Page 53 of Dishonor Among Thieves
Ivo slammed the door behind me while Valkiva, small and furious, stormed toward me. “She left us, Brex.” Kiva took several steps before breaking into a run. She threw her scrawny body against my waist and clung to me. “She’s gone. We have no idea if she is coming back. The baby hasn’t eaten since yesterday. I tried. I…”
I knelt down and gripped the girl’s shoulders. The dark pools of her eyes reflected wisdom and pain back at me. “I am here now,” I reassured her. “And I will not leave you again.” I stood and took her hand. “Come. Take me to Fina. I’ll get her fed and changed.”
As I walked through the familiar rooms, all four of the children of walking age surrounded me, hugging me and weeping with relief.
“We thought you’d left us forever,” Remy cried. “Where did you go, Brex?”
“It’s a long story,” I told her, kissing the top of her head. I stooped to pick Fina from the cradle where she kicked and screamed. “There, there, now. Sweet little Fina.” The toddler immediately dropped her sweaty, tear-stained cheek against my shoulder. I patted her back, rocking her and shushing her as she hung limp in my arms.
A wave of guilt washed over me at what the kids had been through in my absence. I’d taken a portion of their stability when I left. That was a debt I intended to repay. “You’re all right,” I cooed, carrying the baby Fina through a dark corridor. Half the lamps were unlit, leaving large areas of the foundling home bathed in darkness.
“Come, children. Quick, now.” I hurried into my former room, relieved to see both of the dresses I’d left behind exactly where I’d abandoned them. “Tabby, my sweet, take the baby and the others into the kitchen. I’ll be right along to make everyone a big, fat meal. Can you do that?”
I handed Fina to Tabby and watched the nine-year-old shepherd the kids out of my tiny bedroom. “Kiva, stay a moment?” My hair was exposed, but my cloak was still on. At twelve, Valkiva was more than old enough to see what I was going to show her. And after what she’d experienced with Gini and the merchant, she needed to see this.
I motioned for Valkiva to close my door while I tugged off the traveling cloak and tossed it onto the bed. Beneath the cloak, the four throwing knives sparkled in their sheath. I worried for just a moment that Gini might be someplace inside my mind already, but I shook my head and reminded myself she could not change my thoughts. She could only form illusions. Nothing more.
Valkiva’s eyes widened as I tugged a dress over my head, leaving the breeches on and the knives in place.
“How long has she been gone?” I asked. “Tell me as precisely as you can.”
Kiva watched as I laced the ties of the dress and tucked the sleeves of my tunic into the dress so it would not be obvious I was wearing other clothes beneath it.
“She left yesterday afternoon. She told us she was going to the market, but she never came back.” Kiva’s lip trembled as she recounted the story. “When night fell, it got so dark. The others were so hungry and so scared.”
I nodded. My chest tightened as I considered where Gini had been all that time. Had she watched the Oderisi manor? Had she seen Neo and me leave for the goblin sanctum on our wedding night? I shrugged the sickening thoughts away and focused on the present concern. “I believe Gini will come back. She may try to hurt me, Kiva.”
The little girl’s eyes glittered, and she flared her nostrils. “Like she hurt that merchant.” Her small fists were tight at her sides, and I took her by the shoulders.
“I hope she does not, Kiva, but if she does…” I lifted her little chin to meet my eyes. “I have weapons. The knives under my dress. Use them to protect yourself and the other children, if you need to. Do you understand me?”
Valkiva nodded.
“When she returns, she may be very, very angry at me and will likely punish me. Whatever happens, protect yourself and the other children. Do not put yourself in harm’s way. I do not believe she will kill me, but only you know what she’s truly capable of. I want you to be prepared.” I hugged the girl to my chest. “I have a horse outside. If you need to flee, take as many children as you can and run.”
Valkiva shook her head, her thin arms tight around me. “I will not leave you, Brex. We love you. None of us cried for Gini while we were alone. But we’ve cried for you since you left.”
A sharp pang of guilt twisted inside my heart, and I gasped against the shock of it. “I…I know, sweet girl. I love you all, too. Each of you. That’s why I want you to be prepared to save the others. Now come. We must get the children fed and behave as normally as possible. If Gini returns, we must act as though everything is all right, yes?”
Valkiva gripped my hand in hers, the strength in that tiny grip surprising me. But I was also relieved. This little one was stronger than I gave her credit for.
“Come, come,” I called, hurrying into the kitchen.
When Gini did arrive home, the children were all fed. Fina was sound asleep in my arms, Ivo sitting at my feet on the floor scratching symbols that only he could see with his fingers. Kiva was the first to hear the door.
“Someone’s here.” She lurched to her feet.
I stood and rocked Fina, a little girl of nearly two who was not quite able to walk. “Everything is fine,” I cooed, my eyes traveling over each of the children. I squeezed my eyes closed and prayed that none of them would be hurt. No matter what happened to me, none of these little ones deserved a moment’s pain.
Tabitha and Remy tried to play backgammon, but their attention wandered to the thundering footsteps. Gini walked into the kitchen, her hair wild and her eyes focused on me.
“Gini,” I said gently, handling baby Fina to Tabby. I approached the woman and extended my arms. “I’ve returned. I’m so sorry to have worried you. I—”
The words died on my lips as Gini slapped me hard across the face. The children gasped, and I lifted my chin, rage on my face and fight nearly bursting in my heart.
“Don’t you dare touch me,” I seethed. I quickly realized that it was possible Gini didn’t know I’d seen her at the manor. “You have no right. Am I your prisoner? Am I not free to come and go if I wish?”
“You’re a godforsaken thief,” she said, the finger pointed at me shaking with rage. “You stole coins from my purse and then left… To do what? To report this place?” She looked at the children, all of whom hovered together, watching with fear-filled eyes. “Did you know your beloved Brexia was a spy for the queen?”
