𝐑𝐈𝐅𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐋𝐃 𝐀𝐂𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐌𝐘

Chapter 5: Lost And Found

Days Before...

Aelin picked up glasses from the shops stand and turned to her cousin who was standing with a smirk playing on his lips.

"I'm ready when you are," Aedion muttered, already scanning the busy streets of New York for their first prey.

Aelin lightly punched her cousin on the shoulder, "Who are you and what did you do with my cousin?"

"You know I hate doing this as much as you," He sighed, rubbing his temples.

She hummed to herself, "No, you hate it. Don't start with the whole 'this is the only way to survive' because I know."

Aedion narrowed his eyes on her.

Then they were walking into the crowd with Aelin keeping a safe distance from her cousin. Pushing her golden hair back she pulls down her glasses and plucks the tag off.

"Phone. Back pocket," Aedion said and she acted fast.

A man in a brown leather jacket was drinking coffee and walking in their direction.

From the corner of her eye she saw her cousin "accidentally" bump into the man, and she had to stifle a laugh.

The man spilled the drink on himself and threw his arms in the air angrily.

"Watch where you're going!" But his voice was barely louder than a whisper on these streets.

Using that distraction, she pulled the phone out from his jeans pocket and shoved it in her own.

Quick and smooth.

Aelin sighed happily and played with the phone in her pocket, they'd need to crack his password, but that wouldn't be a problem.

Aedion met up with her on the sidewalk but she was already focusing on someone else.

Her turquoise eyes glared at a boy around her age who was leaning against a pole. He was wearing a watch around his wrist and it glimmered in the sunlight.

She tried not to think about how much money they'd get out of it.

"I'm going in, cover me," Before Aedion could even object she was shoving her way back in. Only a few inches from the boy, she tripped.

"Oh," Aelin gasped, putting one hand on his shoulder and another on his wrist, she was already unclasping the watch when he looked up at her, "I am so sorry."

Aedion swung by holding a cap and she dropped the watch in it right before he put it back on his head. She started to walk away.

"Wait! You stole my watch!" Aelin didn't even need to turn around to know he was coming after her, so she started to run.

She pushed past everyone and knew blending in the crowd was her only option to get away.

Taking off her black jacket she threw it on the floor and discretely swiped a scarf from someone's neck. Wrapping it around her head she ran faster while she tucked any strand of blonde hair away from view.

Grabbing a newspaper article, she sidestepped an ice cream cart and sat down on a bench next to an old woman feeding some pigeons.

Her breath was ragged but she willed herself to calm down, even when the boy went rushing past her and continued down the street.

She stayed seated a few more minutes before getting up. The sun was setting when she found her cousin waiting for her in an alley.

He held up the watch in victory and she grinned.

"Care for a drink?" Aedion asked, music was blaring loudly from a bar just a few blocks away.

"We deserve it," Aelin shook her hair and linked arms with her cousin.

"Let's get drunk!"