ã€ŠThe Abyss Stoneã€‹


 Chapter 1

    purses carefully as they walked. Merchants also had their eyes out for pickpockets, for a stolen purse was a lost customer. The upside was that there was less competition for the more obvious and lucrative marks.

    Cas placed a bolt of cloth carefully back in its place as one such person caught her eye. When she worked as a maid, her mistress had taught her how to judge a person at first glance. His clothes told her that he was moderately wealthy and from the Eastern Continent. The way he carried himself told her that he was accustomed to places with better security than the Grand Bazaar. Or perhaps he was accustomed to being escorted by bodyguards who were not present today. Perhaps a noble who wanted to experience the Grand Bazaar as a commoner.

    Staying to the edge of the aisle, she began to shadow him. There was no rush. He was taking in the sights and sounds as he made his way towards the grand stairs that led to the tailors¡¯ workshops on the upper level. The merchants noted this as well and barely gave the man a second glance. Cas hid a smile. He was the perfect mark. She stalked him like a shadow, taking care to avoid his lines of sight. Her mistress hated seeing the help and had trained her maids to move like ghosts, teaching them to stay out of her field of vision as they worked. The penalty for being seen had been severe, but Cas had a talent for it and had only been punished for it once in three years of service.

    Her good humour vanished when she noticed a man walking towards her mark from the opposite direction. He was a diminutive man who walked with an arrogant strut. He kept her mark in the periphery of his vision, but there was no mistaking what he was after. Cas swallowed a curse and made her decision quickly. She changed course and veered towards a nearby shop where she pretended to examine a bolt of linen sitting on a shelf outside.

    In the corner of her eye, she saw the man bump into her mark. It took less than a second for the man to deftly cut the purse from her mark¡¯s belt and slip it into his pocket. Cas was impressed. He was more skilled than the average pickpocket, but she needed money today and backed herself to outdo him.

    ¡°Excuse me, mate,¡± His voice and accent were rough. Perhaps this one was from the slums that lay beyond the city¡¯s east wall.

    ¡°You should be more careful, my friend,¡± the mark replied good naturedly before continuing on his merry way.

    Cas took a deep breath and walked across the aisle. As she did, she moved her shawl aside ever so slightly to reveal the red velvet purse hanging from her belt. She saw the man stop in his tracks when he saw it and willed his avarice to overcome his common sense.

    It worked, and he abruptly changed his course to intercept her. She pretended not to notice him as she walked down the centre of the aisle, being sure to stay out of the shopkeepers¡¯ view. The last thing she wanted now was for a good Samaritan to unwittingly get in her way.

    As the man drew nearer, she made a mental note of the pocket he had hidden the stolen purse in before turning her head, as though noticing something attractive in a nearby shop window. As she felt the man brush past and the weight lift from her belt, she deftly slipped her hand into his pocket and fished the purse out.

    She turned her head ever so slightly and suppressed a smile as she saw the man walk briskly towards the closest exit. Cas wondered what his reaction would be when he discovered the velvet purse that she had lifted from a noblewoman a month ago was filled with glass marbles. As much as she wanted to see it for herself, she knew better and made her way through the crowd and walked with confidence towards the gilded double doors at the end of the aisle. Standing around it were half a dozen armed men wearing the purple cloaks of the city guard who scarcely spared her a second look as she passed through the doors. Their attention was focused on the people coming out of the Central Atrium rather than those going in.

    Situated at the centre of the Grand Bazaar, the Central Atrium was home to the city¡¯s most reputable goldsmiths and jewellers. Each was housed in their own building under the huge domed roof, both for security and for their clientele¡¯s privacy. Few pickpockets plied their trade here, due in part to the private armed guards at the entrance to each store, and also because most transactions here were so large that they had to be done using promissory notes. Some attempted to cash in notes obtained through ill-gotten means, but those were sophisticated gangs that were far beyond the means of the average pickpocket.

    She felt the leers of some of the guards as she walked down the sparsely trafficked gilded aisles. All she could do was pull her shawl closer around her head. Unlike the purple cloaks, these guards were hired by the individual shops for security, and many were little more than thugs. However, a lecherous stare and the odd comment to their partner was as far as they would take it. Competition to guard one of these shops was fierce. They were paid very well to maintain a sense of decorum and none wanted to risk losing their job over a catcall.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    All the same, Cas quickened her pace towards the Grand Bazaar¡¯s main entrance. Leaving by the main entrance was risky. It never paid for someone in her line of work to come under the scrutiny of the guards, especially when she was carrying stolen goods herself, but it was worth the risk today. The main exit was the last one the man she had stolen from would expect a fellow pickpocket to use, and she didn¡¯t fancy a confrontation.

    She took a deep breath as she joined one of the lines of people waiting to leave and felt a shaft of envy when she saw the woman in front of her. She wore a pale blue dress and a dainty hat that had the badge of an eagle in flight on it. She was a maid for one of the city¡¯s fourteen Great Houses and was living the life Cas once did. A life she could never get back. A girl began training to become a maid in a noble house at the age of eight and no house of repute would hire a maid as old as Cas without references. Being fired for theft, even if was through no fault of her own meant that only the lowest and most abusive households would employ her.

    Up ahead, the main entrance was guarded by purple cloaks and auxiliaries seconded to the City Guard as a public service by the various nobles living in the city. Instead of purple cloaks, the latter wore gold sashes across their chest. The role of the guards at the entrance wasn¡¯t to search everyone. Most of the patrons here were of noble birth if not outright aristocrats. All the guards wanted to do was slow the flow of traffic so that they could take a good look at each person. If they felt something off about anyone, they could take them aside for a rigorous search and questioning.

    As her turn approached, Cas forced herself to look the purple cloak in the eye and flashed him a smile that had a measured nervousness to it. Just enough to make her look like the commoner when encountering a person of authority, but not enough to make it look like she had something to hide. Their eyes met and Cas swallowed a curse.

    ¡°You there,¡± he said, pointing at her. ¡°Come here.¡±

    ¡°Yes, My Lord?¡± Cas replied. Her voice broke as she spoke, and a devilish grin crossed the man¡¯s face. At once, she knew what this was going to be about and suppressed a sigh.

    ¡°I know this one, Fineus,¡± a voice said as the purple cloak was about to take Cas aside. ¡°I can take over from here.¡±

    The purple cloak¡¯s face turned crimson as he whirled around to face the interloper. ¡°I saw her first¡­¡±

    The words died in his throat when he saw a man wearing a gold sash across his tunic and a longsword at his hip. The colour drained from his face, and he bowed his head quickly.

    ¡°As you command, My Lord,¡± the purple cloak said.

    ¡°Kalen,¡± Cas said flatly, suppressing a sigh as the newcomer took her aside. ¡°Isn¡¯t this work beneath a man of your stature?¡±

    ¡°Sandra, you look as radiant as ever,¡± Kalen beamed. He was a tall, muscular young man sporting a mop of dark hair. ¡°And assisting the valiant members of the City Watch in keeping the peace is beneath no one in The Eternal City.¡±

    A cloud crossed Cas¡¯ face. ¡°I thought I told you never to call me that again.¡±

    Cas immediately regretted the venom in her voice when she saw the hurt on the young man¡¯s face. ¡°That¡¯s what my mistress used to call me¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a shame, it¡¯s a pretty name,¡± Kalen sighed. ¡°So, what brings you to the bazaar on this fine day?¡±

    ¡°Just window shopping,¡± she replied. ¡°It¡¯s the most a girl of modest means such as myself can do.¡±

    Cas regretted the words almost as soon as she had said them when Kalen¡¯s eyes lit up. It looked like he was about to make a grand, cringe inducing announcement when someone shouted. ¡°Thief, stop him!¡±

    ¡°Duty calls. We¡¯ll catch up another time,¡± he said before running in the direction of the cries.

    Cas breathed a sigh of relief and walked past the distracted guards and into the beautiful autumn day outside. The sun shone down from a cloudless sky as Cas made her way down the steps and onto Founder¡¯s Square, the huge stone plaza that fronted the Grand Bazaar. The purse she¡¯d stolen felt wonderfully heavy in her pocket, but she resisted the urge to touch it. That would just invite trouble, and the money was badly needed. She wouldn¡¯t rest easy until she put it in the right hands.

    She wove her way through the crowds of people going about their day and shook her head at the clumsy efforts of pickpockets plying their trade as she passed under the shadow of the fifty foot tall statue of Constance the Fifth, the city¡¯s first master. Times were getting harder. Some pickpocketed because they were good at it, and it had the potential to be lucrative. Others did it because they were desperate. She was seeing more of the latter these days. Times were getting harder.

    The city¡¯s leaders said the war brewing to the east was nothing to worry about but even common folk such as she could tell that they were hiding the truth. The price of things as basic as grain were rising by the day, and it was hard to ignore the slum outside the city¡¯s walls that grew bigger with each passing day.

    Cas caught a glimpse of a scuffle that had broken out nearby. A pickpocket had been caught red handed. It didn¡¯t feel like so long ago when she was learning the ropes on this very square. She remembered the bitter disappointment she¡¯d felt when she discovered that most of the people of the Eternal City only carried their day¡¯s expenses with them when they were going about their business. She had quickly learned that most of those carrying bulging purses were on their way to the bazaar. However, she wasn¡¯t about to intervene. There was no honour amongst thieves. She had learned that the hard way.

    As she broke out of the main crowd and turned onto a busy tree lined avenue, her senses told her something was amiss. She made an abrupt turn and caught a glimpse of a familiar face. It was the man she had stolen from earlier. It was no coincidence that he was here. He was following her. She smirked to herself. So, he wasn¡¯t as inept as she first thought but he was just a thug like all the others. All she¡¯d have to do to get him off her back was to bloody his nose a little.

 Chapter 2

    The streets grew less trafficked, and a fetid stench permeated the air as Cas made her way south. The land grew marshy and was unstable underfoot while the buildings turned from grand stone works sporting impressive facades to crumbling wattle and daub structures. As she walked, Cas stuck to the shadows and used line of sight to obscure herself from his view before making sudden turns onto side streets in an attempt to shake her pursuer off. However, every time she checked, she saw him still doggedly following her.

    ¡°Fine, don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t give you the chance to back away,¡± she muttered to herself before whirling around. She locked eyes with the man and widened hers in fear before hitching her skirts up and taking off towards an alley that she knew would be deserted at this time of the day.

    The man caught up quickly. He was faster than he looked, and Cas was hampered by her dress. However, she reached the alley first. Her pursuer¡¯s footsteps announced his imminent arrival, and Cas swung at his nose as he rounded the corner.

    The man was taken off guard by the sudden attack, but his reflexes left Cas impressed as he dodged the punch by a hair. His momentum carried him past her, and she swatted his hand away as he attempted to reach inside her pocket.

    When he regained his balance, he whirled around and snarled. ¡°You have some nerve stealing from me, girl.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m impressed you can say that with a straight face with my purse in your pocket,¡± she retorted.

    ¡°If that purse is yours, then I¡¯m the king of Arelon!¡± the man spat.

    ¡°You must have fallen on hard times indeed if you have to resort to petty thievery, My Liege,¡± Cas said with a mocking bow.

    ¡°We¡¯ll see how smart that mouth of yours is when I carve your tongue out!¡± the man cried.

    Cas¡¯ blood turned to ice when she saw the blade appear in the man¡¯s hand. It was just like the day she was mugged. The alley, the knife. Only that time, there were four men. They seemed to move in slow motion just like her assailant was today. She saw the flash of steel as it arced towards her face and the self defence training her mistress had taught her took over.

