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I scanned the rooftop, picking out interesting features as I went. Vents, a skylight, and a door leading into the building’s stairwell. I couldn’t see what the skylight looked into, I also couldn’t tell whether the door that led into the building was alarmed, or locked, but I did realize something I thought was important.
“Look at that,” I said.
“At what?”
“The birds.”
Lucien stepped away from the camera and looked at the birds sitting on the rooftop across from us. “What about them?” he asked.
“They’re not avoiding the building like the people on the street are.”
He paused. “So, either there are no protective wards on the rooftop… or it only works on people.”
My heart sank. “How would we even test that? We can’t exactly grab a pigeon and yeet it at the front door.”
Lucien grabbed the camera and quickly searched the rest of the building.
“There,” he said, pointing toward one of the protected windows. A small bird was trying its hardest to land on the window’s outer ledge, but an invisible force kept pushing it away.
“That’s the first bit of good news we’ve had all day,” I said, “But how are we supposed to get over there?”
Lucien looked down at me and grinned.
“What’s that face about?” I dared to ask.
“There’s only one way across from up here.”
“Magic?” I ventured.
He shook his head. “Zip-line.”
All of the blood drained from my face. “You’re kidding.”
Another cheeky smirk.
I slapped him on the arm. “You’re not serious.”
“I am deathly serious. The only way we’re getting onto that rooftop, without magic alerting every mage within it, is to use a zip-line.”
I looked down at the gap between buildings. “That’s easily a sixty-foot gap! You’re out of your mind if you think I’m hurling myself across it on a flimsy rope.”
“It would be a state-of-the-art piece of equipment, not a flimsy rope.”
“In any case, we still don’t know exactly whether or not the roof is a good option. There may not be a forcefield to contend with, but there’s still the matter of the guard.”
“One guard, as opposed to the two we know watch the front door, and the unknown number behind the side door.”
“You’re insane.”
“I am, but unless a better option presents itself, we have to consider that this one could be it. We’ll redouble our surveillance efforts, see if we can figure out when and if that guard moves, and plan our way in.”
“That’s another issue. Once we get in, then what? How are we supposed to find the crown?”
“I have something that will help us with that.”
I paused. “Something which is…”
“You’ll see.”
