Page 2 of Gold & Shadow

With a rustle of feathers, the owl took off, barely distinguishable against the snowy trees. I breathed out a sigh of relief andshut the door behind me with another soft click, the shadows still cloaking me in darkness. I had no idea what it must look like. Izzy described the shadows as a wedge of blackness that was somewhat person-shaped, but luckily it was dark enough that no one would bat an eye at my insubstantial presence.

Not that there appeared to be anyone around to see me. The cabin was dark, except for a fire burning in the hearth, which cast the bare wooden walls in a warm, orange glow. Something appeared to be simmering in a pot over a small stove in the little kitchen, and the smell made my stomach growl in protest at my lack of dinner.

I tried to ignore the delicious smell as I began to sneak through the cabin, alert for any hidden safe or box that might hold something of value.

Victor had been reluctant to tell me much about the object that he wanted me to steal, which was unusual for him. Normally he bragged in great detail about the properties of the objects he wanted, reminding me that he’d pay me twice what I could fence the object for, in case I got ideas.

“It’s a golden amulet, circular, with a bear paw in the center,” he had said, his usually dapper suit and dandy appearance more haggard and drawn than normal. “And it is imperative that I have it by the week’s end.”

“The rush will cost you extra,” I pointed out, narrowing my eyes at him as he wiped his brow with a kerchief. We had met in theseediest tavern in Mysthaven since his offices in Fairwind were too far for me to quickly travel. Fairwind was also where Commander Everhart was stationed. The member of the High King’s Royal Guard was a thorn in any criminal’s side, and the less Victor and I were seen together in the city, the less likely he would discover either of our trails.

“I don’t care what it costs,” Victor said sharply, startling me a little and making me fumble the mug of ale I had been about to drink from. “Just get it done, Lis.”

“I need more to go on, Vic,” I replied, putting the mug down carefully as I studied my employer. “Where is it kept? Who lives in this cabin? What magic am I going up against?”

“None as far as I know,” he replied, waving off my questions like an irritable fly. “And I don’t know where it’s kept. If I knew that, I wouldn’t be paying you a small fortune.”

I grinned, pleased that my particular skill set would result in a lucrative payment. Perhaps I could refuse a few jobs if we were careful with the money. It would be nice not to risk my neck each night for one of Victor’s trinkets, although I couldn’t deny that I enjoyed the rush.

I let out a muffled curse as I stumbled in the dark, my knee cracking against a very solid wooden chest.Focus, Lis. I looked down, noticing a bear paw carved on the lid of the chest, which appeared to be sealed with flimsy brass locks. This would be an excellent place to store a bear-paw amulet.

I remained quiet a moment longer, waiting to see if anyone responded to the sound I had made. When no one came running, I loosened the shadows around me so I could see a bit better and knelt to examine the chest.

I didn’t even bother with the shadows this time as I put my elbow to the lock and gave it a sharp, downward jab. It sprang open, the mechanism old and rusted, and I flipped the top excitedly, eager for my payday.

The chest was irritatingly empty.

I searched the whole cabin twice over and found nothing like Victor had described. Intuition told me that my fleeting hope of this being the wrong cabin was a forlorn one. It was far more likely that the owner of the amulet waswearingthe blasted thing, and getting it off its owner would require a lot more hassle and finesse than simply stealing it in the night.

I sighed, slumping down on the worn, leather couch in front of the fire, my stomach now aching furiously in hunger. Whatever was cooking was surely more than enough for one person. I bit my lower lip, trying to decide where I could ethically draw the line in my thievery.

Hunger pushed me to move that line just a little further toward “wicked” on my internal morality scale, and I went to the kitchen to investigate.

It was some kind of meat stew simmering over the stove, and I ladled a healthy helping of the chunky, divine-smelling meal into a wooden bowl and spoon that were sitting out as if waiting for me.

It was utter heaven. I didn’t even care what kind of meat was in the stew. My stomach gave a rumble of approval at the meal, and I polished off the whole bowl, still feeling hungry.

Surely one more bowl wouldn’t go noticed.

I was rather full and sleepy when I finished, the effects of a full day of travel in the snow finally catching up to me. Whoever lived in the little cabin should have returned already, if they intended to return before morning. The wind had picked up, and the sounds of a howling gale outside told me that it was unlikely I’d be discovered by the owner, who was likely staying wherever they were for the night.

I replaced the lid on the now slightly less-full pot of stew and washed the bowl and spoon, careful to place them back exactly where I had found them.

I climbed the wooden half-log stairs, my brain barely registering where I was going as the plan solidified in my mind. I would lie down for just a few hours until the storm died down, then wait in the shadows until the owner of the cabin returned. From the second floor, I could hear if anyone entered the cabin and take to the shadows to evaluate how I would get the amulet from them. And if it was worth it to even try. I was skilled with daggers, but Ipreferred not to kill when possible. My skill set lent itself to stealth over strength, and murder was messy and dangerous.

No amount of money was really worth my life.

There was a single bed in the cabin, the lofted room above the living area large enough only for the carved wooden bed, which was at least twice as wide as my bed at home. I climbed atop it since there was no good place to hide anyway, deciding the need for rest outweighed stealth, but I was careful not to disturb the blankets as I cloaked the room in protective shadows.

I would just close my eyes for a minute or two.

Chapter 2

“Why are you sleeping inmybed?“ a growling voice shouted, a blast of hot breath searing my face as I woke with a start.

There was a bear above me. A huge, shaggy, brown bear, with sharp teeth and a golden chain around its neck. Its claws poked holes into the feather pillow next to my head, and its black eyes bored into me as it bared itsteeth in a snarl.

With a screech, I reflexively wrapped myself in shadow, rolling off the bed and onto the hard floor between the bed and the wall.