    The blade cut a wisp of hair from her fringe as she swayed her head back. She then caught the man¡¯s knife hand in a vice like grip and twisted. A sickening crack filled the air as the man¡¯s wrist bone snapped. His knife fell to the ground, and he shrieked in agony.

    In a daze, Cas released his hand and stepped back. It was just like the other day. Seeing first hand the pain she had inflicted filled her with a visceral sense of guilt that she had never felt from stealing.

    ¡°You broke it!¡± he cried as he clutched his shattered wrist. ¡°You broke it, you bitch!¡±

    Cas stared, transfixed at the shattered man before her. It was the mugging all over again. Then, she had broken four men and felt so bad that she¡¯d left them her purse with money for the day¡¯s purchases as recompense for what she¡¯d done. This time was different, though. Life away from the comforts of a noble¡¯s home had taught her the importance of money and hers had been hard won. But was she to do with this balling man before her? The alley was still quiet. These were the slums, and the people who lived here knew better than to poke their noses in when they heard someone screaming at the top of their lungs.

    However, soon, their curiosity would get the better of them. A nefarious voice in her head told her she had to deal with this one quickly. She blinked and looked down at her hand. Without realizing it, she had reached down and picked the knife up.

    ¡°Alright, this has gone far enough.¡±

    Cas jumped when she heard the voice and swung the knife without thinking. A strong hand grabbed her by the wrist. Her instincts kicked in and she dropped the dagger with her trapped hand and caught it with the other. She was about to swing at the man who had suddenly appeared beside her when the newcomer released her wrist and leapt away, raising both hands in surrender.

    ¡°I mean no harm,¡± he said. ¡°I only want to take my friend and leave.¡±

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Cas demanded as she felt her heart pound in her chest. She knew her senses were sharper than most and could count on one hand the number of times someone had been able to sneak up on her.

    The newcomer was a tall, thin man who was remarkable in how ordinary he looked. He eyed Cas¡¯ knife warily. ¡°Just a man who knows when his companion has bitten off more than he can chew.¡±

    ¡°What did I say about sticking your nose in my business, Harvey?¡± the first man snarled.

    He shrank back when the taller man set his eyes on him. ¡°I told you not to fool around in the bazaar, and now you¡¯ve gone and gotten your wrist broken. What¡¯s the boss going to say?¡±

    The man turned pale. ¡°I can still do it.¡±

    ¡°Not if she slits your throat, you can¡¯t,¡± Harvey hissed. He turned to Cas and tugged on the brim of his hat. ¡°Ma¡¯am, I¡¯m sorry for the trouble my companion has caused.¡±

    ¡°Just take him and leave,¡± Cas managed to say.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    When they had gone, Cas crumpled to the ground and threw up. It took her a few minutes before she was able to get to her feet by which time she noticed curious faces in the windows. Leaving the knife where it lay, she staggered out of the alley and onto the street. The pouch in her pocket never felt heavier and she wanted nothing more than to get it to her destination.

    She could feel eyes on her and knew that she needed to get moving. The people living here were bound to come sniffing now that the commotion was over to see if there was anything for them to scavenge. Her legs were still wobbly, but she willed them to carry her confidently down the street. It was dangerous to show weakness in this part of the city.

    As she walked, the strength gradually returned to her legs and her heart began to beat normally. She risked touching the pouch in her pocket and felt heartened by its weight. The money was badly needed. The fetid smell grew stronger as she made her way south, and the buildings grew more dilapidated. Soon, she was walking alongside an open stone channel that carried the city¡¯s sewage into the Setara Sea that lay to the south of the city.

    Eventually, a shabby church came into view. It was of a modest size, its spire barely topped the roof of the two storey abode that stood next door and was in desperate need of repair. Large holes were apparent in the roof and in several of the walls, some of which were almost the size of windows. The church was dedicated to the worship of Maarlen, the main God of the kingdoms to the north. Like most of the locals, Cas had grown up as a worshipper of Imton, but in her time of need, this neglected house of worship of a foreign God was the only one that would provide her with shelter and what little food they could spare.

    Cas¡¯ worries vanished when she spotted four grubby children dressed in tattered clothes playing on the small lawn in front of the church. She stood at the fence separating the church¡¯s land from the dirt road and watched them as they laughed and chased one another across the lawn. Then, a young girl of six noticed her and her face split into a broad smile.

    ¡°Cas!¡± she squealed as she ran into her arms. ¡°You have to join our team. The boys keep cheating!¡±

    ¡°No, we aren¡¯t,¡± an eight year old boy snorted. Like the other children, he was short and scrawny for his age. They were orphans, taken in by the priest. He fed them what he could, but there was never enough. ¡°Shall I summon Father Brendao?¡±

    Cas ruffled the boy¡¯s head as she walked past him. ¡°There is no need, Pardo.¡±

    ¡°But our game!¡± the girl cried. ¡°We won¡¯t be able to win without you.¡±

    Cas turned to Pardo and arched an eyebrow. ¡°Why don¡¯t you even up the teams? You can be on a team with Amira.¡±

    The boy made a face. ¡°But she¡¯s the smallest.¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯re the biggest,¡± Cas pointed out. ¡°It¡¯s no fun if you win all the time, is it?¡±

    ¡°That simply isn¡¯t true,¡± the boy pouted.

    ¡°Well it won¡¯t be any fun if no one wants to play with you, will it?¡± she asked as she paused at the door.

    ¡°I suppose,¡± Pardo allowed.

    Cas heard footsteps approach the other side of the door and stepped back as it opened to reveal a diminutive, wrinkled old man wearing a threadbare and tattered black smock. His eyes lit up when he saw Cas and hugged her warmly.

    ¡°Cassandra, it is good to see you,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯ve been gone far too long.¡±

    ¡°I was off earning a living, father,¡± she replied and broke into a toothy grin as she guided him into the church and away from the prying eyes on the street. The priest¡¯s eyes went wide as Cas opened the bulging purse and revealed its contents. ¡°I want you to have it, all of it.¡±

    ¡°How did you get all this money?¡± the priest gasped.

    ¡°A month of hard graft,¡± she replied as she moved slightly to the right, out of sight of the statue of Maarlen that stood behind the altar inside the church. ¡°And a fair amount of begging for a small loan¡­¡±

    ¡°And then some,¡± Brendao said as he touched the girl on the arm. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to keep some for yourself?¡±

    Cas shook her head vigorously. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about me, my employer takes good care of us.¡±

    ¡°Well, if you¡¯re sure¡­¡± Brendao began.

    ¡°I am,¡± she insisted as she pushed the pouch into his hands.

    Tears appeared in the old man¡¯s eyes. ¡°Bless you child¡­ bless you.¡±

    Cas felt a pang of guilt. She hated having to lie to Brendao, but he wouldn¡¯t accept the money if he knew how she had really obtained it and without it, they would all starve.

    ¡°Pardo,¡± the priest called. ¡°Would you please begin preparations for supper?¡±

    The boy gave him a confused look. ¡°I thought we were saving what was left for the day after tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Cassandra has made a substantial donation, so we can afford to be a little extravagant,¡± he laughed as his joy spilled over.

    ¡°I can help!¡± Amira cried.

    ¡°So can we!¡± the others added.

    ¡°You will join us for supper, won¡¯t you?¡± Brendao asked, taking Cas by the arm. ¡°The children miss you.¡±

    ¡°My employer is expecting me¡­¡± Cas began, not wanting to eat anyone¡¯s portion when they already had so little.

    ¡°Oh,¡± the disappointment was clear on the priest¡¯s face. ¡°I suppose you shouldn¡¯t do anything to upset them when they¡¯ve been so generous¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll try to make time to come around another time,¡± she promised. ¡°How long do you think the money will last you?¡±

    Brendao looked at the money in his hand and beamed. ¡°Oh, this will see us through until spring¡­¡±

    ¡°Only until then?¡± Cas blurted in surprise.

    The priest looked up at her and smiled sadly. ¡°I suppose the news wouldn¡¯t have affected your employer much, but grain prices have risen by half on account of the war in Amarlin.¡±

    ¡°I thought most of our grain came from Vetruvia,¡± Cas pointed out.

    ¡°And their merchants have raised prices on account of the war,¡± Brendao smirked and shook his head sadly.

    ¡°Bloody parasites,¡± Cas snorted.

    ¡°I will thank you not to use such language in the house of our Lord,¡± Brendao said gently. ¡°But yes, I agree with your sentiment.¡±

    The priest paused and sighed. ¡°Times are hard, Cassandra. The children go to bed hungry every night¡­ I don¡¯t know what I would do without you.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Father,¡± Cas touched the priest on the shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll support you and the children for as long as it takes.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, my child¡­¡± Brendao said.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing compared to what you did for me¡­¡± Cas began and stopped midsentence when she heard footsteps approaching.

    Then, the door swung open, and Kalen walked in. His eyes lit up when he saw Cassandra. ¡°Ah, you are here. It must be divine providence.¡±

    ¡°Oh Kalen, good afternoon,¡± Brendao said jovially.

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you working?¡± she asked icily.

    ¡°I was just dropping off a villain we caught at the Langsdown Gaol¡­¡± the young man¡¯s voice trailed off when he saw the money in Brendao¡¯s hands.

    ¡°Cassandra has just made a sizable donation¡­¡±

    ¡°Did she now?¡± The young man arched an eyebrow. ¡°And just where did she get so much money?¡±

    ¡°From¡­¡± Brendao began.

    ¡°Give us a moment, would you, please?¡± Cas said. She took Kalen firmly by the arm and dragged him outside. Unlike the priest, Kalen knew that there was no noble house in the city that would loan a maid the amount of money Brendao was holding.

    ¡°Where did that money come from?¡± Kalen demanded once they were outside. ¡°Sandra, have you been stealing again?¡±

 Chapter 3

    Kalen towered over Cas as they stood almost nose to nose. She knew there would be curious eyes gawking from nearby windows. The slums were overcrowded and there wasn¡¯t any privacy to be expected unless you were behind closed doors, but she didn¡¯t care about either of those things. The only thing she cared about was keeping the money in the hands of Father Brendao.

    ¡°What business is that of yours?¡± she demanded. ¡°You can¡¯t prove anything.¡±

    Kalen sighed. ¡°Listen, I know what becomes of thieves in this city. I don¡¯t want that fate for you.¡±

    ¡°My fate is none of your concern,¡± Cas retorted.

    Kalen looked at the church for a long moment before turning back to her. ¡°When I first arrived in this city¡­¡±

    ¡°You spent months looking for a church to Maarlen until you finally turned up here, I know,¡± Cas snapped. ¡°You¡¯ve told me this story a hundred times.¡±

    ¡°And I found you here,¡± Kalen continued. ¡°I knew from the moment I saw you that our fates were intertwined.¡±

    Cas grunted. ¡°I¡¯m amazed you can still say that with a straight face.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± Kalen insisted. ¡°At any rate, I don¡¯t care how good you are at what you do, everyone gets caught eventually¡­ You should consider a change in profession.¡±

    Cas¡¯ eyebrows shot up. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m doing this because I have a choice? You know I have no usable references and at my age it''s either this or selling my body in the Veridian District!¡±

    Kalen¡¯s face turned red at the mention of the city¡¯s red light district. ¡°You have other options¡­¡±

    ¡°Like what?¡± Cas demanded.

