Sky Warriors: Poleuthan's Thief (Sky Warriors Saga Book 1) (2 page)

“Only if we’re caught,” Daren cut in. “Besides, you haven’t heard the rest of my plan, Ange.”

She scowled and waited impatiently for him to share.

He sighed. “When I leave I want you to come with me and live with me. You can quit thievery,” he explained hopefully.

She glowered. “Daren…that won’t work. It’s like you said, once I join the Black Owls, I’m in it for life. I just can’t
quit.”

“Then don’t join,” he replied persuasively.

She groaned exasperated. “You’re forgetting one thing, Daren. You have no money!”

He looked away guiltily, his voice came out with chagrin. “Actually…I found my old nursemaid, all my family’s business, property, and money was transferred to her after I went missing. She’s been holding on to it in hope that I might return. I was the sole heir after all.”

He glanced up, Ange found herself staring speechlessly at her friend, her mouth hanging in disbelief, then another wave of outrage took her. “When did this happen? And why didn’t you tell me?” she demanded hurt.

“I didn’t know how,” he defended honestly. “And I wanted to keep it secret from the guild till I figured out what I wanted to do. It’s only been two months since-”

“Two months?!” Ange interrupted vehemently. “Since when did you start keeping secrets from me, Daren? I thought we were friends,” she accused.

His face became downcast at her accusation. “I’m sorry, Ange. I already feel rotten for not telling you, but in truth I was worried what danger it could put us in.”

She snorted doubtfully.

“Let’s go. Vera might kill us for being late,” she suggested cuttingly as she turned away and began to walk, the entrance to their hideout was not far.

“So will you think about it? About coming and living on the surface with me?” he pleaded.

Ange ignored him as she briskly walked the last stretch of sewer halls and turned for the grate-covered entrance. The current under their feet had picked up in speed.

Daren let out an audible sigh and fell silent.

Ange kicked the grate open, feeling her patience was at an end, the water that poured down hid metal ladder steps down the stone walls. She quickly pulled out a two foot metal door form the left side of the wall that blocked the water flow. She quickly shut the lantern and snapped it to one off the many loops on her belt before she flipped over the metal gate and found her hands holding her on the edge of the wet sewer drop, before her fingers could slip she grasped one of the moist ladder bars and began climbing down.

Daren quickly followed her as they climbed down the twenty foot drop. They moved as quickly as possible before the gate was overwhelmed with water.

Ange dropped down the last of the ladder’s metal grips and landed lightly on the balls of her feet, scattering a few startled rats and grabbed the rope that was knotted on the release mechanism twenty feet above.

She considered opening it while Daren was still on and soaking him well, but before she could decide to take action, he dropped down the last segment of rails in a fashion that was most unlike him and stepped out of the way. She scowled annoyed as he smiled at her sadly, as if he had guessed her intentions. She roughly pulled the rope down.

A rush of water flowed down as the grate door swung shut over the stream, not even hindering its flow a bit as it rushed down into the metal meshed floor, spraying them with foul mist.

Ange pulled away before she could get soaked and made her way to the secret door at the center of the wall opposite the ladder in the twenty foot long room filled with mechanisms, gauges, and more waterfalls and sewer entrances and heavy steam flowing from beneath their feet.

She crouched and shoved her fingers through a tiny crevice under the fourth brick up the wall and pressed the button. A heavy turning of cogs and mechanisms screeched through the air as a section of wall moved back in on itself and then moved away to the left. While the door still moved, Ange strutted right into the big room where the others already waited around a large round stone table while the other people waited impatiently leaning against the walls or sat on large stone blocks.

“You’re late,” Vera’s cross voice cut through the air between them.

Ange gazed at her mentor who was pleasant only when she wanted something. Vera was known as a grand dark beauty among the Black Owls and other guilds and the deadliest thief to tangle with. She was tall with dark black hair that flowed to her shoulders, an hourglass figure with a perfectly large rounded chest and rear that made all the men
swoon and the ladies cry with dismay. Full lips always painted with bright red lipstick and dark blue eyes that gleamed with intelligence and foresight. She was unmerciful and advantageous, still, Ange liked her.

Ange didn’t reply, only stared unflinchingly into her eyes. Something no one did in the guild but her and Vera’s second, Garrett. Though it was probably why Ange found herself in trouble most of the time, but she never denied that she was stubborn.

An annoyed smile crossed Vera’s face as she rested her cheek on her manicured hand which was a wonder how she ever kept perfect. Her eyes traveled to Daren as he pressed the button that closed the door.

“I can only guess the expression on Fox’s face is because you finally told her.”

Fox, Ange loved the nickname Vera and the guild often used for her. They say she was just as wily, mischievous, and just as stubborn as one. Vera’s was known as The Wolf among the other guilds though mostly out of respect and fear they spoke to her with more eloquent titles since she did come from a rich and noble family.

Daren lowered his head and gaze respectfully. “I did.”

“I told you she wouldn’t take it well, Daren. You should have told her from the start just like I said,” she scolded calmly.

Ange snorted unconvinced and irritated.

“I know Miss, please forgive our tardiness on the ill timing of my confidence,” he apologized.

Vera sighed. “Very well, take your place,” she ordered strictly.

Daren nodded in acknowledgement and took his place leaning on the right wall from the door, Ange joined him, staying several feet away from him. He frowned hurt but said nothing as they gazed at Vera expectantly.

Vera glanced at them before she gazed around at the members of the Black Owls, which consisted of thirty some
odd thieves, most of which lived down in the sewers with the rest. Those who held positions and homes above ground had influence with many dealings within the city. Like Vera who was the head of her family’s house and the owners of the largest crystal mines in the Poleuthan Mountain Range that hugged the cold city of  Cyridell.

