Clockwork Thief Box Set

by Katherine Bogle

  It had been a long time since someone had visited the cellar. But that didn’t mean the rest of the house was clear.

  “We should search the rest of the manor,” Clint said.

  Narra nearly jumped out of her skin at the sudden presence at her shoulder. She twisted to give Clint a glare, but he was staring at the staircase, still on edge.

  “Agreed,” she said.

  Once they’d helped August up the ladder, the rest of the Thieves spilled out quickly until the spacious cellar was filled with them. Even with twenty or so Thieves occupying the basement there was plenty of space for them to weave around one another and check out their surroundings.

  How big was this manor?

  Narra looked at the steps, and then found Erik at her side. “Coming?” She nodded at the cellar door.

  “Of course,” he said.

  “Wait,” August wheezed. “We should stick together.”

  Narra and Erik exchanged a look.

  “I’m sure you’ll be fine on your own,” August added. “But we should find a way outside before we go any deeper into this house.”

  “Good idea,” Graves said gruffly. “We should have an escape route just in case.”

  The other commanders agreed, so the group of them climbed the stairs together until they reached the first floor.

  Narra peered through the dim light at a long corridor. The floors were smooth marble with a runner up the center. Every piece of furniture, and every painting were covered in white sheets.

  She wondered what was beneath them. Was it simple furniture, and paintings of the old family who owned this manor? Or were they grotesque portraits of Ashra’s hells, or whatever else the Daughters might cook up?

  She shook her head to push away the images. She could feed her curiosity once they had an exit strategy .

  Narra led the way down the hall until they reached a large foyer. Twin staircases lined either side of the room, ascending to the darkness of the second floor. A crystal chandelier hung at the center, above a large round table, again covered by a white sheet.

  She walked around it, eyeing the warm light flashing off the crystals, and went to the door. The handles were silver—actual silver—a rich commodity in the Rovan Empire. She twisted the lock and opened the front doors into a large stone courtyard with a willow tree and an overrun garden on one side, a fountain in the middle, and huge stone walls like an old castle wrapping the four story building.

  “This is some manor.” Erik whistled as he admired the height of the steepled roof with spires spearing the sky. Gargoyles were mounted on the stone edgings around the highest peaks. Everything about the old manor screamed the Time of Kings. It had to be more than three centuries old.

  “More like a castle,” Narra agreed.

  Narra walked down the steps to get a better look at the building. She craned her neck to see the highest points of the steeples jutting into the cloudy sky. Morning was grazing the horizon, though it was hard to tell with cloud cover so thick.

  The rest of the Thieves piled out after her, spreading out to inspect the front and side of the building, which Narra hadn’t realized banked the left side of the courtyard as well. The manor was shaped like an ‘L’, towering over even the outer walls.

  “This place is enormous,” Erik said. “I can’t believe the Daughters just offered it to you.”

  Narra worked her jaw. She found it hard to believe too, though Ashra wasn’t exactly giving it freely. She did it because she demanded Narra’s compliance, and even Lady Death had to know the best way to make Narra obey was by helping her Thieves.

  “I can’t either,” Klaus snorted nearby. “There has to be some kind of catch.”

  Narra narrowed her eyes at Klaus. “There isn’t.”

  None that concerned the Thieves anyway.

  August limped between the two, though there was at least fifteen feet between them. He shot them each a look. “That’s enough of that. We’ll break everyone into pairs to inspect the rest of the manor and make sure it’s safe. In the meantime, I’ll send two of my members to Tallis Library to check for records on this manor. We’ll find out whether it still belongs to anyone, or if it’s even on record anymore.”

  Klaus continued to glare at Narra, though he nodded stiffly.

  “Fine,” Narra said. She turned back to the manor, ready to weave through the halls and inspect the Thieves new home. “Erik.”

  “Coming!” Erik jogged to her side, and together they slipped back inside.

  “So what were the dungeons like?” Narra asked some time later.

  They weaved through sheet-covered tables in the third floor library. Narra inspected the spines of the books with silver and gold embossed lettering. It reminded her of Marina’s antechamber; one of the walls had been lined floor to ceiling with shelves, books of every topic ready for perusing.

  When silence stretched for a long minute, Narra glanced over her shoulder. Erik had his back to her. He stood at the opposite side of the room, seemingly admiring the spines of books as well. If she didn’t know him so well, she might not have caught the stiffness in his shoulders or the clenched fists he tried to hide.

  “Erik?” she asked. Narra crossed the library in a few steps. Cold morning light filtered through the huge arched windows lining the corner of the house, dusting Erik in soft light.

  He tipped his head forward to hide his eyes, but Narra caught the fearful widening of his gaze.

  “Erik,” she said more firmly this time. “What happened?”

  Her friend opened and closed his mouth several times before his lips flattened into a thin line.

  Narra reached out and squeezed his arm, trying to reassure him in whatever small way she could. She was here for him, even if she might not always understand how he felt or what he was going through.

  “Most made it out alive,” Erik said quietly. “That’s what matters.”

  Avoiding her gaze, he turned around and went to another shelf. When he didn’t continue, Narra followed. She gripped his arm and gently guided him to one of the wooden chairs not covered by a sheet.