    ¡°You could marry me,¡± he said without a shred of hesitation. ¡°I would look after you¡­¡±

    Cas scoffed. ¡°Even if I found you tolerable as a partner, your family would never approve. I have worked as a maid for you nobles and have lost count of the number of mothers I¡¯ve heard complain to my mistress about conniving lowborn women bewitching their precious sons and the lengths they had to go through to break them apart.¡±

    Kalen blinked. ¡°I won¡¯t pretend that our union won¡¯t have its challenges¡­¡±

    ¡°Besides,¡± Cas continued, cutting him off. ¡°I happen to find you insufferable.¡±

    ¡°I think I¡¯ve grown on you,¡± Kalen grinned. He then turned serious. ¡°Listen, Sandra, I don¡¯t know how long this church will be able to remain here¡­¡±

    Cas¡¯ eyes went wide. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°The war in Amarlin is getting worse,¡± Cas said. ¡°It¡¯s not just the commonfolk who are being displaced¡­ It¡¯s nobles too. The city¡¯s fathers want to divert the sewer and build homes for them here.¡±

    ¡°And what about the existing residents?¡± Cas demanded.

    Kalen looked away. ¡°I¡¯m ashamed to admit that the people I spoke to cared little about their fate.¡±

    Cas felt her blood turn cold. ¡°How long before this plan is put into motion?¡±

    ¡°Work on the sewer diversion won¡¯t begin before spring,¡± Kalen began. ¡°But they will probably begin raising land taxes soon enough to begin forcing people out. The only way to secure the church¡¯s future is by buying the under it.¡±

    ¡°So it¡¯s a matter of money,¡± she breathed.

    ¡°As is the case with most things in the city,¡± Kalen replied, shaking his head sadly. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that the amounts we are talking about is more than I can afford to tithe and more than you can get by lifting purses in the Bazaar,¡±

    Cas scowled. ¡°How I earn money is none of your concern.¡±

    She was about to walk away when Kalen said. ¡°Do you think Father Brendao would accept the money if he knew where it came from?¡±

    Cas whirled around and snarled. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare tell him! You haven¡¯t any proof!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right, I wouldn¡¯t,¡± Kalen admitted. ¡°Not without proof, anyway, but I think you should tell him where the money comes from.¡±

    ¡°If Maarlen or Imton, or whichever God wants to judge anyone, they can judge me, I will bear that responsibility willingly,¡± Cas snorted. ¡°All that matters to me is that those children and Father Brendao can go to sleep with a roof over their heads and food in their bellies.¡±

    ¡°I would want to know if the food I was eating was bought with stolen money,¡± Kalen replied. Cas could tell from the look in his eyes that he was being completely sincere and could no longer bear being in his presence.

    ¡°Spoken by someone who has never experienced true hunger,¡± Cas said softly before pushing past Kalen as she stormed away from the church.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    This wasn¡¯t the first time that they¡¯d argued over her life¡¯s choices, but there was something about Kalen that got under her skin, and Cas knew that if they continued the conversation, she would probably have ended up punching him square in his holier than thou mouth. She veered south towards the sea and glanced over her shoulder. Kalen was watching her leave but gave no indication that he was about to follow her. Good.

    She walked aimlessly to clear her head and soon found herself at one of her favourite haunts, the roof of a derelict building with a view of the southern docks, a favourite. There was a sense of adventure in watching the tall masted sailing ships gliding over the waves past the shadow of Fort Verdin, bound for parts unknown. Cas often dreamed of setting sail on one to see the lands that she had only heard about in stories for herself.

    The Eternal City was founded on the Isthmus of Targaria, a finger of land just over a mile long at its narrowest point that connected three continents and separated two major seas, the Setara to the south, and the Genean to the north. The city was called the Gateway to the World and had grown rich from the sheer number of people and goods that passed through.

    Just as her anger at Kalen was subsiding, Cas sensed before hearing movement through the building below. She moved as silently as a shadow to a corner of the rubble strewn rooftop. The locals knew this building had been picked clean, but stowaways were common enough on the visiting ships. She moved to peer over the side even though she didn¡¯t think jumping would be necessary and frowned when she saw a pair of men standing on the street. They appeared to be deep in conversation, but she could tell from the way they moved their heads that they were acting as lookouts. On their own, the movement in the building below and the two men on the street could be benign but put together, it implied something more sinister was afoot.

    Before she could assess her situation further, the door to the roof opened. Cas¡¯ heart began to pound. She had been followed.

    ¡°Hello there,¡± a jovial voice called. ¡°I know you¡¯re up here and I assure you I mean no harm.¡±

    Cas didn¡¯t reply as she weighed up her options. The man continued. ¡°That church of yours is in grave danger. I have a proposition for you...¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare lay a finger on the church!¡± Cas roared as she came charging out of the shadows to find a lanky, middle aged man standing with his arms folded as he leaned against a ledge.

    ¡°Oh, I wouldn¡¯t lift a finger against an impoverished priest and the orphans under his care,¡± the man said innocently. ¡°I¡¯m not a monster. The City fathers on the other hand¡­ They plan to turn the whole area into upmarket manors.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard,¡± Cas managed, furious with herself for being so easily provoked.

    ¡°Then will you listen to my offer?¡± He asked and raised his hands as Cas eyed him suspiciously. ¡°You have nothing to fear from me. I¡¯m just an old man here on his own.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a lie,¡± Cas retorted. ¡°There are two of your goons watching the street and at least one more downstairs who is no doubt waiting for your signal to pounce.¡±

    The lanky man¡¯s face split into a broad grin. ¡°No slipping anything past you, eh?¡±

    ¡°What do you want?¡± Cas asked tersely.

    ¡°Well, since you asked,¡± the man said without missing a beat. ¡°I have a big job coming up and it so happened that you¡¯ve crippled my burglar¡­¡±

    ¡°He attacked me,¡± Cas said sharply as she quickly looked for any avenues of escape.

    ¡°Yes, Harvey told me all about you,¡± the man said. ¡°You remember Harvey, the plainest most boring man you¡¯ve ever laid eyes on?¡±

    Cas nodded cautiously.

    ¡°He was impressed with your skills, and I can see why,¡± the man continued, as he scrutinized Cas. ¡°I want you to replace my man.¡±

    ¡°To do what?¡± Cas asked suspiciously.

    The man shrugged. ¡°To steal something. The payoff for the first job is five crowns.¡±

    Cas¡¯ eyebrows shot up. That was at least double what she had pocketed this morning. Perhaps it would be enough to pay off their land taxes for another year¡­¡±

    ¡°And if you perform the first job well, there¡¯s a second that pays¡­¡± the man paused and smiled. ¡°Well, if we pull that off, the church and those orphans won¡¯t be wanting for money in their lifetimes.¡±

    The cloud avarice was dispelled almost at once from Cas¡¯ eyes and her suspicions returned. ¡°Your man had this huge job lined up and he still went around committing petty thefts?¡±

    The humour vanished from the man¡¯s face and Cas took an involuntary step back. ¡°Yes, Starkey is an egotistical idiot. Perhaps it is for the best that he¡¯s been forced to sit this job out.¡±

    The man shook his head and was genial again. ¡°So, what say you?¡±

    ¡°What will I have to steal?¡± Cas asked carefully.

    ¡°A key,¡± the man replied. ¡°That¡¯s all I can say for now. If you want to know more, come to my¡­¡±

    He paused and grinned broadly. ¡°My Lair in the slums.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± Cas began.

    ¡°We have ways to get in and out of the city, don¡¯t you worry your pretty little head,¡± the man chuckled.

    Cas backed away as the man left the ledge and approached her. ¡°Think about it. If you¡¯re interested, Harvey will be waiting for you by the East Gate at dawn tomorrow to bring you in.¡±

    Cas eyed him suspiciously and the man¡¯s grin broadened. ¡°Look, if I was after revenge for my man, I already have you surrounded in a secluded building. I¡¯d just have done it here.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it,¡± Cas said at length.

    Her body tensed as the man¡¯s hand shot out. The man smiled as he held out his open hand. ¡°The name¡¯s Dirk, by the way.¡±

    Cas hesitated before shaking his hand. ¡°Manes.¡±

    ¡°I look forward to the pleasure of your company tomorrow, Ms Manes,¡± the man said as he walked towards the door. ¡°I get the feeling that this will be the beginning of a lucrative partnership.¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t agreed to anything,¡± Cas warned, but the man had already disappeared through the door, making a huge racket as he tromped down the stairs.

    She walked over to the side of the roof and watched him appear at the door with Harvey in tow. Dirk looked up at the roof and waved at her before whistling down the street. The two men watching the street ran over and fell in step with him as he led them away. When they disappeared around a corner at the end of the street, Cas realized she had been clenching her fists ever since she confronted Dirk. She unclenched them and the tension left her body, forcing her to grab onto the ledge to remain upright.

    The roar of cannon fire made her jump, and she turned to see a huge galleon charging in from the sea towards the city¡¯s South Harbour. She was huge yet graceful, and cannons gleamed from the ports of her three gun decks. The roaring head of a lion was emblazoned on her sail and her name, the Lion of Glorfian, was painted in gold on her prow. The ship¡¯s cannons thundered as they returned the salute from Fort Verdin¡¯s guns.

    She forgot about her encounter with Dirk and his men earlier that morning for a moment and wondered what far flung land this ship had hailed from and what she was doing in these waters. Then, she realized that she had never ventured beyond the Eternal City¡¯s walls. She watched the Lion for a moment longer and decided it was time for that to change.

 Chapter 4

    A bell tolled, signalling the change of the hour, as the sun¡¯s first rays crept over the horizon. Cas could feel the electricity in the air as she stood in the shadow of the city¡¯s East Gate. The gates were a pair of huge steel reinforced doors. They were set in the immense wall that ran the entire width of the isthmus on its eastern end and marked the city¡¯s limits. Purple cloaked soldiers of the City Watch soon came pouring out of a building close to the gate. A dozen or so took position at the head of the line Cas was standing in while the remainder, almost a hundred in all, stood at the gates.

    When the bells fell silent, a loud horn blared from the watchtower on top of the gate. People began to move, and Cas joined the end of a short line as a crane hoisted the massive wooden drawbar that held the gates shut. Teams of burly men lifted the deadbolts that secured the doors to the floor and ceiling and soon, the gate swung outward to reveal hundreds of people waiting to enter the city.

    They were organized into two lines that stretched out as far as the eye could see. Pedestrians and those on horseback were in one line, while wagons were in another. Those in each line waited patiently under the watchful eye of armoured soldiers. Men on horseback lolled nearby, in case anyone tried to dodge the barricades and make a run into the city. Behind them, on either side of the broad stone paved road were hovels made from any sort of scrap their occupants could get their hands on.

    Cas had heard of the slums that lay beyond the city¡¯s walls, but this was the first time she had seen them for herself and was taken aback by their size. She looked around and wondered for a moment if venturing beyond the city¡¯s walls was a mistake. However, the line in front of her began to move, and the person behind her growled for her to get a move on.

    Without thinking, she obeyed and before she knew it, she had reached the front of the queue and couldn¡¯t help but notice that not a single person had crossed from the other side of the gate. A purple cloaked eyed her briefly before brusquely waving her past. Cas stumbled through the gate and watched the purple cloaks unload every sack from a heavily laden wagon for weighing at a nearby set of scales. In the other queue, more purple cloaks argued with a woman who had four young children in tow.

    ¡°We are just passing through your city,¡± she cried. ¡°Fifteen silver for entry is outrageous!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fifteen shillings each,¡± the purple cloak replied brusquely. ¡°And we require a letter of good conduct from your lord.¡±

    ¡°He fled weeks ago!¡± she exclaimed. ¡°He¡¯s probably living it up behind those walls.¡±

    ¡°If you have neither the silver nor a letter, you will not gain entry,¡± the man replied. ¡°Make way for the next in line.¡±

    ¡°Yea, make way!¡± the man behind her said haughtily as he pushed her aside.