“Today I wish to discuss a huge escapade for tomorrow night that will involve most of the guild, apparently the small and insignificant competitors of my family business have hit crystal,” she stated rather sourly. “And not just a small mine operation, but a horde and they’re refusing my advances to buy them out,” she smiled wickedly and pressed her fingers together, her long nails clacking together once. “So I have decided on another course of action. Robbery and of course, sabotage.”

Murmurs of excitement began to pass around, Ange blinked surprised. This was big, whenever Vera involved the Black Owls in her family business, every participating thief in the guild was richly rewarded, some even set up for life. Though Vera, like any other thief wished to keep the riches to herself, only involved the guild when her own solo and more ‘diplomatic’ attempts failed and she had no other means of obtaining what she wanted, so these chances were far and rare in between.

“I would also like to contract the Crimson Crows that are present here,” she continued on in a honeyed and confident voice.

Ange looked for the members that stirred at Vera words, it was well known that the Crimson Crows were a clan of assassins, feared and respected across the country and one of their largest bases was in their city. Cyridell was after all the city of crystal, metal, and trade, and much to the people’s denial it was run by the thieves, the assassins, and the Underground Market. ‘There is always something that needs stealing, someone that needs murdering, and something that needs smuggling.’ The city’s famous motto among the criminal and corrupt.

It was also well known that the Black Owls held the strongest influence with the Crimson Crows and that seven of its members were also assassins of the infamous clan. No other thieves’ guild could vouch as much, though it was rumored that the Silver Weasels had the Justice Guards in their pockets.

Vera turned her gaze to them. “Ange, Daren, you’re not kids anymore, we’re not stealing bread and apples here. It’s time to get serious. You’ll be joining the guild’s venture tomorrow and if you do well you’ll be joining the guild as full members.”

Ange couldn’t help the excited smile that crossed her face, she would be a real thief! No more petty stealing for food and clothes, she could get contracted to do real thieving and earn her pocket of money.

Next to her, Daren grimaced.

Vera raised an eyebrow. “You don’t look so pleased Daren, have you decided on your future?”

His face twisted with indecision as he looked at the ground.

Vera sighed. “Look Daren, it’s against the code for me to let you participate when you’re so undecided, much less let you live if you decide to leave.”

Daren nodded in understanding and stood up straight, pulling himself away from the wall.

“But…how about this? You participate tomorrow and see what the real life of a thief is like, what the job is really like and then decide. If you decide you still want to go, then you can, you will just have to swear an oath of silence at the punishment of death, am I understood?”

Gasps of surprise and shock began to circle along with protests. Ange blinked in surprise and was silent by astonishment, feeling grateful for Vera’s unusual show of kindness.

“Silence!” Vera snapped. “I have made a decision and you will all comply and remain quiet!” she spat standing up from her elegant steel chair, instantly quieting the guild. She glared about for a moment before she settled herself back comfortably into her seat, patting her tight short black dress into place and crossing her knee-high black boots.

She turned her gaze back to Daren and stared expectantly.

He lowered his gaze. “Thank you, Vera. You are too kind to me, tomorrow after the raid, I will have my decision,” he promised and pressed his back and folded hands to the wall.

She nodded satisfied. “Good,” she stated and turned back to the rest of the guild. “All who wish to participate and have no pending contracts, come tomorrow and be here by the time the first sun has sunk into the horizon, Garrett will fill you in on the details.”

“Vera, I wish to speak to you first,” Garrett informed in his brusque and deep voice. His sharp green eyes and short black hair over his large and muscular form was as always, intimidating. It was a wonder how he was ever sneaky if he even was, or if he just scared others out of their merchandise. He was a cold man and all business, the only one he ever was warm to was Vera. They were after all close friends and sometimes Ange wondered if they were more than just that.

She nodded. “Of course, you’re all dismissed,” she stated, like that the guild scattered, some going to their quarters and others leaving for the surface. The room was empty in less than a minute as Garrett and Vera went into her small office and closed the metal door behind them.

Curiosity took Ange and she quickly crept to the door as Daren left for their quarters without a glance back. Ange felt like a rift had already broken between them.

She frowned and concentrated on listening instead.

“Vera, what were you thinking,” Garrett asked exasperated. “You know the Thieves Code doesn’t allow anyone to leave.”

“It’s more of a set of guidelines, Garrett, I’m not going to condemn Daren because he had nowhere else to go as a child,” she replied.

“Then he only has two options, stay or die,” Garrett insisted. Ange sucked in a painful breath as he continued. “He’s a liability if he leaves, what if he betrays us in several years when it’s to his convenience or his advantage? What’s to stop him apart from a promise that we won’t be able to carry out if the Black Owls are destroyed?” he added harshly.

“It won’t come to that,” Vera snapped. “If we must, we’ll keep tabs on him. We’ve raised those kids in the guild for ten years, we know them better than anyone else and Daren would never betray Ange’s trust.”

“He can change,” Garrett warned. “You have grown a soft spot for those kids, Vera,” he observed not too unkindly.

Vera sighed. “I see them as my own,” she admitted. “I couldn’t help being drawn to them all those years ago when I found them stealing apples,” she said the words with fondness. “Especially Fox, I’ve never seen a thief as skilled as her. She’ll be better than even me, one day,” she said with absolute confidence.

Garrett chuckled, a rare sound coming from him. “That one can steal you blind and disappear before you even knew it,” he admitted. “She certainly has a way with those daggers, even her sneaking and deception is something to admire,” his voice became dark. “We’ll have to be careful with her.”

Vera laughed. “Indeed, she’s a dangerous little minx…” her voice became sad. “You know I can’t have children Garrett…”