The Thief King

37 | A Tearful Performance

Sera pushed through the crowd, fighting against its tide. She ducked, squeezed and forced herself through until finally it thinned and she was able to walk normally. At some point Nena had stopped following her, although her shouts had followed Sera, attempts to recall and distract her from her goal. She had a small window and she intended to make it.

Picking up her skirts, she ran in the direction she had seen the flap of a cape. There was a good possibility that it was not Kole and just a figment of her imagination, or even another thief, but her heart told her it was him. It had to be.

Once she was close enough she slowed and craned her neck backwards, searching the skyline.

"Kole!" she screamed, using his ambiguous thief name. "Kole!" She repeated, making her way down the street, turning and pivoting at the smallest sound of movement. "I know you're there." She paused, giving him the opportunity to answer. "Kole! So help me Kole if you do not come down I will scream..."

A thud behind her made her swivel on her heels and her heart jump into her throat. She stared, wide-eyed as the thin, lanky thief unfolded from his crouch, hood still shadowing his face. A scare tactic, one she wasn't falling for.

"Where is he?"

"Ye knew better than to shout his name with Peekays so close."

"He knows better than to ignore me when I know better."

She saw the man sigh by the expansion of his chest and rapid fall. "Sera, ye be playing a game ye don't understand. Run along before them Peekays catch up and they arrest ye."

"Arrest me for what?" she snapped. "Where is he? What has he done?"

The man tilted his head to the side.

Sera glowered and pointedly turned her back on Koltin's man. "Kole!"

"Sera, please! Ye gonna get yerself killed. Be quiet, lass, please."

"I will not hush until he comes out."

"Shit," the man hissed under his breath. "Ye gonna get us both killed."

"So be it. I won't stop until he comes out and faces me. Kole!"

"Lass..."

Another thud behind her and Sera turned to find Koltin slowly rising from his crouch. His chin was tucked to his chest, likely glowering at her. "Rusty, I'll take it from here, mate."

Rusty nodded. "Them Peekays be coming. No way did they not hear her hollering. I think the bloody dead heard her."

Koltin nodded. "Get out of here."

Rusty's fists clenched. "It ain't a good idea–"

"I got it. Go." Kole demanded.

Rusty obeyed, with a shake of his head. He scaled the wall, using any indent or outdent the wall had to offer. It still fascinated Sera, watching Koltin and his men run at breakneck speeds across buildings. Flying from one roof to the other like birds, and twisting their bodies to fit through spaces that should have brought them up short.

Kole turned on Sera like a winter storm off the coast. His eyes hooded and his body tense. "Have you lost your good senses? Screaming for me in the middle of the streets like–"

"What happened back there? Did you do all of that? Did you?"

Kole looked over her shoulder. Years on the street made him cautious in the open. He hated discussing anything without four walls and a guard. "Not now, Sera."