The Vampire of Tinkerfall (Elysium #3)

~Eight~

Gin watched from behind a barrel, keeping her eyes open for her target. It was barely dawn, but there were still people wandering about—shopkeepers opening their doors, street sellers readying their wares.

And her urchins set up along the road.

Of course, no one who passed by would notice them. They blended in with the filth scattered everywhere. Some were huddled together, trying to stave off the cold of the early winter morning. Others feigned sleep in dark alleys. And some, like herself, were hiding in the shadows.

Watching. Waiting.

And then it came. A wagon filled with boxes and crates, rolling along faster than it should've been considering the holes in the frozen dirt road. The fellow who delivered to the general store had a reputation for whipping his horse up into a frenzy towards the end of his route, eager to get home after his long trip. Tinkerfall was always his last stop, which meant he arrived in the city with heavy eyelids and a careless manner, faults that Gin had every intention of exploiting that morning.

Her eyes flitted to the alley across the street where a figure in a flattened top hat waited, his head down and his arms crossed over his chest. But when her gaze fell upon him, it was as if he sensed her attention. Madison looked up. Gin gave a small nod, and he returned it with a nearly imperceptible one of his own.

Holding her breath, she watched as her friend darted out of the alley and ran towards the street. The wagon continued on at full-speed, the man in the driver's seat unaware of his surroundings, including the urchin boy who was just crossing paths with his horse. For the briefest moment, a surge of fear pulsed through Gin's body as the urchin and the large creature met.

And then there was a blur of confusion.

A wild cry from the horse.

The wagon crashing to a halt.

The driver shouting over the screams of the nearby passersby.

And Madison lying still on the ground, red liquid trickling from his head.

But Gin didn't have time to dwell on the horrifying scene. Setting her sights on the wagon, she hurried to the back where her fellow urchins were already gathered. One of the boys handed her a long metal bar, and without a moment's hesitation, she hopped onto the wagon and began prying open the crates and barrels. Other urchins joined her and tossed the goods inside the crates down to those waiting on the ground.

In a matter of seconds, they'd taken a decent chunk of the wagon's goods. When there were no more pockets to fill, Gin jumped down and carefully peeked around to where the driver was standing by Madison's still body. He was making a terrible fuss, insisting that the urchin had appeared out of nowhere. Another man in a bowler hat hurried to the scene, kneeling before Madison and feeling his arms and legs.

Oh, no. A doctor.

They had to end this thing fast. Biting her lip, Gin took a deep breath and darted out into the street. She ran by the doctor and slowed down just enough to snatch the hat from atop his head. Thankfully, this managed to snag his attention for a split second, and as he looked over his shoulder, ready to shout after her, Madison leapt to his feet and bolted away.

"What the—" the driver said as he watched the urchin run.

"You bloody moron," the doctor said, rising to his feet and preparing to chase after Gin and his hat. "It was a set-up. Hey, you! Get back here!"

But she was already veering into a nearby alley, squeezing between the iron bars before the doctor of generous girth could see where she'd gone. Still, to play it safe, she continued to run a twisted and dizzying course until she reached St. Spittel. Without batting an eye, she slipped through the broken basement window of an abandoned building and landed expertly on her feet. Madison was tearing down the stairs when she arrived.