Guild of Thieves (Book 1) ✓

𝓒𝓱.25 ~ 𝓝𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻 𝓢𝓹𝓮𝓪𝓴 𝓗𝓮𝓻 𝓝𝓪𝓶𝓮

Caine found Jezamine in her chambers buried underneath her blankets crying. He was too angry to care about the girl's tears, needing to get this lecture over and done with so she stopped digging around about her mother. The Leader of Thieves needed Jezamine if he was ever going to get the Royal Jewels. She was the best thief he had and he couldn't lose her for knowing the truth, forming the lie before he spoke.

"Your mother, Arianna, died after bringing you into this world." Caine said filling the silence of the room. Here went nothing. "She looked a lot you with such love in her eyes and named you Jezamine. Shortly afterwards she passed away. She was beautiful, stubborn, and big hearted. That's all there is to know about your mother."

He hoped it was enough to distract the girl from snooping further. Jezamine stopped crying, poking her head out from under the blanket with wide eyes and her mouth agaped. Arianna's ghost stood beside the bed, staring at him the same way as her daughter.

Jezamine didn't talk right away, absorbing what she had heard first before she asked. "Please tell me more about her!? I want to know more about my mother! Was she a great thief? Was she as beautiful as the painting? Did she have hobbies? What were they?"

The question went on and on until Caine finally snapped losing his temper. He couldn't take another minute of the millions of questions Jezamine asked. As much as he wanted to answer all of them, he couldn't jeopardize losing his daughter.

"Enough Jezamine! No more questions about your mother!" He snapped and added. "I don't want to hear another word. I don't even want to hear you speak her name again! If you do, you will be cleaning this entire mill factory from top to bottom until it's shiny and spotless! Do I make myself clear!?"

Jezamine held back her tears, her bottom lip trembled as she looked him dead in the eyes. "I will but only if you answer one question!"

Caine sighed, rubbing his temples with impatience. "One question, that is it!"

"Did you love her? Truly love her?" She asked in a quiet, shaky voice.

Did he love her?

Caine loved Arianna, but he also sacrificed her like a pawn in a game of chess...

"I did. Arianna was everything to me and the day she died...I lost a huge piece of myself." He admitted, a stray tear slid down his cheek. "You remind me a lot of her."

Caine shook his head to disperse the thoughts of the healer before the memories and guilt became overwhelming for him. Jezamine kept her word and didn't ask anymore about her mother, instead she jumped out of bed wrapping her arms around his waist.

"I miss her too."

He didn't know what to do or how to react to her sudden affection, tapping the girl on the shoulder awkwardly in return for her hug.

"I have paperwork and errands to catch up on." Caine said while clearing his throat. "I should go."

Jezamine got the hint that he was uncomfortable, letting go of him. He didn't say anything else, leaving the girl standing in the room awkwardly in his absence. He lied to his daughter not once, but twice. He wasn't going to work anymore instead he was going to hand out payments then drink his sorrows away until he felt completely numb. Arianna's ghost followed him like a hawk, taunting him with her appearance. Whiskey would do the trick and make her disappear for a short while.

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Kaleb remained hidden in the hallway as the Leader of Thieves left Jezamine's room muttering to himself. Once the man was out of sight, he entered the room to find Jezamine sitting on the floor staring off into space. Kal heard everything Caine had said to Jezamine, connecting the dots together.

Arianna died, but not during child birth like Caine claimed...something happened to the woman that the man wasn't telling his daughter. Something bad enough to make his own Guild members too afraid to speak. Kaleb swore to himself he would find out the truth for Jezamine's sake because she was right about one thing. She did deserve to know the truth.

"Hey...are you okay?" He asked as he took a seat next to her on the ground.

"Peachy..." Jez replied with no emotion.

Kaleb wondered if he should tell her what he overheard the others talking about earlier, deciding it was better to keep it to himself for now. Jezamine admired her father and Kaleb didn't have the heart to rain on her parade about her idol. He would tell her when he knew more about what really happened to Arianna.

"If you ever need -" He began to say before Jezamine interrupted him.

"What I need is to be left alone."

Kaleb was going to say "If you ever need anything, he had her back" but she didn't give him a chance to finish his sentence. He left Jezamine's chambers, heading to his own. He needed to figure out how to find out more information about Arianna.

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Jezamine sat on the floor for hours after Caine and Kaleb left, her father's words repeating in her mind over and over again.

Your mother, Arianna, died after bringing you into this world. She looked at you with such love in her eyes and named you Jezamine. Shortly afterwards she passed away. She was beautiful, stubborn, and big hearted. That's all there is to know about your mother.

Enough Jezamine! No more questions about your mother!" He snapped and added. "I don't want to hear another word. I don't even want to hear you speak her name again! If you do, you will be cleaning this entire mill factory from top to bottom until it's shiny and spotless! Do I make myself clear!?

Jezamine has seen Caine lose his temper plenty of times in the past, but never like this. Hearing her ask about Arianna sent him into a frenzy. Kaleb was right, it was better for her not to have asked questions...but it was too late now.

Jezamine couldn't change the past, choosing to change her future instead. All she wanted was to make her father proud. So she would take on the responsibility as heir and make Caine proud of her when she became the Leader of Thieves. Jez would keep pushing herself and training to be the best and wouldn't stop until she heard the five words she longed to hear from her father. I am proud of you.