Clockwork Thief Box Set

by Katherine Bogle

  It was working.

  “I don’t have the answers to your questions,” he began. She opened her mouth to protest, but he continued quickly, cutting her off with an annoyed glare. “But I will find out.”

  Narra pressed her lips into a firm line. Good enough.

  “Thank you,” she said.

  Clint nodded. “I’d start with the Barracks. Most soldiers live there.” He paused. “But I see why you might be hesitant to go there again. I’ll let you know what I discover.”

  Heat rose to her cheeks. She’d forgotten the entire Guild knew she’d nearly been hung. She turned as Clint rose from his seat, towering above her. She fled the armory, a swirl of anger and desperation crowding her thoughts.

  How long would it take Clint to get her information? Most likely not long, but she hated to keep Marina waiting. Ezriel deserved to reach his end, not enjoy the world, oblivious to his malicious effect on it.

  “Rheka!”

  Narra looked up.

  Erik jogged from the southern tunnel into the Den. “Erik,” she greeted, raising an eyebrow. His breath heaved from his lungs. Clearly he’d been running, but from what?

  “Where have you been?” He stopped at her side, but she shook her head. Together they stepped over to the brick hall. He pitched his voice low to keep from being heard. “Why is the princess in your uncle’s bar?”

  Narra shifted on her heels. Ancestors . She hadn’t seen Erik since Asher showed up at Alden’s bar, long before she’d found out about her uncle’s betrayal. How had everything gotten away from her so quickly?

  “She needs protection,” Narra whispered. Erik’s blue eyes held hers. His eyebrows pulled together. Was he angry, concerned, or simply confused?

  “From what?” Erik paused. “And why would you be helping her ?” Irritation slipped into his low tone.

  Narra nearly stepped back. Since when had her best friend started judging her? Her choices were her own. “She saved my life, Erik.”

  Understanding blossomed on Erik’s face. “From the hanging?”

  She nodded. “I owe her a debt.”

  One she was ready to repay. Narra groaned and cursed herself. Upon seeing Marina’s injured face, she hadn’t thought twice about going after Ezriel. In the meantime, she’d forgotten all about what she’d learned and what she’d gone to tell the princess about. After she gave over her information, her debt would be repaid. Yet, she couldn’t bear to part with Marina yet. She wanted to be in her debt. It gave Narra an excuse to be around her.

  “All right. But you haven’t forgotten about the First Mission ritual have you?”

  Narra closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Damn. She had forgotten. Once the initiates passed her final test they were welcomed into the Guild, but wouldn’t be able to participate in missions until they completed the ritual of the First Mission—a contract created beforehand by the Guild commanders in order to initiate the new members. Narra and Erik were in charge of them. It was her duty to be there.

  “Tonight?” she asked.

  “Tonight,” Erik confirmed.

  Damned initiates. She didn’t have time for this. Yet, she was stuck between an outlandish mission to find Ezriel at the Barracks, or wait on Clint’s information.

  She sighed.

  Narra didn’t want to be hung again. Though it had worked out the first time, she wasn’t willing to bet it would a second. If she were to infiltrate the Barracks, she needed help, Erik’s help, and she needed a plan. She couldn’t go leaping into things this time.

  “All right,” she said. “But I need your help.”

  Erik cocked an eyebrow. “With what?”

  In fevered whispers she explained what had gone on with Marina, Ezriel, and Asher. She avoided every detail of closeness and kissing, keeping to the basics and the misdeeds of the young corporal. When she finished, Erik’s face grew hard and he nodded.

  “Of course I’ll help,” he said. “Don’t go without me this time.”

  Narra bit her lip against a smile. She wouldn’t, not again.

  “The vault heist is tonight,” Erik continued. “We’ll form a plan for the Barracks and Ezriel tomorrow. Clint might get back to you by then.”

  “I hope so.”

  “If not, we’ll assume he lives at the Barracks, but we’re not going in unprepared.” Erik raised both of his eyebrows until she nodded, confirming she would not attempt to infiltrate the Barracks without a solid plan.

