Christine D'Abo - Wizard's Thief, New folder 1, ebook, pdf

[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
An Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publication
www.ellorascave.com
Wizard’s Thief
ISBN 9781419915260
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Wizard’s Thief Copyright © 2008 Christine d’Abo
Edited by Briana St. James.
Cover art by Syneca.
Electronic book Publication February 2008
With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in
part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing,
Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502.
Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal
copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is
punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/)
This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales
is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the authors’ imagination and used fictitiously.
W
IZARD
’
S
T
HIEF
Christine d’Abo
Christine d’Abo
Chapter One
Callie lowered her body from the stone opening that acted as a window and let
herself drop into the blackness of the room. Her heart pounded so hard in her chest she
figured the sentries would hear it and come running. Not that they’d be expecting an
outsider to be stupid enough to break into the Warren.
She wasn’t stupid, just desperate.
Turning her ear toward the door, she closed her eyes and strained to hear any
indication that someone was outside. The silence that greeted her was more unnerving
than comforting.
“Are you alive?” Tarin’s harsh whisper filtered down to her from above.
“Yes. Shut up before they hear you,” she spat back.
What the hell was she
doing
here? Of course, she
knew
the answer to the question
and she hadn’t any say in the matter, either. She was the only one small enough to fit
through the window. And when Tarin wanted her to do a job, there was no arguing.
There had to be easier ways to survive in this godforsaken city than to work for a
master criminal. Sneaking around the Warren trying to steal something that belonged to
the wizard’s guild was beyond stupid. Her life would come to a very abrupt end if
anyone caught her.
“Go fetch, girl. I’ll wait for you by the tree at dawn. You’d better not be late.”
Callie watched as the shadowed head of her boss disappeared from sight.
“Coward,” she muttered.
No getting out of this now.
Not at least until she had the stone.
The bottoms of her deerskin boots didn’t make a sound against the stone floor as
she picked her way carefully through the storage room to the large wooden door. The
4
Wizard’s Thief
leather wrap she wore to pin her breasts down was pulled tighter than normal, making
it hard to breathe. She’d have to be careful not to get too hot and let the leather chafe
her skin.
Callie wrapped her fingers around the cold metal of the door’s latch and said a
silent prayer to the goddess that’d she’d be able to pull off yet another brilliant robbery.
The hinges made a low scraping noise as she released the latch. The sound echoed in
the room for only a moment before she pulled the door slowly open.
The inch of space between the door and the jam let in a blinding light, forcing Callie
to let her eyes adjust. The hall outside was empty.
Good
. Tarin had chosen tonight
because the wizards would be busy. She’d wanted to know why, but when Callie asked,
she’d gotten a slap across the face instead of an answer.
“It’s none of your fucking business why,” he’d growled and grabbed her by the
arm. “They’ll be busy in the east wing. You’ll be in the west. In and out.”
Of course, it was
never
as easy as in and out, but she wasn’t about to argue with
Tarin when he was in one of his moods. The beatings were usually worth the
satisfaction of proving herself right, but not before she had to sneak around a castle full
of wizards who’d kill her on sight for what she was about to do.
Callie waited a full five minutes, listening to the sounds of the Warren at night.
Only once did the rumble of voices reach her ears and she could tell they were nowhere
near her.
Okay, girl, here we go.
Stepping out into the hallway kick-started her adrenaline, which made her head
buzz with excitement. If anyone turned the corner, they’d see her easily. She needed to
find cover. She jogged silently down the hall toward the nearest junction and peeked
around the corner. Still empty.
Where the fuck are these wizards hiding?
Tarin’s directions were running over and over in her mind. If all went well, she’d
beat him back to the tree. Down the hall, two rights, fifth door on the left. Looking
5
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

Podobne