Queen of Thieves

chapter 13

Alice only caught a brief glimpse of the city.

Perloth was a collection of jagged rock buildings, the tops of which were sharp as swords. The mist was thick soup. Alice was just tilting her head back to study the black, winged shapes that circled lazily overhead — people, she realized with a jolt — when a hood was slammed over her eyes.

"Extra protection," Cirdrissa explained.

Alice looked at her incredulously. "It's a million degrees here."

"You can never be too careful," she said sweetly.

It wasn't a far walk to the inn. The building was nestled in the heart of Mishtar, a jumble of grey bricks and dingy, moth-eaten curtains. A sign outside the door read, The Gilded Sword. Alice lifted an eyebrow.

"I hate to point out the obvious," she said, "but that certainly seems like false advertising."

Cirdrissa shot her a grin. Alice hovered by the door as Cirdrissa conversed with the woman at the desk. Only a handful of guests milled around the lounge; a man with startling leather wings was sipping an electric green drink in the corner, and a woman in a fine silk dress was pretending to read a paper in the corner. She looked far too rich to be a regular patron, Alice thought with amusement. Perhaps she was meeting her lover for a secret rendezvous. Or she was a princess fleeing another nation. Or—

Cirdrissa materialized next to her, jingling a key.

"Let's go," she said. "He's waiting."

Alice climbed the stairs, being careful not to touch the slimy railing. The room was located on the highest floor, and by the time they got there, Alice was panting. Cirdrissa, annoyingly, seemed cheerful.

"You'll get used to it," she told Alice, turning the key in the lock. "Once you begin your training." The door swung inwards. "I used to get out of breath just raising my srjerx," she said, gesturing to her double-handed sword, "but after a while I—"

Alice had only the briefest impression of the room — a hanging bed, vines, a stone desk — before she was thrown forcefully against the wall.

Her head cracked against the wall. Something hot trickled down her cheek, and she kicked out wildly, scrabbling at her throat. Invisible hands pinned her to the stone. Across the room, a young man had one hand raised, his expression like a thundercloud. With an almighty cry, Cirdrissa launched herself across the room, tackling the stranger.

Abruptly, Alice's airway cleared.

She gagged, collapsing on the carpet. Cirdrissa had the stranger pinned to the floor, her syjerx pressed against his throat. He stared at her as if she had gone mad.

"What the hell are you doing?" he demanded.

"Me?" Cirdrissa dug her blade into his throat. "What are you doing?"

"I'm saving you," he hissed.

He kicked out, sending Cirdrissa sprawling. Alice's heartbeat rocketed in her chest as the stranger advanced on her. Wildly, she reached into her backpack, drawing out the knife that Des gave her. The ruby winked in the morning light.

"Don't come any closer!" Her voice was surprisingly steady. "I'll use it, if I have to."

The stranger blinked.

He didn't look frightened, Alice realized. He merely looked confused.

"Hang on." The stranger peered at her closely. "Your eyes." He took a step closer, and Alice jerked the knife higher. Her pulse was racing. "They're brown. But that's not—" He sucked in a sharp breath. "Alice? Alice Black?"