Peakes shakes his head. “I need to see Rosalia. I have to make sure she’s okay.”
Beck nods in agreement. “I should come too. Maybe my healing magic can help her.”
“All right. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
We hurry through the deserted market, the white tents looming like ghosts in the darkness. When we pass the place where the mirror sits, I stop.
The woman is back.
She sits directly in front of the mirror, her legs crossed, her eyes closed. She looks exactly like she did the last time I saw her. Even her clothes are the same.
“Wait here,” I say to the others. “I need to ask her something.”
I leave the path and walk toward the woman before anyone can object.
She doesn’t open her eyes, but I know she sees me. “Hey,” I say.
No response.
“I know you can see me.”
“Only one wish per customer,” she says without opening her eyes.
“I don’t want another wish. I want you to explain what happened back there.”
“Many things have happened, in this world and in others.”
I sigh. “Yeah, whatever. You know what I mean. What was with that weird weight thingy? Did you put some kind of spell on me?”
“I did nothing of the sort.” She folds her palms in her lap, still refusing to open her eyes. “You did it yourself.”
“You mean when I used the mirror?”
“Mm.” She smiles in that creepy way she did the first time I spoke to her. “I did warn you there would be consequences.”
“So that weight thing was the consequence? Why did it disappear?”
“That magic was the debt you owed. It vanished when the debt was paid.”
“You mean when Gannon died.”
She doesn’t answer, but her smile widens.
“So that was the consequence of making my wish? That you killed Gannon?”
“I did nothing. You did.”
“It wasn’t my magic.”
“It was your wish.”
I cross my arms over my chest, glaring at her. I’m pretty sure she can tell, even with her eyes closed. “I don’t get it. What does Gannon dying have to do with my wish?”
Her teeth flash in the dark as she speaks, still smiling. “The mirror takes what the mirror is owed. Your wish saved a life. The magic is simply restoring the balance. Resetting the scales. Taking its due.”
“So because I saved someone, someone else had to die?”
She just smiles.
“But why was it Gannon? I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m not exactly upset about that particular choice. I just don’t get it.”
“The choice was yours.”
“Um, no. I’m pretty sure the mirror didn’t consult me before making this decision.” I’m also getting really tired of her pointless, cryptic statements.
“But was it not your actions, your words, that preceded his death? Was it not you who put it into motion?”
“Well . . .”
“The choice was yours,” she says again.
I sigh. “Whatever. This whole conversation is worthless.” I turn, intending to walk away, and see Beck and Ronan, both watching me like they’re just seconds away from intervening. Which reminds me.
I turn back around. “Wait a minute. I wished to save two people. Both Beck and Ronan. Shouldn’t there have been two deaths, then? If this is all about restoring balance?”
“Without your wish, only one would have died tonight. You simply swapped one life for another.”
“Which one?”
“Some things,” she says, “are not for us to know.”
“But you do know. You just won’t tell me.”
She smiles.
“Oh, whatever.” I turn my back on her and stomp away.
Beck and Ronan rush up to me as I approach, with Peakes hanging back behind them. “What happened?” Beck asks.
“What was that about?” Ronan says.
“Don’t worry about it,” I say. “Let’s get out of here.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
We find Ser right where he said he’d be, behind the abandoned building. He grumbles a little about the two extra passengers, but he’s thrilled to see Beck.
Both Beck and Peakes seem too stunned by their exile from the Guild to mention it just yet, so we don’t talk about it. Instead we regale Ser with the tale of my heroics as we fly back to the Miagnar Gardens.
Or rather, Peakes and Beck regale him. Ronan and I are too busy holding on for dear life and keeping our eyes closed. But I don’t need to jump in anyway—Beck and Peakes do a pretty decent job of making me sound all brave and daring, dashing in with the coin to save the day. By the time they’re through, it sounds like I threatened all of the Shadows and harnessed the coin’s power to defeat them myself. I don’t feel the need to correct them.
