Thief Read online

sword he felt the familiar tingle that always accompanied its release from its scabbard. The thief’s eyes were fixed on his sword. He gripped the pommel tightly with his right hand and with the sword pommel up, took a step towards her. She shrank back from him and hugged her arms tightly to her side.

  “I won’t hurt you,” he said. “I just want to try something.” He reached out with his other hand and grabbed her wrist. She was much stronger than she looked but after initial resistance, she relaxed. He covered her right hand with his left and then pushed them both down on the pommel of his sword.

  Kane gasped and almost dropped his sword. Heat crept up his sword arm and settled into every nerve and muscle and sinew of his body. It was similar to the tingle he usually felt when wielding his sword - but magnified … ten times … a hundred times. And the light! His sword glowed with a brilliant blue-white light that illuminated every inch of the cell. Eyes wide, he looked into one green eye and one brown eye and he wondered that her face did not reflect his own surprise.

  Kane dropped her hand and took a quick step back and the light went out. His hands shook when he slid his sword into its scabbard and he focused on getting thoughts under control. By Jik, what had just happened? All his years in the Brotherhood and never once had he heard of old steel reacting in that way. Even now his sword hummed in a way that it never had before. Had the knife the thief tried to steal hummed as well?

  “I know how the priest could give such a good description of you.” His voice was still a little shaky. A quick look over his shoulder told him that Andel had also seen what had happened.

  The thief backed away from him until once again she stood with her back against the cell wall. She mumbled something under her breath and Kane took a step closer, thinking his nerves were strung so tight he must have misunderstood. “What did you say?”

  “It was nothing, just an old saying my mother taught me.”

  “Repeat it!” Kane was now only two steps away from her. “Now.”

  “Why? Oh brothers, er, all right. It doesn’t even mean anything. Brothers by the throne.”

  Kane looked back at Andel, who simply stared at the woman, eyes wide.

  “Finish it!” He realized he’d been harsh when her body tightened defensively.

  “Please, do you know the rest?” He was reeling but forced himself to be calm.

  “The rest?” The two differently coloured eyes looked past him to Andel and then settled back on Kane’s face with a puzzled expression. “You mean this? Brothers by the throne look to me to save the line?”

  Kane closed his eyes and concentrated on keeping his breathing even and quieting his racing pulse. She had rushed the words, there was no sense she’d understood the meaning at all, but the words … they were all there. When he felt under control he opened his eyes and looked at her face - a plain face that, except for one green eye and one brown, he wouldn’t notice in a crowd. Yet this woman, this ordinary, unremarkable woman, had just changed the whole course of his life.

  Kane turned to Andel. “You know what this means?”

  “Aye, it means it’s finally come, what we been waiting for all these years.” Andel turned a lopsided grin towards the prisoner. “I’ll be truthful lass, I coulda done without this on my watch.”

  “As could I,” Kane agreed. “Even though as a boy I wanted this more than anything.” Kane turned back to the thief. From the puzzled look on her face he was sure she had no idea of the importance of the phrase she’d just uttered. Interesting that she had no idea.

  “I should introduce myself. I’m Kane Rowse, Captain of the Kingsguard, and you are?” Kane stretched his hand out in formal greeting, not sure she would actually respond. She searched his eyes at length before replying.

  “Brenna, I’m called. If you must have a last name, make it Lightfingers.” She crossed her arms and hugged them to her chest.

  Kane nodded and his hand dropped to his side. It would have to be enough for now, though there was certain to be some discussion of her real name and background. Speaking the Call and her reaction to old steel were enough for him, although he knew that after all these years, all these generations, some would need more.

  “Brenna,” he spoke to her softly, “you are now under the protection of the Brotherhood. I’m not sure this will mean anything to you so I ask that you have some faith and trust in us. Andel, I’ll have Greig and Connell take over for you later. I imagine you’ll need to swear witness at the meet. I’ll get word to you of the details once I’ve spoken to my uncle. I’ll have Dasid coordinate the guards in here. We’ll need two at all times. Ask Jervis to come let me out.” Kane sent an apologetic glance Brenna’s way. “Unfortunately we’ll need to keep you in here overnight, at the very least. Nor can we offer you more than the usual comforts, I’m afraid. We don’t want to rouse any suspicions.”

  Kane glanced at the prisoner once more before Jervis led him from the outer room. He had often, as had all youngsters first brought into the Brotherhood, dreamed that he would be the first to hear the Call. He had never once conceived of anything as unlikely as this. He must report to his uncle at once.

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