Clockwork Thief Box Set

by Katherine Bogle

  A grin spread across her face and adrenaline swept through her veins. It was time. Narra stepped into the hall, keeping to the carpet, which muffled her footsteps all the way to Marina’s door. She glanced back down the hall every few seconds, but neither spear budged.

  Carefully unzipping the pocket on her thigh, Narra extracted her lock picks and deftly slipped them into the door’s handle. She pressed her ear close and listened for the grind and click she was looking for. There .

  The tumblers dropped, the lock clicked, and then she was in.

  Narra slipped through the doors, and closed them softly behind her, making sure to be as silent as possible. Once the doors were firmly shut, she turned to face the antechamber of Marina’s rooms.

  It was decorated simply, with a violet upholstered sofa in front of a dark oak coffee table and a roaring fireplace. The mantle was made of marble, and curved on either end like the rolling waves of the sea.

  Various out of season flowers sat in vases on many of the surfaces, but it was the floor to ceiling bookshelves that dominated the room. Spines in every color were painted with silver or gold lettering. There had to be hundreds of books, one for every topic.

  Narra stepped over to it, her curiosity getting the better of her. Her fingers trailed over the spines, the fabric bound novels rough beneath her fingertips .

  There were books about the sea, the gods, Rova’s history, battle tactics, agriculture, and healing remedies. Were they just for show, or did Marina spend most of her time locked up in her room with her nose in a book?

  Narra smiled at the thought of Marina curled up on the sofa, pouring over a book about farming. The thought was ludicrous, but somehow sweet at the same time.

  She froze. Sweet ? Where had that come from?

  Narra shook her head, trying to rid the strange thoughts from her head and remind herself what a disgusting person the princess was. She tried to tell herself that it was only because of her proximity to Marina and her things that these thoughts were plaguing her, but Narra wasn’t sure she believed it.

  Picking her way across the room, she inspected the antechamber one last time before she began her hunt. She was there for a reason, and she had to remember that. She had no idea how long Marina would be gone. If Marina returned with her guards, and found Narra snooping, she was sure the princess would scream and alert the entire castle to her presence. She’d be lucky to leap out the windows in the princess’ bedchamber fast enough.

  Narra shivered, though it wasn’t cold. She set herself to task, going through every drawer in the antechamber in search of the certificate. She checked for false bottoms, and for anything tucked under the lip of the furniture, but found nothing.

  After ten minutes, she went through the double doors at the other end of the room, into a lush bedroom. At the center was a four-poster bed with a red canopy and burgundy bedspread.

  Narra checked under the mattress first, then the bedframe, and the rest of the furniture. When she came up empty she looked in the closet, the drawers, and even in each of her dress pockets. Everything came up empty.

  With a growl of frustration, Narra stormed into the bathing room. She checked every nook and cranny. Nothing.

  Returning to the antechamber, Narra went to the bookshelf. It was the last place she could think of, but there were so many books. There had to be a particular one of interest to hide such an important document in, but which one?

  Marina might have seemed like an innocent girl at first, but she was far more manipulative than Narra had ever expected. She had to have studied psychology and war tactics for a long time. So, Narra checked every book on the subjects, and again, came up with nothing.

  “Damn it!” Narra spat.

  She froze. Ancestors . How loud had she just said that? Would the sound carry down the hall?

  Narra stared at the doors to the corridor. She prayed to Srah, or Ashra, or whoever might be listening that no one heard her curse, but after a few moments the clink and rustle of armor echoed outside the thick door. She bit back a groan, and quickly stepped away from the doors. There was nowhere to hide that they wouldn’t search, but she could still catch them off guard.

  Would both guards come? Would they alert others?

  Every strategic question she could think of rushed through her mind, making her dizzy. Narra retreated to the bedroom, closing the doors softly behind her. She hid in the shadow of the armoire. There was just enough space for her to slide in behind it and still leap out at a moment’s notice.

  “You heard that right?” someone said in the antechamber. The door banged against the wall, and Narra winced.

  “Yes. Someone is in the princess’ chambers,” another voice confirmed.

  Narra cursed herself and her anger. She hated that she hadn’t controlled herself long enough to complete her mission. The birth certificate could be hiding in any one of those books.

  Or it might not be there at all.

  Narra ground her teeth. The traitorous thought was right. It might not be in Marina’s chambers at all. It could be in her study, or worse, the princess might very well keep it on her at all times. It’d be the smart thing to do. Such precious information in the hands of the throne’s enemies could do a whole hell of a lot more damage than what Narra was planning.

  “I don’t see anything,” one of them whispered. They were trying to be quiet, but Narra’s hearing was too acute.

  She waited, slowing her breathing and bracing herself for a fight.

  “Let’s check the other rooms,” the second answered.

  “The princess’s bedroom?”

  “Yes.”

  “But—”

  “The princess isn’t going to take your head for walking into her room for security reasons, boy.”

  The youngest of the pair grumbled something, but Narra couldn’t make it out. She doubted the older man could either.

  The bedroom door clicked and squealed slightly as it opened. The shadow of it descended over her hiding place, further blocking her from view. She might be able to stay there, to remain in shadow and kill no one. But if either of them even glanced around or under the armoire, they’d spot her.