    Cas¡¯ blood froze. She hadn¡¯t brought enough silver, nor had she any sort of letter of good conduct. It had never occurred to her that getting back into the city could be an issue. She frowned as she examined the gate. All told, there were at least two hundred soldiers and purple cloaks on the ground. She then looked up at the massive watchtowers that stood on either side of the gate. Each was topped by a large white crystal like the ones at the forts overlooking the city¡¯s two ports. No one seemed to know what they did, and they were assumed to be merely ornamental. More importantly, getting into the city unseen in the day would be nigh on impossible. Making her mind up quickly, Cas abruptly turned around and pushed past the people behind her in an effort to get back in.

    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± A purple cloak snarled. ¡°The queue to enter starts there!¡±

    ¡°I just came out and realized I forgot something,¡± Cas said, flashing the purple cloak an embarrassed smile.

    He was unmoved, however, and his eyes narrowed. ¡°The queue starts there.¡±

    Cas bit her tongue and forced herself to shrug nonchalantly. She would have to find another way back in.

    ¡°This meeting had better be worth it,¡± she muttered to herself.

    Now that she was on the other side of the wall, she could see tall mountains in the distance to the east, looking like rows of jagged teeth. They were covered to their knees in snow and a frigid wind blew down, making it significantly colder on this side of the wall. Tall ships took advantage of this wind, hugging the coast as they raced towards the Eternal City¡¯s ports. She felt something brush against her pocket and caught a hand.

    It belonged to a wide eyed young girl who looked up at her with fearful eyes. Cas looked pointedly at the Purple Cloaks before releasing the girl, who fled into a nearby hovel. Cas looked around and was taken aback at the poverty she saw. The slums here made the one the church was in look like a noble district. Most of the people she saw wore only a motley collection of rags to protect themselves from the cold. Then, she came to another realization. She could for the life of her remember what Harvey looked like.

    She then remembered that Dirk and his crew were reasonably well dressed by Eternal City standards, which would make them look like royalty compared to the average person dwelling in these slums. It didn¡¯t take long for her to find a man whose clothes made him stand out from the crowd. He wasn¡¯t as well dressed as the men from the day before, a fashion disaster, as her former mistress would describe him, but his simple brown coat was in far better condition than most of the people observing the queue.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    This man, like Harvey, looked completely ordinary, and though her mistress had trained her thoroughly to always remember a face even if she had only caught a fleeting glimpse, she could not be sure he was who she was after until their eyes met, and a faint smile crossed his lips. She pushed through a crowd of beggars towards him and gently pushed aside a boy who had made a beeline for her pockets without breaking stride.

    ¡°It took you a moment, but you did well to find me,¡± Harvey began when Cas caught up with him.

    Her eyebrows shot up. ¡°Was that a test?¡±

    ¡°Yes, and there will be more to come,¡± Harvey replied. ¡°We are to work together, after all. A test or two should not be unexpected.¡±

    ¡°Your boss seemed impressed enough,¡± Cas pointed out.

    A curious look crossed Harvey¡¯s face and he bowed his head. ¡°His judgement can be clouded when a¡­ pretty face is involved.¡±

    Cas flashed the man a demure smile. ¡°And I suppose you are impervious to such things.¡±

    ¡°Only when a job is on the line,¡± Harvey replied. ¡°It was a costly lesson, but I learned long ago that business and pleasure do not mix.¡±

    ¡°Ah, a professional,¡± Cas observed dryly.

    Harvey nodded earnestly, ignoring the sarcasm in her voice. ¡°I try to be. Shall we get going?¡±

    Cas nodded and scrunched her nose. ¡°Where is this lair of yours?¡±

    The man lidded his eyebrows. ¡°Where the authorities won¡¯t find us.¡±

    Cas raised an eyebrow, and the nondescript man continued. ¡°Try to keep up.¡±

    ¡°Is this another test?¡± she ventured as she surreptitiously hooked a small yellow ribbon onto the back of his coat while his back was turned to her.

    ¡°Perhaps,¡± came the cryptic reply. The crowd seemed to part to permit the man to pass only to reform in his wake and extend their begging hands towards Cas. The beggars¡¯ attention only seemed to attract more of them.

    She gritted her teeth and pulled a handful of copper pennies from her pocket. They were meant for lunch, but Harvey was only getting further away, and keeping up with him otherwise would be impossible. She held the coins up for all to see and almost had them snatched out of her hand before she was able to hurl them into the crowd.

    A cry went up and a nearby man almost knocked her over in his mad scramble to snatch up the coins. He was so focused on the coins that he didn¡¯t notice Cas snatching the threadbare cloak off his shoulders. She hesitated for a moment and crinkled her nose in disgust before reluctantly wrapping the filthy garment around her shoulders. Almost at once, she felt creatures crawling down her neck and had to resist the urge to hurl the cloak to the ground.

    Even with the ribbon, Cas found it hard to keep track of Harvey as the man made his way effortlessly through the crowded, narrow streets of the outer slums. The streets and pathways that were scarcely wide enough for two people to walk down side by side seemed to be haphazardly placed. She glanced down one and saw that it ended in a dead end. She swallowed and focused on her quarry. There was an energy in the air and a look of desperation in the eyes of the people that told her that blundering down a dead end could well end in her death.

    The slums had grown around a small town, and soon, the roads grew broader, and tracking Harvey became easier, allowing her to take in the sights. Only the frames of several buildings remained along what had been the town¡¯s main street and Cas guessed that the walls had been scavenged to build structures elsewhere. Hovels had been built in their bones and she wondered if they were the building¡¯s original occupants who could only watch helplessly as the wave of newcomers dismantled their home in front of them.

    Soon, Harvey came to a stop in front of the frame of what Cas could only guess had been a warehouse standing at the end of a cul de sac. Oddly, there was no one else on this street save for Dirk by the door to the warehouse wearing a devil may care grin.

    ¡°Glad to see you could make it,¡± he said. ¡°Did you find the place alright?¡±

    ¡°Harvey tried to make it difficult,¡± Cas replied. ¡°But we¡¯re here and that¡¯s all that matters.¡±

    ¡°Where is that old goat, anyway?¡± Dirk ventured.

    Cas¡¯ eyebrows shot up and then when she saw the man standing next to Dirk, she realized that the man she had been following was half a head shorter than Harvey was. But he had the ribbon on his coat! She then sensed someone approach her and whirled around to see Harvey walking up to her.

    ¡°That was a clever trick,¡± he said. ¡°But you allowed yourself to get distracted by unfamiliar surroundings.¡±

    Cas was livid with herself. ¡°Does that mean I¡¯ve failed your test?¡±

    The nondescript man glanced over at Dirk who arched an eyebrow in return. At length, Harvey shook his head. ¡°No, you did well to get here.¡±

    ¡°I will do better next time,¡± Cas promised.

    ¡°See that you do,¡± Dirk said with mock gravity. He then broke into another grin. ¡°How do you like the Outer City?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s something else,¡± she allowed. ¡°Though it hardly seems like lucrative hunting grounds for your work.¡±

    Dirk¡¯s voice became low and dangerous. ¡°Oh, so you know what work I¡¯m into, do you?¡±

    Cas arched an eyebrow. ¡°Please, spare me the act.¡±

    The smile returned to Dirk¡¯s face, and he glanced at Harvey. ¡°She is a sharp one, isn¡¯t she?¡±

    ¡°If you say so,¡± he sighed.

    Dirk then turned back to Cas and his grin broadened. ¡°You¡¯d be surprised at the opportunities out here, and the Purple Cloaks don¡¯t venture out of sight of the East Gate, which grants us a degree of security we won¡¯t get inside.¡±

    Cas shrugged. ¡°So, you said you have work for me.¡±

    ¡°I just thought we¡¯d take the opportunity to feel one another out,¡± Dirk replied. ¡°But we can do that inside, away from prying eyes.¡±

    Cas nodded and Dirk led the way inside. She came to a halt when the lanky man bent down to open a hatch in the floor to reveal a ladder that led into a black void.

    ¡°After you, madam,¡± he said.

    Cas hesitated and he shrugged. ¡°Listen, if we wanted to do nasty things to you, we could do so up here, and no one would bat an eye.¡±

    She glanced over her shoulder and saw that Harvey was standing well away from the door that was still open. ¡°You can walk away whenever you want.¡±

    Cas bit her lip and began descending the ladder. She had made it this far already, and there was no sense in turning back now.

 Chapter 5

    When she reached the bottom of the ladder., Cas found herself in a darkened room. Warm light spilled out from under a door at the far end of the room, illuminating the large casks that lined the walls.

    ¡°Pardon me,¡± Dirk grunted as he arrived at the foot of the ladder. ¡°As far as I can tell, they kept booze down here until they could find a buyer in the city. No sense in paying the gate duties if you didn¡¯t have a buyer, you know?¡±

    ¡°Are the duties high?¡± Cas asked.

    Dirk paused in surprise before replying. ¡°They¡¯re the highest on five continents. Every person, grain of wheat, drop of alcohol is taxed. You saw the queue on the way in, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    Cas nodded. ¡°Fifteen shillings per person for entry is outrageous.¡±

    ¡°We are at the World¡¯s Crossroads, after all,¡± Dirk said and shook his head. ¡°The city¡¯s founders cooked up a hell of a racket, let me tell you.¡±

    ¡°Which makes me all the more confused why you¡¯ve set up outside the city,¡± Cas remarked.

    In the dim like, Cas saw Dirk frown in confusion for a moment. Then, he broke into a sly smile. ¡°Ah, you think my boys pay the toll every time they have to go in?¡±

    Cas blinked. It sounded like a stupid question when he put it like that. ¡°You have another way in?¡±

    ¡°Of course I do,¡± he grinned.

    ¡°Care to share?¡± she ventured.

    Dirk took a moment to think it over before shrugging. ¡°I suppose that depends on how our negotiations go.¡±

    ¡°Seeing her find her own way through the gate will be a good test of her skills,¡± Harvey offered as he climbed down the ladder.

    ¡°How strict of you,¡± Dirk grinned before turning back to Cas. ¡°Let¡¯s see how things play out, eh?¡±

    ¡°That sounds fair,¡± she conceded.

    Dirk beamed at her before striding confidently towards the door, knocking on the casks playfully as he went. To Cas¡¯ surprise, they were full. She arched an eyebrow as Dirk rapped his knuckles rhythmically against the door before pushing it open.

    ¡°Boss!¡± came cheers from the other side of the door.

    Dirk turned around and flashed Cas his teeth. ¡°Come on in, everyone is expecting you.¡±

    Hesitantly, she stepped through the threshold and the room fell silent. Four men and two women were seated around a large mahogany table. Cas recognised Starkey, who glowered at her from his seat at the opposite of the table and nodded coolly at him.

    ¡°Now then, everyone¡¯s here,¡± Dirk declared.

    ¡°She¡¯s going to replace Starkey?¡± one of the women asked dubiously.

    She was a middle aged woman who looked sorely out of place amongst her present company. She was dressed drably like the others, but there was an air of nobility about her as she sat at the table with her back perfectly straight. While the others had cups of alcohol in front of them, she only had a steaming cup of tea.

