The Vampire of Tinkerfall (Elysium #3)

~Six~

As Gin weaved her way through the throng of onlookers, she dipped her hand into their pockets and silk purses, pulling out watches and coins and slipping them into her oversized men's coat. Not a single one of them noticed her, thanks to both her small size and the two quarreling men who had drawn the crowd.

A loud gasp caught her ear, and she froze, fearful that she had been discovered. But the gasp was followed by frantic screaming, and when she turned to the sound, she found a pretty gentlewoman whose face had been splattered with blood from one of the fighting men. She was flailing her arms about wildly, screaming and drawing the attention of the crowd away from the brawlers. Several young men rushed to her side to offer their handkerchiefs, but the gentlewoman was too panicked to accept their kindness. She began clawing at her face and hair, as if trying to peel her skin off to get rid of the blood.

Gin knit her brows together as she watched the woman's obnoxious reaction. It was only a little blood. And it wasn't even her own. Really, it was nothing to get so worked up about. She'd seen street urchins her age lose fingers with less of a fuss.

The crowd was beginning to disperse, save for the screaming gentlewoman and the young men attempting to help her. The two men who had been fighting were gone now, and Gin knew that was her cue to head back. But as she was about to turn to leave, she saw something flutter from the gentlewoman's hair and land on the ground.

A yellow ribbon.

Gin's fingers twitched at the sight of the hair ornament. She glanced at the woman who had finally calmed down enough to allow one of the young men to wipe the blood off of her cheek while the others watched with jealousy and disappointment.

Again, Gin peered back at the ribbon. It was still very close to the small group of gentry, and though they seemed rather preoccupied, it was a risk. But the sun caught the shiny yellow fabric, as if calling to her, enticing her. It looked like it might even be made of silk. She'd never touched silk before.

Taking a deep breath, she inched her way towards the treasure, her eyes continuously darting to the young people still standing nearby.

"Oh, curse it all, it's stained my gloves."

She froze and tried to make herself smaller and less noticeable as the gentlewoman spoke.

"My sister's maid has a wonderful cleaner that gets out the worst of stains," said one of the young men. "I can have her fix it for you. It'll look good as new, by my word."

The ribbon was so close. She could almost reach out and grab it.

"Mr. Anderson, are you suggesting my maid is incapable of doing her job?"

Biting her lip, Gin dared to slide her foot towards the hairpiece.

"Not at all. This is only an awkward suitor's way of securing another meeting with a beautiful young woman."

Her toe brushed against the smooth fabric.

"Really, Frederick, you're playing dirty. Just because you have a sister with which to bait Miss Barry, doesn't mean you should."

She slowly pulled the ribbon back towards herself.

"As flattered as I am at you boys fighting over me, I'd very much like to scrub that boorish man's blood off of my face."

Almost there. All she needed to do was stoop down and—

"Oy! What's that little street rat up to?"

She pulled her attention away from the ribbon as the group of gentry turned to her. The gentlewoman's face, still stained with smudges of blood, twisted into rage when she caught sight of the yellow ribbon under Gin's dirty foot.