Page 16 of A Song of Thieves

“Good enough I supposed,” Reynauld concedes. I turn to leave, but he keeps talking. “I want to know as soon as the girl is found.”

I chuckle quietly, but loud enough he catches the action. “Maybe you forgot Reynauld, but I’m not your employee.” Just when I’m sure he will explode again I add, “I’ll do my best to keep you informed, but promise nothing.”

I dip my head in his direction, unable to keep the smirk from my face as I turn away. But my haughtiness fades once my back is turned.

As if having been underwater for too long, I take a deep breath once I’m out of eyeshot from his property, my body needing to clear out any remnants of the acrid air surrounding Sir Reynauld.

Now off to find some random girl with nothing to go on except she’s wearing pants. As much as I don’t care if Sir Reynauld’s money is returned, the distraction is most welcome— something to keep my mind occupied, even if it will be utter misery.

I suppose I deserve all the misery this day will bring.

6

The Thief

Mybodyhumsasthe sun disappears on the horizon.

I circle around the property, staying in the shadows of the trees until dark. Evening finishes its final transition to night as yellow and orange clouds streak into darker blues and purples.Perfect.

I saw Reynauld leave with his entourage over an hour ago, and no one has come or gone since. Like most of the city, they’re probably headed to Prince Evander’s commemoration, which means he won’t be back for a few more hours at least.

I make my way from the cover of the tree line and down to the stables. I’m about to duck over to the house when I see something on the back of the property— a small, box-like structure from what I can make out. Could it be a second stable? A warehouse of sorts? On a hunch, I abandoned my original trail and make a dash for the outlying building. Even though the sun has set, warmth rushes to my cheeks. The thrill of the chase never seems to dim.

I slow my steps as I come up to the last thirty paces or so. A small barn, left to be swallowed by the limbs of the forest, stands in front of me. A couple windows scatter across the side, and after a few attempts to open them, I discover they are all locked.

A quick look around shows I’m alone, at least on the side that sits exposed against the back of the property. I move around the building until I make a complete circle of the plot, showing nothing but empty space and abandoned greenery.

My cheeks warm again, the hum of a racing heart filling my ears. The hair stands up on the back of my neck as I move to check the door handle. Everything is screaming at me to turn and run, to abandon my impulsive curiosity. But like a boulder rolling down the mountainside, once I’m set in motion nothing can stop me. My need to know what lies within is too compelling.

My hand moves of its own volition, twisting the handle until I hear the satisfyingclickof the now open door.

“Now, what do we have here?” a deep voice booms behind me. I turn quickly, bending in one fell swoop as I pull the knife from my boot and raise it in front of me, crouching to attack if necessary.

“Oh, come now. There’s no need for that,” the strange man says, holding up both hands as he walks toward me. It’s not Reynauld. My stiffened body releases some of the tension as I make the realization. My cover isn’t blown.Yet.

We make eye contact briefly as I assess the man. He’s a decent size. Tall, but not like the men of Venes. Strong jaw, clean shaven. Dark hair from what I can see, but it could just be darker from the night. His muscular build is defined in the moonlight as he moves out of the screen of the bushy tree-line. His thick arms and legs don’t escape my notice. I suppose this ruffian could hold his own in a fight if one presented itself to him.

But I only smile. While strength may be, well, his strength, strong men usually don’t run or move quickly. Hence why a girl with my frame doesn’t have to count herself out from a win with a man like this.

He still moves with both hands raised before deciding to plop himself on a large rock, finishing his monologue. “So what brings a girl,” I glower at him, “excuse me, woman, to this stretch of Sir Reynauld’s property?”

I say nothing, listening for anyone else in the bushes or trees, watching for any sudden moves to charge at me. He looks at my pants, down to my boots, then moves his gaze up to my face. A pair of piercing blue eyes stare back at me. I’ve seen those blue eyes before— the guard, or troll, from earlier today.

“Pants tend to be an unusual choice for a woman,” he says. “Not that I have anything against pants, you see. I love my pants. Don’t go anywhere without them.” He pats both hands on his legs, effectively drawing my attention. Who is this man? Is he really talking about pants when I have a weapon aimed straight for his heart?

My breathing is shallow as my gaze takes in my surroundings once more, searching for something— anything. To my left is wide open space, out to the stables and to the estate further down. I can hear and see nothing from that direction. I dare a glance to my right and into the trees.

“Don’t worry. No one is in there,” he says, gesturing toward the surrounding forest. “I do have a fellow further back, but he won’t come unless signaled. I’m not even sure he can see me to be honest. So really, it’s just you and me here, talking and getting to know each other.” A smile lights up his face.

I falter for just a moment as I take in that smile before hurriedly masking my face back into disdain. No one is this friendly to someone they just saw breaking into someone else’s property.

I make a few slow movements. My mind is drawn in the direction of the stables and further away from this man, but my feet don’t want to leave. Prue is grazing on a small patch of grass just a few strides into the forest behind the stables. If I could just get to her…

“Oh, let’s not do anything irrational.” He stands from his rock and takes a step in my direction, both hands raised once again as if he’s trying not to spook a large bear. I suppose he’s not wrong— my bite is just as lethal. “We’re just talking. Let’s start with something simple— I don’t even know your name.”

Still I say nothing. “Ok let me start. I’m Roan. I’m a guard in the capital, and I’ve been sent to help the man who owns this property uncover a thief.” A guard. Heisthe one from earlier today. A snarl rises up my throat.

“Thieves are tricky to find. Especially ones who don’t want to be found.” My eyes narrow before I continue. “Especially wealthy ones, like the man who owns this property.”

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