Child of the Night Guild (Queen of Thieves Book 1)

by Andy Peloquin

  “Ilanna?”

  “Yes, Denber?”

  “Don’t get yourself killed. Please.”

  “I won’t.”

  I won’t, she repeated silently. I’ll study the tower until I know everything there is to know. She had a year to train and prepare for the Undertaking. I’ve faced worse odds before and beaten them every time. The smallest of the tyros, she’d been chosen by Master Hawk. She’d recovered from her beating at Sabat’s hands and come back better and stronger. She’d taken her revenge on her tormentor. The Black Spire would be just one more challenge to conquer.

  There was no question in Ilanna’s mind. I will do what I must and I will succeed.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Master Gold sat in a plush divan, toying with an ornate dagger. “Well, this is a first.”

  Ilanna stood in the Guild Master’s elaborate sitting room, back straight, eyes fixed on the man’s face. He looked nothing like she’d expected. Denber had said he’d ruled House Hawk before being Guild Master. She’d half-expected a stout man, pale from too much time spent in the tunnels.

  She hoped he didn’t see her surprise. His barrel chest drooped to a slight paunch, but the man before her had strong hands, thick arms, and broad shoulders. He looks more like a Bloodbear than a Hawk!

  “Wh-what is, M-Master Gold?” She clasped her hands behind her back to hide their trembling. The Guild Master’s piercing scrutiny set her nerves on edge.

  White teeth showed beneath the Guild Master’s walrus moustache. “This.” He pointed to her. “You.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  Master Gold chuckled. “In all my years as Guild Master, and as a Hawk before that, you are the first woman to join House Hawk.”

  Ilanna’s eyes narrowed. An insult or a compliment?

  He raised a hand in a placating gesture. “Take no offense, apprentice. You are not the first woman to join the Guild, simply the first Hawk. From what Master Hawk and the Journeymen tell me, you have more than earned your place in the House.”

  She bowed to hide a smile. “Thank you, Master Gold.”

  The Guild Master nodded. “And now I hear you have chosen the Black Spire as your Undertaking. Is that correct?”

  Ilanna nodded. “Yes, Master Gold.”

  Master Gold stroked his moustache with two scarred fingers. “I trust Master Hawk has done his best to dissuade you from the attempt?”

  “He has. But I believe it an Undertaking worthy of the Night Guild and the Watcher in the Dark.”

  “Indeed.” He twirled his thick moustache. “Better thieves than you have tried and failed, you know.”

  Ilanna shrugged. “Perhaps. But I may possess something they did not, something that will help me to succeed where they failed.”

  “Oh?” Master Gold leaned forward with a curious expression. “And what is that? Some magical trinket or some spell you can cast to fly up to the top of the tower?” He narrowed his eyes. “What could you possibly have that no one else does?”

  Ilanna clenched her fists. “I don’t know. Which is why I have come to you. Perhaps the wisdom you impart will be that ‘something’. Or it may be something else, I cannot say. But would you, as the former Master of House Hawk, expect any less than my utmost in this Undertaking?”

  A slow smile spread on Master Gold’s face. “Of course not, young Hawk. That is its purpose, after all.” He waved to the divan beside his. “Come, sit.”

  Ilanna sat, her posture rigid, uncomfortable in his presence. She found it hard to meet his gaze, which bored into her. The Master of the Night Guild seemed friendly and welcoming, but beneath the veneer, an innate cunning burned in his eyes. Instinct screamed at her; Master Gold was not one to be trifled with.

  A feline grin spread his lips. “So, Ilanna of House Hawk, what would you have of me?”

  Ilanna cleared her throat. “Tools of the trade I can acquire. I can practice until my fingers bleed. But there is one thing I cannot find elsewhere.”

  Master Gold nodded. “Experience. I am the only living Guild member to enter and escape the Black Spire intact.” He stroked his moustache, eyeing her. “You are not the first to come to me for my advice. In fact, a companion of yours—a lad by the name of Denber—sat in that very seat not long ago. Why not talk to him?”

