Queen of Thieves Box Set

by Andy Peloquin

  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 spoke 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?"

  "Within a few hand spans."

  She hid a grin. Maybe he will be able to solve my problem! "That's not bad. So, how is it done?"

  He frowned. "Just like that, eh? It's not exactly easy, you know."

  Ilanna shrugged. "Well? Or is it too hard for you?"

  Ethen glared at her. "Watch and learn, you dunce." He picked up a rock and placed it in a cleared patch of earth. "Stand by the rock."

  She complied and he knelt by her shadow's head to mark a line in the dirt.

  "That is the tip of your shadow, which is exactly…" He paced it off. "Three paces. Now, we take your measurement. How tall are you?"

  Ilanna narrowed her eyes.

  "I'm not doing this to make fun, Ilanna. I'm trying to figure out the problem like you asked."

  Ilanna rolled her eyes. "Fifteen handspans, more or less."

  Ethen nodded. "Fifteen handspans, means roughly two paces." He knelt and scratched the numerals for 'two' and 'three' into the dirt. "Now, help me count out the number of paces from the base of the tree to the tip of its shadow."

  With a grin, Ilanna joined him at the base of the tree. She paced the distance, keenly aware of his proximity.

  "I got fifteen."

  Ethen rolled his eyes. "Your legs are too short to be counted as proper paces. I counted twelve, so twelve it will be."

  Ignoring Ilanna's glare, he knelt and scratched in the dirt. "So, if your shadow measured three paces and you are only two paces in height and the tree's shadow is twelve paces long, that means…" He tapped his chin for a moment and turned to her with a triumphant smile. "Nine. The tree is nine paces tall."

  She narrowed her eyes. "And you're sure that's accurate?"

  "As close as I can get it." He shrugged. "The arithmetic we employ in House Scorpion uses much smaller measurements. When you're making potions, you work in grains and drams. But I think that's a reasonably accurate calculation."

  Ilanna's mind raced. "So, if I wanted to measure something, this is how I'd do it?"

  Ethen nodded, his eyes widening. "Did you...?" His face fell. "You just tricked me into figuring out some problem for you, didn't you?"

  Ilanna grinned. "Of course, I did. Like I said, my mind is years ahead of yours."

  His brow creased in an expression of mock anger. "Why you sneaky little—!"

  Ilanna held up a finger. "Choose your words carefully, young Scorpion. I'm known to have a nasty temper."

  Ethen chuckled. "Don't I know it!"

  She punched him, hard.

  "What was that for?"

  She glared. "For saying I have a temper!"

  "You're just proving my point, you know?"

  She tried to punch his arm again, but he caught her hand. She made no move to pull it free. Instead, she stood there, staring up at him. The years had changed the way he looked at her and she liked how it made her feel.

  "Thank you, Ethen." Her words came out soft and low. Her eyes traced his strong jaw, angular cheekbones, and dark eyes.

  He raised an eyebrow.

  "For this. For teaching me the sling. For being my friend. For everything."

  "Of course, Ilanna. When you go through the kind of things we have…" He shrugged and let the words die.

  Her eyes locked with his. She wanted to speak, but dared not break the fragile silence. His hand felt so warm around hers. Heat rushed through her veins. Her heart hammered a staccato beat and her breath quickened. Instinct screamed at her to step closer.

  Ethen swallowed. The moment snapped. He dropped her hand as if burned and he turned away, flushing.

  "What's wrong, Ethen?"

  "N-nothing, Ilanna." He spoke in a tight voice.

  Something's wrong, but what? If she pushed him for an answer, he would clam up. She placed a hand on his shoulder. "Tell me."

  "I'm fine." He refused to meet her eyes.

  Disappointment filled her. "I-I have to go." She stepped back, and it seemed a chasm opened between them. "I'll be back tomorrow. Will you…?"

  "No, not for a few weeks. I've got my…my Undertaking."

  "Well then, I guess I'll be off."

  Ethen whirled around. He seized her hands and locked eyes with her, his gaze intense. "You're going to do something foolhardy and suicidal, aren’t you?"

  Ilanna's eyes widened. "I-I…" She couldn't deny it. He knows me too well.

  "Promise me you'll be careful, Ilanna. I couldn't bear to…" He broke off and swallowed hard. "I couldn't bear it if you got hurt."

