Raven Girl

Chapter 1

Nadine paused as a terrible roar shook the ground beneath her boots, thrumming through her bones and turning her marrow to ice. She felt her muscles draw into bars even though she knew she was untouchable. Dripping water echoed through the dank tunnel, and she glanced up at a manhole above her, its tiny circle in the centre giving her a glimpse of light above. That light blinded her, although it was smaller than a penny. Oh, how she wanted to climb up, just to see what it was like with the sun shining...

The leathery thwap sound of wings sent a jolt down her spine as if she'd been whipped. She felt her shoulders rising and curling up to her jawline. No. She would never go up there. Not when monsters prowled the skies.

"Pull yourself together," she muttered, raking her spiky black hair back into a ponytail. Her black fur-lined coat whispered over her arms as it moved. She bent down to graze the knife in her boot with a fingertip before continuing on her way. Always, she had to check it was there. Always.

Nadine stole through the shadows like a wraith, revelling in the silence, her senses on high alert. She stalked on the balls of her feet, skin crackling with electric anticipation as she went through the plan in her head.

1. Scale the wall.

2. Disable the guards before they could sound the alarm.

3. Get the jewels.

4. Leave with all limbs intact.

5. Spend the money to her heart's content.

It was usually simple enough, when she undertook these types of missions. Except no one had ever left the Palace and lived to tell the tale. It was Ravenna's government building, infamous for having one of the tightest security systems in the world.

Nadine twirled one wrist, feeling the cold bite of the blade hidden up her sleeve. She was one of a kind. So was the Palace. She thought they would be a good match for each other.

She ran a gloved hand over the slick wall. The tunnels were always deserted during the day, despite the protection they offered from the light monsters. Of course, these tunnels were all but unknown, as they were connected to the sewer network. And only thieves and criminals used them.

They would be murmuring her name in the streets soon enough. Nadine Sadovsky, criminal prodigy. An eighteen-year-old has accomplished what no one has ever managed. She infiltrated the Palace. Of course, she might be hunted for the rest of her life, too. But she'd deal with that.

Nadine tore her thoughts away from the pleasantries and focused on what really mattered: using the money to find a cure for her brother's sickness. It's okay, Gavriil, I'm going to make you better. She had told him so many times that she knew he didn't believe her anymore. It broke her heart every day.

Gritting her teeth, Nadine rounded a corner and stopped at a rusted ladder. This was it. If the maps she'd 'borrowed' from another thief were correct, the palace wall was above. She began to climb, the metal biting through her thin gloves. The manhole grate seemed stuck at first, but when she rammed her shoulder into it enough, she felt it dislodge.

She waited for a few terrifying seconds, ears straining to catch monster-sounds. Everything seemed quiet. Unless one was lying in wait for her.

Nadine didn't allow herself to hesitate any longer, knowing her courage wouldn't last. She burst up and out of the tunnels, bracing herself for the blinding glare of daylight. It stung her eyes, but she realised she was in the shadow of the huge wall encircling the Palace as she replaced the grate and turned to her first obstacle. It was so tall, she couldn't see the Palace - it seemed never-ending. It split the world in two.