She shook her head to dispel the thoughts. She didn’t need to head home right away. In fact, these last few nights she’d stayed out until the sun was high in the sky. She flew from bar to bar, checking to see if any of the locals had seen Alden. She was sure he hadn’t been taken with the Guild. Alden had already disappeared before the raid.
And even though Alden had killed her father, so much had happened she was almost ready to forgive him. Almost.
Narra leapt from the steeple, and embraced the night once more, letting the current take her with each jump.
On the fourth hook and landing, she paused by a small tavern that still had a few candles lit in the front windows. She returned her hook to her belt, and descended the apartment building’s escape ladder.
From the shadows of the alley, she inspected the tavern through the front windows. Two drunks were asleep in their seats, half lying on the rounded tabletops. Behind the bar, a young man—maybe a few years older than her—cleaned a long line of mugs with a rag. He glanced up at the sleeping patrons, shaking his head of brown hair. A smile ghosted his lips, and then he looked away, returning to work.
Narra had been to this tavern only once since her uncle’s disappearance. It wasn’t one she’d ever heard her uncle mention, but it wouldn’t hurt to ask.
Before crossing the street, she quickly checked for other pedestrians. No one occupied the sparse cobblestone, so she took her chance and ran right to the front door.
A bell tinkled as she entered, and Narra glared at the small brass thing wobbling on a bar overhead.
“Welcome!” the barkeep called.
Narra sighed and shut the door. She looked up, meeting the man’s gaze. His eyes widened, a look of surprise flashing across his face. Narra could guess why. Whether it was due to her wanted poster, her status as a thief, or the fact she was half-Kiznai was anyone’s guess.
“Evening,” Narra murmured. She crossed the bar, weaving through the tables with most of the chairs already set on top for the night. Soft snores joined the crackling of embers in the hearth, but aside from that, the room was silent .
“What can I get you?” he asked. “I’m closing up in a few, but I don’t mind serving a pretty girl past closing.”
He winked, and Narra narrowed her eyes.
She didn’t flirt, and would certainly not be returning his advances, though he was a handsome man. He reminded her of Asher, with a wide jaw, strong cheekbones, and brown eyes.
“Nothing,” Narra said. “I have a few questions.”
His shoulders stiffened, and his jaw went rigid. He carefully eyed her face, and then her cloak, which was tight around her, concealing her plethora of weapons. She had no cause to harm him, but she was sure the amount of knives she carried would startle anyone.
“All right,” he said after a long pause. “I’ll answer if I can.”
Narra nodded. She went through her usual string of questions after describing her uncle in detail. Alden Reiner was a well known man this side of the city, and she didn’t need to do much more than mention his name for the man to perk up.
“Have you seen him in the last few days?” she asked.
His forehead wrinkled in thought, and after a moment he shook his head. “No, the last time Alden was in had to be a month ago.”
Narra bit back a defeated sigh. She closed her eyes and counted to five before thanking him and taking her leave. Every bar she visited had the same answer. Though he’d visited some as soon as a week before, no one had seen Alden since.
Where was her uncle? It wasn’t like him to disappear, but then again, with the capture of the Thieves Guild, he might have gone underground to keep himself safe.
Still, it was strange he hadn’t said goodbye, or even left a note hidden in the bar. She’d inspected every inch of the place, and hadn’t found a thing in any of his usual hiding places. Though he’d only used the hiding places for cookies, and other goodies when she was young, she was sure he’d remember doing so, and leave her something . But maybe she didn’t know her uncle as well as she thought since all he’d left behind was a cold, empty tavern.
Narra stepped outside, back into the cold night air, but just as she did, her boot hit something solid. She glanced down at a stack of newspapers. It had to be early for a delivery boy to be doing the rounds already.
She shut the door behind her before quickly plucking one from the twine-wrapped bundle. Once she had the newspaper in hand, she crossed to the trolley stop on the other side of the street to read beneath the lamplight.
Her heart picked up speed as she unfolded the Rova Chronicle to reveal the headline: SERIAL KILLER IN ROVA CITY .
Finally , her killings were public. Though it was a dark place that forced her to kill over a dozen Rovan soldiers, the fact her killings were becoming public knowledge excited her. If the murders were public, it’d stir unrest, and unrest is exactly what she wanted.
Narra briefly skimmed the article, which detailed each murder—a quick slitting of the throat, or a dagger in the brain or heart—but the simple detail of her notes was kept from the paper. Her eyebrows furrowed as she read it over more thoroughly. No mention of her thief message.
Her lips twitched in a tiny smirk. If they were keeping her notes from the press, maybe Marina would find out about them all the sooner.
Flipping to the next page, Narra glanced at a few other articles about the trial of Elena and Raeleen Kolarova, the impending coronation of Princess Marina and which foreign delegates would be attending, the Church of Srah’s position on the bad harvest this year, and a short passage on the coming winter’s fashions. As she scanned the next page, her fingers froze and her heart stopped.
Her eyes widened as a picture of a thief flag was splayed beside a long article about the Thieves Guild. Her hands shook, and suddenly the cool night air was freezing.
“No,” Narra whispered.
