A Girl of Smoke and Shadow

Royally F*cked ~ Prologue Part 1

Cover created on Azalea Dolls and DA muro

I watched the window from the fire escape of the building opposite my new neighbours window. In fact, I had been watching for about two f*cking hours, perched, all in black, the only thing to keep my occupied was a fidget cube clasped between my stone-cold fingers.

What? These things really help those of us cursed with short attention spans who lived in the business of thievery.

Now I know what your thinking. Elodie? Your a thief?

Yes. I am. And a damn good one at that.

Next your probable understandable revulsion at someone playing with a fidget cube like six years after they went out of fashion.

And to that I tell you when your staking out someone who your pretty sure is smuggling drugs, blood money or something far more valuable like art. Having fingers tapping around on every surface, making a racket and leaving prints, is not the best idea. Trust me.

I had been watching the guy for about a week, and I knew his type. Rented an apartment by the month, but was usually gone days after they paid the money, in cash of course, and left without a trace. Or maybe didn't ever leave at all, and their rutting body was found at the end of the month, stinking to high heavens, victim of the organised crime of our underworld.

Our.

That might need some explaining too. My mum, curse her wicked soul, is some kind of spy or sleeper agent. For what or who, I have no idea. She leaves for months at a time, and returns with a new lesson and key-ring from whatever poor country she has just visited and probably sewn the seeds of internal dispute. But from birth I have been trained to slip into rooms, take whatever held the most value, and leaving before I was spotted, giving the item(s) to my mom, who in turn passed them on to whatever organisation she worked for.

I grew up, isolated from, but of a close distance to the underworld these people like my new neighbour played in.

So sue me. In these days with superheroes, gods and aliens and the world being turned upside f*cking down, people like me slipped through the cracks chum. Too clever for your run of the mill human cops, but not of enough importance to encourage the wrath of the Avengers.

Movement in my neighbours window, and I froze. There, the tall man who had rented the apartment. The dark skin of his neck contrasting with the glacial white of his shirt, and the sharp black suit over it. He had a suitcase in his hand, and brought it up, placing on the table.

Stupid. He hadn't even closed the window curtains, I thought, as he opened the case.

A strange purple light glowed from within, making him squint against the sudden brightness. 

Sh!t. Not money then. Maybe some kind of technology?

I pocketed the fidget cube, shifting on my booted feet with only the faintest squeak against metal. The light wavered like the reflection of water, blue and reds shifting over his face. Then, they were gone as he snapped the case shut, and picked up his phone, dialling a number.

Whatever it was, Chitauri or human, it would most likely raise a fortune if my mom's people were able to mass produce it or bid it off for our own benefit before the suited mans investors could.

It didn't matter what was in that case. But it was mine now.

I smiled, a wicked thing, and vaulted over the edge of the fire escape.

~~~~~

As I reached halfway in my task at shimmying up the drainpipe, I thanked my lucky stars I had the good sense to reinforce its screws in the brick with titanium last month. Even under my reasonably light weight, pipes had a tendency to break. But now it held strong against the wall, and I moved up in a smooth, liquid grace.

I was not perfect, despite all the time I spent in the midnight hours practising, and I slipped one, heart instantly dropping to my ass before I could start climbing again.

I may be somewhat of a prodigy at this sh!t, not to brag, but everyone makes mistakes chum.

Within seconds I was at his window, peering in at the room illuminated by light. 

The perks of thinking ahead also meant I regularly oiled all windows and doors in my apartment building, sneaking in at the dead of night to ensure if I ever needed to get in or out inconspicuously I could. 

Before you judge me, because I know you will, a couple two floors above me have a massive dvd collection of classics you cant stream anywhere, and they never notice me borrowing a disk every now and then. It pays to be prepared.

The man had his back turned, talking on the phone. I slid the window open a fraction to listen in.

"Yeah man I have it. No I didn't open the case. Jesus I'm not stupid." The man rubbed his neck and I grinned. Liar liar pants on fire.

The man exchanged a few more words, then a knock echoed through the apartment. "Shit Renn I gotta get my pizza."

Even from my spot at the window I could hear the shouting down the other end, before the man in the suit spoke, trying to calm his colleague.

"Man calm down, I'm hungry as shit. And you'll be here in fifteen hours. He's already here at the door, I call you back after I get it." And with that, the man in the such hung up and walked through the apartment towards the door.

Hey presto, here comes Elodie.

I swung up onto the window ledge, and then stepped down into the room on soft feet. The briefcase was at the table, and I could hear the man talking to the pizza delivery boy. Running across the room, I leapt in front of the case, working its latches with shaking fingers. Shit. The smell of that pizza was good, and I hadn't eaten since this morning.

Then, the case was open, and I was staring at what looked to be some kind of uncut gem, lit from within and glowing radiant light upon my face. 

I didn't squint like the man in the suit, despite the brightness.

Now chum, I'll try to explain it to you, but the light was so goddamn fascinating. Colours I had never seen, wasn't even able to comprehend shone, illuminating my face.

I couldn't help but stare, slowly leaning down to soak my eyes in the beauty of the gem.

The click of a revolver sounded behind me, turning my entire body to stone, and my heart fall through my ass for the second time in as many minutes.

"Damn Princess. You picked the wrong place to rob."

Oh sh!t. 

I was royally f*cked.