Narra’s eyes widened as she watched the scene. She couldn’t believe how many people were actually buying this.
She froze, the dark blue gaze of Ashra flashing through her mind. Then again, who was she to judge? She’d personally met the Death God. Maybe Srah was real too.
Shaking her head, she slipped away from Varek Square back to the trolley stop.
Though Narra wanted to tell Avalon what she’d seen—Caroline being used as a pawn by the soon-to-be empress—she couldn’t bring herself to go back to the City Docks just yet. She was meeting Avalon in town soon anyway. Bringing the news to her sooner wouldn’t do any good. There were far too many guards for Narra or Avalon to make a daring rescue, even if they could make it back in time to catch Marina and Caroline.
Even if they could, Narra wasn’t sure they’d get out alive. Though guards and Patrolmen typically only carried short swords, she’d noticed some also carried pistols—a rarity in Rova. They were being well armed by their princess. Ready for any indications of unrest. That was dangerous, even for the Queen of Thieves.
Instead of heading to the City Docks, Narra slipped through the alleys in the Criminal District, moving towards Nedan Inn. She might as well arrive early to find out the status of her thieves, and maybe even get some information on her uncle.
Narra turned the corner into a rat-infested alley with trashcans strewn across the stone ground. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. At least someone could pick up their own trash bins. They weren’t helping the stench of the Criminal District at all.
Circling around through a few more alleys, Narra arrived before nightfall at the back door to Nedan Inn. Warm light spilled out the kitchen windows, illuminating the rough cobblestone and a few crates stacked next to the door.
She looked inside, searching for Jin, but saw only the cook huffing as he fussed over an unruly loaf of bread that just refused to rise properly.
She watched the cook for a few minutes, hoping Jin would retreat to the back room, but after she’d stood in the alley for nearly ten minutes, her nose was full of the rotten smell of decaying vegetables, and she could no longer stand to remain outside.
Trying the doorknob, Narra wasn’t surprised to find it unlocked. It was well within reasonable business hours for one, and she doubted very many people decided to come around to the back door.
The thick wooden slab creaked as it opened, and Narra bit back a growl of irritation. Of course .
The cook spun around to face her, his face red, and a butcher knife in hand. “Who’s there?”
His voice was like a bark, and his thick cheeks puffed out. His eyes were wide, and Narra thought he looked like a scared pig about to be roasted.
“Hello,” Narra said. She pulled back her hood, but kept her cloak tight around her weapons.
The man’s eyebrows furrowed and he lowered his knife. “Who are you?”
Narra sighed internally. It wasn’t the first time being a woman had made men underestimate her. “Looking for Jin.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Is that so?”
“Yes.”
“Jin’s out front,” he said dumbly. He clearly didn’t realize she’d come in the back to speak with the owner in private.
“Yes,” she said. “I need to speak with him.”
Still, he didn’t seem to understand her reasoning. “He’s out front.”
“Could you fetch him please?” she said, her tone dry. The man blinked at her, still dumbfounded. “I need to speak with him alone .”
His brows rose, and understanding blossomed on his face before he shot her a wink. “Oh, I see.”
Narra nearly groaned. She didn’t mean that kind of alone.
The cook chuckled all the way out the door to the dining room, leaving Narra to roll her eyes and grumble obscenities.
Narra looked around the kitchen while she waited, wrinkling her nose at the smell of burnt bread and spilled beer. Two minutes later, the door to the bar swung open, and Jin lumbered inside, his brows shooting up in surprise as his gaze landed on her.
“Rheka,” he said.
“Jin,” she greeted.
He rubbed the back of his neck after running a hand through his short hair. Narra got the distinct impression she was not who he was expecting.
“Do you have any information for me?” She cut right to the chase.
Jin’s light-hearted grin dropped. “Yes,” he said tentatively. “You should sit down.”
