Erik chuckled.
Narra glanced back at Graves. She hadn’t realized it before, but she probably could ask Graves about how her killings might affect the military .
“Anyway,” Graves said. “We’ve been waiting for you, Rheka. It’s time to meet.”
She nodded, and filed her thought away for later. “All right.”
Narra said goodbye to Erik, and they agreed to meet up after the meeting. Graves gave over command to one of his subordinates and led the way back into the manor. They climbed the stairs along the left side of the foyer to the second floor, which was far brighter than the last time she’d seen it. Almost all of the doors were opened off the hall, and the windows must have been cleaned as bright daylight streamed into the hall from every door.
She appreciated the dark wood paneling and bronze sconces until Graves stopped at one of the closed doors. He opened it without knocking and stepped into a large conference room with a long wooden table and a dozen chairs sitting around it.
Windows lined the far end of the room, flooding the space with natural light. Four portraits lined either side of the room, two women and two men, none of which she recognized.
August sat at the head of the table, a new cane sitting atop the varnished wood and a dozen tiny screwdrivers, bolts, screws, and gears spilling across the table around him. Clint was oiling his daggers in the seat next to him, while Klaus and Claudia whispered amongst themselves until Graves and Narra stepped inside.
“She’s here,” Graves said.
The commanders looked up, and Narra glanced at Graves questioningly. There was something off in his voice that made her grow wary. Cold pooled in the pit of her stomach and her chest constricted.
“Ah, Rheka.” August looked up, his large goggles over his eyes instead of atop his head. He gave her a small smile beneath his bushy white moustache and pulled the goggles up onto his forehead. “You’ve made it.”
Narra nodded, not sure what else to say. Graves had said they were waiting for her, but from the tense air in the room, she had a feeling some kind of meeting had already went on without her.
It should make her angry, but it only made the dread inside her burn brighter .
“Why don’t you take a seat?” August continued.
Narra glanced at either side of the table. She certainly wasn’t going to sit with the twins, so instead she went to sit by Clint, who hardly nodded hello.
“How do you like our new meeting place?” August asked. He gestured at the room.
It was quite lovely, and tastefully decorated with forest green wallpaper and gold accents. But it wasn’t the Guild Saloon, and it certainly wasn’t the Den. It smelled like pine trees and lye soap, instead of dirt, dust and booze.
“It’s nice,” Narra said, unsure what else to say.
“Why don’t we stop with the niceties and get to the meeting?” Klaus grumbled.
For once, she was in agreement.
August sighed. “Fine, fine. I think we should start with the handling of contracts.”
Klaus scoffed. “Why don’t we get right down to the main event instead?”
August glared at Klaus, silencing the commander. “We’ll start with the contracts.”
Narra’s eyebrows furrowed. What was Klaus talking about?
“Since Alden is still missing…” August looked at Narra for confirmation. She gave a quick nod. “Then we need someone else to be our frontman to receive contracts.”
“Whoever it is needs to be damn trustworthy,” Graves said.
“Certainly,” August agreed.
“We could have one of my businesses as the front,” Klaus suggested.
“That hardly seems fair,” Clint said, deadpanned. “How do we know your men won’t pick apart which contracts to accept before they go to the Guild Master?”
“He has a point,” August said.
“Why not ask Jin Nedan?” Narra asked. “He’s worked for us in the past.”
August looked at her in surprise. “That’s a great idea, Rheka. ”
Klaus scoffed. “And how do we know you haven’t already paid him off to skim the best contracts out from under us?”
Narra narrowed her eyes. “Call me a traitor one more time, Klaus.”
“Enough!” August snapped before things escalated as they usually did. “That’s enough.”
Narra and Klaus glared at each other but remained silent.
“I think we should contact the Guild Master,” Clint said. “We can’t very well make all of these decisions without informing him or her.”
Narra blinked in surprise, then quickly smoothed her expression. With the previous Guild Master, Quinn Reiner, dead, did that mean she was the next Guild Master?
She hadn’t had much time to think about it, but if what Alden had told her was correct, and Khlara had intended to pass the title down to Narra, then that meant she was meant to be the current Guild Master.
“That’s not a bad idea, Clint,” Graves said. “I’ve been thinking the same.”
“I have as well,” Claudia said.
Her heart raced. Should she tell them that she was the Guild Master? Or should she wait and see how this all played out?
“I think we’re getting ahead of ourselves,” Klaus said. He glared triumphantly at Narra. “We still have a traitor in our midst, and one of our main points today is to decide on Rheka’s punishment.”
Narra’s heart lurched. She’d nearly forgotten. Though it hadn’t been said directly, the Thieves did need to decide what to do with her. She had betrayed the Guild by giving up their main base of operations. Though she’d never meant for it to happen the way it did, it had still happened—even if she had saved them all.
August sighed heavily. “I know we must do something, Klaus, but Rheka saved us from the dungeons.”
“The dungeons she put us in!” Klaus slammed his fist on the table. August’s screws and gears bounced on the table top, clicking softly on the smooth surface .
“Every one of us has made mistakes in the past, and this is no different,” August argued. “Rheka went above and beyond to aid us.”
