Colette rose and went to her grandmother’s side. Talisa’s mobility issues were the main reason she could no longer live by herself. Her body was declining, but her mind was sharp as a whip. The pain and swelling in her joints was manageable when treated with a specific blend of rather expensive herbs. The cost of medication, in combination with Colette’s lack of a job and her grandmother’s dwindling savings, had led Colette to try her hand at redistributing some of the wealth from Zhava City’s oblivious nobles.
Talisa took Colette’s offered arm and slowly rose from her sofa. Her grandmother always smelled of strong black tea and night-blooming jasmine. The two women made their way across the apartment to the bedroom, where Colette made sure her grandmother was comfortable before retreating to their tiny kitchen to find something to eat.
Colette had told her grandmother about her…“line of work”as she had called it. The older woman had snorted a laugh upon hearing Colette’s reasoning, saying Colette might as well help other common folk with the proceeds of her efforts. Zhava City was not known for its care of its poorer citizens, so it had been an easy decision to make. Now, Colette spent her time distributing purses of coin discreetly when she wasn’t staking out her next target. What had started out of boredom and necessity had grown into something Colette was truly passionate about—helping people. Putting a bunch of pretentious rich people in their place was a bonus.
Her muscles had started to ache in a pleasant way now that she was a few hours past the exertion of the break-in. She stretched her arms over her head as she stared at their shelves of food, trying to decide what she would eat and finally settling on a soft round of flatbread and a ripe joulum fruit. A bite of the deep purple stone fruit sent its tart, sweet flavor bursting across her tongue. She savored the silky feel of the fruit as a bit of juice trickled down her chin. The sensation sent her back to the last time she had been with a lover; they had shared a joulum, a known aphrodisiac, and had spent long moments licking tiny rivulets of its juice from each other’s skin.
It felt like an eternity ago. Colette wasn’t shy about taking lovers, but she had grown a bit bored with her prospects in recent months. She wanted something more, something exciting andreal. She thought back to the suggestive letter she had left to Zhava City’s stern Captain of the Guard and chuckled. CaptainMav Azimi was a manticore, a rare sight in Sartya’s more populated areas. Colette had only laid eyes on the Captain once, at the first and only royal address she had attended the first year she came back to Sartya.
Captain Azimi had been strikingly beautiful that day, in her sculpted leather armor that left the soft golden fur of her midriff on display. She was tall and fierce, her face that of a lion’s, but more expressive. Colette imagined her hair resembled a lion’s mane, but she had it slicked back and braided tightly so that her furry rounded ears stood out as part of her silhouette. Her wings and scorpion tail had made her an imposing figure standing on the dais in front of the gathered crowd.
Perhaps Captain Azimi would prove to be the excitement Colette wanted so desperately.
Chapter Four
Mav surveyed the studyand was distracted by how truly ostentatious all of the decor was. She tried to ignore her aversion to the opulence before her—she had grown used to ignoring it now that she was stationed at the palace—but she found herself struggling to care that this noble had been robbed. It was her job to care, and she did because of its effect on her career…but that was all the concern she could muster. Perhaps it made her selfish. She would examine that thought more later.
The early morning sun filled the study with its plum-colored light as Mav stared down at the small writing desk. According to standard crime scene protocols, no one had touched anything. She studied the graceful scrawl of the letters on the page as she reread the note for the fifth time.
“A better use for that intense focus”? Was this thief…flirting with her? Mav’s mind wandered to what it would be like to come face-to-face with the thief. Despite her frustration with the situation, she could acknowledge the individual’s talent; maybeeven admire it. She wondered if there was a deeper reason for this thief’s actions.
She cleared her throat and pushed the curiosity from her mind. She was here to bring this individual to justice, not to harbor some strange fascination for a criminal. Even if the thought of doing something, just because she wanted to, sent her pulse racing.
Turning to the small team of guards that accompanied her, she said, “Make note of every detail. It is obviously the same culprit; their signature manner of subduing the guards was used this time as well. We need to station city guards at the other nobles’ homes for the time being, since private security is clearly no match for this person. See it done.” Her lieutenant nodded at her command and launched into action directing the rest of the guards.
When the other guards were fully engrossed in their tasks, her eyes drifted back to the note. Perhaps, if this thief wanted to play…Mav should join the game.