  “Sit down,” she urged.

  Erik heaved a sigh that fogged the air. Then he obeyed, sitting down hard before he finally met her gaze.

  Narra’s heart leapt. There was so much pain in his eyes. He’d done well to hide it, but she could see it now. “What happened?”

  Erik twisted his jaw. “At first it was just cold and dark. For hours at a time we sat in total blackness, just listening to each other breathe.” He paused, again avoiding her gaze. “I counted the seconds, minutes, hours, but I could only keep track of time for so long. It smelled like shit down there. Tasted like it too. I swear it was in the air. People vomited, making it worse, but no one could really blame them.”

  Narra sat down on the sheet-covered table beside him. Her eyebrows furrowed and her heart raced. Jin had told her it was bad, but not like this.

  “We were stuck with five or six in a one person cell. No matter where we moved, we were touching. After a couple of days like that, they finally fed us and gave us water.” He snorted and shook his head. “But the bread was molding and the water might have been from the sewers it was so awful. I tried not to drink or eat what they gave us, but you can only go hungry for so long.

  “Everything they gave us, made us sick. Eventually they gave us clean water, but it was too late. We lost a few younger and older Thieves to infection from injuries they’d sustained when they brought us there. I was one of the lucky ones. I tried to go along with what they said, but I should have fought. I should have protected last year’s initiates at least.” His fists shook in his lap.

  Narra’s heart felt like it had snapped. She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him. Guilt and shame filled her chest. This was all her fault. If she hadn’t brought Marina back to the Den, none of this would have happened. “I’m so sorry.”

  Erik squeezed her tightly, pressing his face into her shoulder. “It’s not you
r fault.”

  Her heart clenched. “Yes it is,” she whispered. “I’m sorry, Erik.”

  She didn’t know what else to say. She was guilty, and they both knew it.

  Erik shook his head and pulled her back to hold her at arm’s length. “Narra,” he said firmly. “It’s not your fault.”

  Narra shook her head. How could he really believe that?

  “You got us out. You did everything you could.” Erik’s voice broke, forcing her to look back at his face. His eyes were glazed and his cheeks were blotchy. “You did way more than you should have. Way more . No one can blame you for this, and if they try, I’ll kill them.”

  Narra’s lips quirked slightly. Erik wasn’t one to take death lightly, just like she hadn’t until everything she’d ever loved was taken away from her. “You remember when we were little and the other initiates used to whisper about me? About how I was a demon summoned by my father, and that’s really how my mother had died? That, that was why I was so cold, so heartless, and so good at what we do.”

  Erik blinked at her in surprise. He nodded slowly. “Of course I remember.”

  “Do you remember what you told them to make them stop?”

  Erik smiled, his lips twisting to the side in the half-grin she’d missed so much while he was gone. “If they were right, and you were a demon, they really shouldn’t be making fun of you, or you might just prove them right.”

  Narra smirked. “You protected me then. You alienated yourself from the Thieves that should have been your friends. I will always protect you, Erik, because you protected me when no one else would.”

  Erik’s surprised gaze softened, and then he was pulling her onto his lap to embrace her again. “You were a kid then.”

  “And so were you,” Narra said. She didn’t need to say the rest. She’d protected him from his abusive father, and he’d protected her from the initiates, and Quinn when he could. They had been there for each other always, and Narra would never forget that.

  After a long moment of silence, Narra finally took a deep breath to calm the swirling emotions inside her. They had to finish inspecting the manor so they could return to the city and get some sleep.

  Narra pulled from his embrace and got up off of his lap. Though she’d be embarrassed with anyone else, she wasn’t with Erik. He was her best friend, but more like a brother, or a platonic soulmate if such a thing existed. Whether they existed or not, Narra would never stop protecting him, and she knew he would never stop protecting her, because even when he’d been locked up in that horrible place, he’d still tried to tell her to leave him there. She smiled. He should have known how stupid that was.

  “Aren’t you both just adorable ?”

  Narra turned at the sound of Klaus’s voice. He sneered at the pair of them, and narrowed his eyes. He had the look of a serpent ready to strike.

  “Klaus,” Narra said. “What do you want?”

  She looked over his shoulder in search of Claudia, who he was sure to have paired with, but she was nowhere to be found.

  “Friends reunited at last… how quaint.” Klaus prowled into the library, his eyes dark as he made his way around the tables, directly towards her.

  Narra’s fingers itched toward her knives. She couldn’t help it. She didn’t like the dangerous look in his eyes.

  “I asked, what do you want?” she repeated with more force this time.

  Klaus stopped inches in front of her. She heard Erik shift behind her, ready to back her up should the moment present itself. She appreciated the gesture, and the comfort she took in knowing Erik was there.

  “You threatened my sister,” Klaus growled. He bared his teeth like an animal, which wrinkled his face into a twisted, ugly thing.

  “And?” Narra raised an eyebrow .

  Klaus raised a finger to wag at her. “If you ever touch Claudia like that again, I don’t care what Guild law says, I will kill you.”