“That doesn’t forgive that she was to blame,” Klaus insisted.
Narra looked at them all. Claudia was strangely silent, and Graves worked his jaw like he wanted to say something, but was holding his tongue.
“I think assassinating dozens and having hundreds killed in the name of the Guild warrants a pardon,” Clint said.
Narra glanced at him with wide eyes. She knew August would come to her aid as he always did, but she was surprised that Clint had too.
“That only further proves what I’m saying,” Klaus growled. “She’s not one of us. Not anymore.”
Heat flared through her. Not one of them? She’d given everything to them. She opened her mouth to argue her point, but Clint gave her a quick shake of his head. Arguing against Klaus would do her no good. He was set in his ways, and she might just end up swaying one of the others in his favor if she wasn’t careful.
“What do you have to say, Graves?” August asked. He sounded tired and irritated.
Graves shrugged his wide shoulders. “I don’t know. I need more time to think.”
August nodded. He glanced at each of the commanders, his gaze lingering on Claudia, who was staring at her hand sitting atop the table. “Then if we remain divided, we must put it to a vote. We’ll take a few days to decide for ourselves, and then we’ll decide as a team. Punishment or forgiveness.”
Narra had to take a deep breath to keep from screaming. She hated every second of this. There was nothing she could say that hadn’t already been said to sway them. She had August and Clint on her side, but with Klaus and most likely Claudia against her, it’d be down to one measly vote to decide her fate.
And what fate would she deserve?
A death of a thousand cuts like Ezriel? Or something worse?
“In the meantime… Narra, I think it’s best if you stay away from th e Guild,” August
said. His eyebrows furrowed and his face contorted with hurt. August had always looked out for her, and she truly appreciated it.
Narra gulped the lump in her throat, and nodded solemnly, even as her fists shook beneath the table. “I accept your decision.”
N arra walked as calmly as she could out of the meeting room and down the stairs to the first floor. Wind rushed through the front doors to greet her, pushing her hair back and filling her lungs with cold air. She breathed it in deeply, trying desperately to calm the fire in her belly.
On one hand, she was furious they dared dream of punishing her after all she’d done for the Guild, but on the other, they had all been held prisoner in the dungeons because of her. She understood if they wanted revenge for that. After what Erik had told her of the conditions down there, she could only imagine how some of them felt about her.
She sighed and stepped out into the courtyard. Her breath fogged the afternoon air, spreading around her in clouds.
Erik stood abruptly from where he sat on the edge of the stone fountain. He rushed across the yard and grabbed her arms. “What did they say? I heard the commanders want to punish you for what happened.”
Narra didn’t bother asking where he’d heard. There were dozens of Thieves coming and going from the manor. At least a few of them had to be talking about it .
She quickly detailed the meeting to Erik, and his grip only tightened around her biceps.
“They can’t be serious!” he snapped. He released her suddenly and brushed by her to the stairs.
Narra spun and grabbed his arm. “What are you doing?”
Erik looked at her hand, annoyed. “I’m going to argue against this. They can’t punish you for a simple mistake.”
“Yes, they can,” Narra argued. “They’re the commanders of this Guild. It’s what they do—decide fates.”
Erik yanked his arm from her grasp. “Not this time. I won’t let them.”
“Stop!” Narra snapped loudly. “Enough. I don’t need you to protect me, Erik. I can handle myself.”
Erik’s eyes flew wide and he took a step back. “I know you can… but this? It’s not right.”
Narra shook her head. “Erik, what I did was wrong. It broke Guild law.”
“But you did so much to save us. We’d all have died yesterday if it wasn’t for you,” Erik said. His hands fisted and shook at his sides.
She sighed. She understood his frustration as if it was her own. “But you didn’t. You’re alive, and I’ll face the consequences.”
Erik shook his head. “I feel so guilty. You shouldn’t have had to do those things while I was gone.”
Narra smiled. She couldn’t help it. “You shouldn’t. I’d do it again and again if I had to, for you.”
Erik surprised Narra by pulling her into his arms. Her whole body went stiff, and she couldn’t help but dart her gaze around the little space she could see to check who was looking. Given their height difference, she couldn’t see much while crushed against his shoulder. “Damn you,” he said.
Narra chuckled, and he released her.
“Come on, let’s go back to the city,” Erik said.
Narra nodded. Right. They had much bigger problems right now than what the Guild decided to do to her.
Narra straddled the stone wall between the street and Grayson Manor late that night. She’d already helped Avalon down over the rosebushes and Erik was close behind her.
While Avalon crouched in the darkness of a tree shrouding part of the yard, Narra slipped down onto the grass. Her heart raced as she stopped to listen. Patrolmen had already passed not long ago, and it would be at least fifteen minutes before they passed again. Still, they were sneaking into someone’s yard late at night, and anything could happen.
Erik landed next to her with a grunt. He mimicked her crouch, and together they held their breaths and listened for footsteps.
The door above the sunroom creaked open suddenly, and Narra leapt to her feet, her eyes wide and her heart pounding wildly.
Asher stepped out onto the balcony, a sour look on his face. “Would you stop breaking into my house and use the front door?”