  Narra ground her teeth, anticipation eating at her. Nerves crept across her skin, and her breaths came quickly. Any moment, she’d make her move.

  “It doesn’t look like anyone is in here,” the youngest said.

  “Hush,” the second said.

  Their armor rustled as they crept through the room. From what Narra could tell, one was sweeping the left side, and the other was moving towards the right. Good. If they stayed apart, it’d be easier to bring them down.

  Narra’s heartbeat sped up as she inched to the end of the armoire. She moved carefully, so her weapons wouldn’t make any noise.

  “Maybe we just heard someone on the next floor,” the youngest said.

  “Shhh!”

  Narra smiled and slipped out of her hiding spot.

  Both men were wearing full Palace Guard armor, dressed in metal from head to toe. A sun was emblazoned over their hearts and red feathers stuck out from their helmets. The metal curved down to guard their nose, but it hooked beneath their jaw, giving her plenty to hit.

  The oldest man was closest, and he had his back to her as he inspected the bathing room from the doorway.

  Narra glanced at the youngest, who was shifting through the closet to make sure no one was hiding within. It was now or never.

  Withdrawing her short sword, Narra raced from behind the furniture and leapt at the older man’s back. With one quick slice, she severed the leather tie holding his helmet on. It toppled from his head before he could turn.

  A startled cry left his throat, alerting the second guard.

  Damn.

  Narra threw her shoulder against his back, throwing him off balance. The man toppled inside the bathing room, and Narra slammed the door shut behind him before turning on her second opponent.

  The younger of the pair howled a battle cry
as he raced around the princess’ bed. He’d already torn his sword from its sheath, and ran with it pumping at his side.

  Narra smiled and flicked her hood back.

  Shock crossed his face, then hardened as he took his first swing.

  The broadsword swung wide, but the guard was slowed by his armor, and Narra easily ducked the blow. She slammed her heel into the back of his knee, one of the few places not covered in metal.

  The guard grunted and buckled to one knee.

  Narra spun and drove the hilt of her sword into the back of the man’s skull. He cried out and gripped his head, just as the older man threw the bathroom door open. Huffing with rage, the man stepped out, the same look of shock passing over his face.

  Most men weren’t used to fighting a woman. Though women were permitted in the military and as Patrolmen, they were few and far between, and hardly rose up in rank due to the wrong assumption that women were weaker than men. Their misogynistic notions combined with her beauty and wanted poster were sure she was giving these men a fright.

  Narra smiled and kicked the younger man’s back, forcing him to face plant on the carpet.

  With their armor so heavy, their movements were limited, and getting to their feet would be arduous, which was the very reason she’d pushed the older man inside the bathroom.

  “Put your weapon down!” the older guard bellowed.

  She scoffed. Unlikely .

  Narra leapt over the younger guard, using his back to launch herself in a flying attack at the other man. She swung hard, catching him by surprise. He raised his arm, and her blade slammed into his forearm. Copper filled the air, and Narra yanked back, releasing her blade before dropping into a crouch. A whoosh of air rustled her hair as his sword flew over her head. She’d anticipated that, and in return she thrust her blade into the space between his thigh and calf armor.

  The man screamed in pain as her blade sliced open the back of his knee. He swung a fist, but Narra rolled back and leapt to her feet.

  “Harold!” the younger guard gasped.

  The older man fell to his knees, a soundless cry of pain stuck on his face.

  Narra huffed. This wouldn’t do. She couldn’t have them making so much noise. She was supposed to be here on a stealth mission. If a platoon of guards came after her, it was all over.

  Instead of going for the younger man as she’d intended, Narra chose to silence the first to stop any more screams from happening.

  Harold raised his sword to block her, but Narra dropped beneath it and sliced her blade right across his throat. He gasped and gurgled, clutching his throat just as the High Priest had done when she’d killed him.

  But her wound was fatal. There was no coming back from such an injury.

  The younger guard unleashed another battle cry. He ran at her, sword held high, and tears in his eyes. His movements were sloppy, most likely made so by his grief .

  She wouldn’t let him suffer for long. Narra flipped from reach, and as he spun to face her, she launched a dagger at him. He turned just in time to avoid the blade in the eye. Instead, it screeched across the armor of his helmet before thunking into the armoire behind him.

  Narra growled and narrowed her eyes. She never missed.

  Seeming shocked by his near death, the man stood frozen, staring at her with wide eyes. Narra took her opportunity and launched another dagger, this one to force him to block. His sword rose, and her blade clanged off of his.

  But Narra had already launched herself across the floor in anticipation of this. She slid low, getting behind him where she thrust the tip of her blade up under his helmet and directly into his brain.

  His body slammed into the ground, leaving an eerie silence in place of their battle.

  Narra took a few steadying breaths, calming her adrenaline and heart rate before she carefully wiped her blades clean. Once she did, she returned her rag to her back pocket, and secured her two fallen daggers back to her belt.

  She stopped, and looked at the two fallen guards. They hadn’t been terrible fighters, but anyone wearing fifty pounds of armor would be slow, and being slow around her was not a good idea.