  Hot rage spilled through her chest suddenly, forcing her to take a quick breath. She stepped forward, forcing him to stumble back a step. Narra grabbed the front of his cloak and yanked him closer, so she could make sure he heard her clearly.

  “You’re awfully brave for a man in love with his sister,” Narra spat. It was only a rumor, but from the flash of guilt in his eyes, she wasn’t sure that she was wrong. “Threaten me again, Klaus, and I’ll gut you like the spineless snake you are.”

  Klaus’s face twisted in fury. Narra pushed him back and released his cloak.

  The Commander of the Pocks narrowed his eyes at her, a growl on his lips. “You’ve crossed me and the Guild for the last time, Rheka.”

  Narra raised her chin in challenge. She would not let him scare her. He was only angry and afraid because he knew should the time come, she would make good on her promise.

  Klaus glanced over her shoulder at Erik, and then backed from the room. Only when he reached the door did he turn his back on them. Then he was gone.

  Once his footsteps had retreated down the hall, Narra took a deep breath to calm her anger.

  “What in Srah’s name was that?” Erik asked.

  Narra shook her head. “A problem for another damn day.”

  N arra and Erik returned to the manor’s courtyard sometime later. From what they’d seen, it was clear no one had resided in the house for a long, long time. They’d found an old weapon cache in a storage closet, and some training material in the garage, but other than that, there was nothing strange on the premises. Such a fact was confirmed when they met with the other commanders.

  August sat on the edge of the drained stone fountain. He leaned on his cane, and blinked rapidly every few minutes as if trying to keep himself awake.

  “So the manor is useable,” August said. “Excellent. We’ll make it our base of operations for now, as long as my members don’t come back with any unsettling information.”

  “Are you sure that’s wise?” Klaus said. “It was provided by a traitor.”

  Narra stepped forward to slap him or snap at him, but August held up a hand.

  “Rheka has been loyal to this Guild since the day she was born,” August began. “She might have made some questionable decisions, but we’ll deal with that later. For now, we have a place to stay and rest.”

  “We’ll send for the rest of the Thieves,” Graves said. “We can make camp in the lower rooms for now until we get this place cleaned up.”

  “Great idea, Graves,” August said. “Anyone else staying the night? I don’t think I’ll be making the trek back to Rova City today.”

  The commanders exchanged looks.

  “I’ll stay,” Graves said. “Might as well get some rest so I can put this lot to work tomorrow.”

  “I will as well,” Clint said. He looked at the steepled roof, instead of at the others, seeming lost in thought.

  Narra wondered what he was thinking about. He didn’t look concerned, or angry, not that Clint showed many emotions. They had that in common, which is one of the reasons why she’d always gotten along with the man.

  “I’m heading back,” Narra said.

  “I have to check on my holdings,” Claudia said. It was the first thing she’d said since they left the city.

  “I’ll go too,” Klaus said.

  “All right, you might as well travel together then,” August said.

  Narra and Klaus looked at each other with narrowed eyes.

  “Fine,” Claudia said.

  Well this should be interesting .

  “We’ll meet back here in two days time for a commander meeting,” August added before they could leave.

  “Two days,” Narra agreed.

  Narra, Erik, Claudia and Klaus descended into the dark passage back to Rova City not long after.

  Her heart thrummed with anxious energy. Though she was exhausted from the last day and a half without sleep, she couldn’t let her guard down, not while she was trapped inside a dark tunnel with the two commanders she was least fond of.

  Any moment
, Klaus could lunge for her. Though she’d hear it coming, she was afraid Erik might do something stupid to protect her. Even in his tired state, he was still deadly with a weapon, even if it was only one of her daggers.

  Silence fell on the group for several long minutes. Though Narra wanted to increase her pace and get ahead of the two commanders, both Klaus and Claudia kept up, increasing and decreasing their speed as she did. It was infuriating. What were they planning? If they tried to kill her, they’d be tried and executed for crimes against the Guild.

  But alone in a dark passage, they could make it look like an accident, and claim all sorts of things should both her and Erik fall.

  Narra ground her teeth and curled her fists. She hated being stuck with them, even if it was only for an hour.

  “I’ve had enough of the quiet,” Claudia said suddenly. Her voice was strained, and she sighed at the end of her words. “Someone, please speak. We aren’t in the dungeons any longer.”

  Narra’s eyebrows furrowed and she looked at Erik to gauge his reaction. Aside from the stiffening of his jaw, she didn’t notice any other changes.

  “So it was quiet in the dungeons?” Narra surprised herself by asking.

  “Yes,” Claudia said. “When there wasn’t puking, pissing and shitting, it was as quiet as the grave.”

  Narra twisted her face in disgust. She couldn’t even imagine living in that kind of filth for a week.

  When no one said anything else, Claudia sighed dramatically. “Must I be the only one to speak?”

  “I don’t have anything to say, sister,” Klaus grumbled.

  “Rheka,” Claudia started. “Please. Tell us what we’ve missed or about these damned assassins you’re working with or something .”

  Narra exchanged a look with Erik. She was definitely not going to discuss the Daughters of Ashra with the likes of Claudia .

  “Well.” Narra cleared her throat. “You should definitely read the papers when you get the chance.”