  Erik smiled. “Good.”

  “Let’s get ready for tonight,” she said. A few hours of preparation would be just the distraction she needed. Ezriel could wait one night and so could the princess. Her duty was to her Guild, even with a life debt in the balance.

  Her footsteps echoed in the narrow sewer passage leading to her uncle’s back staircase. Gunpowder filled her nostrils, replacing the scent of feces and other unmentionables.

  Erik left to lead the initiates on the First Mission. They’d start by casing the joint, a large casino run by a wealthy Rupan businessman. She’d join them shortly after a quick change of clothes. After several days running around the city, she needed a fresh set more than anything.

  Heavy pants broke the quiet of the tunnel. Shadows danced wildly over the walls. She spun, yanking a long dagger from her belt.

  The young man skidded to a stop, one hand bracing against the wall.

  “Commander,” he panted, “Rheka.”

  “Yes?” Narra raised an eyebrow. Dirty blonde hair amassed in looping curls along his forehead, sweat sticking the curls to his skin. “What is it?” She recognized the boy, maybe one of August’s. He often employed foreigners to keep them out of trouble on the streets. If she hadn’t been given her current position, she might have ended up one of them.

  “The woman under our protection,” his voice steadied as he regained his breath. “She disappeared. August thinks she fled of her own volition.”

  “What?” Narra snapped. She slammed the dagger back into her belt and spun to the stairs. “Foolish girl.”

  She left the boy in the tunnel, her long legs carrying her over cobblestone and up the dark staircase to her uncle’s bar. No lantern hung at the crest of the stairs, drenching her in black. The narrow passage was familiar, and she passed it easily, shutting the door behind her with a click.

  “August!” she called.

  The door to the dining room whooshed open.

  “Rheka!” August said. He heaved great lungfuls of air and leaned heavily against his cane. “The princess is gone.”

  “Emperor’s ancestors,” she cursed. “How long ago?”

  “Maybe ten minutes. We thought she’d gone to use the ladies room, but when she didn’t come out, we found the window ajar.” August wiped sweat from his forehead.

  Heat burned through her. She couldn’t trust anyone with anything. All she needed was for August and his men to watch the princess and keep her safe. Marina was in too fragile a state to make rash decisions. She’d get herself killed, or worse, if Narra couldn’t find her.

  Narra headed for the door, pulling her hood over her head. “I’ll be back,” she said. The door slammed behind her.

  Marina had to be headed for the palace. Given a ten-minute head start, she couldn’t be far. Narra pulled her grappling hook from her belt. Darkness encompassed the cobblestone street, shadows darkening the edges of the narrow road. Perfect conditions for a flight over the rooftops. If she were to find Marina in time, she’d need every moment she could get.

  A burst of air pushed the hook from the handle. It sprung through the air, cracking off the shingles of a roof before wrapping around the base of a brick chimney. She hit the retract button. Propelled into the air, Narra clung to her handheld device, gritting her teeth as it whisked her to the third-story of a rundown apartment building.

  Her heart raced as her feet hit the torn black shingles of the steepled roof. The Rova City Criminal District rose around her in all of its glory. Warm light lit the buildings to the north
, while darkness embraced the south. The waterfront lay beyond the rooftops. If she were a story higher, she’d see the black sea.

  She scanned the streets. Only a few vagrants and drunks stumbled by. The shopping district was closest. The princess wouldn’t cross the entire city on foot—it’d take hours, and in heels, she could hardly imagine.

  Narra let her hook fly north and leapt from the roof.

  Dark stone passed on either side of the street as she swung from building to building. Her gaze flickered across every street corner, down every alley, and up every street. Marina was nowhere to be found.

  Damn. Why tonight of all nights, when she was needed by the Guild?

  Narra ground her teeth. The rundown apartments, bars, and shops of the Criminal District ceased at the long main road between the dregs of society and the middle class. She flew from the rotten wood and messily constructed homes, to the tall, artfully crafted stone of the Shopping District. She landed on a clay rooftop with a loud thump.