Narra’s heart raced, and her fists balled. What the hell did that mean? Whatever it was, from the look on his face, she wasn’t going to like it. Did he want her to sit down because he thought she might faint?
It couldn’t be that bad , she told herself.
When Narra didn’t move to sit at the small table against the wall, Jin sighed and propped himself up on the wall, crossing his arms over his wide chest. “Which news do you want first?”
“The Thieves,” she said instantly. She was sure her uncle was fine, even if he had disappeared, and she already knew the status of Caroline.
He nodded and avoided her eyes, staring at the floor as if it was the most interesting thing in the world.
“Well?” she said when he didn’t continue.
He looked up to meet her gaze. “They’re keeping the Thieves in the palace dungeons. I don’t know how much you know about the dungeons, but they’re horrible. Dark, almost pitch black. Nowhere to shit or piss, or sleep but the ground.”
Her heart pounded harder, echoing in her ears.
“They’re barely fed or given water. There’s so many thieves they don’t have the space to spread them out, so it’s about five or six to a cell. They’re cramped, elbow to elbow.”
Her eyes widened. Her entire body felt cold, numb. She couldn’t believe it. Her people were in that place. Erik was in that place.
“One of them wrote this for you.” Jin pulled a grungy slip of paper from his pocket and held it out to her.
Narra tore it from his grip and pulled the folded paper apart so she could read the letter.
Rheka,
I hope you get this letter so that you know I love you. You saved me once, but this time you have to let me go. Go on without us. Be happy. Forget the Thieves. I’ll always be with you. Don’t do anything stupid.
With love,
Eri k
Narra’s eyes welled with tears as she read the words of her best friend again and again. He was saying goodbye. He thought he was going to die in there. How could he ask her not to try and save them? How could he tell her to go on with her life and be happy?
Heat coursed through her, filling every inch of her with anger. This wasn’t fair. She couldn’t go on without the Thieves. She couldn’t be happy without Erik. The only moments she’d ever felt content were with him and her uncle, sitting in his bar after a long night.
No. She wouldn’t let Erik do this. She wouldn’t let this be goodbye.
Her fingers tightened on the page until it crumpled in her grip. She sucked in a deep breath to get a hold of herself, pushing back her tears with great effort.
Jin didn’t say a word, only stared at the ground silently. She was grateful he didn’t look at her in such an embarrassing, vulnerable moment. She was supposed to be a commander of the Thieves Guild. Commanders didn’t cry in front of anyone, let alone acquaintances.
Narra read the letter one last time before folding it and slipping it into her pocket. When she finally got her emotions under control, she smoothed her hands over her cloak. “Thank you.”
Jin looked up, surprise in his eyes. “You’re… welcome.”
She nodded brusquely and turned to leave.
“Wait,” he said. “What about the rest?”
She stopped. She’d nearly forgotten.
Narra turned back to face him. “Yes.” She cleared her throat. “What else do you have?”
Jin fixed her with a look she might interpret as concern if she didn’t know better. She brushed it off and adjusted her clo
ak to fill the awkward silence. “No word on Alden yet, but the girl, Caroline, is being well guarded in a set of rooms in the royal wing. She’s only visited by priests, servants, and the princess. No one else is allowed near her.”
Narra nodded absently. Her mind still reeled with the words from Erik’s letter. “Good. Keep on it.”
“I will. ”
Narra left through the back door, and circled to the alley on the side of the building before she allowed herself to take out Erik’s letter again. She ran her fingers over the crushed paper. She’d recognize his chicken-scratch handwriting anywhere.
Smoothing her fingers over his words, tears once again boiled to the surface. Fury lanced through her, and she buckled in half, screaming into her hands. She was so frustrated. So done with all of it.
Her hands shook as tears burned paths down her cheeks. She put the letter away before she stained it, and leaned back against the cold brick wall of Nedan Inn.
You saved me once, but this time you have to let me go.
