Page 76 of Glass Hearts
“Depending on how much we get, sure.”
In a heartbeat, my ragtag crew of misfit animals launches into action, targeting the gruff trio of men. The cat leaps onto the table, sending mugs and tankards crashing to the floor—glass shattering, ale flying. Chaos erupts.
Then come the rats. Twenty of them—wait,twenty?!—and thirty mice flood the scene like a tidal wave of fur and teeth. They swarm the men, snatching up gold coins with lightning speed. But instead of vanishing into the shadows like any self-respecting thief, they race straight to me, triumphantly dumping the stolen pouches at my feet.
I lock eyes with the furious trio and immediately take off running. Telepathically, I shoot the location of the inn I will be staying at to the messy animal gang I created. They have earned their cut.
“That was fun! We should do that again, but like, for food,” I hear one rat say.
What have I started?
Weaving through the crowded streets I aim for the shadows and corners. Turning and changing my directions on a whim. Hoping among the bustling crowds I will loose them.
After running for quite a while, it doesn’t feel like they are following me, so I must be in the clear. Curiosity has me stopping in an alleyway to see if it was even worth collecting a new enemy in three big, scary-looking men. Thankfully, it was: with this score I will be able to stay about a week, pay for meals and a few glasses of wine. Maybe even a few new garments.
My stomach sinks, realizing that with this sizable sum they may still try to find me. In hindsight, I probably shouldn’t have stolen from men like that for my first mark in this new city. But I don’t have the time or luxury to wait for the perfect target.
I stop at a Fromagerie and purchase a large half-wheel of cheese, and go to the general store for a fish for the cat. I think cats like fish. Cats, as much as I love them, rarely help me, so it’s hard to say.
After collecting my bargaining chips for the animals, exhausted from the day’s events, I decide to go back to the inn I spotted from the start.The Rest Yer’ Head Innis closest to the forest, so if I have to make a run for it and call Max, it would be the best option. The attendant raises her eyebrow at my weird combination of foods as I take the key and head up to my small room. It is nothing special, but it’s mine.
My smile grows as itreallyhits me. I am no longer connected to my awful stepsisters. Living the adventure I had always dreamed of. My life really is mine to make now.
“She said she would be here! If she stands us up, I will be pissed,” I overhear unhappy chittering. Breaking my moment of revelation.
“Calm your whiskers and paws,” I say from my open window, thankfully facing the alleyway. “Here are your promised goods.”
“Fish AND cheese!? Need any more help, weird woman?”
“Maybe, but not today. Take care, everyone!” I close the window and fall onto the bed face-first.
After a brief rest and a splash of cold water to the face, a hollow ache curls in my stomach. The granola squares and berries clearly weren’t enough.
Drawn by the scent of something spiced, I drift downstairs to the inn’s pub. Warm light spills across worn wooden floors, and in the corner, a small band coaxes music from battered instruments. The rhythm hums through the floorboards, and something in my chest loosens.
A grin tugs at my mouth. I slide into a corner booth, half-hidden behind a support beam, and let the music wash over me.
“What can I do for you, doll?” A young, cute waitress comes up to my table.
“I will take your best vegetarian meal and best wine, please!”
“Sure thing, coming right up.” She leaves to put in my order.
The band changes to a slow song about love found and lost. The waitress, Flow, returns with my wine and a plate of curried vegetables and rice. It is so tasty and just what I needed. I order another wine and even treat myself to a piece of chocolate cake.
Even with all the excitement and happiness of my new adventure, the princes seem to haunt me. My mind constantly torturing me with the memories of their faces.
Couples, a few alcoholic beverages in, dance off in the corner. Swaying and looking lovingly into each other’s eyes. My heart aches; I never got a dance with my princes.
No, not mine.
“So this is what our money is going to? A subpar band and creeping on couples while eating cake and drinking wine?”
I try to let out a shriek, but a calloused hand is already over my mouth, and I can feel the sharp end of a blade on my side. They moved so silently, I never even registered they were there. The surly trio of men look just as menacing, if not more so, up close. The pale man with dark red hair and a scar on his right eye makes a gesture to the waitress. She nods and starts pouringthree beers. Not the guests I would like for this evening, that’s for sure.
“Look, I will give you back your money. Well, most of it, I don’t want any trouble.”
“Darling, you got yourself into a lot of trouble, even if you aren’t looking for it,” the dark-haired man says. His voice is gravely, his observant grey eyes boring into mine.
