Midnight Thoughts ~ Shadow & Bone

16

A few hours later, when everything was set up, Jesper, Inej, and I were waiting in the carriage for Kaz to finish telling Arken his job. Jesper drummed on his thighs as I leaned my head back on the seat behind me. Inej was silent as always until she spoke to me.

"Karlin," she murmured. I could hear a smile in her voice, and I cracked my eyes open to see her grinning, her eyes resting on my hands. More specifically, what rested on one of them. "Is that... Are you wearing Kaz's ring?" I was more alert now. I glanced down at the amethyst ring that rested on my pointer finger on my left hand. I shook my head quickly.

"No," I told her. "I'm not." It was a lie. The ring had come from Kaz. He had taken it from his house when he was a boy and wore it on a chain around his neck until he gave it to me. It would've meant a lot simply because it came from him, but when he told me it had belonged to his mother, I nearly broke down in tears.

"It is too!" Jesper claimed. "The amount of times I have seen him just sit and stare at that ring on his desk since I've known him is uncountable, and now you're wearing it." If it was possible, Inej's smile grew.

"Awww!" I rolled my eyes and shushed her as the door to the coach swung open, revealing the man himself standing outside. He nudged my leg with his cane, and I scooted over, making room for him to climb in. He knocked on the roof, and the carriage started moving. He looked around at the three of us.

"What were you all talking about?" he asked. My eyes widened.

"Nothing!" we yelled simultaneously. He furrowed his brows and shook his head.

"How on earth have I put up with the three of you together for eight years?" He sighed. "All right. Royal Archives heist. Here's the game plan." Jesper leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, and Inej and I watched Kaz closely. "Watchmen are on guard around the clock. We want to get in and get out as quietly as possible." He looked up at the Zemini boy across from me. "That means the hardware stays in the holster, Jesper." The tall boy sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Ugh, fine," he muttered. Kaz nodded and turned to Inej.

"Inej, the dome on the roof is directly above the repository where the blueprints to the Little Palace are kept." She nodded.

"Got it," she murmured. "That's my way in."

"I'll set a trail of phosphorus that will lead you straight to the target. The repository is secured at all times behind a two-part lock mechanism. So, Inej, you have to leave the way you came in." He glanced at me. "While I'm distracting the archivist, Karlin will go in to find the lighting valves. She'll mark her way back, and two hours after sunset is when you'll go in and follow the trail, Jesper. You'll need to blend in." The boy smirked.

"Easy." Inej nodded.

"I'll take my cue once I see the lights go out. And then follow your trail straight to the blueprints." Kaz glanced out the window as we got closer to the Archives.

"The archivist has to pull them a number of times a day, so we can't steal them or they'll know something is up." She shrugged.

"So? Make a copy." He nodded.

"But careful. If you're heavy-handed, you'll bleed the ink."

"I know what I'm doing." The carriage stopped, and Kaz sighed, adjusting his hat as he stepped out. I nodded to the other two as he closed the door and quietly exited the coach on the other side. I jogged around the side of the entrance, looking around and spotting an open window on the second floor. I pulled my scarf up over my face and jumped, latching onto a ledge and pulling myself up. Once I reached the window, I pulled out a knife before peering inside. There was no one in the hall, so I carefully stepped inside.

I stayed close to the walls, blending in with the small shadows as I traversed the floor. I eventually reached a dead end, and I sighed, annoyed, before turning and going back the way I came. As I walked towards the other side of the building, I passed the stairwell to the lower floor, mentally marking it so I could find my way out later. I trailed my fingers lightly along the wall as I walked, and finally I found the valves that Jesper would turn off later. I grinned and turned back, but I froze when I heard voices.

I looked around the area, spotting a small alcove with a few shelves of cleaning supplies. I ducked into the narrow hall as the voices grew closer. Because the area was facing the west, it was still light outside, and I could clearly see the hallway. I groaned and drew the shadows in the alcove closer together, making it harder to see. I could still view the hall, but hopefully my dark clothes would make me virtually invisible.

After a moment, two guards passed by, conversing casually as they patrolled the halls. I gulped as they walked away and stayed in place until they passed again, this time going back towards the stairwell. I sighed in relief and stepped cautiously out of the alcove. I took a deep breath and set off back down the hallway, marking the wall with a small 'X' every five feet so Jesper could find his way to the valves.

When I reached the stairs, I peered over the edge of the railing. I could see Kaz standing by the desk at the front of the lobby, and I clicked my teeth quietly. He looked up, spotting me, and glanced around the room before nodding to me. I quickly and quietly made my way down the stairs, running over to him.

"You found them?" he asked in a hushed voice. I sighed.

"Did you really doubt me?" He rolled his eyes and nodded towards the door.

"Go on, get out of here. Meet Jesper and Inej at the carriage, I'll be out in a few minutes." I nodded and ran out of the building, jogging down the block and around the corner before climbing inside the small coach.

so fun fact, this is exactly where Swan Song ended, like this was how many chapters it had

and we're only to this point.

i have a problem  😅