The Thief With Wings - Chapter Three

I run at the wall, push up and grab the windowsill. I dangle briefly. The rush of blood makes me feel the pain all over my body.

I pull myself in. There’s something strange about breaking into my own house.

Everything inside is turned over. What Solon said was true. There was some kind of struggle. I move silently through the chaos that was my kitchen and head to the rooms. I don’t call out in case someone is hiding inside.

If word has already gotten out to the black market, chances are one or two of them have already made their way here to glean from the rubble. Not to say there’s no honor amongst us, but some things are just business. Lucky for me, I don’t keep my stash here.

I make a round of the house. No one inside but me. I clean off a chair and sit down. Emotions deluge my mind. I weep when I think of Seth and Kyra. The three of us lived here. Live here.

There is no other Nyx plant to bargain for their lives. I know what I agreed to with Solon. It seems the only way to have a chance at saving them. I must bring down the New Guild. But I have no idea what my next move is. And how can I bring them down in two days?

I can’t go to the black market. That much is clear. If Solon was keeping track of my moves, anyone there could be keeping track of my moves. I need direction.

I decide to go see Sambethe.

Sambethe is an oracle who operates at the end of Gryphon alley. She’s known to many, but getting a reading from her isn’t easy. She needs a relic of her quarry to prophesy. This severely limits the questions one can ask her. And her cost is steep. She often doesn’t want coin, but favors and promises. Sometimes the cost is too much.

I need to know where Seth and Kyra are. I have plenty of their possessions here, so the relic won’t be a problem. But I don’t know what the cost will be. Even if she can tell me where they are, what can I do?

I remember Kyra being taken away in chains. I shudder to think of Seth going the same way.

This is the first time I’ve had to think of what happened that morning and something doesn’t make sense. Why did the Captain open the box? He forced me to get the Nyx plant. Why would he open it in the sunlight? Wouldn’t he know that it would wither and die?

Then it dawns on me. The Captain was acting on orders. He didn’t want the plant for himself. Someone had hired him to retrieve it. He opened it to make sure that I had brought it. He didn’t know anything about the plant.

I stole it for someone else. Likely a member of the New Guild. But why couldn’t that person get it from the Healer himself. And if the Captain was acting on orders, why did he see to it personally and not just send his goons?

I am lost in thought when the front door swings open.

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I dive from the chair as a blade flies my direction and sticks into the wood where my back just was.

I roll into the closest door. Seth’s room. It’s a good thing he loves to play warrior. A couple of his wooden swords are scattered around. I grab one in my off hand. With my right I reach for his blanket.

I can hear something glass slip and shatter. I picture the mess in my head and know he’s stepped towards the oven. I wad the horse-skin blanket up and I peek around the doorway. Another blade flies my way and sticks into the jamb.

He’s hooded, so I don’t recognize him. But with how he’s fighting, I know he’s one of the thieves from the market. One of my rivals. He must not have been expecting me to be here or he wouldn’t have come through the front door.

“Ongredost, hear my prayer and give me strength,” I whisper. I take a deep breath.

I heave the balled up blanket at him as I come around the corner. It’s a heavy and cured and it opens as it flies toward him. Another blade thuds into it as I make my move. I sprint full speed behind the cover and ready the wooden blade with both hands.

As the horse skin falls I swing with all my might and connect with my attacker just above his right temple. The blow rattles my fingers and they sting. The hooded figure slumps to the ground.

I remove the hood and recognize Bruno, one of the thieves from the market. We specialized in similar jobs, so we were rivals. He’s unconscious and I leave him there after relieving him of his knives and coin purse.

It’s no longer safe to be here. I grab one of Kyra’s shawls and take Seth’s sword with me. I head off towards Gryphon alley to see Sambethe.