  Stepping into the shadows of the chimney, Narra scanned the road lined with black painted metal lampposts. Nearly a block up, a lone figure stood beneath a lamp, her dark curls illuminated by the harsh light.

  Marina.

  Narra leapt for the escape ladder clinging to the side of the building. She swung onto the metal rungs and slid to the well-tended alley floor below. She landed on smooth cobblestone, clipping her grappling hook to her belt before ducking into the shadows of the alley.

  Circling the grocer, Narra’s heart pounded as she came up behind Marina. The gold of her velvet gown glowed beneath the warm light even under her silk cloak. She glanced up and down the street. No one. The placard of a trolley marked a bench maybe two feet from the princess .

  Narra grabbed her from behind before anyone could round onto the street. Her hand slipped over Marina’s mouth, muffling a startled cry. She yanked her into the shadows of the alley.

  “It’s me,” she whispered against her ear before gently turning the princess.

  Marina sighed in relief as Narra dropped her hand.

  “Thank Srah!” she said, all too loudly. “You nearly scared the life from my bones.”

  “Apologies.” Narra rubbed her palm, still warm from Marina’s breath. “Why did you leave?”

  Marina shifted from foot to foot. “I’m sorry, Narra.” Narra shivered against the cold brushing her bare palms and the way Marina purred her name. “I shouldn’t have inconvenienced you. It wasn’t fair of me to ask for your protection, or that of your… friends.” She paused, shrugging her narrow shoulders. “I need to get back to the palace before I’m missed.”

  Narra scoffed, hardly resisting the urge to roll her eyes. “It is never an inconvenience to help you.” Though in truth, many inconveniences had come of their time together, she didn’t want Marina to think that. Her cheeks warmed. She hadn’t realized until now how much the princess was changing her, how much she was forcing her to feel.

  A smile lit Marina’s cheeks—not quite as bruised as before. She must have used the Talcotta salve, as hardly any yellow remained. The princess leaned forward suddenly, her arms wrapping around Narra’s neck. Their bodies pressed together, warm and gentle. Marina’s hot breath brushed her hair, tickling her neck.

  “Thank you, Narra.” Something warm pressed against her jaw, close to her ear. Heat rose inside her stomach, and into her chest. But it wasn’t anger this time. It was something she’d only ever felt before when forced into a hallucinatory cocktail at the Dollhouse.

  Marina hugged her for several long moments before pulling back. Narra’s heart skipped as her warmth slowly left. She yearned for the princess’s warmth and touch.

  “Marina,” she whispered .

  Before Marina’s hands left Narra’s shoulders, she leaned forward. Her lips pressed against Marina’s soft, pouty lower lip. The princess stilled for a moment before pushing forward.

  Narra’s back hit the stone of the alley wall, and Marina snatched her breath with a kiss. Her warmth embraced Narra again, Marina’s soft hands brushing Narra’s collarbone. Sparks flew across her skin, and she gasped.

  Narra’s fingers rested gently on the princess’s hips, uncertain where to wander. Soft velvet ran between her fingers. Beneath the gown was Marina’s flesh—one of the three princesses of the empire. How could this be happening? How was this real?

  Yet Marina’s sweet lips were the realest thing she’d ever felt.

  Her hands wrapped around the princess’s hips, running up her waist and back. Marina gasped, inviting her in. Warm vanilla blossomed on her tongue. Narra couldn’t be sure she had ever tasted anything so sweet.

  Marina pressed closer, her hips digging into Narra’s. Heat poured through her every limb. How had she never experienced this before? How had she been so blind to the passion the world could provide?

  Footsteps sounded nearby.

  Narra rose from the heat as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped over her. She pushed Marina back gently, gasping for air like breaking the surface of a lake.

  Heavy boots hit the ground, and the murmur and laugh of two distinct voices echoed down the empty street.

