The Fire Eater: An Inkheart Fanfiction

🔥 The Castle of Night 🔥

Dustfinger took a deep breath, the fabric of his mask warm against his nose. The wind ruffled his ginger hair into his eyes, but he made no move to brush it away. The shingles were cold beneath his bare feet. He tightened his fingers over the hilt of his knife and slipped it carefully into his sleeve. Five years had passed since he joined the fire-raisers, yet anticipation knotted up his insides. The task Capricorn had given him seemed impossible, yet here he was, crouched on a rooftop before the silver walls of the Adderhead's castle. He should have been willing to complete any task, no matter how daunting, but he was a coward at heart. This was the last place he wanted to be.

He heard the quiet footsteps of his friend Maalik following on the rooftop behind him. Dustfinger crouched at the edge and peered across at the window on the opposite building. The Castle of Night stood before them, its walls made of silver under the moonlight. Dustfinger lowered his head and stared down at the street far below him. He could do this. He had to do this. He owed Capricorn his life.

"Careful." Maalik hissed behind him, still crouching on the roof, his shoulders hunched down.

Dustfinger looked back at him. The night left Maalik's face in obscurity, though perhaps it was the cloth mask he wore. He and Dustfinger had met as orphaned thieves on the streets of Argenta, and they'd become fast friends. He was one of the only people who knew Dustfinger's birth name. Maalik's hair and skin matched the darkest of shadows. He had strong ties with the motley folk who sometimes called him "the black prince".

"Why?" Dustfinger whispered as he adjusted the cloth on his face. "Are you afraid?"

Maalik chuckled. "Don't mess up again or Capricorn will have both our necks."

Dustfinger took a few steps back, ran forward, and jumped. His feet touched the silver window sill and he grabbed the frame, steadying his footing and regaining his balance. Dustfinger let out a breath of relief beneath his mask and turned to the window, peeking inside.

The darkness filled the room with a stagnant cold; nothing stirred. The world behind the glass was fast asleep. He reached into the pocket of his jerkin and pulled out a thin rod with a curved hook at the end. He held it delicately in his nimble fingers and inserted it into the crack between the window panes. He moved it upwards until he heard the familiar click of the hook catching on the latch.

"Got it," He breathed. He brought the rod upward and out, lifting the latch on the inside. Once the latch was free, he pulled the hook towards him and the window opened. The hinges squeaked, and he winced, sucking in a breath. He peered inside but nothing stirred.

He gave the okay to Maalik, who signaled to Firefox who waited below on the ground. The boy ran off down the alley. He would tell Capricorn they had made it inside and they would wait for him at the side door. Dustfinger crawled through the window and dropped to the floor, his bare feet hitting the cold stone. He surveyed the room. Moonlight filtered in through the window and touched the rug, revealing faint color in the blankets of shadow surrounding him. It was the servant's quarters. A chest lay on the floor to his right, but it was too small to contain any weapons.

Dustfinger looked to the bed, where a man lay sleeping. The thin blankets rose and fell as he snored quietly. A pair of work boots and a plain leather jacket were propped up next to the bed. He turned away and carefully opened the chest. It contained only a few changes of clothes and a small bag of coins. Maalik came into the room behind him. "Did you find anything?" He whispered, eyeing the sleeping servant.

Dustfinger shook his head, closing the chest. "No."

"Then let's go." Maalik edged towards the door. With his feet on solid ground, Maalik pushed his shoulders back as he took the lead.