Thief (Brotherhood of the Throne Book 1) by Jane Glatt Page A

her pursuer had been grabbed, she stopped and sniffed the air. Her nose wrinkled at the acrid odor that still lingered. Essence of alegria, she was sure of it. The two ‘drunks’ had been prepared. It was a powerful potion that would render a person docile while still allowing them to remain on their feet. She resisted the urge to look around but she couldn’t suppress a shudder as she left the odor behind her. Her skin crawled with the feeling of being watched.
    Brenna took her time finding her way home. She kept to back alleys and yards and by the time she reached the seamstress shop she was extremely foul smelling and dirty. But she was safe. For now.

five
     
     
    Kane rubbed his hand across his eyes. The lack of sleep over the past two nights was taking its toll. He’d been at his uncle’s until the early hours again, this time in response to a message from Dasid. Brenna had been followed and the Brotherhood had had to intervene. They’d had to wait a few hours until the drug wore off the man they’d caught, but he’d seemed no more than a hired footpad. Hired by a priest of the One-God, he claimed. The priest had been disguised, but the rogue had been confident. His instructions were to follow Brenna and report her movements back to the priest in two days’ time, but he said it was clear he would be paid more if he delivered Brenna herself. And her condition on delivery wasn’t a concern.
    The footpad did not know where Brenna lived and had felt lucky when he’d stumbled across her in the street. Lucky until he’d been caught by Mallen and Hollier, that is. The disguised priest’s only lead had been Eryl Fentin, as the one who had paid her bond.
    But now that the church was looking for Brenna the Brotherhood had no choice - Kane would have to get her to a safe place.
     
    When Kane entered his office he found Dasid hunched over the desk. The older man also looked worse for wear, but when their eyes met Dasid’s sparkled with excitement.
    “You look like you’re enjoying this.” Kane stretched before he sat across from Dasid. “I wish I could say the same thing. I haven’t had to go this long without proper sleep since I was a recruit.”
    “I’m tired as well. It’s been at least ten years longer since I was a recruit, and I am feeling every one of those years.” Dasid looked up and grinned. “But I’ll admit this takes me back to when my father first told be about the Brotherhood. I was ten at the time and all I could think of was the adventure of it all. He tried to discourage me - after all, it had been two thousand years - there was no reason to believe that anything would happen in my time. But here we are. And now we find out that it’s a fair lass we’re out to save.”
    “Hah!” Kane’s answering grin belied his gruff tone. “Some fair lass.” He leaned over the table. “Don’t you know she’s a thief?” he whispered.
    “Yes, but then again, the Brotherhood have never disparaged someone’s ancestors or their chosen line of work. All can be used to further the cause.”
    Kane nodded his agreement. The Brotherhood had been keeping records of its member families for as long as it had existed. They had documented proof that nobles didn’t always start or end as nobles. It was as likely that a current lord was descended from peasants as it was to find the original lord’s descendants sweeping out stalls in a stable. Kane’s own family’s fortune had been up and down many times in the past two thousand years. For the past six or so generations they’d managed a legacy of soldiers and Captains in the Kingsguard, but in another six generations, Kane reasoned, they could be fisherman or farmers - or for that matter, thieves.
     
    Kane, in his Master Arlott guise, searched the street in front of the seamstress’ shop. He nodded to Pater at his fruit stand and the old man headed his way, leaving the stand in the hands of a youth. Last night Dasid and Kane had decided it would be