  Narra stared wide-eyed at the princess while Marina’s eyebrows furrowed, and her head tilted. She heard them too. The squeal of the trolley overtook the stomp of feet. It rounded the corner from the main street, headed north for the palace. Marina’s way home.

  Every thought she’d ever had swirled through her brain. What had just happened? She’d never been so overtaken by anything before. Even when she’d kissed Asher, it hadn’t been like that. Taking a deep breath, Narra fought to tame her emotions.

  “I’ve got to go,” Marina whispered .

  Narra looked up. Marina’s cheeks were pink, and her lips smiled. So, it wasn’t just Narra who’d been having these feelings all along.

  She nodded. “The trolley.” Narra couldn’t think of anything else to say.

  Marina’s grin widened and she turned for her ride. Stepping from the shadows, Marina waved to the driver. The brakes squealed as it lurched to a stop. An elderly man greeted her from his seat.

  The princess paused at the door, and looked over her shoulder, bronze curls framing her beautiful face. She smiled at Narra one last time before stepping aboard, the light click of her heels all too familiar. The doors closed behind her.

  Marina was safe, and on her way home. She should be all right at the palace, surrounded by guards, even if those same guards had failed her before. Narra took another deep breath. Now that she was fairly certain of the princess’s well-being, she had a mission to complete.

  Though she could hardly fathom a heist after such an encounter, she steeled herself. She’d made a commitment to the Guild and the initiates. She’d uphold their rituals at all costs. They were her family—more importantly, Erik was her family. She couldn’t risk disappointing him further.

  Narra returned to the shadows of the alley. It was time to get to the casino and the First Mission before it was too late.

  T he tall Rupan casino occupied several blocks at the center of the shopping district. While the mammoth of a complex occupied a good chunk of real estate, it was also taller than all the surrounding buildings, four stories high with stone chiseled into foreign curves. It stuck out among the brick and mortar of the neighboring dress shops, grocers, and courier.

  Two arched stairways rose on either side of the front platform, leading to a wide entry. Two thick wooden doors blocked the archway, tall bushy plants on either side. A gold statue of a foreign deity occupied the space between the stairs. A long courtyard spread out before it, trees lining the path.

  Narra shook her head as she skirted the obnoxious structure. She’d only been inside a half dozen times, mostly looking for information on wealthy clients.

  The narrow alleys on either side of the building were blocked by a black iron fence. She took it at a running start, her boots slapping against the cobblestone until she leapt. She caught the top of the iron bar
s, just below the pointed arrows sitting on top of each. She pulled herself up and swung over, her heart pounded by the time she landed .

  Though security was heavy inside, the same couldn’t be said for the back of the building. Shadows lay heavy on the narrow alley. It was much later than she thought. Only the stars lit her path until she emerged at the back, where two large loading bay doors stood aloft. She had to hurry.

  Deep voices murmured from within. Narra stuck to the dark corners of the loading bay, slipping beneath the door closest to the cobblestone. A large, open room filled with crates of every size spread out around her. At the far end a small office held a dim light. Two men spoke within, their voices still muffled at a distance.

  Narra and Erik had come up with this plan a long time ago. The casino vault stood at the center of the complex encased in cement with a steel door about ten inches thick. There’d be no busting it down, blowing it up, or otherwise completing the mission without alerting security and every patrolman in the city. In this case, they needed stealth. The old air ducts gave them the space they needed.

  Slipping through the open space, Narra worked her way through the rows of crates to the staircase at the back, leading to the second floor catwalk.

  She glanced between her destination, a grate high on the second-floor wall, and the small office off the loading bay. She couldn’t risk being caught, not when the initiates and Erik were inside.

  Her heart pounded in her ears as she reached the second floor. The grate was already unscrewed, but returned to its place. Good. Then no one knew they were inside.

  She reached for the metal. Cold iron brushed her fingertips. She urged it from the wide rectangular duct. It slid free, toppling for her head. She grabbed it before it hit her, and set it against the wall.

  With the loading bay occupied, she’d have to send two initiates back to take care of them. It’d make the rest of their mission much simpler.