Page 14 of The Orc's Thief
Here, the doors are larger, and to my surprise, none are locked. Perhaps Damen concluded that no one in his gang would be dumb enough to steal from him, and I suppose he’s right. His men and women are loyal as they come, as evidenced by the fact that not one of them offered up any information when I was asking around about Lindie.
And yes, these must be the gang leader’s rooms. No other member of his posse would live in such opulence, I’m certain of that. His bedroom boasts a four-poster bed with royal blue curtains made of the finest brocade, and the coverlet is made of silk. I think of stealing it for a moment, but it would be toocumbersome to drag onto the roof, especially after it got wet from the rain.
Still, it would be lovely to sleep on silk for once.
I turn away from the bed and scan the room. There’s no desk, and the armoire holds only clothes—doublets, shirts, and breeches, all scented with the cologne Damen favors. I wrinkle my nose and step back. It’s nothing like the gentle scent I noticed in the orc’s room. It wasn’t his soap. I used the bar I stole this morning, and it didn’t come close to the aroma that’s stuck in my mind.
I shake my head to clear my thoughts. I can’t be thinking about the stranger, not now.
Damen must have an office somewhere in this house. This is only his bedroom, which makes sense. A man of business wouldn’t want to hold meetings where he sleeps. That means…
I swallow thickly, glancing back at the staircase. I’m almost certain the office is on the first floor. Where else could it be? It would be most convenient to have it there, so visitors wouldn’t traipse around the living quarters but would remain below, easily secured.
That means I’ll have to descend as well, walk right past the guards…
Footsteps on the staircase. A thud of heavy boots. I swallow a squeak of terror and sprint for the door I’d left open for easy escape. I close it almost all the way, hoping the guard won’t notice it’s cracked open, but I don’t dare shut it because the handle creaked lightly when I walked in.
Then I hide in the shadows behind the bed, crouching low, and stifle my quickened breaths as much as possible. I’m trapped here, and if the guard enters, I’ll have to fight my way out. I eye the poker standing beside the cold, empty fireplace. That’s what I’ll go for. I have my knives, but I’d rather not kill anyone tonight. Besides, I’d have to get dangerously close to theguard to stab them. The poker is not an ideal weapon, but at least this room is large enough for a good swing.
The footsteps are closer now. I hold my breath, fear pounding through me. Are they hunting for me? If they heard anything from upstairs, that could mean they’re sweeping the place room by room, searching for an intruder. But I’ve been so quiet…
The footsteps stop. A moment later, the guard moves away. I hear a quiet cough, then faint creaks as they head up to the third floor. I don’t move until the sounds fade completely.
Then I tiptoe to the door, check the hall, and dart toward the stairs. I step only on the edges to avoid creaks and nearly fall onto the carpet. Turning away from the light in the kitchen, I slip into a dark, empty hallway.
Heart pounding, I try the first door on the right. Locked. Panic rises. I need to hide before the guard comes back, and I don’t have time to pick a lock. There’s a coat rack nearby, cloaks hanging from it. It could work in a pinch, but I’d have to stay completely still and hope my boots aren’t visible.
At least I’m no longer dripping water. With luck, the footprints I left upstairs have dried. The guard has no reason to be suspicious yet. But if they spot anything…
Good thing I secured the rope I used to climb down. Leaving it dangling outside an open window would’ve been a dead giveaway.
The gods smile on me—the fourth door opens. I slip inside without checking the room and close the door behind me. Pressing my back to it, I listen. The guard’s footsteps echo faintly. They’re not hurrying. Hopefully, they haven’t found anything.
When the footsteps finally recede, I breathe a sigh of relief and turn to survey the room.
I freeze in place, staring at the darkened space. Two beds stand against opposite walls of the small room, with several chairs and a chest of drawers set around them. And in one of the beds…
Oh, fuck.
The guard is fast asleep, his breathing deep and even. He’s lying on his back, his arm thrown wide. I catch a glimpse of naked brown skin, illuminated by the streetlamps outside the window, and quickly turn away. That’s Toby, one of the newer gang members. Lindie pointed him out once when we were having tea, and I thought him handsome at the time.
Now he presents another danger, another chance for me to get caught.
He hasn’t made a sound since I barged in, and I thank the gods for that. He could have crept up behind me and grabbed me while I had my ear to the door. This must be the room where the guards on duty rest between shifts. There aren’t any personal items around, just the beds with simple blankets. Toby’s boots rest on the floor beside the bed, so he’d be ready to jump into action the moment he’s called.
My palms are sweaty as I reach for the handle and crack the door open. I can only hope the other guard has returned to his post and isn’t waiting out there for me. But if I tarry here too long, Toby will wake, and then I’ll havetwoof them to worry about.
I slip into the hallway, which is blessedly empty.
This is the moment you run.
All my instincts, honed through years of living on my own, scream at me to abort this mission and leave while I still can. But I can’t, not when I’m so close to finding answers. I know the information I need is here, most likely in Damen’s study. I just have to locate it.
If everything goes to shit, I’ll climb out the window of Damen’s study and escape onto the street. That might be best anyway, but the guards would discover the rope I left hanging. In broad daylight, there will be no hiding it, and I’m certain they’ll search the place top to bottom once Damen returns and discovers I’ve robbed him.
That is—if there’s anything in there to steal.
I close the door to the guards’ room behind me, easing it shut until the latch clicks softly into place. I tiptoe farther down the hall. I only went into that room because it was the first open door I saw. Nothing about it radiated luxury like the door to Damen’s bedchamber had.
