Page 22 of The Demon Crown

She’d not only escaped his grasp, but she’d stolen her damn map back.

ChapterEight

Escaping Greed had been a little too easy, but she wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. Varya had stayed buried underneath the sands for a full hour before she crawled back out.

For a man who had lived a thousand years in a desert kingdom, he sure did forget that sand wasn't stone. She'd tunneled underneath it until there wouldn't be a person shaped mound and then had herself a little cat nap. Just an hour or so, preparing herself for the long journey ahead.

And when the coast was clear, and it was definitely clear, she'd emerged out of the sands in a burst of energy and raced away from his home. Her legs carried her long and far before she stopped running.

She never quite got over the feeling of being watched, though. Maybe that was just her old habits dying real hard. Varya always felt a bit like she was being watched. The life of a thief had certainly dug its claws deep into her psyche.

Three days of lonely travel passed quickly enough. She'd long ago perfected the best way to keep herself alive. And being lonely wasn't all that bad. At least she was alive and no one was hunting her this time.

The Horde had no idea she'd left with their bounty. Greed likely knew that she'd stolen his map back, but really, did he think he could nick something like that from a thief? She'd felt him take it out of her pants. The man wasn't sneaky in the slightest.

He probably thought he'd pulled the wool over her eyes. That she was so captivated by his seduction she wouldn't notice he'd slipped his fingers against her skin. But she knew everywhere that he touched her, and she damn well knew where that map was at all times.

She wasn't an idiot. And she wasn't some swooning fool who would let a demon get the better of her.

She even enjoyed being alone a bit. No one was prattling on at her or trying to ease her. No demon was whispering in her ear about all the naughty, seductive things he wanted to do her. Even better? The only sound around her was silence. Complete, utter, boring silence.

So it was no surprise that her heart skipped in her chest the moment she saw the Shambles.

It was one of the few cities in the sands that was actually built out of stone. Though it had long ago been a thriving city, the Shambles was more buildings battling back the sands than anything else now. Rumor had it that there were at least four levels underneath where they lived. If someone dug into their sand floor, they'd eventually find more entrances into even greater buildings. But now, there were only about four sand filled levels where people could live.

And most people who lived there were a little hard around the edges. Being a stationary city had its flaws. The Shambles were real easy to rob. Anyone who had put down roots in this place was bound to have a few family heirlooms, but those were all lost a long time ago. Now it was just a city of thieves, pilfering and stealing from each other whenever they got the chance.

Such was the reason she didn't stay long. Still, she did think it was filled with good folks. Just the kind who couldn't keep their sticky fingers to themselves.

They all had their vices, after all. She couldn't say much, Varya made her living stealing.

She walked down the family center street, her gaze up on the colorful red flags above her head that fluttered in the wind. Red, that meant it was... what? The dry season already?

Twenty people milled about, their heads covered with brightly colored scarves and their clothing the same color as the sands below their feet. There were four venders set up already, a little early for the rest of them to be so prepared. Of course, that meant she got a good look at what they were selling.

They knew the risk. If they showed off their wares too early, then they were likely to get thieves’ attention. But if they were lucky enough, and most of them were, then they'd find someone who actually had a bit of coin to spare.

Varya sidled up to the nearest one, eyeing the fresh slice of watermelon with hungry eyes. "How much?"

"Three coins.”

She didn't have any coin on her, but that didn't matter. If she stared hard enough, she swore she could taste the sweet juice on her tongue. "You know I don't have anything to pay you with. Just came back from a job."

"Then finish the job and come back." The man behind the stall was weathered and leathery from the sun. His dark hair and dark eyes were oily as they looked her up and down, and then he smiled a grin that was missing at least three teeth. "Or you can find another way to pay."

"You like losing teeth? Is that what this is?"

Varya readied herself to punch the man straight in the throat when another voice interrupted her. "Always resorting to violence, this one. Or you could ask to borrow a few coins from a friend."

A gasp echoing in her throat, Varya spun around to see the man standing behind her. In three months she swore he'd gotten more handsome. It wasn't possible, every woman in the Shambles would agree with her. But Altan was the blinding sun on a warm summer's day. So handsome that it was sometimes hard to look at him.

His dark skin always seemed well oiled and shining in the light. His broad form, wide shoulders, and trim waist had many women wondering how it was possible he looked like that. But Varya had always noticed the kind wrinkles around his eyes, the wide smile that easily broke out whenever someone mentioned his name, and the kindness that radiated through his very being.

She launched herself into his waiting arms. The big man wrapped her up in his grip, chuckling as he spun her around, legs dangling in the open air.

"Varya! Look at you, our lucky gold coin. I didn't think you'd be back for another month at least!"

"I found them faster than I'd thought." She ripped her mask off so her dearest and oldest friend could see her grin. "I got it, Altan. I got it."

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