Narra smiled sheepishly, and Erik flashed a sly grin. “You need better security,” she said.
Asher narrowed eyes. “I’ll meet you at the front door.”
He disappeared back inside, shutting the door behind him. The light of a candle swayed in the second floor windows before disappearing from view.
“I told you we should have used the door.” Avalon joined the Thieves, a hand on her hip.
“But breaking in is so much more fun,” Erik said.
“But he was expecting us,” Avalon argued.
Narra shook her head and led the way around the house, sticking close to the hedges until the shadow of a willow tree passed overhead. She walked up the cobblestone path to the front door, admiring the stone architecture. It was the first time she’d been this close to the face of the house, and she hadn’t noticed the detail in the wooden arch over the front door when she inspected the manor from afar.
The door opened, and Asher pulled it wide. “Hurry in,” he said .
The Thieves and Avalon piled through the doorway, and Asher closed it behind them with a click.
The foyer held one round table with a vase at the center, and a small closet on the side. Two doors led off either side of the room, with another beside the stairs at the back. The wallpaper was the same navy color as the upstairs, but down here it was edged in dark wood crownmolding.
Erik whistled. “Nice place you got here.”
Asher grunted in response and led them through the door on the left into a living room with a large stone fireplace and red upholstered sofas. He took a seat in one of the chairs at the far end of the fireplace, forcing Narra, Avalon and Erik to squeeze onto the loveseat together.
Narra squirmed to get comfortable. She didn’t enjoy being pressed between two people, especially wearing her full thief gear. Daggers pushed against her sides, and the hilt of her short sword dug into her ribs.
“Now how difficult was that?” Asher asked dryly.
“Erik is right,” Narra said. “Not near as fun.”
Erik chuckled as Asher scowled. Narra might have smiled if it weren’t for the dark look in Asher’s eyes. There were so many things that could be bothering him: from his son to the military, that Narra couldn’t guess which occupied his thoughts tonight.
“How did your reconnaissance go?” Avalon asked when no one else spoke for a full minute.
Asher glanced at Avalon, then looked pointedly at Narra. “Before we begin, I have some terms I’d like to set.”
Narra stiffened, and Erik scoffed. Unease made her stomach turn, but she nodded curtly.
“In exchange for my help, I want my son’s body back. Your Thieves are free, so you can find out from whoever took his body.” Asher’s hands tightened around the arms of his chair. His knuckles were white and his hands shook. Narra could have sworn she heard the wood creak.
“That’s all you want?” Narra asked. She smoothed her expression. She wasn’t surprised, but she was irritated by the request. August had already told her she should stay away from the Guild for now. It wouldn’t be easy for her to go digging for this information.
Asher nodded. “That’s it.”
Narra exchanged a look with Erik. His jaw was stiff and his eyebrows furrowed with worry. He had the same concerns as she.
“Fine,” Narra said. She couldn’t very well refuse when this was all Asher wanted. “We’ll find out what happened to your son and return him to you.”
Asher’s hands relaxed and his tense shoulders lowered. The relief was obvious on his face. “Thank you.”
Narra dipped her chin in acknowledgement. He shouldn’t thank her. If they could find Ezriel’s body it would not be something Asher wanted to see. Would this only increase his hatred of her?
“The situation at the Barracks is bleak,” Asher began. His face turned grave. “T
he soldiers aren’t happy. Several tried to abandon their posts and were hung for it. Treason isn’t acceptable by any country’s standard, but it’s only making them hate the crown more.”
Narra leaned forward. Her heart raced, both with anticipation and surprise. This was perfect. If the soldiers were already displeased by their next ruler, then maybe they would back a better one. Someone like Asher, who was one of them.
“That’s excellent,” Erik said, echoing her thoughts.
Asher sighed and shook his head, but didn’t say anything more.
“What else did you find out?” Narra asked.
Asher’s jaw hardened. “There’s been movement on the Kiznaiver side of the border. It looks like they’re preparing for some kind of attack. The soldiers stationed at Bordertown have called for aid, but no one wants to listen to Marina. We’re at a stalemate.”
Cold washed through Narra’s entire being. That wasn’t good. There hadn’t been a battle at Bordertown in almost fifteen years. In fact, the last one had been the one Asher fought in. He’d told her once it was why Malek made Asher his General of Armies.
“You’re saying you think war is brewing?” Narra asked just to be clear .
Asher nodded grimly.
“Shit,” Erik breathed out the word.
“Is war really worth all of this?” Avalon asked.
Narra’s fingers clenched around the edge of her cloak. In her mind, it was. She’d do anything to stop Marina from sitting on the throne of Rova. But more than that, the military was already upset. There was nothing to be done about that now, and nothing she could do to sway them into fighting for Marina—not that she’d do such a thing if she could.
“Yes,” Narra said quietly.
Avalon sighed, but didn’t say anything more.
“I think we should still count this as a success,” Erik said.
“How long can you hold back military relief for?” Narra asked.
Asher shrugged. “Awhile longer, but eventually I’ll have to force someone to go.”
Narra nodded. “All right. In the meantime we’ll visit the Revolution.”
Asher shook his head. “It’s not enough.”
Clockwork Thief Box Set Page 53