  "I'll be fine, Ethen. My Undertaking is dangerous, but no more so than anything else I've done in the last few years. The life of a Hawk is always filled with danger."

  He studied her, his gaze boring into her. "Promise me, Ilanna."

  She nodded. "I promise."

  His shoulders relaxed, and the tension in his face drained away—replaced a moment later by the light-hearted grin she found so appealing. "Good." Releasing her hand, he leapt over the wall without a backward glance or a word of farewell.

  Ilanna stood there, staring in open-mouthed confusion. What in the twisted hell was that all about? They'd been so close, but he'd changed from one moment to the next. What did I do?

  Try as she might, she couldn't puzzle it out. She pushed the thought aside. I have things to do and no time to worry about anything else. She'd have plenty of time to sort out Ethen's confusing actions after she completed her Undertaking.

  * * *

  "And you're sure this will work, Ilanna?" Denber eyed her with a dubious expression.

  Ilanna shrugged. "Ethen seemed pretty confident in his answer. Though it wasn't the most accurate method, he said it should get pretty close."

  Ilanna and Denber sat together on the roof of the Coin Counter's temple, studying the Black Spire.

  "I guess it's the best we've got right now." He scratched his beard. "But how do you propose we measure it?"

  "That's the challenge." She held up a finger. "First things first, we have to see how far the shadow stretches."

  "That's why we're up here, you know. If we can measure the tower's shadow at the first hour after noon, we'll stand a better chance of getting an accurate measurement."

  Denber nodded. "Fair enough. But how are we going to get that measurement? No one can get close enough to the base of the tower while the sun is up."

  Ilanna thumbed her lip, pondering the problem. "What if we mark the spot where the tower's shadow ends, then we have Errik or Garrill count the paces after dark? I'll take the measurement of myself at the same time and use that to figure it out. Unless you have a better idea?"

  Denber thought for a moment and shrugged. "I guess that's as good as it's going to get."

  "Now to let Errik and Garrill know the plan."

  * * *

  Ilanna crouched in the shadows of the building that served as the marking point for the shadow's end. Her eyes darted through the gloomy streets, searching for any sign of Errik or Garrill. They should be back by now.

  She turned to Denber. "Why aren't they back yet?"

  He shrugged. "They'll be here."

  Torches flickered a
top the stone wall that surrounded Duke Phonnis' mansion. The enclosure rose at least a dozen paces into the night sky. The sound of clanking armor and weapons reached her, setting her on edge. Garrill and Errik had their secret ways to enter the gardens, but she couldn't help worrying for them.

  "They should have returned by now. They're taking too long!"

  "Patience, Ilanna. This is not something you want to rush."

  Minutes ticked by in breathless, heart-pounding silence. A chill breeze sent a shiver down her spine and she pulled her cloak tighter. Music and laughter drifted over the wall—the Duke held some form of revelry. They'd chosen tonight because the guards would be consumed by the party and less focused on the gardens.

  "There!"

  Ilanna followed Denber's pointing finger and relief washed over her. Two dark shapes hugged the wall, moving in total silence. At Denber's whistle, Errik and Garrill stopped, turned, and slowly started to pace the distance from the wall to their hiding place. As they neared, the sound of their muttered counting reached her. Errik arrived first, with Garrill a few steps behind.

  Excitement set Ilanna's heart racing. "Got it?"

  The Hound and Serpent nodded.

  "Then let's get back to the Aerie and figure it out!"

  * * *

  "So, we're looking at about two hundred paces in height, if you got the count right."

  Errik and Garrill glared at Denber, who answered with a sardonic grin.

  Ilanna whistled. "Two hundred paces. That won't be an easy climb."

  Denber rolled his eyes. "Oh, and here I thought the things most people consider 'impossible' are usually so simple!"

  Ilanna punched him, but it had no effect.

  "So if you can make it to the top—and that's a big 'if', mind you—you need enough rope to get back down in a hurry. Just in case you set off an alarm inside or you get spotted." Denber poked her bicep. "Think you can handle the weight?"

  Ilanna glared at him. "What do you think?"

  "I think two hundred paces' worth of rope is a lot more than you think it is."

  "There's only one way to find out."

  Denber hurried from the room. He returned a few minutes later, a massive bundle in his arms. He dumped it onto the table with a grunt. "Here you go. Time to test your strength."