They’d set a date for the mass execution of the entire Thieves Guild. A week from today, every one of her brethren would be put to death.
Every. Single. One.
The Commanders. The children. Erik . Her trembling fingers shook the paper so hard she could no longer read. Narra sat down on the bench, her mind racing with her pounding heart.
Marina couldn’t do this. She couldn’t kill them all. There were nearly eighty members. Eighty lives . Some of the younger ones were sixteen. They were children .
Narra gripped the paper hard until it crinkled and balled up around her shaking fists. Fine. Let them try and end the Thieves Guild. The organization was as old as the empire, and it would not go down because of Narra.
She had seven days to incite a rebellion against the soon-to-be Empress of Rova. Seven days .
It looked like her timeline was moving up.
A ngry sparks fuelled her movements the next day. Narra descended the steps to the first floor of her apartment building, her boots pounding loudly in the narrow hall. She didn’t care how much noise she made. With her father gone, this was her building now.
Pushing out into the dim light of the afternoon, Narra glanced at the overcast sky with dark clouds forming over the distant northern mountains. Rain was on its way, but would it hold off long enough for her to make her kills?
With the news of the impending mass execution of the Thieves Guild, Narra had to work fast. Wherever she could, she had to find soldiers, and she had to execute them. A twinge in her chest had her gripping the front of her cloak. She’d told herself a hundred times not to feel bad about this, but she couldn’t help it. Killing was easier now that she’d done it many times, but it didn’t stop her from wincing at the memory of each soldier’s face.
She told herself they weren’t innocent. No one was. They were soldiers, men ruled by the Kolarovas, and anyone ruled by that family was guilty by association.
Narra shook her head and turned down the street into an alley. She scaled the fire escape of the neighboring building and embraced the harsh wind. Her hood flew back and her o
range hair unspooled from the nape of her neck, flying in every direction and whipping against her back.
She sighed and scanned the street. Before she took off, she always made sure everything was well in the neighborhood. She didn’t think anyone would try to break into her building, but with the Thieves Guild locked up, anything was possible.
A few orphans flitted from alley to alley, like a pack of wolves seeking their next meal. Further down the street, a beggar splayed his hands to a man in a suit walking past. He didn’t even spare the poor man a glance.
She continued her inspection until she found a familiar woman with bronze skin and a gorgeous mass of black curls spilling over her shoulders like waves. Her eyebrows were furrowed, and she worried her lip between her teeth.
Narra tilted her head as she watched Captain Avalon cross the street, looking up and down the cobblestone as if searching for someone.
What in Srah’s name was the Rupan woman doing in Rova’s Criminal District?
She waited until Avalon turned onto Narra’s street, then her curiosity getting the better of her. The embers that drove her quick movements only minutes ago, chilled, leaving the cold northern wind to burn her cheeks without the protection of her internal flames.
Avalon passed the alley between Narra’s apartment building and the one she stood upon. Was Avalon looking for Narra? She couldn’t think of another reason the pirate would be on this side of town, so far away from the City Docks. Come to think of it, she’d never seen Avalon step foot off of her ship, though they’d only met twice.
Narra glanced at the dark clouds hovering over the northern mountains. She couldn’t tell the time of day with the sky so dark, but either way, there was still plenty of light left, leaving her hours to execute her killings. She could spare a few minutes to question the pirate .
Her mind made up, Narra returned to the escape ladder. She slid down quickly, cold metal burning her bare palms, then she raced through the alleys between buildings. Trash littered the ground, and rats scurried away underfoot. She leapt over fallen garbage cans and broken boxes until she caught sight of Avalon pausing by an alley mouth. With her back to Narra, she wouldn’t see the thief coming.
Narra’s lips twitched slightly, amusement flickering through her. Any thief knew never to let their guard down, especially when their back was exposed.
Slipping silently through the alley, Narra made her way between piles of foul-smelling litter until she was able to tap on Avalon’s shoulder.
The pirate yelped and leapt, spinning around to face Narra with wide brown eyes. Her eyebrows flew up, and her full lips formed a small ‘o’.
“Looking for me?” Narra asked. Though a small bubble of laughter began to form in her chest, she quickly squashed it. This was no time for jokes, even if Avalon’s look of surprise made her want to smile from ear to ear. “You really should guard your back.”
Avalon laid a hand over her heart and exhaled loudly. “Dammit, Rheka! You scared the hell out of me!”
Narra again had to fight the twitch of her lips. “Apologies.”
While Avalon caught her breath, Narra looked the pirate up and down. The two previous times they’d met, Avalon had been wearing leather pants, a corset, and high boots. Everything she wore hugged her curves and showed off her generous assets, but today she wore simple cotton trousers, a thin jacket, and a cloak pinned at her collarbone. It was strange to see Avalon looking so… normal.
“Yes, I was looking for you,” Avalon said. Now that she’d gathered her wits, Avalon schooled her expression back to the devious smile Narra remembered. However, the look seemed forced today. Dark circles under her eyes told Narra she hadn’t been sleeping much either. She glanced up and down the street, her smile faltering. “I need your help. Is there somewhere we can speak?”
