Page 6 of The Malice of Moons and Mages (The Broken Bonds of Magic #1)
Six
Audra
A udra tugged fresh clothes onto the unconscious man. He was heavier than he looked, and his pockets had been disappointingly empty. She piled the bloody clothing in the corner before brushing the hair from his face. He was, by general standards, attractive with a straight nose, sharp jaw, and high cheekbones set in an oval face. There was something familiar about him, though she swore she’d never seen him before. But, even in sleep, his expression was disagreeable.
She’d already decided to hate him.
From his Moon robes to his finery, there were multiple strikes against him. And the length of his hair and smoothness of skin must have come from years steeped in magic. It reminded her of her mother, difficult to tell their true age.
Don’t trust anyone not of our tribe , her mother, Lorah, used to say. No matter if they’re southern or northern. They’ll want to control or destroy you eventually. We can only trust our own.
Or a dragon. Zin added after Lorah died.
As Chon predicted, the storm passed by mid-afternoon. Audra would have to bargain with him, offer a deal that wouldn’t involve him putting anything anywhere. She was dozing against the wall when the door flew open, barely missing her shoulder.
Toman’s hulking figure filled the doorway. The combination of waning adrenaline and ensuing exhaustion made his thick face uglier. His eyes raked over the sleeping man before settling hungrily on her.
“Captain wants you in his office. Said to bring his clothes.”
She wrapped the garments in her arms and stood. Toman braced himself in the narrow doorframe, forcing her to duck under his arm and scrape against his side. He sniffed and chuckled in a way that made her skin crawl. “You smell good, boy.”
“All I smell is rat.” She’d intended it as an insult, but Toman only chuckled.
Chon waited behind his desk: wan face illuminated by the yellowish hue of the all’ight that warmed the wood interior. She placed the clothing on the desk.
“Has he said anything?” He flipped the shirt over and back, pretending to examine it.
Any decent thief knew a test when it appeared. Every job was a test of skills, survival, and success. This was no different, and Audra’s instincts cautioned against mentioning the mage’s wounds. “He’s still sleeping.”
Chon frowned, continuing to rifle through the man’s garments. She’d buried the bloody bits inside the dryer ones. Thankfully, Chon chose to focus on the robe. He traced the inner lining, pausing on the top star, and refolded them without examining the others.
“Anything in his pockets?”
Audra shook her head.
“Do you know who he is?”
Again, with the test. It was just terrible luck that she’d had a bit more experience with the Moon tribe than anyone should ever want, but when Chon asked, only one answer would do: ignorance. “Should I?”
He licked his teeth before giving a small shrug. “He’s probably of no great importance.”
The test continued. “Those are the finest silks I’ve ever seen. He’s a rich man somewhere.” She paused, letting her words settle. “We can get a good ransom for him.”
He chuffed. “ We ? Me, my crew, yes. You?” He walked around the desk toward her. “How long did you think to deceive me?”
Her hand hovered above her pocket where the dagger pressed against her thigh.
Chon’s expression was grim. “Little thief, what should I do with you?”
“I haven’t stolen anything from you,” she lied.
“Only because you’ve nowhere to hide it,” he said, tilting his head. “I should’ve known when we found you. The guards had swept through the night before we disembarked, but they were searching for a woman. The writ they served had a bad sketch and, I must admit, it wasn’t a very good likeness.”
Never give too much away, better to let people draw their own conclusions and manipulate their assumptions. Audra waited.
“Usually we only get rats on board, didn’t know we’d caught a mouse too.” Chon winked.
She scowled. The mouse of the Western tribe—it wasn’t a nickname she’d have chosen since it combined two seemingly powerless things. But after years of stealing everything from jewels to cattle, the moniker stuck and it was pointless getting worked up about something already done.
“You’re lucky those Callaway guards didn’t figure out who you were. Pretty sure I saw a similar poster in Port Praya with a hefty reward on your head. Brave of you to delve into Starling territory.” He crossed his arms, a glimmer of respect brightened his eyes. “What is the mouse stealing to warrant such attention?”
Her hand relaxed. Better to be a bounty than a target for other things. “Nothing that made it onto this ship. Nothing of value to anyone like you.” He frowned as she continued, “I’m worth more alive.”
“Maybe, but there’s no telling what shape you might be in.”
Her fingers trailed to the dagger’s hilt. She didn’t like violence but knew where a blade should go to silence someone while they died. Of course, then she’d have the rest of the crew to contend with. “If you think I’ll let you touch me?— ”
Chon scoffed. His expression full of genuine offense. “You think I’d ...?” He shook his head. “I’m not that desperate, though some on board might think differently.”
“What then?” she asked.
“Could use a decent thief,” he said. “Agree to do a couple of jobs and I’ll keep your secret.”
She crossed her arms. “And after?”
“You can go your merry way.”
“You won’t tell the crew?”
“That you’re the western mouse?” he asked.
“That I’m a woman,” she said.
He tapped his fingers on the desk, considering. “Probably best to lock you in with the stranger. Wealthy men aren’t used to such tawdry conditions, are they? He’ll need tending to.”
Chon could turn her in at Oxton or kill her. But his sort always needed illegal things done, and they hated risking their own. Plus, Chon didn’t think she knew what the man was and, better for him, she was expendable.
“Fine. I get the key. Come and go as I please that way.”
He smiled. “Imagine that? A mouse who hates being trapped.”