Narra ground her teeth. Never . She’d never let Erik, or the others, go. They were her family. A dysfunctional, crazy, chaotic family, but a family nonetheless.
Taking a deep breath, Narra wiped her tears and steeled herself.
It was time she brought down the princess once and for all.
N arra tapped her fingers against the grungy iron mug between her hands. She clasped it tightly, unable to stop fidgeting as she waited for the pirate captain. After she’d gotten herself together, she slipped in the front door, ordered two mugs of ale from Jin, and took up a position in the back corner of the bar.
From her angle she could see every criminal who came in either the front or back entrance. She didn’t like surprises. She liked to be prepared. Though her relationship with Avalon thus far had been helpful and pleasant, she had no idea if the pirate would eventually turn on her too.
She sighed and licked her lips, wishing suddenly that she’d gotten anything but ale to drink. Even wine would have been better than this.
The front door creaked open, and a blast of cold air sent the lamplight flickering in their glass canisters. She looked up in time to see Avalon step inside, her dark gaze wary, and her black curls whipping around her face like a hurricane.
Avalon’s eyes scanned the room until they landed on Narra. She let the door click shut before carefully picking her way across the room, slipping between criminals at every table.
Jin watched Avalon from the bar, his brows raised in surprise as the pirate captain took up the seat opposite Narra. Alden must have told Jin that Narra didn’t keep much company.
“Good evening,” Avalon said. She unclipped the cloak from her shoulders and draped it over the back of her chair. Instead of her usual tight leather corset and pants, she wore a loose white blouse tucked into tight cotton slacks. Though she certainly still had that air of not quite belonging, she didn’t stick out quite as much.
“Evening,” Narra said. “Incognito?”
Avalon smiled slyly. “Of course.”
Narra couldn’t help the amused twitch of her lips. Avalon was smart, that much was certain.
“So, have you spoken to your contact yet?” Avalon asked.
Narra’s lips thinned and she nodded stiffly. “Yes. I have some news about Caroline.”
Avalon sat up straight and gripped the edge of the table like she was holding on for dear life. “Please, tell me she’s all right.”
“She is.” Narra raised her brows to emphasize her statement. She also wanted Avalon to keep calm for what she was about to tell her. “From the sounds and looks of it, she’s being treated well.”
Avalon’s teeth snapped together with a click . “You’ve seen her?”
Narra nodded. “Yes. I was on my way here when there was a hanging in Varek Square.”
Avalon’s eyes flew wide and her mouth dropped open.
“She was there with the princess, not as a victim. She’s fine, remember?” Narra rushed to explain.
The pirate took a deep breath. “Don’t scare me like that.”
“Apologies.”
Once Avalon had a moment to collect herself, she motioned for Narra to continue. “Please, go on.”
“The princess made a declaration about your sister being some sort of prophet, saying she had visions from Srah himself. She’s aligned herself with the church, and I believe she’s keeping Caroline hostage to reinforce her position,” Narra explained.
Avalon sighed. “That wench. How dare she use my sister for her own political games?”
I know the feeling , Narra thought.
“Did she look all right? Well fed?” Avalon asked. “She was sick before she arrived at port.”
Narra thought back. “Yes. She looked healthy and clean. She was dressed in fine clothes, and had color in her cheeks. She looked like she is cared for.”
“Thank the Sea Goddess.”
“There’s more,” Narra added.
Avalon straightened. “Yes?”
Narra reiterated what Jin had told her about Caroline’s position, and where she was being kept. “It’ll be hard, maybe even impossible to break her out of there. There were two times the normal amount of guards present at the hanging. I can only imagine what security at the palace has become.”
Avalon worked her jaw back and forth. Anger darkened her eyes. “Damn. So what can we do about her and your Thieves?”
Narra’s eyebrows shot up. She was surprised that Avalon was still thinking for the both of them, even with her sister involved. “I’m not sure yet.”
“There’s got to be a way for us to both get what we want.”