    ¡°She¡¯s more than a pretty face, I assure you, Perdala,¡± Dirk replied smoothly. ¡°She lifted a purse off Starkey here without him realizing it.¡±

    Eyes went to the diminutive man who ground his teeth. ¡°I noticed¡­ I just got careless is all¡­¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t tell us about that, Starkey,¡± a tall, barrel chested man sporting a thick, handlebar moustache laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me this slip of a girl broke your wrist as well.¡±

    ¡°That she did,¡± Dirk said when Starkey didn¡¯t answer and turned his eyes to the regal woman. ¡°Does that satisfy you, madam?¡±

    Perdala lidded her eyes and let out an imperceptible sigh. ¡°I can see why you are so enthusiastic to hire this young lady. She certainly is pretty enough, but if this job is as important as you say, I think it¡¯s worth waiting a month or two for Starkey¡¯s wrist to heal.¡±

    Dirk¡¯s eyes hardened and his good humour vanished in a flash as he set his eyes on Starkey. ¡°Starkey demonstrated precisely why he can¡¯t be trusted with such an important job. What kind of idiot goes pinching wallets on the eve of a big job? You¡¯re lucky you weren¡¯t pinched.¡±

    ¡°Those Purple Cloaks would never¡­¡± he began to protest but fell silent when Dirk narrowed his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, boss. It won¡¯t happen again.¡±

    ¡°Besides,¡± Dirk said, genial again. ¡°Our client will not wait months. He¡¯s antsy enough as it is.¡±

    He then turned to Cas and gestured at an empty chair. ¡°May I offer you a drink?¡±

    ¡°No, thank you, and I¡¯d rather stand,¡± she replied.

    Dirk looked at her for a moment before shrugging. ¡°Suit yourself.¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Cas leaned against the hardwood panelled wall close to the door and gestured for Dirk to begin. The lanky man scratched the back of his head and cleared his throat. ¡°The job is quite simple¡­ The first job is, anyway.¡±

    Dirk gestured at a thin, bespectacled man sitting next to Starkey. ¡°Show her, would you Staven?¡±

    The man hefted a large leatherbound case onto the table and fiddled with the locks as Starkey watched with amusement. After a moment, they snapped open, and the diminutive man smirked. ¡°Those locks are useless. You know I could have those open quicker than you fumbling with those tumblers?¡±

    ¡°I prefer to have them regardless, thank you very much,¡± the taller man replied.

    ¡°What a waste of effort,¡± Starkey scoffed.

    Staven opened the case and held up a key that caused Cas to gasp. The key was made from bronze, but that was not what was remarkable about it. It was also encased in shimmering magic.

    ¡°An enchanted key?¡± she breathed. ¡°That must have cost a small fortune.¡±

    ¡°That it did, young lady,¡± Staven replied gravely.

    ¡°We are to steal a key and replace it with this one,¡± Dirk said.

    Cas arched an eyebrow. ¡°Why not just sell this one?¡±

    Dirk grinned toothily. ¡°I like the way you think, but enchanted keys are worthless without an enchanted lock to open.¡±

    Cas felt the blood drain from her face. ¡°What on earth are you out to steal?¡±

    ¡°Just the key, for now,¡± Dirk replied. ¡°A mage would be able to tell the difference between the two keys straight away, but a layperson probably won¡¯t until they try to use it.¡±

    ¡°What does the key open?¡± Cas asked.

    Dirk shrugged. ¡°You¡¯ll find that out after you¡¯ve stolen the key.¡±

    ¡°Who does this key belong to?¡±

    A sly smile crossed Dirk¡¯s face. ¡°I can only tell you that after you¡¯ve agreed to join us.¡±

    ¡°She hasn¡¯t agreed to come on board?¡± Perdala gasped. ¡°Why on earth are you sharing so much with her?¡±

    ¡°Because we cannot complete this job without her,¡± Dirk replied simply before turning back to Cas. ¡°And to answer your question, the key we are out to steal belongs to Count Darien Armagin.¡±

    ¡°I know of him,¡± Cas remarked.

    A concerned look crossed Dirk¡¯s face. ¡°But does he know you?¡±

    ¡°I should hardly think so,¡± Cas replied. ¡°He was a guest at my former mistress¡¯ home on two occasions. I don¡¯t think he ever saw me.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Dirk breathed. ¡°At any rate, the Count keeps the key on his person at all times. You are to steal it and replace it with this one. Does that sound simple enough?¡±

    Cas nodded. ¡°What is the payout?¡±

    ¡°Four hundred after completion of the job,¡± Dirk replied.

    Cas blinked. It was a lot of money to be sure. Her old job only paid her thirty shillings a year, but still, there were at least eight people for the money to be divided amongst, provided everyone got an equal share¡­ Just under two year¡¯s pay, not bad for a single job, she supposed.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I wasn¡¯t clear,¡± Dirk grinned when he saw the disappointment on Cas¡¯ face. ¡°The pay is four hundred crowns, split evenly after the completion of the second job.¡±

    Cas couldn¡¯t keep her jaw from dropping. A gold crown was worth twenty shillings¡­ ¡°You could buy a kingdom with that...¡±

    ¡°A modest fief, perhaps,¡± Perdala snorted. ¡°But well worth a week or two¡¯s labour, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    The lanky man continued to speak, but Cas didn¡¯t hear. Her head was spinning from the amount of money involved. Why, with the proceeds from the first job alone, the church¡¯s place in the city would be secured forever more, and Father Brendao and the orphans would never have to go hungry again. She then realized the room had fallen silent and that everyone was looking at her expectantly.

    ¡°I said, are you on board?¡± Dirk asked with an amused smile on his face.

    Cas took a deep breath and nodded, and Dirk clapped his hands together before rubbing them with glee. ¡°Excellent. If we play our cards right, our client has said there will be more jobs to come.¡±

    ¡°I hate to be a wet blanket,¡± the fourth man said. He looked closest in age to Perdala, and there was evidence that he had been well built once. He possessed broad shoulders and thick arms, but age and a sedentary lifestyle had caught up with him in the form of his ample belly. ¡°But we won¡¯t be doing anything that will harm the city, will we?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re just stealing a trinket from one noble family and framing another for it, Larmis,¡± Dirk grinned.

    Cas blinked. ¡°You didn¡¯t say anything about that.¡±

    ¡°Slip of the tongue,¡± Dirk winked at her before turning his attention back to the older man. ¡°Our employer is just out to set a cat amongst the pigeons as it were. Create a bit of chaos and watch the feathers fly.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m still troubled as to why would our benefactor pay so lavishly for that,¡± Larmis grunted.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about you,¡± Starkey paused to take a long sip from his drink that was just long enough to be insulting. ¡°But I¡¯m not in a position to turn down a four hundred crown payout.¡±

    Cas inched towards the door when she saw the older man¡¯s face turn crimson. She had no interest in getting involved in a fight between the two men. However, Dirk was quick to defuse the situation.

    ¡°The city is packed to the gills and even the nobles are feeling the strain, especially with war at some of their doorsteps,¡± he said sharply. ¡°My read on the situation is that we¡¯re being employed by a bored noble, or perhaps someone who has been slighted who wants to rock the boat a little and point and laugh if anyone falls out.¡±

    ¡°Seems like a high price to pay for a little entertainment,¡± Larmis frowned.

    ¡°Oh, my dear, if only you knew what the city¡¯s ¡®high society¡¯ spends on settling scores and their own amusement,¡± Perdala chimed in. ¡°Besides, who in this room would not want to see those snobs at each other¡¯s throats over a petty slight?¡±

    ¡°But still,¡± Larmis began, unconvinced, but was quickly drowned out by cheers of approval.

    ¡°For what it¡¯s worth, I met with our client, and my read on him is the same as the boss¡¯,¡± The room fell silent when Harvey spoke for the first time since he arrived.

    Larmis nodded slowly. ¡°Well, if that¡¯s what Harvey thinks, then I¡¯m convinced.¡±

    ¡°Hey,¡± Dirk began.

    ¡°More importantly, we need to set our new plan into motion,¡± Harvey began, cutting his boss off. He then paused and looked at Larmis. ¡°We will be meeting our client later to explain the delay. If you¡¯d like, you can come along and assess him for yourself.¡±

    Larmis shook his head quickly. ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. I¡¯m an awful judge of character and will trust your judgement.¡±

    ¡°And not mine?¡± Dirk asked, sounding hurt.

    ¡°You have other good traits, boss,¡± Larmis said without offering any.

    ¡°The rest of you have jobs to do,¡± Dirk began and then noticed Cas. ¡°Oh, it seems we forgot to ask. Are you on board?¡±

    Cas nodded.

    ¡°Good, the Count¡¯s estate is hiring maids in anticipation of the upcoming ball. Verna here has arranged an interview for you tomorrow afternoon,¡± Dirk said as he gestured towards a young woman with pale blonde hair. Her hands had been crossed under her bosom, and she had been scowling for a while now.

    At length, she glared at Dirk and said scathingly. ¡°Do you know what lengths I had to go through to arrange that interview?¡± she demanded. ¡°It would have been my neck had she not decided to come on board.¡±

    Dirk flashed her a winning smile. ¡°I knew she would because I¡¯m such a good judge of character. Every bit as good as Harvey, if not better.¡±

    Vernal rolled her eyes and walked over to Cas before tapping her on the elbow. ¡°Come on, we have a lot to discuss.¡±

 Chapter 6

    Ships plied coastal sea lines along the Isthmus of Targaria despite it being a dark, moonless night. They were well-lit by lanterns and glided past the darkened shore on their way towards the lights of the Eternal City¡¯s North Port up ahead, like moths drawn to a flame. As a large three masted merchant ship that lay low in the water from its heaving holds plodded along the coast, a small rowboat slipped out behind it from its seaward side. The small vessel bobbed violently in the larger ship¡¯s wake as it made its way towards the wall that ran the length of both the city¡¯s coast. The only breaks in the wall were at the ports on either shore, but those were well lit and protected by forts. Its occupants sought another way into the city.

    As the boat drew closer to the wall, pinpricks of light floating along the top of the wall came into view. Each was a lantern held by a guard who patrolled the wall in search of people attempting to enter the city illicitly. The rowboat, however, was almost completely invisible in the dark sea, which proved a problem as it struggled to make headway in the swells caused by the larger ship. In the distance to the east, a lantern signalled the fast approach of another ship.

    ¡°Everyone, start rowing,¡± a voice hissed in the darkness. It belonged to Larmis, and he was in command.

    The boat bobbed as its occupants scrambled for oars. The more inexperienced among them began to row frantically, causing the boat to bob and turn even more violently.

    ¡°Pull on my order only!¡± Larmis whispered as loudly as he dared.

    The haphazard rowing ceased, allowing the more experienced hands to bring the boat under control. Once the boat was steadied, the voice ordered. ¡°Pull.¡±

    Cas dipped her oar into the water and grunted as she put her back into the oars. Slowly, the boat began to inch forward. She glanced over her shoulder and gritted her teeth. The prow of the oncoming ship was now visible. It was going to be a close shave. However, the boat began to pick up speed as the rowers found their rhythm, and the wake from the passing vessel propelled them towards the shore.

    ¡°Bring in your oars,¡± Larmis ordered.

    Cas obeyed and began to shiver. It was a chilly night, and she was soaked with sweat from the exertion and the close shave. As she coiled her arms around her for warmth, she cast a nervous eye up the wall. The purple cloaked guards were visible now as they marched down the wall, and she felt her heart pound every time they turned to look out to sea.

    A sudden gust of wind chilled her right through the bone, and she felt the urge to sneeze. She squeezed her nose and mouth shut in an attempt to suppress it. There was every chance she could be heard by the purple cloaks at this distance. However, it was futile. The sneeze was muffled, but it sounded like thunder to her ears.

    She felt everyone on the boat hold their breaths as they looked up at the guard to see if he had heard. However, it seemed that the sneeze had been drowned out by the roar of the surf crashing against the wall.

    Soon, their boat approached a large culvert that discharged rainwater collected by the city¡¯s gutters into the sea. It was large enough to comfortably accommodate their boat, but it was blocked off by a steel grate. Larmis whistled into the darkness as he manoeuvred their boat into the wall¡¯s shadow.