  Narra returned to the antechamber, careful to close Marina’s bedroom door behind her. Once it was firmly shut, she went to the outer door to listen.

  She heard nothing, and breathed a great sigh of relief. She’d been sure someone must have heard their fight, but with the royal family growing smaller and smaller, this side of the palace wouldn’t be visited as often.

  Small blessings , she thought, and slipped back into the corridor.

  N arra flicked her hood up to cover her hair. Blending with the shadows was far easier when she didn’t have a beacon of orange giving her away.

  Slipping down the hallway of the royal suites, she followed the direction she’d heard Marina and her guards take. She hadn’t a clue where Marina’s study was located, but she’d find it.

  She reached the end of the corridor, and saw the guards she’d killed had left their spears leaning against the walls. Well that wouldn’t do.

  Narra took each in hand, the metal chilling her clammy fingers. She tucked the spears into a dark alcove beside the arched end of the hall. She didn’t have more time to find a better hiding place.

  Once the spears were hidden, she went to the end of the hall and stopped to listen. Nothing. The halls of the palace were eerily silent, contrasting with the warmth of the flames bathing the hall.

  The soft sound of footsteps approaching made her heart leap. She whirled back into the hall and dove into the servants’ stairwell. She heard distant murmurs, the clink of armor, and the timber of a man’s voice, but no familiar clack of heels.

  So it wasn’t Marina returning to her rooms .

  The princess still had to be in her study. Now if only Narra could find it.

  Gritting her teeth, she descended the twisting staircase back to the second floor. She’d find another way back up to the third floor if she had to, but it seemed to be mostly bedchambers.

  She hit the second floor, and again stopped to listen. When she’d gone nearly a minute without hearing a sound, only then did she slip into the far more drab corridor, with nothing but a few torches lining the narrow confines.

  Narra whisked through the halls of the second floor, ducking into an alcove or stairwell every time she heard so much as the wind howl. Her nerves were shot, and she constantly worked her fingers open and closed, readying herself for a battle that might still come.

  After nearly ten minutes of searching, she heard the clack of heels. Her breathing paused, and she strained her ears to decipher the steps. She couldn’t be sure if the sound was the exact same as Marina’s steps, but it was close enough.

  Narra glanced at the walls of the hall in search of a hiding spot. She found a door, and quickly dove inside.

  Blackness stretched out on the other side, giving her no clue what the room might be used for. She left the door open a crack, just wide enough to peek through and see who passed.

  She waited, her heart pounding in her ears as the clack of heels and clink of armor approached.

  After several agonizing seconds, a woman with golden hair, tan skin, and a blue gown walked by, flanked by two guards in unfamiliar armor.

  Narra’s eyebrows furrowed as she watched the group go. Blond hair in Rova was extremely uncommon. And yet, someone with flaxen hair roamed the halls of Rova’s Imperial Palace.

  Shaking her head, she dispelled the flurry of questions that flew to mind. She had always been a curious person, and though she tried to ignore her questions, she was sure the thoughts would return later.

  “The Duchess has her handmaidens parade around with their own personal guard?” a familiar voice asked somewhere out in the hall.

  Narra froze and held her breath while she listened.

  “Aye. Apparently the Wells have different traditions when it comes to handmaidens,” another male voice answered.

  She started. The first voice. It was
one of Marina’s guards. What were their names? Stein and Baldar? Her heart raced as she pressed her ear to the thick wooden door.

  “Apparently,” the one she assumed was Stein said.

  “I’ve never seen a woman with hair like that,” Baldar added.

  “Me neither.”

  Narra eased the door open and glanced down the hall. Near the end was a set of large double doors, and two guards standing outside of it, swords at their hips and shields strung across their backs.

  She ground her teeth as her mind raced to come up with a plan. This wasn’t good. If that was Marina’s study, it’d be impossible to get to without the two men seeing her.

  She could stick against the wall, blend into the shadows until she was close. The arches of the hall would give her some cover, but she would only get within fifteen, maybe ten feet without their notice.

  If they were embroiled in conversation, it might be easier, but speaking of a woman’s hair was hardly a thoughtful topic.

  Narra couldn’t resist rolling her eyes. It was the kind of thing she expected women to fawn over, not men, especially when fair-haired generally meant Kiznaiver. Then again, the woman’s skin had been dark with the sun, not pale like snow.

  Shaking her head, she forced herself to focus. She could look for a way around, but the more halls she snuck through, the more likely it was she’d be caught. No, a frontal assault was her best bet.

  She’d have to silence them immediately. She inspected their armor. No helmets. That meant she could throw a dagger through their eyes or skulls. As long as she could get both weapons off before either of them called for help, she could silence them and dump their bodies inside Marina’s study.

  Then again, bringing the bodies with her might cause Marina some alarm. If she wasn’t careful, the princess might scream and alert the entire palace of her whereabouts.

  Damn. Why did this have to be so difficult?

  She hadn’t thought this through, but if she didn’t stop Marina tonight, the Thieves would die tomorrow.

  Narra’s fists balled and fire lanced through her. She was so frustrated by it all.