Narra looked at her hands still clasped around her mug of ale.
Avalon was right, and Narra had been working on a plan from the start. That’s why she’d murdered a dozen soldiers. That’s why the Daughters of Ashra continued to murder for her, and brand each victim with the note ‘Thief .’ Though the papers certainly showed unrest growing in their fair country, she hadn’t seen much of a direct effect on Rova City. If anything, the killings seemed to be turning more and more people to religion.
That she hadn’t expected.
But if her plan continued, and it would, then Marina wouldn’t be able to ignore her forever. Still, she needed a contingency plan. Another way to get Marina off the throne, or at least stop her coronation.
Narra stilled as a thought occurred to her.
Marina had given her the answer. It was right in front of her this entire time, and she was just seeing it now. Marina wasn’t the true ruler of Rova, and her father hadn’t been either. Neither of them were supposed to be next in line. The lies of former Emperor Zaneth had saw to it that Marina’s father took the throne, but Asher was the real son of Zaneth and his queen, not a bastard like they’d claimed him to be.
Narra’s heart raced as she looked at Avalon. The pirate seemed lost in her own thoughts, staring at the table, her eyebrows furrowed with worry.
“I know what we need to do,” she said.
Hope flashed in Avalon’s eyes. “You do?”
Narra nodded. “We return the crown to the rightful ruler, and we bring down Marina.”
Avalon raised a questioning brow. “Do you mean Princess Elena? I thought she and her sister killed their father.”
Narra shook her head, though it wasn’t a bad idea. Stopping the trial of Marina’s sisters could work, but then again, the sisters might decide to immediately execute Caroline and the Thieves all the same. No, they needed to put someone on the throne they could trust to help them.
“No, I mean the rightful emperor.” Narra explained what Marina had told her about Asher being the rightful heir, and how his brother was actually the bastard. The more she explained, the more surprised Avalon looked. When she was finished, the pirate woman sat back hard, a look of disbelief on her face.
“Wow. That’s pretty scandalous, even for a royal family,” Avalon said.
Narra tried and failed to combat h
er smile.
“But what makes you think that Asher would be any different than Marina or her sisters?”
Narra bit her lip. “Well, the Thieves have information that Asher wants. One of them knows where his son was buried, and if Asher frees them, he’ll be able to find out.”
Though ‘buried’ wasn’t exactly accurate. It was more likely Ezriel was rotting in a sewer or at the bottom of the ocean.
“That could work,” Avalon said, then paused. “So there’s a history between you two.” She raised an eyebrow as she inspected Narra’s face. For what, Narra wasn’t sure. Avalon had to remember Asher from their meeting on the pirate ship and at the hospital. “There’s more to the story isn’t there?”
Narra shrugged noncommittally. She didn’t want to explain everything that had gone on between her and Asher, or what his son had done to her and the Guild, or how Marina had aided in his death.
“Never mind, I won’t pry.” Avalon held up her hands. “Does Asher know about his true lineage?”
She shook her head. “I don’t think so.”
“Well then.” Avalon smirked. “I guess we have a general to visit.”
Narra froze. She’d just seen Asher a few hours ago, and she still wasn’t certain how she felt about the encounter. Heaving a sigh, she nodded. She knew Avalon was right. They’d have to get Asher on board for any of this to work, and then they’d have to find the evidence to prove it to all of Rova.
Easier said than done.
Narra weaved through the shadows of East Gardens until she found the familiar Grayson Manor. Stopping beneath a tall oak tree, she waited in the darkness it provided while Avalon caught up.
Breathing heavily, Avalon slid in beside her. She leaned against the tree, resting her hand on the bark as she gasped for breath.
“Damn. It. Rheka.” She forced a breath between each word. “You don’t slow down for anyone, do you?”
Narra smiled. Erik had always told her the same thing. Though he’d never be as winded as Avalon, he knew well what Avalon was learning—Narra waited for no man or woman .
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