Page 25 of A Thief to Die For

I eye her, warily. ‘Give me a reason not to turn you in.’ So much for finesse.

I flinch as her knife suddenly flies by my head, pinging off a tree. Anger slams through me – at her, but also at me, for letting her have the chance. Anyone else, and I’d have them tied up and kissing the ground. Begging for their life.

‘You have until morning, and then all bets are off. Stay and you’ll find out what other raids I can convince the Commander you’ve done.’

I’m breathing hard, anger pulsing in my blood as she runs off. She wants to play dirty with lies? Fine. But it’s black and white – she’s stealing. Let’s see how the Commander handles the truth.

‘Isee him,’ Lucky says, peering through his scope in the morning light. ‘He’s coming.’

‘Good,’ I let out a breath in relief – not only for Brother Thomas recognising my call signal, spotting the sickle-shaped rock I left for him on the road to the mine, but for him being able to sneak away. Hopefully unnoticed.

Lucky mounts his horse with a guttural groan before lifting the long scope again to sweep the forest around us.

I stop my fidgeting. ‘Why’re you groaning like that?’

His face relaxes, comforted that I’d ask. ‘Same reason as before. That spot. Death is chasing me.’

My brows furrow. ‘What did Grendle say when you saw her?’

Lucky scowls. ‘I don’t know. It didn’t make sense. She lost me when she started squeezing my tongue.’

‘I’m sorry, wha–?’

‘Marian,’ Brother Thomas says, interrupting us. He pants before taking the last few steep steps to where we are.

‘Thank you for coming,’ I say. ‘Did anyone see you?’

Brother Thomas winces. ‘Never can be sure.’

‘Right, let’s make this quick.’

‘I’ll patrol over here,’ Lucky says, steering his horse down the hill. ‘Listen for my call in case of intruders.’

I nod, then turn back to the tall, balding man with kind eyes and an even bigger heart. A heart that makes him risk exile every day.

He wipes the perspiration off his forehead. ‘I assume you want to finish our conversation?’

‘Yes,’ I say. Then I tell him everything I didn’t get to last night about Ryland catching me mid-raid, and now his threats. ‘Ryland’s supposed to meet with the Commander within the hour, and since he hasn’t left yet, we have to assume he’ll tell my secret. He saw you and me together. You’re in grave danger. Avoid him. And do everything you can to avoid me. This should be the last time we talk for a while.’

Brother Thomas’s brows rise.

‘Also, as long as Ryland’s here, I need to stop raiding.’ Secretly, part of me is relieved to say this. Even as a soldier, hardened by Coatl’s training, the risk takes a toll on me. I haven’t slept a full night in more than a year.

Brother Thomas’s lips press into a line. ‘That’s going to make things … difficult.’

I swallow hard. ‘How many are close to exile?’

‘Six adults are sick and haven’t been working in the mine. Can barely eat. But Clara has it the worst. Fever. Chills. Distended belly.’

I scratch my eyebrow, thinking. ‘Can Mrs Hutter do anything?’ She’s often the wisest among the Dresden for remedies.

‘With what medicine? There’s only so much she can do with boiled willow bark.’

This cursed place. ‘Okay. I’ll speak to Grendle; see what I can do.’

Benedict follows me, soaring in the overcast sky as I ride past the animal barns and gardens to the compound. He lands beside some tall grass as I tie my horse to the hitching post.

‘Sorry, no visit today,’ I say softly to him, and slip through a side door of the compound. Grendle’s infirmary is on the right. I knock.