  “Master Hawk assigned him to be my guide, but I wished to learn firsthand. Perhaps there is some detail he has forgotten or something he dismissed as unimportant. This way…” She turned her palms upward.

  “Indeed. It is always best to be prepared. A wise decision, one I wish more of your brethren had made before attempting the impossible. Perhaps more Hawks would be alive today.”

  Warmth suffused Ilanna at the compliment and a smile tickled at the corner of her lips.

  Master Gold leaned forward. “What would you like to know?”

  Ilanna’s hesitation and fear fled, replaced by nervous excitement. “Everything. From the very beginning. Anything you tell me could spell the difference between success and failure.”

  Master Gold leaned back in his divan and steepled his fingers. “Well, it started on a night not unlike this…”

  * * *

  “Let me see if I have this right.” Denber studied the parchment spread across the common room table. “First, you’ll have to climb the tower.”

  Ilanna nodded. “No easy feat, as I’m sure you remember.”

  Denber tapped the stylus on his teeth. “The exterior walls are almost entirely smooth, with no crenellations, statuary, or balconies to anchor a rope.”

  Ilanna snatched the stylus away from him to stop the tapping. “There are no buildings nearby, so no access from the rooftops. The only way to get to the tower is through the gardens.”

  “Hmm.” Denber’s fingers twitched. “That’s going to make things challenging. I never found the route to get close enough before…”

  Ilanna nodded. “We’ll need help from the Serpents and the Hounds. I know a Serpent who’d be willing.”

  “I know a Hound. What will we need them for?”

  “When it comes to slipping in and out of places unseen, they’re the best. They can help me find the safest route to the base of the tower.”

  Denber nodded. “Fair enough. But once you reach the tower, you’re still going to have to find a way to scale the wall. Smooth stone, remember?”

  Ilanna smiled. “Of course. But Master Gold is sending something to take care of that.”

  Denber eyed her, but shrugged when she offered no more. “Getting up is the easy part, insomuch as anything about the Black Spire can be considered easy. You’ll go after dark, I assume?”

  “Yes. Dark clothing, dark night, dark stone. Makes sense, don’t you think?”

  Denber nodded. “We’ll have to plan it for a new moon, then.”

  “Good. That way, we’ll have all night. Think it’s enough time?”

  “That depends on how fast you can make the climb.”

  Ilanna shrugged. “Once Master Gold sends his ‘secret weapon’, we’ll give it a test to find out.”

  “Right. So let’s assume you can make the climb with plenty of time to spare. What next?”

  Ilanna tapped the pinnacle of the diagram of the tower they had scribbled on the parchment. “According to Master Gold, there’s a glass window at the top of the Black Spire.”

  “A window?”

  “If you had the tallest tower in Praamis, don’t you think you’d want to admire the view? I know I would.”

  He inclined his head. “So, the window shouldn’t be too much of a problem, right? A simple diamond-tipped cutter will get you in.”

  “Yes, but that’s as much as I got from Master Gold. Nothing about what’s beyond the window or what sort of traps or snares could be hiding within the room.”

  Denber cocked an eyebrow. “You really think the room will be trapped? The highest room in the tallest tower?”

  “I don’t know, but I’ll have to be prepared for anything. I’ll spend
time in the Treasure Room, getting accustomed to noticing even the slightest detail out of place.”

  “Hmm, that’s something I hadn’t thought of when I was planning. Smart thinking.”

  Ilanna grinned. “Once I evade or disarm whatever traps there are, I’ll have to steal something as proof I was there.”

  “Maybe. Maybe not.” He rubbed his chin. “You could just light a beamer once you get in. The fact that you made it up there and back out safely would be enough proof.”

  “Well, let’s keep that as a back-up plan, just in case I can’t find anything to serve as my proof.”

  “And I assume you have a plan for how you’ll get back down?”

  “That’s actually the easy part!” Ilanna grinned and tugged at the slim black rope around her waist. “I’ll just bring along enough rope to slide back down.”

  Denber snorted. “Do you know how much rope you’ll need to carry to get back down?”

  “Not exactly, but can it be all that much?”

