Thirteen Rings

Chapter One

A dagger flashed in the moonlight and the window's latch slid to the unlocked position. A frosty breeze brushed against Darius Nobleblade's neck as the newly formed entrance stuck halfway open.

"Damn it." He cursed under his breath, voice barely escaping as a whisper, the vapour from his throat rising into the cold air. He gave the pane of glass a forceful tug before being met with a strong resistance. "Bastard." He complained again, angrily slapping the window with his palm.

Screw this. He thought, pulling it one final time. A gasp escaped him as it came loose and slammed against the top of the frame, causing it to shatter in a spiderweb across the pane. Scowling, he slid through the window feet first and silently landed inside the family home.

The room inside was relatively large and dimly lit; silvery moonlight rained in from the open window on a brisk breath of air, faintly illuminating the bookshelves lining the walls.

Oh, damn, this must be a library... Quietly admiring the multitudes of tomes on display, many of which were first edition, hard-backed and bound in leather. Reaching out with a hand, he casually caressed the spine of the nearest book.

I'm sure they wouldn't miss one... The thought wriggled its way into his mind and firmly lodged itself in the forefront of his consciousness. Pulling a random tome from its place, he held the heavy object in his grasp, eyes scanning the front cover.

Remember the plan. Returning it to its place, he tore himself away from the distraction, and began creeping towards the door, holding his dagger at the ready. A faint creaking sound resounded around him; making him wince against the sudden noise in the silent building, as he gently nudged the door open.

Stepping out of the room, he turned to the right and followed the long hallway to the last door on the left. Upon finding it open, he slipped silently inside.

Dozens of display cases, each one holding ancient artifacts lay in rows; leaving space for people to walk in single file between them and giving the room a sombre feel, as if each relic was a grave to times long past. Inspecting each one individually, Darius began looking for his mark, a single medallion with a blood diamond in its centre. Halfway into the room, he finally found it. Then, pulling out his lockpicks, he set to work. A faint click sounded and the glass top sprang up slightly. Smiling, he pocketed the tools before reaching inside the container, wrapping his hand around the smooth metal and pulling it free, but he couldn't shake the feeling of desecrating something sacred.

Just focus on the payoff. He thought, pulling himself away from the foolish emotion.

"How in the hell did you get in here?" A furious but controlled voice disturbed the stillness of the room.

Shit. Darius slowly turned to face the open doorway, deftly concealing his prize in a hidden compartment inside his trench coat. "The door was open." He grinned, leaning back and quietly closing the lid as he regarded the woman staring incredulously at him with seemingly shining blue eyes.

"You shouldn't have even gotten near the damn house." She continued, tentatively stepping into the room, her pale nightgown barely covering her naked ankles.

A grin spread across Darius' face. "Your insecurities betray you," He began, standing up straight and striding towards her. "You should have stayed put. For a moment there, I thought you might actually have been trouble for me."

The woman shied back from his advancement, messy, blond hair falling across her face as she began to panic."I don't know what you're talking about." She spat defiantly, dismay snaking its way into her voice.

"I believe you know exactly what I mean." He murmured as he reached her; looking down into those striking eyes, his hand absently stroking her cheek.