Page 25 of Winds of Darkness
And he held his sister while she took her last breath, staring at the sunny sky with a smile on her face.
The Fire
Court Third
Six Years Later
“Idon’t even get the courtesy of being seen in his Highness’s throne room?” the thief griped as Rayner led him down a hall at the Fiera Palace in Solembra. The thief craned his neck to peer into the formal dining room, then looked back at the door they’d stopped in front of. “Really? A fucking pantry?”
Rayner didn’t say anything, letting his ashes push open the door as he shoved the thief through.
The Fire Prince was seated at a table, dealing two hands of cards. He looked up when the door opened, that arrogant grin Rayner saw so often these days appearing. “I was beginning to worry,” Sorin said, dealing the last few cards. He nodded at the one empty seat. “Sit.”
The thief looked over his shoulder at Rayner. “I’m to watch you two play cards?”
Rayner rolled his eyes. “He’s talking to you, you dick. Just sit down.” He stepped around the thief, moving to the bar that ran along the back of the room.
“That one’s for you,” Sorin said, pointing at a full liquor glass beside the cards he’d dealt.
The thief’s golden eyes bounced back and forth between the Fire Prince and the Ash Rider. Rayner just sent him a taunting smile.
“I am not going to bite,” Sorin drawled, taking a sip of his own liquor.
“No. You’ll just toss me in your cells for a time,” the thief bit back.
Sorin sighed. “Sit down, Cyrus. I have a proposition for you.”
Cyrus’s eyes narrowed. “How do you know my name?”
The prince sat back in his chair, swirling his glass, the ice clinking. “I know a lot about you. I know you grew up in my port city of Aelyndee, but have not been back there in decades. I know you have been a thief since you could walk. I know you have swindled more people than I can count. I know you have been robbing some of the wealthier of my subjects.”
Cyrus opened his mouth to speak, but Sorin held up his hand. Rayner took a sip from his glass to hide his smirk.
He’d been working for Sorin since he came back from the islands six years ago. The prince and Eliné had helped find homes for all the innocent people he’d freed from the colony. In fact, the Water and Fire Princes had been waiting for them when they docked in the Water Court. Once they had all been settled, Rayner had taken the time he’d needed to refill his magic reserves, but he’d kept his word. He’d had people looking into this thief Sorin was having troubles with. They had quite a few leads for him to follow, and as soon as his reserves were full several months later, he’d started looking into all of them. They’d eventually led him to Cyrus, where he’d watched him single-handedly pickpocket an entire tavern in minutes and then walk into a wealthy district and do the same thing at a theater.
Rayner could have brought him in that very day, but Sorin had asked him to watch the male. Learn about him. Figure out why it had taken them so long to catch up with him. Figure out what made him so godsdamn good at what he did. Rayner could admit he was looking forward to seeing the male’s reaction to Sorin’s proposition.
“I also know you are an excellent thief because you can readpeople,” Sorin was saying. “You have learned to watch others and figure out what makes them tick. You know how to find weaknesses and exploit them. You know how to do this without the other person realizing they have been swindled until it is done and you are long gone. That is talent, my friend.” He tipped his glass in salute at Cyrus before taking another drink.
“I know I’m good at what I do,” Cyrus drawled, swiping up his cards and putting them in order. “If you dragged me all the way here to congratulate me on effectively robbing your subjects, you could have just asked me to come. You didn’t need to send the Ash Rider after me.”
“His name is Rayner,” Sorin said conversationally, organizing his own hand. “Between him and his network of contacts, we have had eyes on you for a few years now.”
“Fucking busybodies,” Cyrus muttered, tossing some coin onto the table.
Sorin shrugged, placing his own bet in the middle of the table. “It is my job to protect my subjects’ best interests. That includes learning who is robbing them blind.”
Cyrus tossed his cards onto the table, pulling the coin towards himself. “Great. You solved the riddle. What are you going to do with me now?”
“Offer you a job.”
“Fuck off,” Cyrus snorted, picking up the glass and taking a long drink.
Sorin placed his forearms on the table, leaning in to Cyrus. “I meant what I said, Cyrus. You have a unique talent. One I could use in my Court.”
“You want me toworkfor you?”
“Workwithme.”