Amongst Thieves

30.

Despite the pounding headache, Maize felt numb.

She knew the guards were watching her every step, but she barely paid attention to them. She'd slice their throats in a moment's notice if she cared enough. Which she didn't. Not anymore. Their deaths weren't even worth the effort of her attempting to complete the mission. There was no mission any longer. It was over. It was all over...

Ress betrayed her. They were supposed to be in this together, and he was more focused on Cade and his help than working with Maize in actually finding what they were supposed to focused on. They had a plan and he did not follow it. And now they were no closer to discovering the identity of Lusciana's Legacy than they were when they arrived, and they were so close to finally finding a solution. She was going to come clean to Laris, and he'd have had to listen to her rather than the lies Forge was spewing. But now there was no Legacy, no money, no escaping.

But none of that mattered anymore. Game over. Opportunity lost.

The guards stopped on either side of her door, insinuating they wouldn't enter while she packed up her belongings. It may have been stupid of them any other day but Maize didn't have the fight left in her. She stepped into the room and didn't even think of closing the door behind her. What was the point? She had nothing to hide, no more secrets to keep.

She found her pack and started stuffing it with her few personal belongings that mattered— since she was going to be walking back to the Den, she needed to pack comfortably since only she was going to be lugging it back on her shoulders alone.

She looked at her trunk with a tinge of distaste. She had bought it to keep the numerous ridiculous dresses she was going to wear for this farce, and for what? She didn't need any of them anymore, and it wasn't like it was her money she had wasted on them. The trunk and the useless garments would stay behind...

Except one.

Towards the bottom of the trunk she had stashed the black and red gown Laris gifted her without even knowing who she was. A time of innocence and ignorance, perhaps when she was more focused on her mission and mark rather than the prince's pretty face...

The dress was begrudgingly stuffed into the pack along with the pouch of whatever remaining money they had— she wasn't going to let Forge get his hands on that. She was about to stand, ready to put this all behind her, when one more thing at the bottom of the trunk caught her attention.

She reached into the trunk to pull out the leather-bound tome of the gifted copy of The Spectre's Vow.

"Fuck," she whispered to herself as she looked the volume over. She still hated this play, but—

"It's time to go," one of the faceless guards called from the doorway.

It definitely was.

Maize stuffed the useless book into her pack and stood, wiping her hands on her leggings before tracking down her cloak and wrapping it around her shoulders. She gave the room one more glance over and shook her head. No, there was nothing here for her anymore, not that there ever was to begin with, but for once— it would have been nice if there was.

Silently she returned to the hallways, and just as quietly the guards led her through the main entrance of the castle, through the foyer and out the grand entryway. Ironically, she entered through the sewers and left with such a display. She knew it was an attempt to disgrace her, to call her what she truly was, but anyone who was there she didn't care to acknowledge. Let the rumors fly once she was gone.

Let them laugh.

They'll be dead soon anyway.

There's nothing to laugh about in Hell.

It should have concerned her, but the pounding was almost welcome. It drowned out the actuality of her situation, the whispers and the sneers and the taunts. Even the stares seemed to fade away as she focused down on her feet, one booted foot in front of the other, until she was through the doors and escorted down the main drive.

When the gates closed behind her, Maize looked back at the castle only once, with the flutter of a shadow stepping away from the library window as her only send off.

***

The sun had fallen beyond the horizon line hours ago by the time Maize knocked on the entrance of the Den. No questions were asked of her as the doors drew open and Celese Drisker welcomed her back home with open arms.