    There was no response as the boat bobbed in the surf. Larmis and Rengar grunted as they struggled with their oars to maintain their position. Cas wondered if she should help but didn¡¯t dare speak. They were now close enough to hear a purple cloak curse the cold and his superior as he stopped almost directly on top of them. A strong wave rocked the boat. Cas and a few others dipped their oars into the water and strained against the current to stop the boat before it was dashed against the wall.

    Above them, the guard began to move, and Larmis whistled desperately into the darkness once again, but still, there was no response from whoever or whatever he was signalling. Cas looked at him and waited for his signal for them to row the boat away from danger. There was another desperate, silent struggle as another wave rocked them from out of the darkness. Then, an answering whistle came out of the darkness, and Cas held her breath.

    There was a slight rumbling, and Cas¡¯ eyes widened as the grate covering the end of the culvert rumbled upwards. Without wasting any time, Larmis guided the boat inside and the grate rumbled shut behind them.

    ¡°Sorry about that,¡± a disembodied voice echoed down the darkened culvert. ¡°Had to wait for that purple cloak to leave before I could let you in.¡±

    Moments later, a faint light appeared further up the culvert, and no one on the boat had to be told to begin rowing. Soon, they arrived at a pier that extended from a gap in the culvert¡¯s masonry. A slender man stood at the end of it close to a shrouded lantern. The faint light glinted off a burnished bronze badge with the depiction of the city¡¯s East Gate etched into it, identifying the man as a member of the City Guard.

    ¡°It got hairy there, didn¡¯t it?¡± he remarked as he tossed a line.

    ¡°Nothing we couldn¡¯t handle,¡± Larmis replied nonchalantly.

    Soon, the boat was moored, and its occupants began to climb out. Cas was one of the last off and took a moment to examine the pier they were tied to.

    ¡°It looks like it was built with the culvert,¡± she muttered to herself.

    ¡°That¡¯s because it was, young lady,¡± she looked up to see the guard beaming toothily down at her. ¡°These culverts need maintenance, and this is one of many access points.¡±

    ¡°That makes sense,¡± Cas allowed. ¡°But why is the grate raisable?¡±

    The City Guardsman¡¯s grin broadened. ¡°That was a modification the City¡¯s Elders don¡¯t know about¡­ Say, I¡¯ve not seen you come this way before.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s new to our crew,¡± Larmis said as he tied the boat off.

    ¡°Are you now?¡± The man extended his hand towards her. ¡°I¡¯m Armand. Armand Destrani.¡±Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    ¡°That¡¯s nice,¡± Cas said flatly as she ignored the hand and climbed out on her own.

    ¡°We won¡¯t be able to get past the outpost up ahead without Armand¡¯s help,¡± Larmis warned.

    ¡°My name is Cas,¡± she said as she walked down the tunnel after the others.

    ¡°I like her,¡± she heard him remark as she savoured the feeling of solid ground under her feet.

    ¡°You always were a sucker for a pretty face,¡± came Larmis¡¯ reply.

    ¡°My, aren¡¯t you popular?¡± Verna asked as Cas fell in step behind her. There was a snide edge to her voice that caught Cas off guard.

    ¡°You think I like being leered at by men like him?¡± Cas asked incredulously.

    The maid laughed coldly. ¡°I¡¯ve met a dozen girls like you, thinking they are above the attention of men until they meet one who catches their fancy.¡±

    Cas bit her lip to stop a scathing retort from escaping her mouth. Verna had been cold towards her from the get-go, and she was beginning to understand why. However, they needed to work together. The money was too important for something as petty as jealousy to jeopardize.

    The tunnel they were walking down emerged in a small, nondescript office that was unmanned at this late hour.

    ¡°I¡¯d have expected this place to be better guarded,¡± Cas remarked.

    ¡°These monitoring stations are fairly new innovations,¡± Armand winked at her before peering out the windows. ¡°The powers that be decided that discretion was the best way to keep this place secure.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s convenient,¡± Cas mused.

    Larmis chuckled. ¡°The boss poured some honey in a few ears and greased a few palms to make them see it that way.¡±

    Cas was taken aback. ¡°He is more influential than he seems¡­¡±

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t think it by looking at him,¡± Larmis said. ¡°But the boss¡¯ connections in this city run deep.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps the way he presents himself is part of the reason he is so successful,¡± Cas mused out loud.

    ¡°Well, you had best not cross him is all I will say,¡± Larmis shrugged.

    ¡°It looks clear out there, get going, you lot,¡± Armand said as he opened the door. ¡°One at a time, if you please.¡±

    ¡°Remember, don¡¯t stick together,¡± Larmis warned before stepping out into the night.

    Cas was about to go next but was pulled back.

    ¡°Newbies leave last,¡± Verna said and held her in place while the others left.

    ¡°Me-ow,¡± Armand said before bursting out in laughter as though it was the funniest joke he¡¯d ever heard.

    Soon, the others had left and released her hold on Cas¡¯ arm. ¡°Better to wait five minutes before leaving. Also, you need to be at the estate at noon. Don¡¯t be late.¡±

    Cas held her temper as Verna walked out the door. She watched the blonde haired woman turn a corner before moving towards the door.

    ¡°What is it between the two of you, anyway?¡± Armand asked.

    ¡°I think she¡¯s jealous of the attention you¡¯re showing me,¡± Cas replied before leaving.

    The office was located on a quiet street. It was unremarkable, looking like any other building, and anyone who passed it wouldn¡¯t give it a second look. However, Cas couldn¡¯t shake the feeling of unease that such a vulnerable point into the city existed. Could Dirk and his ilk be trusted with such knowledge should the city ever come under siege? She wouldn¡¯t trust them to keep her middle name secret.

    Cas was unfamiliar with this part of the city but had a rough idea of where she was. She consciously chose to go in the opposite direction Verna had and head in the general direction of the Church on the city¡¯s south side. Unsurprisingly, the streets were deserted at this late hour. Cas pulled her now damp cloak tight around her shoulders and kept a wary eye out. The streets of the Eternal City were dangerous after dark, especially for a woman travelling alone.

    After a few minutes, her pulse quickened when she saw a man approach from the opposite direction. She looked down the street and wondered if he should make an abrupt turn into one of the side alleys. Would that be better or worse for her if he had ill intentions, though? While she was thinking, the man quickened his pace towards her.

    ¡°You there,¡± an imperious voice called. ¡°What business have you at this late hour?¡±

    The voice was distant but familiar. Cas ground her teeth and turned into the next alley before breaking into a run.

    ¡°Halt!¡± the voice shouted. ¡°In the name of the City Watch!¡±

    Cas caught a glimpse of the man as she turned a corner. He was close and gaining quickly. Something didn¡¯t add up. The City Watch didn¡¯t patrol the streets at night. They were more interested in keeping undesirables out than protecting the common citizen. She was bogged down by a sodden skirt and exhausted from her ordeal on the boat and couldn¡¯t summon the strength to quicken her pace. She put her head down and put all her effort into running until she discovered she had run down a blind alley.

    She whirled around and saw the man appear at the end of the alley. She was trapped. Would she fight her way out? Her eyes went to the sword in his hand. It would be dangerous. This one looked like he knew how to use his weapon.

    ¡°You are trapped,¡± the man said. ¡°State your business or I will be forced to bring you in.¡±

    Cas¡¯ eyes widened when she recognized his voice. ¡°Kalen?¡±

    ¡°Sandra?¡± he replied, sounding equally confused. ¡°What are you doing all the way out here, and at this hour?¡±

    Cas took a moment to still her pounding heart before replying. ¡°I could ask you the same thing.¡±

    Kalen sheathed his sword and approached her slowly. ¡°Patrolling the streets. I was hunting down a pair of suspicious looking men before I came across you.¡±

    ¡°And you decided to abandon that pursuit to come chasing after the first woman you saw?¡± Cas asked, trying to keep the young man on the defensive.

    However, Kalen did not rise to the bait. ¡°I don¡¯t have to explain myself to you. You on the other hand¡­¡±

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep,¡± she replied.

    Kalen¡¯s eyes softened. ¡°Are you worried about the church?¡±

    ¡°So I decided to take a walk to clear my head,¡± she continued. ¡°And ended up here.¡±

    Kalen relaxed and scratched the back of his head. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not safe out here, especially at this hour. I can escort you¡­¡±

    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary,¡± Cas said brusquely as she pushed past him. ¡°Besides, would it be appropriate for a person of your stature to be seen accompanying a woman like me alone after dark?¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s¡­¡± Kalen spluttered, but Cas was already walking away swiftly.

    She glanced over her shoulder and saw that he was still following her.

    ¡°I¡¯ll follow you at a respectable distance until we arrive at Gamon Street up ahead,¡± Kalen said.

    ¡°Fine,¡± she replied over her shoulder.

    Soon, she turned onto a well lit street. It was crowded despite the late hour and the lights were on in the taverns, theatres, and other less savoury businesses that catered to the city¡¯s nocturnal residents. The blue domed roof of the Grand Bazaar peered over the buildings on her left, and Cas felt at ease. Soon, she would be in familiar territory.

    She moved swiftly through the crowd, attempting to blend in just in case Kalen decided to continue following her. However, the only other women on the street were scantily clad with painted faces standing at a corner, calling out to the sailors who had ventured down from North Port and eager to sate their hunger that had been pent up from months at sea.

    ¡°Lovely evening, isn¡¯t it, young lady?¡±

    Cas jumped when the voice whispered into her ear. She hadn¡¯t sensed anyone sidle up next to her, and her first instinct was to strike. However, her panicked brain recognized the voice in time and she whirled around to see Dirk walking next to her.

    ¡°Come this way, now,¡± he said as a carriage rattled by. The crest on its door was covered by a black cloth so that no one could see which nobleman was being whisked away from a whorehouse at this late hour.

    When the carriage was just behind them, Dirk pulled Cas into a side street and quickened his pace. She almost stumbled as he pulled her along, making turns seemingly at random before dragging her into an open door. Inside, Starkey was seated on a chair next to a stove, glaring daggers at her.

    ¡°It¡¯s like I said, innit, boss?¡± Starkey remarked.

    ¡°Those two suspicious men,¡± Cas gasped as she struggled to catch her breath. ¡°They were the two of you?¡±

    Dirk nodded gravely at the Cas. ¡°You have at least three fatal flaws that you need to be aware of.¡±

    Cas was indignant. ¡°I beg your pardon?¡±

 Chapter 7

    Cas struggled to maintain an indignant look, but her mind was rocked as she glared at Dirk. She knew she wasn¡¯t perfect, but fatal flaws? What could they be, and more importantly, did this mean she was off the job?

    ¡°You heard me,¡± Dirk said. ¡°Now, I don¡¯t expect you to fix them right away, but you need to be aware of them for this job and work towards fixing them before we begin the next one.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± she began. Her voice was thin, and it was all she could do to maintain a civil tone. Tonight had been nothing but a series of unpleasant encounters. ¡°Please, do tell me what they are.¡±

    ¡°For starters, you are good at avoiding the sight of a particular person, but not very good at staying hidden from eyes you might not be aware of,¡± Dirk began.

    ¡°You have no idea how to go back into hiding of you once you¡¯ve been spotted,¡± Starkey added.

    Cas arched an eyebrow. ¡°And what¡¯s the third?¡±

    Dirk sighed. ¡°You are known to the City Watch.¡±

    Cas bit her lip and her heart ached when she realized she couldn¡¯t argue with any of their points. Perhaps she had allowed her success at pickpocketing hapless tourists to get to her head, though she had never had grand dreams of becoming a career criminal. All she wanted was a return to normalcy, having a proper job that gave her a sense of purpose and a stable income.

