  I can’t breathe. My dress is so tight and the necklace is pressed against my lungs and it’s too tight and there’s not enough air. I gasp, my chest burning as I double over.

  For a second, silence. Then their footsteps, right behind me. “I’ve got her!”

  I take off again. There are screams as I shove a path through the partygoers, the guards a step behind me. More guards appear from all directions, pouring into the gardens, screaming “Thief!” and going after anyone who runs because they don’t even know who they’re looking for.

  Another turn, another path. I don’t know where I’m going, I’m just going. Away. Got to get away. Faster. Can’t breathe. Faster.

  Beck. Right in front of me, but too far away, running. He’s reaching a turn, he pivots, and—

  A guard turns the corner and slams into him. There’s a shout, Beck fumbles for something, and I run, trying to help him, but a second guard is already there. He tackles Beck from behind, pinning him by the throat, then the first guard grabs his hands and wrenches them behind his back. He cries out in pain.

  I run faster. I will save him, I will.

  Beck sees me. The guards are distracted, but he sees me. He looks right at me, panic in his eyes. And he says, “Run.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  I lurch forward, running to Beck. Someone slams into me from behind and I fall to the ground. Weight crushes against me and I flail, trying to break free. I look up into Ariannorah’s face.

  “Where is it?” she demands. Her hands are shaking like she’s scared, but her eyes are focused and fierce. “Give me my mother’s necklace!”

  The hedges t
ower around us, blocking us from the view of the guards. If I could just get her off me . . . I grunt, trying to roll away, but her knee is digging into my cursed arm and sending ripples of pain from my fingers to my spine.

  “Give it to me!”

  “Get off me, you—”

  Her gaze falls on my neckline and she freezes for a second. Before I can move she grabs the end of the necklace sticking out of the top of my dress. Hugging it close, she shrieks, “I’ve got it! Help, I’ve got it!” She leaps up to wave to one of the guards, and in that second her weight vanishes. I take advantage of it and roll free, springing to my feet as fast as I can. Ariannorah screams. I start toward her, reaching for the necklace, knowing I can outrun her—

  Something flies past my cheek. I turn. A knife narrowly missed my face. It clatters into a tree trunk and falls to the ground. The knife-thrower is a guard, running toward us.

  I can’t lose the necklace, and there’s such a short distance between me and Ariannorah. But by the time I wrench the necklace from her, the guard will be on me, and I can’t get away from them both.

  I run, away from Ariannorah and the guard, sprinting back toward the house. I need a place to hide.

  There’s a door, nearly hidden by bushes at the side of the house. Please let it be unlocked. I don’t have time to pick the lock; let it be open.

  It’s open. I throw myself inside, slam it shut, slide the bolt into place. There’s a thud as the guard slams into it, trying to get it open. I don’t have much time.

  I walk, just to get away from the door the guard’s trying to open, and rack my brain for the blueprint. I think this hallway leads across the house and exits near the carriages, where Jiavar is waiting for me. But I can’t go back to the Guild without the necklace. Or Beck.

  I have no idea who those guards were, or where they might have taken him. But I have to go after him. I won’t leave him behind. And I’ll probably need his help to get the necklace back.

  I follow the hall, choosing turns at random, trying to put distance between myself and the guard. The sounds of the party in the ballroom grow louder, and before long the hall ends in a single door. Judging by all the noise, the ballroom is on the opposite side. I’ve stumbled onto the servants’ entrance, right behind the refreshment table.

  There’s nowhere else to go without turning around and walking back toward the guard, so I open the door and walk through. As quick as I can I join the throng of partygoers like I’ve been here this whole time. Maybe no one will notice.

  I hurry around the side of the dance floor, back toward the garden doors. If I get there fast enough, maybe I’ll see Beck. Maybe I can rescue him, or at least see where it is they’re taking him—

  “Miss Martell?” says a familiar voice. It’s Touzel.

  He comes up to me, a couple of drinks in his hands and a puzzled expression on his face. “Where did—” His eyes grow wide. He’s looking at my dress. “What happened?”

  I look down. Half of the garden hedge is now clinging to my dress. Without my shoes on, the skirts are trailing the ground, and the hem is covered in dirt. I can only imagine what the grass stains on my back look like from where Ariannorah tackled me. Why didn’t I think of this before?

  “Um, I tripped.” Yeah, that’s a great excuse. He’ll totally buy that.

  “But why—where did everyone else . . . ?”

  I have to get rid of him.

  “Hey, Touzel, I need your help,” I say in my best damsel-in-distress voice. I consider batting my eyelashes the way Ariannorah did when she talked to Beck, but it’ll probably just make me look ridiculous.

  “All right. Just tell me what’s going—”

  “I can’t explain here.” I indicate all the people around us. “Put those drinks down and come on.” I start walking back the way I came, not checking to see if he’s following. I know he is.

  The servers at the refreshment table are so busy dealing with the demands of the nobles that they don’t notice when I pull open the servants’ door. Touzel follows me in, and I close it quietly behind me.

  Touzel can’t seem to decide if he’s confused or excited. He’s looking at me like I might have lost my mind, but he’s as eager as ever. “What are we doing?”

