awkwardly and gaped harder,
because it was my coin pouch. “How did you do that?”
“I’m good with my---”
“She’s a professional thief,” Asiago interrupted her,
pointing to her right arm.
She obligingly turned her arm so that I could see the
red flower tattoo on her wrist. “I was a member of the thieves’ guild, yes, but
I didn’t last long. I’m surprised you recognize it.”
“I’ve met thieves from that guild before.”
Mira continued grinning, completely unbothered. “If
you’ll follow me, I’ll take you to the dining room and get Vactarus.”
I knew the way to the dining room, but I was
interested in her career. “Are your family thieves?”
She frowned. “What does my family have to do with me
being a thief? I don’t even remember them. I was raised by a master mage in the
warriors’ guild. As soon as I was old enough to hold a weapon, I was sent out
on quests. The more people doubted me, the stronger I became.”
“Why did you leave?”
“I have a problem with rules. That’s why I got out of
the warriors’ guild, thieves’ guild, assassins’ guild, and traders’ guild. I
have many talents, but playing nice isn’t one of them.”
“Have you stolen anything here?” I asked.
Unexpectedly, she scowled. “Of course not. I don’t
steal from my family. Vactarus gave me a home; I wouldn’t steal from him.”
“Are you the housekeeper?”
“No; I’m just a moocher. I come and go, so I wasn’t
here when you visited last time. Besides, I’m sure you’ve already met the
housekeeper.”
“I haven’t.”
“Really? He’s very hard to miss. He’s shy, though, so
I can’t be terribly surprised. Anyway, Ayden, I was told you were a sorcerer
with blond hair and blue eyes.”
She obviously wanted my story. “Yes, that’s right,” I
said simply.
Her expression told me she wanted to push, but after
a moment, we arrived at the dining room and she seemed to drop it. “Stay here
and I will get Vactarus.” She vanished through one of the doors.
When I glanced at Asiago, he was giving me an odd
look. “What?”
“I was just wondering if Mira would be more
interested in a sorcerer or wizard. She’s pretty— you might want to hold off on
getting your sorcery removed.”
I rolled my eyes. “No woman who is interested in
sorcerers would be interested in me. Women who are interested in sorcerers
don’t care if their hearts get broken; they care about power and excitement.”
“Wow. My best friend has been dead for longer than
I’ve been alive and you’re being morbid.”
“Sorry.”
“I don’t mind. You’re a sorcerer, after all. It is
awkward for me, though, because I am a romantic at heart.”
I wanted to ask if he was serious, but that would
have been rude, so instead I asked, “You have a heart?”
“I do. I long to find the person I would be willing
to torture, kill, and die for.”
“That’s… nice?” It was then that I realized sorcerers
were nowhere near as creepy as necromancers. I turned away so he wouldn’t see
my expression. When the ground exploded upward right in front of me, I shrieked
and my magic shot through the staff. At that point, I realized that the ground
hadn’t been disturbed at all, but it was too late. Bright red energy struck
Vactarus, who had popped up out of the floor and scared me half to death. His
body instantly shrunk and transformed into a little black bat, and I just
sighed, because this very thing had happened once before.
“Not again!” the little bat shrieked.
“Sorry,” I said, pulling my wand out of my pocket.
“Did you just turn Vactarus into a bat?” Mira
inquired, right behind me.
Again, I jumped, since I hadn’t heard her come in.
Figures a thief would be very light-footed. “Yes.”
“He’s so cute!”
I agreed. He was a tiny bat with fluffy black fur,
and although he was translucent, I thought he was less creepy than Magnus’s
minion. I cleared my throat and pointed my wand at the ghost
because it was my coin pouch. “How did you do that?”
“I’m good with my---”
“She’s a professional thief,” Asiago interrupted her,
pointing to her right arm.
She obligingly turned her arm so that I could see the
red flower tattoo on her wrist. “I was a member of the thieves’ guild, yes, but
I didn’t last long. I’m surprised you recognize it.”
“I’ve met thieves from that guild before.”
Mira continued grinning, completely unbothered. “If
you’ll follow me, I’ll take you to the dining room and get Vactarus.”
I knew the way to the dining room, but I was
interested in her career. “Are your family thieves?”
She frowned. “What does my family have to do with me
being a thief? I don’t even remember them. I was raised by a master mage in the
warriors’ guild. As soon as I was old enough to hold a weapon, I was sent out
on quests. The more people doubted me, the stronger I became.”
“Why did you leave?”
“I have a problem with rules. That’s why I got out of
the warriors’ guild, thieves’ guild, assassins’ guild, and traders’ guild. I
have many talents, but playing nice isn’t one of them.”
“Have you stolen anything here?” I asked.
Unexpectedly, she scowled. “Of course not. I don’t
steal from my family. Vactarus gave me a home; I wouldn’t steal from him.”
“Are you the housekeeper?”
“No; I’m just a moocher. I come and go, so I wasn’t
here when you visited last time. Besides, I’m sure you’ve already met the
housekeeper.”
“I haven’t.”
“Really? He’s very hard to miss. He’s shy, though, so
I can’t be terribly surprised. Anyway, Ayden, I was told you were a sorcerer
with blond hair and blue eyes.”
She obviously wanted my story. “Yes, that’s right,” I
said simply.
Her expression told me she wanted to push, but after
a moment, we arrived at the dining room and she seemed to drop it. “Stay here
and I will get Vactarus.” She vanished through one of the doors.
When I glanced at Asiago, he was giving me an odd
look. “What?”
“I was just wondering if Mira would be more
interested in a sorcerer or wizard. She’s pretty— you might want to hold off on
getting your sorcery removed.”
I rolled my eyes. “No woman who is interested in
sorcerers would be interested in me. Women who are interested in sorcerers
don’t care if their hearts get broken; they care about power and excitement.”
“Wow. My best friend has been dead for longer than
I’ve been alive and you’re being morbid.”
“Sorry.”
“I don’t mind. You’re a sorcerer, after all. It is
awkward for me, though, because I am a romantic at heart.”
I wanted to ask if he was serious, but that would
have been rude, so instead I asked, “You have a heart?”
“I do. I long to find the person I would be willing
to torture, kill, and die for.”
“That’s… nice?” It was then that I realized sorcerers
were nowhere near as creepy as necromancers. I turned away so he wouldn’t see
my expression. When the ground exploded upward right in front of me, I shrieked
and my magic shot through the staff. At that point, I realized that the ground
hadn’t been disturbed at all, but it was too late. Bright red energy struck
Vactarus, who had popped up out of the floor and scared me half to death. His
body instantly shrunk and transformed into a little black bat, and I just
sighed, because this very thing had happened once before.
“Not again!” the little bat shrieked.
“Sorry,” I said, pulling my wand out of my pocket.
“Did you just turn Vactarus into a bat?” Mira
inquired, right behind me.
Again, I jumped, since I hadn’t heard her come in.
Figures a thief would be very light-footed. “Yes.”
“He’s so cute!”
I agreed. He was a tiny bat with fluffy black fur,
and although he was translucent, I thought he was less creepy than Magnus’s
minion. I cleared my throat and pointed my wand at the ghost
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