Chapter Five
Colette sat at along table sticky with age and use; the sounds of the merry little crowd were a welcome familiarity. This tiny tavern was one of the businesses she supported with her thieving every now-and-then. The owners were good people, and they often struggled to make ends meet because of their generosity. They never turned away someone who was hungry, coin or no. It also happened to be the preferred meeting spot for off-duty private guards employed by the noble families. These men and women were often commoners who took up private guard work because it was the best way to rise in economic status while staying close to their families in Zhava City. Colette often exploited this particular group; she spent time here to eavesdrop and collect information about possible targets. Since she lived in the neighborhood, no one questioned her presence.
She had just dropped off a small pouch of gold pieces with the owner, who of course insisted she should stay for a drink. So now she sat in the same spot she had sat in a hundred times, letting the ambience of this happy place pulse through her.
Her last job—when she had left her handsome Captain a note—had been a week ago, but she liked to lay low for a while after each successful theft. So, she would wait and help the people of the city where she could; and maybe, if she was lucky, she would bring someone home tonight. She kept a separate apartment nearby to have a bit of privacy from her grandmother when she needed it.
As Colette scanned the room, considering her prospects, a murmur rippled through the crowd gathered near the door. She turned to see what had caused the disturbance, and her eyes landed on a majestic golden furry face. Bright amber eyes immediately connected with hers across the crowded space. Colette felt the eye contact zing through her whole body; excitement and a hint of fear flooded her mind. The Captain of the Guard only looked away when some inebriated man had the misfortune to accidentally stumble into her.
Colette watched on, aware that she should probably make herself scarce on the off chance the Captain might know who she was. She couldn’t bring herself to move, though, waiting to see what the Captain would do next.
The collision didn’t cause the Captain to move even an inch, her lithe body all honed muscle. The only sign of her displeasure was the impatient rustle of her leathery wings. Despite their feline features, manticores stood upright and walked on two legs the majority of the time. From their knees to their shoulders, they were actually quite similar to a human…other than the fur, of course. The Captain’s scorpion-like tail curled tighter behind her in agitation at the man’s clumsiness. Her razor sharp stinger glistened in the tavern light with a tiny drop of venom at the tip.
Colette watched eagerly, hoping to see the Captain put the buffoon in his place. To Colette’s eternal disappointment, the stoic Captain instead took a deep breath and stepped away from the man. Colette would do just about anything to see thatmagnificent female lose control, she realized. She really should leave, but the fact that she was so close to her hunter, hiding in plain sight, was exhilarating.
Turning back to her sweaty mug of ale, Colette considered going over to the Captain. She wouldn’t really know who Colette was; that was just Colette’s natural caution causing her anxiety. If the Captaindidknow who she was, she would have been in custody the moment the Captain set eyes on her. Colette’s anonymity made her feel bold; this was the excitement she’d been missing.
She assumed the Captain was out in this part of town to make her own inquiries. She and the other city guards certainly weren’t regulars here. She knew it wasn’t wise, that it was playing with fire, but she couldn’t resist this opportunity to get closer. She took another long drink of her ale and rose from the bench, winding her way through the tavern until she slipped into place right next to the Captain. Her heart raced.
“We don’t often see members of the City Guard here, Captain. To what do we owe the pleasure?” Colette smiled at the barkeep as he nervously slid the Captain her own crisply-chilled mug. Private guards who were from this area were one thing, but everyone knew the only manticore in Zhava City was the Captain of the Guard. There was a beat of silence as the Captain nodded her thanks to the barkeep, but then she turned to look down at Colette.
“What’s your name?” The Captain’s creamy alto voice sent goosebumps racing down Colette’s arms. She found herself desperately wanting to tell the Captain her real name. It was reckless, but it wasn’t as if she had left her signature on her crime scenes.
“I’m Colette. And you are?”
“Mav Azimi, Captain of the Guard. Please, just call me Mav, though.”
“Right. Nice to meet you, Mav. So what brings you to our part of the city?” Colette found herself focused on the place where Mav’s lips connected with the rim of the mug as she took a sip of ale.
“Nothing in particular. I’ve lived in this city for almost ten years now, and I figured it was time I branched out a bit from my usual spot.” Mav wouldn’t have convinced a single person in the tavern with that lie, but Colette thought it was adorable that Mav had tried. If she had been anyone other than the exact thief the Captain was looking for, she wouldn’t have thought twice about why she was lying.
