Under the Flowers

Chapter 1 | To Catch a Thief

Lorraine, France

April 7, 1887

To Cordelia Sallows, only two things mattered at the moment: Her dress and the 60ft tall manor. Well that, and the fact she was dangling off the west side of the wall like an untrained acrobat. Her dress on the other hand...

"Blasted skirt!" Cordelia muttered as she yanked at her crimson dress, stuck in the latticework of the large mansion.

She yanked at the skirt to release the fabric but felt herself begin to tip away from the painted trim. A spark of fear shot down into her stomach and she gasped, pressing herself to the side of the house. Then silently cursed herself for making a noise, she placed a hand across her chest, willing her pounding heart to calm.

If she got caught... No, she would not let herself think like that. She would not get caught. She was Cordelia Sallows and she was the best.

Shaking off the fear trying to grip her, she continued her climb. It was one of the largest houses she'd even stolen from. The pale stone was harsh on her fingers and the sheer height was enough to make her stomach turn. But, once she had that painting or vase or priceless jewel, all her troubles would be worth it.

Once she was halfway up the house, she paused and looked for the entrance she had spotted earlier. There, an open window.

The house had been shut up for years, windows boarded and doors sealed. It had taunted her with its grand front garden and wide marble steps leading to the double door entrance. It was easily the nicest house on the street, something meant to be tucked away as a countryside estate. And yet here it stood. Waiting to be challenged. Waiting for her.

Cordelia had been walking home when she spotted the open window. After months of waiting, it was finally hers. And she was ready for it.

She moved like a snake in the water, slithering through the thick vines clinging to cold stone.

A crisp breeze caught a strand of her dark hair, blowing across her face, temporarily blinding her. Deftly brushing it away she looked back towards the window. No candle was lit, which meant she would have to work in complete darkness. Good, that was how she liked it. She tugged the heavy, black cloak tighter against her body. Her mother's voice rang in her head, Get in quick, get out faster. Don't let a single soul see your face. Kill if you have to. Don't leave a trace. Do you understand, Cordelia?

While other girls were learning embroidery or baking, Cordelia was picking locks and throwing daggers. She could not kill though. That was her biggest failure. Her parents' biggest disappointment. She claimed it was too messy, inelegant even. But the truth was, it scared her. The idea of taking a person from this earth, leaving a rotting corpse of bones and meat behind was... too much. What if they come back to haunt me? She thought and immediately wrinkled her nose, angry at herself for letting the notion enter her head. If her parents knew she did not kill because she was afraid of ghosts... she would probably be disowned... or killed.

Cordelia was at the window now, clutching the thick vines that swallowed the entire house. She waited, listening for sounds of life. When she was sure the coast was clear, she peeked her head in, then followed with the rest of her body. The floor beneath her feet groaned and Cordelia winced. Not a good start. She convinced her body to feel weightless as she made her way across the darkened room. From what she could tell, it was a sitting room, done in light blues and golds, with dark velvet couches surrounding a large fireplace. Cordelia hovered her hand above the coals. Still warm. That would explain the open window. In this brisk weather, it was not uncommon to light fires, but it was not cold enough to constantly have a fire going. It must have gotten too stuffy in the large room, so they opened a window to let some cool night air in. Idiots. It was somehow reassuring to know the majority of the world continued to stay unintelligent and simpleminded. She let herself slightly relax and looked around the room.