  I ignore his question. I’m still trying to guess where those guards might have taken Beck. Would they have handed him over to protectors, or to Dearborn? If I knew who they worked for . . . Oh. I’m a fool. Touzel might know.

  “Have you seen the guards working at this party?” I ask.

  Touzel, who may have been in the middle of saying something, frowns in confusion. He runs a hand through his hair. “I—um, yeah, Baron Dearborn hired them. Most of the nobles here hire private security, especially for balls, but I guess since you’re not from Ruhia you wouldn’t—”

  “So if there’s a security issue, they’ll report directly to Dearborn?”

  “Yeah, most likely—um, where are you going?”

  I’m already moving back down the hall. Time to get rid of Touzel.

  I pick a door at random. It’s a laundry room, with washbasins, clotheslines, and a table and chairs in the corner. Perfect.

  Touzel follows me, running his hands through his hair but, thankfully, keeping his mouth shut. I grab one of the chairs and carry it out into the hall.

  I open the next door down. It’s a closet. This will work. I wish I didn’t have to do this, but I need to find Beck and get out of here.

  “Do you see that?” I say, pointing to a darkened corner of the closet. It’s less than subtle, but on someone as simpleminded as Touzel it works.

  He steps forward, peering into the closet. “See what?”

  I step right behind him and shove. He’s heavier than I expected, but I’ve caught him by surprise and he falls forward. I grab the door handle, and as soon as he’s completely inside the closet I slam the door shut. He shouts something, but it’s too muffled to make out the words.

  I grab the chair and angle it under the handle, blocking it. Probably won’t keep him for long, but it’s the best I can do.

  “I’m sorry,” I say. “You were my favorite.”

  I shouldn’t feel guilty. One of the servants or guards will find him soon enough. Anyway, members of the Thieves Guild don’t feel guilt, and I’m on my way to becoming one. I have to shove it down deep and bury it. I need to find Beck.

  I can’t keep running around in this dress. Olleen and her seamstresses sewed a second disguise, one I hid in the carriage. I can run back there and change, tell Jiavar what’s going on and ask her to wait for us, and come back inside to get Beck.

  I run through the servants’ hall. At least everyone’s so busy with the party that nobody’s around to see me. Surely I’m almost there by now. The house isn’t that large. Only a few more steps—

  A voice comes through the wall, a voice that might be Beck’s. No words, just a low moan. Ahead is a door that’s cracked slightly open. I slide over to it and peer out.

  I’m looking into some kind of fancy sitting room, with plush sofas and woven rugs and fluffy decorative stuff. A balding man in a suit who’s clearly come from the party stands in my line of sight, looking down at the floor. In front of him and to the left, one of the burly guards stands tensely like he’s holding onto someone, his back to me. His uniform is blue, not red like the protectors. A private guard. Touzel was right.

  I can’t see Beck, but he must be what the man’s looking at. He must be in there.

  I want to lunge inside, grab Beck, and run. But I don’t have any weapons, and I’m still wearing this stupid dress, and if Beck’s hurt he might be incapable of running. The thought makes my insides tighten.

  “Who is he?” the man in the suit says. He turns his head, looking to the side of the room I can’t see. “How do you know him?” His voice is sharp.

  “Sir Drozzen introduced both of them to me and Master Abbott and Master Touzel.” Ariannorah. I can’t see her, but I know the voice.

  Anger bu
rns me. The urge to claw her eyes out is stronger than ever. I considered bringing a knife, like Beck did, but couldn’t find a place for one in all my skirts. Now I wish I had. I would’ve made Ariannorah Atherton sorry she ever met me.

  “Drozzen?” the man says. “Do you think he had anything to do with this?”

  “I don’t know,” Ariannorah says. “But he wasn’t with us in the garden, nor were Abbott and Touzel.”

  “And he tried to take the necklace?”

  “Well, no.” For the first time, Ariannorah sounds timid and unsure. “Mother said it was the girl who took the necklace, and she was the one I took it from. The boy wasn’t . . . he was talking to me. He didn’t do anything. But as soon as Mother screamed, both of them started running. But I caught the girl and grabbed the necklace from her.” She sounds a little smug at the end. I want to punch her.

  “And what did they say their names were?”

  “Berkeley and Allianna Martell.”

  “Martell?” The man pauses for a moment, considering. Then he looks at the guard. “Have someone find Drozzen and bring him in here. If he left already, have someone track him down.”

  “Yes, sir,” says a gruff voice. “And what would you have me do with this prisoner?”

  The man, who must be Baron Dearborn, hesitates for a second. “Lock him in one of the servant’s rooms and guard the door. When he comes to, get him to reveal who he and his partner are, and where she’s hiding. And who sent them. If he hasn’t said anything by dawn, call the protectors and have them pick him up.”

  “Yes, sir.” There’s a shuffling sound as the guard moves out of my sight. A sound like he’s dragging a body across the floor. My chest constricts. Beck.

  “Thank you, Miss Atherton,” Dearborn says. “Your mother is being tended to by one of our healers, and your father is with her. Let’s return her necklace to her.”

  Footsteps and the shuffling of skirts. Dearborn moves away in the same direction as the guard. A door closes.

  I exhale for what feels like the first time since the conversation began. At least now I know the Athertons still have the necklace, and Beck will be here until dawn. I just have to find him.