“What do you need help with?” Narra wasn’t going anywhere with Avalon without knowing what she needed. Even if she did somewhat trust the pirate, she wasn’t about to follow her into a trap. Far too many people had played her for a fool recently, and she wasn’t about to let another toy with her.
Avalon sighed. “You remember the potion you obtained for me?”
“Of course.”
“Well… my sister arrived at the Docks not long after our last meeting. She was so ill from the poison. Her skin was green and her hair falling out.” Avalon shook her head. “Even though I knew it probably wouldn’t help, I gave her the potion anyway.”
Narra nodded. She understood Avalon’s desperation to save her kin. It was the same desperation that drove Narra to murder dozens of men in order to save her thieves.
“After she drank it, she just went mad.” Avalon swiped her curls behind her ear. Most of the golden hoops and ruby studs were missing. “She took off running through the streets. I couldn’t believe she had so much energy when she looked like she hadn’t eaten in weeks. She kept muttering about the gods, and then she was screaming and screaming about Srah returning on a chariot of the sun. It was madness!”
Narra’s heart sank. If what Avalon said was true, that certainly could have gotten her sister in trouble—but what did she want Narra to do about it?
“And?” Narra raised an eyebrow.
“Patrolmen caught her before we could. They put her in the hospital, and won’t let me see her.” Avalon looked up at the sky, blinking back tears. When she finally got herself together, she met Narra’s expectant gaze. “It’s been two days and now there’s a group of religious zealots camped outside the hospital. Their numbers are growing every day, and I can’t even make it to the front doors anymore.”
“I’m still not sure what you want me to do,” Narra stated frankly. She felt bad for Avalon, but she had problems of her own to contend with.
Avalon sighed. “I need a thief to steal my sister back.” She met Narra’s gaze with newfound intensity. Gold flecks flickered throughout her dark brown eyes. Narra had never noticed them before and wondered if the gold had been there all along.
“You want me to steal your sister from the hospital?” Narra asked.
The pirate nodded, her lips pressing into a firm, pale line. Her fists clenched at her sides, trembling slightly. “I’ll owe you… I’ll owe you a huge favor. Anything you ask.”
Narra’s eyebrows rose. A huge favor? What could she ask of Avalon? To kill for her? To aid her in her quest? Narra smoothed her expression and looked away from Avalon’s fierce gaze. Wind picked up her hair, a gentler breeze this time. The smooth strands caressed her cheeks as if trying to tempt her into helping Avalon.
Truth be told, she liked Avalon. The woman had a fierceness about her, but there was hurt, compassion, and loss in her eyes. Narra related to her more than she cared to admit.
But Narra had an entire Guild to save and an uprising to start. If she helped Avalon, it was only because she could use the help too.
Narra closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Fine,” she said. “I’ll steal your sister in exchange for a large favor to be collected at any time.”
When she opened her eyes again, Avalon’s had welled with tears. She nodded quickly and grabbed Narra’s hands. Her skin was rough with callouses, and Narra wondered if that was from working on a ship all day, or something more like Narra’s. Hers had been toughened by years of training with daggers.
“Thank you,” Avalon said. “You are saving my sister’s life.”
Narra nodded solemnly, unable to meet Avalon’s emotional gaze. She’d help the pirate, and in exchange, they’d team up to save her thieves, of that she was certain.
The hospital stood tall against the darkening sky, but it wasn’t the impressive structure that kept Narra’s attention. Instead, it was the crowd of forty or so men and women dressed in white robes, toting icons of the god Srah as they chanted for the return of their prophet.
Though Narra had tried to argue against it, Avalon insisted on coming along. With the pirate alongside her, she couldn’t take to the rooftops, or fly into one of the hospital windo
ws. Instead, she’d have to sneak in a back entrance, and with the members of the Church of Srah surrounding the building, she wouldn’t be able to do that until they were gone.
Narra glanced at Avalon, whose face was twisted in fury. “Are you all right?” she asked.
Narra wasn’t good with feelings, and wasn’t sure if she’d ever be, but while Avalon was her companion, she’d try and treat the woman more like Erik. He was the person she cared about most, the man who made her feel the most human, even if she didn’t always understand her best friend.
Avalon nodded grimly. “I’m fine. How are we going to do this?”
Narra inspected the front of the building from across the street, hidden in the shadows of an alley.
“It looks like some of the religious zealots have spilled into the alleyways,” Narra observed. Three men with gold-trimmed robes walked toward the back of the building, the very side she planned on slipping in. “We’ll have to wait until nightfall.”
“All right,” Avalon agreed. “Where should we wait?”
Narra glanced at the L-shaped building wrapping the right side of the hospital. It used to be part of the university, but had since been turned into student housing. The building was four-stories high, nearly the same height as the hospital, and would give them a good angle to keep an eye out on the goings on below.
“We’ll stake out the hospital from up there.” Narra pointed at the roof of the university housing.
“Up there?” Avalon’s eyebrows shot up, and her skin paled.
“Yes.” Narra’s eyebrows furrowed. She wasn’t sure why Avalon looked worried. “We might even be able to see your sister through one of the windows. Either way, it’ll give us an advantage.”
Clockwork Thief Box Set Page 30