Ser takes us as far as the gardens, and we walk the rest of the way toward the chapel, the four of us tearing a path through the woods.
“I can’t believe you found this,” Ronan says, staring up at the chapel. “I didn’t know it was even here.”
“Yeah, well, it could use some remodeling,” I say. “Makes for a pretty substandard hideout.”
We rush inside, Peakes leading the way, and find Rosalia in front of a roaring fire, bundled in a pile of blankets. Mari sits in a nearby pew, watching over her.
Mari leaps to her feet. “Oh, thank God.” She pulls Ronan into a hug and kisses him, which is super gross but also kind of sweet, I guess.
Then, to my surprise, she pulls me in for a hug too. “I was so worried,” she says.
Peakes and Beck stand pretty much as far away from Mari as possible in the small space, lurking by the door. “Is Rosalia okay?” Peakes asks.
I disentangle myself from Mari’s hug and explain, “This is Peakes, Rosalia’s little brother. And this is my friend Beck that I was telling you about. He’s a healer, sort of.”
Mari smiles at both of them. “I think Rosalia’s going to be fine. It was a nasty wound, but the bleeding has stopped and there aren’t any signs of infection so far. Still, she will need to be very careful as it heals.”
“Let me take a look,” Beck says. “Maybe I can help.”
He and Peakes tentatively step forward, and I roll my eyes. “Just get over here,” I say. “She doesn’t bite.”
Beck and Peakes pass Mari quickly without really looking at her, and crouch down beside Rosalia. Beck unwraps the blankets to examine her wound while Peakes holds her hand. Rosalia glares weakly as Beck’s hands glow blue with healing magic, and the glow engulfs her for a moment before flaring out.
“I can’t do much,” Beck says sheepishly, “but that should help a little.”
“Good enough,” she says, which is as close to a thank-you as Rosalia will ever utter. Then she glances at me. “Rosco.”
“Yes, Rosalia?”
“I’m really glad you’re alive, because I’m going to have to kill you.”
I laugh. “Glad to see you’re feeling better.”
Ronan pulls Mari aside, and the two of them start speaking in hushed tones. I’m afraid to find out what they’re saying. Maybe Ronan’s just filling her in on what happened at the market . . . or maybe they’re making plans to call Mari’s protector friends and arrest all of us.
Beck and I step away from Rosalia, giving Peakes and his sister some privacy.
“So,” I say, “that happened.”
“Yeah,” Beck says quietly.
“What are you going to do now?”
Beck’s mouth twists. “I don’t know.”
“And Peakes?”
He shrugs. “Peakes’ll be fine. Their family’s already hiding somewhere outside the guildhall, so there’s no reason he can’t join them. His dad and Rosalia will look after him.”
He doesn’t add what we’re both thinking: Beck doesn’t have any family to look after him.
Still, Beck makes an
effort to pretend like nothing’s wrong, like he hasn’t just lost his entire world. The corners of his mouth twitch in that achingly familiar way. “Thanks, Allicat. For everything.”
“Yeah, well.” I wave my hand like it was nothing.
“Sorry I was wrong about the king’s reward. I really thought . . .”
I take a deep breath. “It’s okay. The truth is, I never really wanted to join the Guild again. I was just trying to save Ronan. I really want to stay with him, and not go back to being a thief. Not that it matters now, after . . . all this. He won’t let me stay regardless.”
Beck nods. “I guess we’re both on our own, huh?”
“I guess so.” He looks so sad that I can’t stand it. “It’s probably better for you this way. The Guild’s no good, Beck. You know that.”
He doesn’t say anything, but he doesn’t argue either. “I . . . I guess we’ll find out.”
I look down, not wanting to ask the question that’s been building in my head, but I need to get it out anyway. “Do you think I did the right thing? Giving the king the coin?”
Beck frowns. “Of course. What do you mean?”
“I mean, is the king really all that different from Leta, in the end?”
