Page 80 of A Thief Among Fae

I crawl on all fours, keeping low. The boards steady under my hands, but the bridge itself won’t cooperate. It shudders with every gust, a hollow vibration that travels from the wood through my bones. The planks creak, straining against the ropes that groan in the dark.

A hard blast of wind hits. I flatten, gripping tight as it tries to tear me loose. My arms shake, part strain, part focus, as I hold the plank beneath me still. Everything else sways.

One plank at a time. If I stop, I’ll feel how exposed I am out here, how little there is between me and the drop.

So I don’t stop.

Halfway across. Cold air burns my eyes, blurring my vision. The window is agonizingly close.

I glance down, then my stomach drops below my hips. The cobblestones look so small from up here. So far away. I love taking risks, but this has to be one of the most idiotic decisions I’ve ever⁠—

The wind pulls the rope so taut that it starts to snap near the eave. My pulse spikes with horror with every strand that breaks. The bridge creaks.

With a loud crack, the rope separates. My magic surges, freezing the planks beneath me. The rest of the planks ahead whip around in a deadly frenzy, and I have to clench my jaw to keep from screaming.

Back. I have to go back.

“Cyn!” Maeve yells. “I’m holding on!”

With no room to turn around, I edge one knee back, then the other. A hazy rain begins, turning the planks slick. My clammy hands slip against the wet wood as I crawl. The open window mocks me: our plan failed because my magic isn’t strong enough.

Brandur grabs my feet, anchoring me as I reach the wall. He lifts me, then sets me on my feet on the walkway. He glowers. “It appears we will have to carry out our original plan. We’ve wasted valuable darkness.”

I swallow as I realize one heart-wrenching fact.

I’m not ready for the tomb raid.

One by one, we climb down the wall.

Chapter 24

We crouch in the alley, cloaked in the shadow of the three-story manor looming over us. No one has brought up my failure to secure the bridge, but their disappointment is palpable. Since it would be a burden to carry inside the manor, Finnian threw it over the wall. I watched it tumble down the cliffside toward the black waters below, taking my usefulness with it.

I’ll find another way to prove myself.

Brandur slips a pouch from his belt and dips his finger into the white powder inside. He licks it. I raise a questioning brow at Finnian, but he doesn’t look the slightest bit worried about our strong man ingesting hallucinogens. Brandur slinks away, leaving the rest of us alone.

“So Brandur’s Gift is pretty neat,” Finnian whispers. “After eating a bit of sugar, he can see the essence of lifeforms. Even through walls.”

So it’s not drugs. What a relief. “Handy, and yet it must irritate him in a crowded place like Mythos.”

Finnian nods. “Since he can see them through walls but not see through the walls beyond what’s in front of him, it can be hard for him to tell how far away the lifeforms are. Still, it’s good for telling how many people are in a house.”

“I should stay out here and keep watch,” Maeve whispers. “Four would be a crowd in there, right?”

“It would be a tad harder to maintain our stealth. We planned the heist so we’d only need two thieves, anyway,” Finnian replies. “If any guards come sniffing, apologize for loitering and walk off till they’re gone.”

Maeve starts to acknowledge the order, but Brandur returns. “There are five humanoids and three animals inside,” he says. “Lord Snow-Shod sleeps on the upper story with his three sniveling children. Lady Snow-Shod is in Torok for a wedding. That means the fifth is their housecarl.”

“A bodyguard for noblemen,” Finnian explains at my questioning look.

Brandur continues. “The housecarl is young and inexperienced. The rumor on the street is she earned the job warming the lord’s bed, not guarding it. Still, an axe is an axe, and she knows how to use it.”

“Great,” I mutter.

“Expect a guard dog, but I’ve also seen a cat slink in and out their doors.”

Finnian nods. “Good job. Maeve is staying behind, so it’ll be us three inside. The map will be in Lord Snow-Shod’s study. Right where all his guests can admire it.” To me, he adds, “Don’t step anywhere except where we do.”