  Denber studied the parchment. “Give me a moment here.” He retrieved the stylus from the table and tapped his teeth, lost in thought.

  Ilanna clenched her jaw at the irritating sound, but didn’t interrupt him.

  “I can’t do it!” Denber threw the stylus on the table. “I just don’t have a head for figures.”

  “You’re trying to figure out how tall the tower is and how many lengths of rope I’ll need?”

  “Yes, but there’s a problem. No one knows how tall the Black Spire really is. There are no records of it being built, no architect’s plans. It simply always…was.”

  Ilanna’s heart sank. “And without building plans, we can’t be sure how much rope we’ll need.”

  “Exactly. You run the risk of taking too much rope and being weighed down or not taking enough and being trapped dozens of paces above the ground.”

  Damn it! Ilanna ground her teeth. She studied the illustration on the parchment, but no solution presented itself. She forced a confident smile. “Well, that’s why we have a whole year, right? We’ll figure it out.”

  “I’ll take your word for it, Ilanna.” Denber looked unconvinced. He returned to the drawing. “Is there any other way? Can you find a way down through the inside of the Black Spire?”

  Ilanna shook her head. “The risk of getting caught is too high. I’m no Serpent or Hound. I don’t have the necessary skills.”

  “That’s a problem we can address as we try to find a way to reach the base of the tower. We’ll have plenty of time to train you to sneak through the shadows.”

  “Another back-up plan, just in case.” Ilanna grinned and clapped Denber on the shoulder. “Well, that’s it!”

  “Are you kidding? We’ve just begun the planning! There’s so much more to do before—”

  Ilanna groaned. “For today, Denber. Let it be enough for today. Do you really want to spend the rest of the year cooped up in here?” Her eyes darted to the Perch. “The rooftops are calling me, Denber.”

  Denber’s eyes followed the maze of ropes and ladders upward, a look of longing on his face.

  “Come on, Denber. Let’s get up there and fly free. At least for a little while.”

  With visible reluctance, Denber nodded. “But not yet. First you have to get your Serpent friend to agree to help us.”

  “Not a problem. I’m sure I can talk Errik into it.”

  “Good. Then I’ll see if I can convince Garrill.”

  Ilanna clapped him on the back. “Meet you at the Coin Counter’s Temple?”

  Denber grinned. “Last one there buys drinks tonight.”

  “You’re on!”

  * * *

  Ilanna waved lazily at Denber as he dropped onto the rooftop of the temple. “Looks like you’re buying tonight.”

  With a shrug, Denber took a seat beside her. His companion, a young man wearing Hound white, slumped to the rooftop, panting. Errik, the Serpent apprentice, gave Garrill an understanding nod. The trek across the roofs of Praamis hadn’t been kind to him, either.

  Denber turned to Errik and Garrill. “So, lads, up here we can talk with no prying eyes or listening ears.”

  Garrill groaned and stretched his back. “So that’s why you brought us all the way up here. Wouldn’t it be easier to have this meeting in a tavern or cathouse?”

  “And have someone overhear what we’re trying to do?” Ilanna shook her head. “The fewer people that know, the better.”

  Errik studied Ilanna. “I’ve seen that look in your eyes before, Ilanna. You’re about to do something foolish, aren’t you?”

  Ilanna grinned. “You’ve been told about your Undertaking, yes?”

  Errik nodded, but offered nothing more.

  “Well, I’ve decided what mine will be.” She thrust a finger toward the Black Spire.

  Errik’s eyebrows shot up. “You’ve got to be joking!”

  She shook her head. “You heard Master Gold. An Undertaking worthy of the Watcher in the Dark. What could be more worthy than doing the impossible?”

  “Even if you get killed in the attempt?”

  Ilanna held up a hand. “I’ve had too many people try to dissuade me, Errik.” She glared at him. “Now are you going to help me or should I find another Serpent?”

  Errik’s eyes narrowed. “What, exactly, do you need me to do?” Garrill studied her with equal curiosity.

  “Don’t worry. I won’t need you to break into the Black Spire with me.”

  Errik snorted. “That’s reassuring. I’ll sleep easy now, thank you.”