    Dirk saw the turmoil on his face and softened his tone. ¡°As I said, none of these flaws make you unqualified for this job¡­¡±

    Starkey cleared his throat, and a sheepish smile crossed the lanky man¡¯s face. ¡°Well, the Guardsman could be a problem¡­ What is your relationship with him?¡±

    ¡°He is just an acquaintance,¡± Cas began.

    ¡°Oh no, he¡¯s more than that,¡± Dirk shook his head. ¡°You need to be honest with us here. There¡¯s too much at stake.¡±

    Cas chewed her lip for a moment before replying. ¡°For some reason, he¡¯s infatuated with me¡­¡±

    ¡°He has good taste,¡± Dirk grunted. ¡°Is he a member of that church of yours?¡±

    Cas nodded.

    Dirk exchanged a look with Starkey before sighing. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not ideal, but time is pressing. Our client made that very clear. As for the other two things, it so happens that Starkey here is a master at both skulking about and shaking off pursuers.¡±

    ¡°Starkey here will train you in the other two matters when he can?¡± Dirk began.

    ¡°I will do no such thing!¡± the diminutive man cried.

    ¡°Your wrist isn¡¯t going to recover in time for the second part of the job,¡± Dirk pointed out.

    ¡°And whose fault is that?¡± Starkey growled.

    ¡°You pulled a knife on me!¡± Cas protested before grabbing Dirk by the arm. ¡°Look, I¡¯m a quick study. Those things you mentioned, I can learn them on my own.¡±

    ¡°Pah,¡± Starkey scoffed, and Dirk shook his head.

    ¡°Starkey here may not look it, but he¡¯s excellent at skulking about and losing a tail,¡± Dirk said. ¡°And chances are you¡¯ll need both those skills for the second part of the job¡­ That¡¯s going to be hairy.¡±

    Dirk then turned to the diminutive man who was still glaring daggers at Cas. ¡°And you¡¯re going to have to pull your weight if you want your cut of the takings. The others are already grumbling about having to take another person on board on account of your screwup.¡±

    The lanky man gave Starkey, who was fuming in his seat, a pointed look. At length, he sighed. ¡°Fine, boss, but don¡¯t blame me if she¡¯s still no good when the time comes.¡±

    Dirk grinned. ¡°Excellent. Now that that¡¯s dealt with, we can¡­¡±

    He was interrupted by a pounding on the door that led further into the building. Dirk cocked his head at the door, and Starkey obediently rose to open it with his good hand. On the other side was a florid old man wearing a nightgown and a scowl that deepened when he saw Cas.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to bring no more of your doxies down here?¡± he demanded.

    ¡°Oh, we were just having a little business discussion,¡± Dirk soothed as he spread his arms and walked over to the man.

    ¡°Oh yeah?¡± the man spat. ¡°The same sort of business discussion I caught you having with¡­ what were their names, Erma and Scadra, just last week?¡±

    ¡°Now that was¡­¡± Dirk began defensively.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t rent out this room for whoring,¡± the man railed, cutting Dirk off. ¡°I don¡¯t know what sort of salacious business the three of you were planning in here, but I want them gone, now!¡±

    Cas arched an eyebrow and flashed the man her most charming smile. ¡°It¡¯s a shame tonight hasn¡¯t worked out. I¡¯ll leave you fine gentlemen to it.¡±

    ¡°Remember not to be late for your interview,¡± Dirk called out as she walked outside. ¡°The Lady Armagin is a real stickler about punctuality.¡±Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    ¡°Is there a noblewoman in the Eternal City who isn¡¯t?¡± Cas muttered under her breath as she walked down the quiet alleyways, following her ears back until she emerged onto the bustling Gamon street.

    As she took a moment to marvel at the sights, the colourful shops, the painted women, and the bright lights, the mouthwatering smells of roasted meat wafted over from a nearby street, and Cas walked past a troupe of performers who were performing a bawdy comedy routine on a busy street corner to find a road lined with stalls selling freshly cooked food.

    Cas looked around and wondered why she had never seen this side of the city despite having lived her for her whole life. She was then amazed to realize that there were no pickpockets working the distracted crowd and wondered why that was. She was briefly tempted to try her luck, for the pickings looked rich, but her instincts screamed danger, and she remembered what had happened to Starkey.

    Instead, she shrugged and promised herself to explore this place properly one day. Stifling a yawn, she decided to go straight home. There was an important job to do, and she didn¡¯t want to make any mistakes.

    Cas was surprised at how excited she was as she followed the head maid down the richly decorated halls of Armagin Manor. They both wore a blue frock with a navy blue apron with the Armagin crest, an antlered dear, emblazoned on their breast. Cas¡¯ was one of the maids¡¯ old dresses and was about three sizes too big, but she didn¡¯t care. This was a day she had dreamed of ever since she had been fired. It was just a shame it wouldn¡¯t last.

    Then, a thought occurred to her. The interview had gone well, and Cas had impressed her enough to allow her to begin work at once. Now, she had around a week to perhaps properly gain her trust¡­

    Cas then realized that the head maid had stopped outside a door and was looking at her expectantly. Perdala Vilstid was a short, dumpy woman who wore her steel grey hair in a tight bun. She had worked for the Armagin household for thirty seven years, and years of hard labour had taken their toll on her joints. She walked with a pronounced limp and had been talking as she led Cas down the halls, but in her excitement, Cas had not heard a word she said.

    ¡°Well, get on with it, we have plenty to do,¡± she said as she cocked her head at the door before spinning on her heel and walking back down the hallway.

    ¡°At once, ma¡¯am,¡± Cas bowed, assuming she was to clean the room.

    She peered inside and saw that it was a personal office of sorts. A man sat a large desk that was covered with piles of parchment, absorbed in his work. At his back was a large window that offered a view of an immaculately manicured garden, and the walls were lined with filled bookcases that went all the way up to the double volumed ceilings. In a corner of the room was a cluttered low table that bore the debris from a meeting that appeared to have gone late into the night.

    Cas assumed the man pouring over the papers at the desk was the Count himself. The stature of the office matched a man of his standing if not its current state. It was a safe assumption that she had been brought here to tidy up. She checked the sight lines from the desk before slipping in and getting to work.

    Half smoked cigars and the remnants of food, china plates, pewter tankards and crystal snifters were placed onto a silver serving tray on the sideboard. Half empty bottles of fine liquor went inside. Books and documents that were carelessly scattered across the table and floor were placed into neat stacks on the floor while taking special care not to accidentally glance at their contents. With the table clear from clutter, Cas reached into her small handbasket of supplies for a cloth which she used to wipe the rich hardwood surface clean.

    All this was done while keeping a careful eye on the count. He was a tall, thin man in his thirties who sported thick tufts of rich brown hair on his head and a luxurious moustache. Every so often, he would stretch and look up from his work. When he did, Cas was sure to stealthily step out of his line of sight until he turned away before resuming her work.

    Soon, the table was spotless. Cas stepped back to admire her work with a sense of satisfaction that came from a job well done. She was quickly interrupted by a sharp knock at the door. Instinctively, she moved out of the count¡¯s line of sight as the head maid poked her head in.

    ¡°Excuse me, My Lord, have you seen the new maid I brought by earlier?¡± she asked.

    Count Darien Armagin looked at the old woman and blinked in confusion. ¡°This is the first I¡¯ve seen of you today, Ms Vilstid.¡±

    The head maid looked around the room and narrowed her eyes when she saw Cas standing in a corner. The count jumped in surprise when she followed her gaze.

    ¡°You!¡± she exclaimed. ¡°I told you to come right over to the grand ballroom as soon as you had introduced yourself.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Ms Vilstid, I¡¯ll deal with her from here,¡± the Count said. He eyed the low table Cas had tidied up as he walked over. ¡°Please, leave us alone for a minute.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a big boy now, and I can take care of myself,¡± the Count said.

    At length, the old woman pursed her lips before curtseying. ¡°As you command, My Lord.¡±

    When she was gone, the count¡¯s eyes turned cold as he appraised Cas. ¡°What is your name?¡±

    ¡°Valdra, My Lord,¡± she said, using her grandmother¡¯s name while not meeting the count¡¯s gaze as she had been trained. She knew she had made a huge mistake straight away and cursed her stupidity. ¡°Valdra Mimas.¡±

    ¡°Who was your previous employer, Ms Mimas?¡± the Count demanded. ¡°Your real employer, not the lie you told my wife when she interviewed you.¡±

    Cas hesitated before replying. ¡°Lady Black, My Lord. Lady Elvia Black.¡±

    Count Darien Armagin grunted. ¡°She is an eccentric one, that Lady Elvia, isn¡¯t she?¡±

    ¡°That isn¡¯t my place to say, My Lord,¡± Cas mumbled, knowing better than to speak ill of one noble to another.

    Darien smiled briefly, but the humour vanished from his face so quickly that it left Cas wondering if she had imagined it. ¡°Why were you fired?¡¯

    Cas knew better than to tell the truth and gambled that the Count knew enough of her former Mistress¡¯ reputation. ¡°I was seen, My Lord.¡±

    ¡°Your former mistress entertained me at her home once,¡± the Count said as he straightened his overcoat. Cas¡¯ eyes widened when she caught a glimpse of a chain around his neck. Could it be connected to the key? If only she had the replacement with her... ¡°Damned unsettling experience, food and drink appearing before you seemingly out of thin air¡­¡±

    He paused to eye Cas¡¯ work before turning back to her. ¡°Well, you have done an immaculate job here, without being seen or heard to boot. However, we do things a little differently in this household. From now on, you are to announce yourself if my wife or I are in the room before beginning any work.¡±

    Cas was shocked and could only stare wide eyed at the Count. She had been half expecting to have the Guard summoned to take her away after her mistake.

    The corners of Darien¡¯s eyes crinkled in amusement, and he asked. ¡°Am I clear, young lady?¡±

    Cas¡¯ eyes widened and she bowed her head. ¡°Yes, My Lord, it won¡¯t happen again.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± he nodded. ¡°Now you had best get yourself to the ballroom quickly, or you will face the wrath of Ms Vilstid.¡±

    ¡°At once, My Lord,¡± Cas said. She attempted to curtsey like the head maid had but failed miserably.

    ¡°Forgive my clumsiness, lord, but my mistress didn¡¯t train me in such things,¡± she said breathlessly.

    ¡°I can imagine,¡± Darien said. ¡°There is no need to curtsey or be graceful when your mistress doesn¡¯t want you to be seen. Damned strange, though.

    The Count dismissed her with an amused nod, and she fled gratefully.

 Chapter 8

    The Grand Ballroom was easy enough to find. She followed a pair of uniformed maids down the hall until she arrived in a huge room that was large enough to comfortably accommodate the church and its ground under its tall, domed ceiling. Men were at work scrubbing the skylights and windows high overhead, casting comically large shadows on the floor.

    Cas joined the dozen or so maids who were assembled in the middle of the room under Ms Vilstid¡¯s watchful eye, sounding so much like a flock of sparrows as they twittered amongst themselves. Ms Vilstid¡¯s eyes locked onto Cas, and she heaved a sigh of resignation. Things were off to a rocky start She then noticed that Verna was not amongst the gathered maids and wondered where she could be.