“Of course he’s different. Alli, you saw what Leta did to Gannon. And . . . and Kerick tried to save me and Peakes. When Leta had us tied up, Kerick could’ve just let her kill us. That’s what most members of the Guild would’ve done. But he risked everything, just to try and save us. And as much as I hate it, I understand why he had to make me leave.”
“I guess.” I still can’t help feeling like I chose between two bad options, and I wish I didn’t have to. I felt the power of the coin, how strong it was, and it seems wrong to have handed it over to Kerick. But I don’t know what else I could have done.
I guess I’ll just have to live with it, like I’ll have to live with the other things I did tonight. With the way Gannon looked as he was dying: cold and small and alone.
“I guess I just don’t feel much like a hero right now,” I say.
“You saved a lot of people tonight, Allicat. Me, Peakes, Kerick, your brother, and loads of other Guild members too. The Shadows were going to cut down anyone who tried to stop them. People were already dying when you got there.”
“Did . . . Did any of the king’s thieves die?” I say, barely daring to ask.
“A few. When they were ambushed outside the tent, before you got there. Not anyone you knew, but . . .” He swallows hard. “They shouldn’t have had to die like that.”
I nod, not knowing what else to say.
“Alli,” Ronan calls, “would you come over here for a second?”
I gulp. “Well, this is it.”
“Good luck,” Beck says.
I cross the room and approach Ronan and Mari.
Ronan takes a deep breath. “I’m going to need you to explain everything that’s happened tonight,” he says. “We are in no way done talking about this.”
“Understood,” I say quickly.
“But Mari and I agree that you’ve been through enough just now, so it can wait until tomorrow.”
“Right, so . . . how soon do I have to pack?”
He casts a confused glance at Mari. “Pack?”
“You know, for prison or an apprenticeship or wherever it is you’re sending me.”
He still looks confused. “I’m not sending you anywhere.”
“But . . .” Now it’s my turn to be confused. “But I lied to you and I stole things and I put all of us in danger and—”
“And we’re going to talk about all of those things,” Ronan says. “I can’t say that I’m not disappointed by some of your choices. You’re basically grounded for the rest of your life.”
“But you mean I can still live with you?”
“Of course.” Ronan smiles. “You’re family, Alli. I want you to stay, no matter what.”
I glance at Mari. “And you’re fine with this? You’re fine with not arresting me even though I broke the law?”
Mari pretends to look confused. “I don’t know anything about anyone breaking the law,” she says. “Except in purely hypothetical scenarios.”
“But I thought . . .” I turn back to Ronan. “I thought you were going to send me away when I turned thirteen, with all that talk about apprenticeships and tutoring and—”
“Oh, no, of course not,” Ronan says quickly. “I didn’t mean you have to leave right away. I just wanted you to be prepared for a career someday, that’s all. You’re welcome to stay with me as long as you want.”
Before I can think better of it, I throw my arms around my brother and hug him tight. “I want to stay.”
We hug for a long moment, but then I have to pull away because I’m getting all teary-eyed and mushy.
“Alli,” Mari says quietly, “what are your friends planning to do?”
“Well, assuming you’re not going to arrest them . . . Peakes and Beck can’t go back to the Gu—hypothetical organization. The king just kicked them out. Rosalia can probably go back, though, and I think she will. Rosalia and her brother, their whole family’s in it, their dad and everything, so they’ll be with their family.”
“And Beck?” Ronan asks quietly.
“He’s an orphan. His mom died a few years ago. But he grew up there, and it’s the only thing he knows. He doesn’t have anywhere to go.”
Mari and Ronan exchange glances and have an entire conversation without speaking.
Mari calls, “Beck, can you come over here, please?”
Beck walks slowly toward us, giving me a questioning look. I shrug, equally confused.
He stops beside me, and Mari addresses him. “It’s come to my attention that you’re leaving the Thieves Guild. Is that right?”
Beck looks a little panicked, but he nods. There’s no point in denying it now.
