Their Thief: Redemption

Chapter 17 (Part 4)

She kicked a book aside before beginning to make her way around the register. Before she could turn and spot me, I silently leaped back a step before ducking into the first row of books. Crouching on my heels. I pressed my back against the shelves held in place by the weight of bound paper as I listened to the conversation continue. A cold shelf dug into my spine as my heart tried to drown out what she was saying.

"Well, almost," Alicia reluctantly admitted. "I was able to arrive just as she and the Fae pulled up to the shop. The front door was unlocked. While I made my way around she had an opportunity to enter and take a look around. She noticed the untouched state of everything. I told her the shop had been closed since she left due to being short-staffed on such short notice and it seemed to appease her suspicions."

I held my breath as her voice grew louder as her steps carried her closer. A burn began to form in my lungs as the pounding of my heart grew louder in my ears. I hadn't noticed that my arms had wrapped around me in comfort until I found myself clawing at the mark on my neck. I slowly drew in another breath.

"She asked about Magnus and Jane," Alicia continued, her voice sounding cautious all of a sudden.

I rose to my feet as her voice sounded on just the other side of the bookshelf. Turning, I watched through the narrow space above a row of books as she walked towards me, her eyes focused outside the window that faced the street.

"I told her that I was having issues contacting them," she said after a pause. Her voice wavering as she continued. "But that I-I would pass along her message." Another pause followed. "She wanted to... t-thank them. For everything."

She came to a stop at the end of the row, right in front of me. Grimacing as she pulled the phone away from her ear. I could faintly hear why. Putting it to her ear again, I watched as her mouth opened and closed as she struggled to continue. She stood inches away from me, I was surprised she hadn't heard the thumping of my heart.

"Forgive me if I'm overstepping my boundaries, your majesty," Alicia said, swallowing hard. "But... are you going to tell her the truth?"

My jaw tightened as her words confirmed what I had already pieced together. They were lying to me.

The realization had the thrashing of my heart come to a sudden stop as Alicia's wariness had another thought draining the blood from my face.

Had they done something to the pair who had been so kind to me?

The obtrusive thought had me reaching out for the shelf in front of me as I felt the ground being pulled from beneath me. It wasn't like it was out of the realm of possibilities. I knew they would have checked into the older couple's background, but to bring another two into the fold that killed them...

Anger and grief had my feet moving. It didn't take much to conclude what had happened when they had left without notice, leaving only a letter behind. Staged the same way my prompt departure was to not raise suspicions.

I just didn't know it was my suspicions that were being kept from being raised.

I stepped out of the row and rounded it to step into Alicia's line of sight. She let out a gasp of surprise, but before recognition could follow, her body was moving.

My eyes widened as I watched her shift to swing her leg up, the move only possible because of the high split in her skirt that threatened to rip further while riding up at the move.

Instead of being frozen by fear, a sense of calm washed over me as I began to move on autopilot. Ducking, I effortlessly moved out of the way as Alicia brought her leg down, aiming for my head. I was barely able to move out of the way of her attack before her foot had the metal of the shelf caving in and splitting open on impact.