  Ilanna glared, but ignored his remark. “You need to teach me how to move through the shadows unseen. From what I understand, the Serpents are the best at that. Or was it the Hounds?”

  Errik and Garrill bristled, shooting glares at each other. Ilanna hid a sly smile. It’s too easy. Both Houses boasted of their skill at moving around Praamis undetected. She’d just given them a challenge and neither could back down now. They’ll be more than eager to help, just to prove they are better than the other. She wouldn’t need to beg or cajole; she had them competing for the honor of their House.

  Errik spoke first. “Why? What are you going to do?” He rolled his eyes. “Oh no, let me guess: you’re going to walk in the front door.”

  Ilanna shook her head. “Nothing as suicidal as that! I just need to slip through the gardens around the Spire and reach the base of the tower without being spotted by the guards.”

  Errik’s face relaxed and the tension drained from his shoulders. “Is that all? You should have said that long ago. That won’t be a problem!”

  Garrill nodded. “The apprentices of House Hound steal their way through the gardens in their second year of training. We have to touch the black stones and return without being caught. A sort of rite of passage.”

  Errik snorted. “You didn’t have to drag us all the way up here for that. You could have just asked.”

  Denber shook his head. “We can’t take a chance that word will reach Duke Phonnis.”

  “You think any of the Night Guild would rat?” Errik narrowed his eyes.

  Denber shrugged. “Ilanna has…enemies, shall we say. Enemies who might not mind one more thief getting captured by the Duke.”

  Garrill narrowed his eyes. “Vicious cunt, that Sabat. Hates you something fierce.”

  Ilanna nodded. “Which is why this goes no further than the four of us. And Master Hawk and Master Gold.”

  Denber turned to her. “None of the others know?” He cocked an eyebrow. “Werrin? Lem? Prynn? Jarl?”

  Ilanna shook her head. “No one.”

  “Just me, huh?” A grin tickled his lips and he shrugged. “Fair enough.”

  Ilanna climbed to her feet and strode toward the edge of the roof, eyes fixed on the Black Spire. Denber, Errik, and Garrill joined her. Together the four stood there, studying the tower in the distance. The obsidian fortress taunted her with its insurmountable heights.

  “You think you can do it?” Garrill spo
ke in a hushed voice, full of reverence.

  Errik placed a hand on her shoulder. “If anyone can, it’s Ilanna.”

  Garrill nodded. “By the time we’re done with you, Ilanna, not even a wraith will be able to spot you in plain daylight!”

  She hid a smile. “I will succeed where so many others have failed. And you’re going to help me do it!”

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Thwack! Thwack! Two stones skipped off the brick wall in perfect concert.

  “Damn, Ilanna, you’re getting good at this!”

  Ilanna grinned at Ethen. “And don’t you forget it, little Scorpion!”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Little?”

  He has a point. He stood a head taller than her and was far broader in the shoulders. He’d grown a great deal in the last few years—far more than she. When she walked down the street, she barely reached the shoulder of the average Praamian. This suited her just fine. Her small frame made it easier to slip through crowds unnoticed or fly across the rooftops.

  “Yes, ‘little’.” She turned up her nose in a pretense of hauteur. “Even if you are bigger than me, my mind is years ahead of yours.”

  Ethen rolled his eyes. “Please, Ilanna. You have no idea what you’re dealing with!”

  Ilanna whirled to face him. “Fine, then see if you can figure out this problem.” She thrust a finger at the nearby tree. “How would you measure the height of that tree without a measuring rod or without climbing it?”

  Ethen eyed her. “Are you asking me because you really want to know or to prove that I don’t know?”

  Ilanna crossed her arms, pretending nonchalance. “Tell me the answer and you’ll find out.”

  Ethen stroked his chin. “Give me a minute, then.”

  For the first time, Ilanna noticed a patchy growth of hair on his cheeks. It suits him. Her eyes roamed over his lean frame. She couldn’t help admiring his strength and the fierce intelligence in his eyes.

  “Well, there is a way that you can measure it fairly accurately.”

  Ilanna’s heart quickened. “How accurate are we talking?”