“Alli has explained to us that you grew up there and don’t have anywhere else to go. So I’d like to make you an offer,” Mari continues. “I know there’s no love lost between you and the protectors, and I can certainly understand why. But some of us are doing good work and trying to make a difference. And we could really use the help of someone with your experience and knowledge of criminal organizations.”
Beck opens his mouth, about to protest, but Mari holds up one hand, silencing him. “I’m not asking you to betray your friends,” she continues. “Or to share anything you’re not comfortable sharing. This isn’t an interrogation, and you’re not under arrest. What I’m asking for is help in stopping murderers and violent criminals, in saving innocent lives. You probably have information that would really make a difference. Think of it like an apprenticeship with the protectors. You teach us, and we’ll teach you.”
Beck still looks uncertain. “I’m not sure that I could help.”
“How about a trial run, then? We just give it a try and see how it goes. You’ll be free to leave at any time.”
Slowly Beck nods.
“But where will he live?” I say. “I don’t think this chapel is a great long-term plan.”
“True,” Mari says. She smiles at Beck. “I live next door to Alli and Ronan, and I have a spare bedroom. How about you stay with me for now? Again, just on a trial basis, and we’ll see how things go.”
Both Beck and I stare at her, shocked. “You mean he can come live with you?” I say when I find my voice.
Beck is stunned into silence for a moment. “I . . . I don’t have any papers,” he says finally. “I was born in the Guild. Legally I don’t exist.”
“I know,” Mari says. “But if you can provide the protectors with as much valuable information as I suspect you can, I think we’d be willing to pull some strings and have the papers drawn up.” She pauses. “I want to be clear, though—this will mean no thieving, no rule breaking. If you’re going to live with me, you’ll have to be on the straight and narrow from now on.”
“Oh, he’s fine with that,” I say quickly, giving B
eck’s shoulder a nudge. “Beck is very good at following rules.”
Beck still isn’t saying anything, so I give him another nudge. “Say yes, Beck!”
He still doesn’t speak, and my heart sinks. He’s going to say no.
“All right,” Beck says. “I . . . Thank you.”
“Yes!” I grin. “Beck, we’re going to be neighbors!”
“Er, on second thought,” Beck jokes, but he’s smiling too.
“This is going to be amazing,” I say. “Maybe I can get an apprenticeship somewhere too, and—” I stop as a terrible new thought occurs to me. “But what if the Guild finds out that you’re working with the protectors? Do you think they’ll find out? Will they come after you?”
“I don’t know,” Beck says. “It’s a risk. But as long as I’m careful, as long as I don’t say anything that would be too damaging to the Guild, I think Kerick might let it go. He wouldn’t want me to start talking about the you-know-what, after all.”
I grin. “Yeah, if the king has any complaints, just remind him again how I totally saved his life because I’m awesome.”
Beck pretends to sigh. “There’s going to be no living with you now, is there?”
“Too late!” I say. “You’re stuck with us.”
Ronan yawns. “I don’t know about you, but I’m starving,” he says. “Who wants to go eat dinner?”
“Yes, food! Take me to the food,” I say.
Beck grins at me. “I can definitely see the family resemblance.”
I give him a harder nudge in the shoulder this time. “Mari, is it too late to take back your offer?” I joke.
“Too late,” Beck teases. In a normal tone, he adds, “Let me get my stuff from the loft.”
As he walks away, Ronan gives Mari a confused look. “There’s a loft?”
Mari can’t answer, because at that moment I throw my arms around her and give her a hug too. “Thank you,” I say. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.” She can pretend that she made this offer just to get information for the protectors, but she isn’t fooling anyone.
We invite Peakes to dinner too, but he says he’s going to go see his family and have them come pick up Rosalia. Mari gives Peakes instructions for changing Rosalia’s bandages and stuff while Beck packs up his things, and then the four of us leave the little chapel behind, walking through the woods together.
The Shadow Thieves Page 28