Winter Everlasting

1 - Seven Days

Enzo

It started with a bet.

The warden at the Higher Trodelian Mercurial Society— a pretentious name for thief house— had bet whoever could steal something from the heavily guarded Saunieri tower— and come back within the day— a hundred gold coins.

Enzo had three hours left, and from the looks of things, he was going to spend all of them in a cell.

He could hear the warden's voice now: Foolish child. Always so eager to prove yourself. She'd be so smug when he returned tomorrow, or the day after, or whenever he figured out how to pick these godsdamned locks. He twirled his picks between his fingers, trying to think. They were two long, thin metal rods, one of which was hooked at the end. They were a gift from someone who'd once believed in him.

But that person was dead now, and soon Enzo would be too, if he didn't find a way out.

He fixed his gloves and stood up. Maybe this was a reverse locking mechanism. It was archaic, and flipping the lock structure meant it had to be handmade— and often took twice as long— but it wouldn't suprise him that the castle could afford to install it.

He hooked his arm through the bar of the cell. Enzo had always been lanky, as long as he could remember, and it served him well. The padlock was unusually thick, and from his vantage point, it was impossible to twist it towards him. Fine. He got on his knees and craned his neck, trying in the little firelight reaching this corner of the dungeon to see where the keyhole began. Then, carefully— so as to not alert the other residents of this lovely facility— he needled one of his picks in. It took one try. Then two. Then— he heard it. Barely audible, but certainly there. The sound he lived for: that satisfying click.

A surge of pain shot through his hand.

His pick flew across the room, clinging as it fell against the wall. "Hey! My—" His words were cut short. In front of him stood a woman he prayed he'd never see in person. The light illuminated the bottom half of her face, and she looked down at him, grinning like a devil.

"Trying to go somewhere?"

He braced himself, slowly standing to his full height. He was nearly a foot taller than her. It did little to calm his nerves. Get your shit together. He forced a grin and eased his shoulders. "I'm a bit cold. Thought I'd run home to get a sweater."

She let out a short, humorless chuckle. "Soon, you won't have to worry about feeling cold." The smell of smoke started to fill the air. Enzo must have let his panic show, because she laughed again. "Relax. This isn't how I plan to kill you." Her arms began to glow, and in a moment, a small fire danced in her palm. "Your death's going to be a lot slower. And more satisfying."

"May I ask what I've done to earn the honor of being on your kill list?" He asked. She ignored him. "Or how about your name? Can I at least know who to beg for mercy?" He only knew her from whispers around the thief house. Witch. Monster. The king's Enforcer. As powerful as his army: and twice as wicked.

"Aster. Aster Saunieri."

Ah.

That explained why she was here. And why the reward for breaking into her family tower was so high.

He really should have done his research. He forced his grin wider, but a wave of nausea curled his stomach.

"What were you doing in Lera's room?"

"Who?"

"Valera Saunieri. My sister."

He shrugged. "Don't know her."