    Upon seeing the head maid¡¯s face change, the others fell silent, and Ms Vilstid addressed the room. ¡°Ladies, as some of you have heard, in precisely six days, this very room will host some of the most powerful and influential men from across five continents.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve heard, ma¡¯am,¡± one of the maids said excitedly. ¡°But what is the occasion? It¡¯s been years since the last¡­¡±

    The young maid¡¯s voice trailed off under Ms Vilstid¡¯s withering gaze. At length, the old woman relented and sighed. ¡°The master did tell me to share some details, even though the lot of you are incorrigible gossips¡­¡±

    The gathered maids leaned forward in anticipation as Ms Vilstid, seemingly savouring the moment, took a deep breath. ¡°The master expects this weekend¡¯s banquet to be a stage for the major powers to pledge their support in keeping our fair city a free force in any upcoming conflicts.¡±

    Almost at once, a dozen voices began speaking.

    ¡°My cousin was displaced by the war¡­¡±

    ¡°My sister said she saw a great warship sail into the South Port¡­¡±

    ¡°Does this mean war is coming to our doorstep?¡±

    ¡°Ladies,¡± Ms Vilstid silenced the room with a single word. She massaged her temples before continuing. ¡°I know the news of war in the south has distressed many of us, but our lord wishes to stress that this banquet will be a declaration to any aggressors that the world¡¯s powers will not stand idly by if our city is ever threatened.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful news!¡± someone cried.

    ¡°It is,¡± Ms Vilstid said, nipping a rising cheer in the bud. ¡°And our fair house has the honour of hosting such a momentous declaration, and it shames me to say that as it stands, it is in no state to host a pub crawl, never mind one of the most important announcements in the Eternal City¡¯s history.¡±

    The head maid paused to look around the room and wrinkled her nose in disgust. ¡°Ladies, we have our work cut out for us. We only have four days to make this room presentable, so let us waste no time.¡±

    She began to bark orders, and the maids fled to carry them out. Cas had been assigned to sweep and she walked towards a stack of brooms leaning against the wall.

    ¡°You¡¯re new, aren¡¯t you?¡± a voice asked.

    Cas jumped and turned around to see a freckled, fresh faced young woman grinning at her. ¡°My name¡¯s Samantha, by the way. My friends call me Sammy.¡±

    ¡°Valdra,¡± she replied.

    ¡°If it¡¯s a broom you¡¯re looking for, they¡¯re back at the storeroom,¡± Sammy said. ¡°I¡¯m heading that way myself.¡±

    ¡°I was just going to use those,¡± Cas said, pointing at the stack of brooms.

    ¡°Did you bring any of those brooms yourself?¡± Sammy asked with a broad smile.

    Cas shook her head.

    ¡°Then those aren¡¯t for you to use. You have to get your own from the storeroom,¡± she giggled when Cas stared at her awkwardly. ¡°I was going to go there myself. Do you want to join me?¡±

    ¡°Yes, please,¡± Cas mumbled.

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to see a new face around here,¡± Sammy said as she led Cas down the halls. ¡°I was only hired a month ago myself and still get lost in this big old place.¡±

    She then looked around before lowering her voice. ¡°And the others, well they can be a little prickly, especially to newcomers, you know?¡±

    ¡°Do you know why that is?¡± Cas asked.

    Sammy blinked. ¡°Why, I¡¯d never given it much thought. This is my fifth household and it¡¯s the same everywhere.¡±

    ¡°Your fifth?¡± Cas asked in amazement. ¡°I¡¯ve found that most are reluctant to hire people our age unless we have glowing references.¡±

    ¡°Well, you aren¡¯t wrong,¡± Sammy shrugged. ¡°But references can be faked, it¡¯s not like every noble knows one another¡¯s signature and sometimes the hirer is too desperate to really follow up¡­¡±

    ¡°But won¡¯t your lies catch up with you eventually?¡± Cas asked. ¡°Eventually, someone is going to follow up..."

    Sammy¡¯s eyes crinkled as a sheepish smile crossed her face. ¡°Well, that¡¯s part of the reason I¡¯ve worked in five households in the last two years.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s so dangerous, though!¡± Cas gasped. ¡°You could get locked up!¡±This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    Sammy shrugged, as she led them up a flight of stairs. Cas found this a little odd but assumed the more experienced maid knew where she was going. ¡°Well, the likes of us can¡¯t exactly afford to be choosy, can we?¡±

    The young girl¡¯s eyes widened, and she covered her mouth with her hand. ¡°Oh! I didn¡¯t mean to imply¡­¡±

    ¡°No, you¡¯re right,¡± Cas said. ¡°It can be hard to find a job out there¡­¡±

    ¡°Were you let go from your old household, if you don¡¯t mind me asking?¡± Sammy ventured.

    When Cas nodded, the shorter woman leaned in and nudged her with her elbow. ¡°So, did you have to embellish your references to get this job?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Cas began.

    ¡°Ah, there you are,¡± Cas turned around and blinked when she saw Verna approaching her with a broad smile on her face. ¡°I¡¯ve been looking for you. Can I borrow her for a moment?¡±

    Cas was taken aback when Verna took her firmly by the arm. Sammy shrugged and turned around before going back down the stairs. When she was gone, Verna whirled around and hissed. ¡°I take your eyes off you for a few hours and you¡¯re spilling your deepest secrets to that viper?¡±

    Cas frowned. ¡°Viper?¡±

    ¡°What were the two of you doing up here, anyway?¡± Verna demanded. ¡°All that¡¯s up here are private rooms.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, she said she was taking me to the storeroom¡­¡± Cas began and fell silent when she saw the fury on Verna¡¯s face.

    ¡°You cannot trust the other maids!¡± Verna snapped. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have to tell you that these jobs are coveted, and they assume you¡¯re after their positions. They will do anything to undermine you.¡±

    The blood drained from Cas¡¯ face, and her head began to spin. How could she have been so na?ve?

    ¡°What have you told her?¡± Verna demanded.

    ¡°Nothing¡­¡± Cas began as she tried to recall precisely what she had said.

    ¡°Listen, they will make your life difficult and find any excuse to drum you out of this house,¡± Verna warned. ¡°Do not let your guard down for a moment around those harpies.¡±

    She then paused and frowned. ¡°Why were you going to the storeroom? The man servants brought everything you would need to the ballroom this morning.¡±

    ¡°It appears I was misled,¡± Cas fumed.

    ¡°I hope a gang of scheming women won¡¯t be too much for you to handle,¡± Verna began.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Cas promised as she began walking down the stairs.

    ¡°Want me to come with you and provide an excuse?¡± she offered.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need you to hold my hand, no,¡± Cas replied without slowing down.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Verna said sharply, causing Cas to stop and turn around. ¡°Don¡¯t jeopardize the job for the sake of your pride.¡±

    ¡°I will be fine,¡± Cas repeated before continuing down the stairs.

    ¡°Remember, we have a meeting tonight,¡± Verna said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be there.¡±

    Walking quickly, Cas made her way back to the ballroom to find Sammy whispering into Ms Vilstid¡¯s ear. She walked up to the pair and bowed her head at the head maid.

    ¡°I apologize for my absence,¡± she said.

    ¡°Samantha here was just telling me that you asked her to help you find Verna despite me just having given you an assignment,¡± Ms Vilstid began.

    ¡°Oh, I just felt the need to thank her for giving me this fine job with such wonderful colleagues,¡± Cas said earnestly. ¡°I do  apologize for leaving without permission.¡±

    Ms Vilstid looked at her for a moment before shaking her head. ¡°Leave us for a moment, Samantha.¡±

    Sammy¡¯s eyes widened in surprise briefly, but she recovered quickly. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±

    When she left, Ms Vilstid noticed a pair of maids sweeping nearby in silence, attempting to overhear their conversation and gave them a baleful look until they moved away. When she was satisfied, the head maid turned her attention back to Cas.

    ¡°I am in a bit of a quandary thanks to you,¡± she said at length.

    ¡°Ma¡¯am?¡± Cas asked.

    ¡°The master was alone with you,¡± Ms Vilstid said. ¡°I need to know what was discussed.¡±

    ¡°It was only for a moment, ma¡¯am,¡± Cas said quickly. ¡°And I assure you nothing¡­¡±

    ¡°Silence!¡± Ms Vilstid snapped.

    In the corner of her eye, Cas saw a pair of maids stop sweeping and gape at them openly. Ms Vilstid closed her eyes and took a moment to calm herself before continuing. ¡°Tell me what you discussed.¡±

    ¡°He was just impressed with my ability to tidy up without being seen or heard,¡± Cas replied.

    Ms Vilstid arched an eyebrow. ¡°Is that all?¡±

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. We spoke only for a moment.¡±

    The head maid grunted. ¡°I should warn you that ordinarily, your mistakes today would be grounds for immediate dismissal, but with the ball just four days away, we can ill afford to turn away capable help.¡±

    It was all Cas could do to stop herself from grinning like a fool, and Ms Vilstid continued. ¡°However, don¡¯t think that you won¡¯t be disciplined. You will be docked a week¡¯s wages, and there will be no supper for you today, and I warn you to not try my patience again.¡±

    ¡°No ma¡¯am, I¡¯ve learned my lesson,¡± Cas replied.

    ¡°Good.¡± Ms Vilstid nodded brusquely. ¡°Now, get to work.¡±

    ¡°What did she say?¡± Sammy asked as she swept the floor close to where the brooms were kept.

    ¡°That I should be more careful with who I befriend,¡± Cas replied bluntly.

    ¡°That¡¯s fair,¡± Sammy giggled without a hint of remorse. ¡°I should warn you that you shouldn¡¯t get any ideas of working this job once the ball is over. Applications for permanent members of staff are closed.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll see about that,¡± Cas said as she grabbed a broom. She regretted the words as soon as she said them. She wasn¡¯t going to stick around, and making enemies would only get in the way of the job.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think you¡¯re the first upstart we¡¯ve run out of this place,¡± Sammy warned as Cas walked away.

    When she began sweeping at the opposite end of the hall, she saw Sammy glaring at her. Cas returned it with equal venom and knew from years of experience that the ragging had only begun. She would have to make an example of this one to make sure the others knew she was not one to be trifled with.

    However, sweeping was only the beginning of their labours. Ms Vilstid worked them hard for the rest of the day. There were windows to be wiped, tables to be moved, and a whole host of other tasks, and it was well into the night when they were allowed to retire to their chambers.

    By the time Cas entered the room she shared with a dozen other maids, her plan to assert her dominance was forgotten, and all she could think about was bed, and wonder just what it was about this life that she had missed.

    As she flopped onto her bed, she found it was soaking wet. As exhausted as she was, she wondered if she should do anything about it. Then, she heard Sammy cackle and leapt to her feet.

    ¡°Oh, I just thought you could use a pick me up,¡± she laughed from the opposite end of the room. ¡°You looked so tired."

    Cas approached her and wondered just how she would go about breaking her arms when Verna appeared at the doorway.

    "Good evening, cousin," she said tersely. ¡°Have time for a chat?"

    The red mist cleared from her eyes, and Cas veered off towards the door. When she arrived, Verna grabbed her by the arm and led her down the hallway.

    ¡°Were you about to get into a fight?¡¯ she hissed.

    ¡°Of course I wasn¡¯t,¡± Cas lied, furious with herself.

    ¡°Where have you been?¡± Verna asked. ¡°Did you forget about the meeting?¡±

    ¡°Lay off me, they just dismissed us,¡± Cas retorted.

    ¡°Well, hurry up,¡± Verna said as she quickened her pace down the empty halls. ¡°The others are waiting.¡±

    Cas suppressed a groan and willed her legs to keep up. She mouthed a silent prayer that the meeting would be over quickly. Ms Vilstid had promised them more work at the break of dawn. At the bottom of the stairs, Verna opened a door to reveal Dirk and Starkey wearing the uniforms of the house valets, sitting at a table. Dirk saw them and raised his glass towards Cas.

    ¡°Ah, there you are. I was beginning to think you weren¡¯t coming. Fancy a drink?¡±