Playing with Fire

Playing with Fire- Chapter Thirteen

With my knapsack secured on my shoulder and my hair up in a tight bun, I left the room, and Hayden, behind. The long hallway that led to the streets outside seemed to continue on forever. I walked resolutely, ignoring the tiny voice that urged me to return to the room and bring Hayden along. I was so used to dealing with every problem alongside him that it was strange trying to solve this dilemma all alone.

When I finally made it outside, I had shut off the part of my brain that still wanted help from Hayden. I could handle this all by myself, and I didn't need to tell him everything that was going on. He was just being a huge arrogant moron.

It was a cool day, but the full sunshine more than half made up for it. I revelled in the feeling of it warming my skin, pushing away the leftover unhappiness and despair of my fight with Hayden. Voices carried through the air, and despite what I'd read this morning, I took another look around the city to gaze at the sights.

I walked aimlessly for quite a while until the black and red spires of the palace appeared over the tops of nearby buildings. The sight of it sent both anticipation and a gut-wrenching fear through me. On the one hand, getting that Sacred Dragon Pearl would put me one step closer to finding out who was killing the Xuétú. Still, I couldn't ignore that fact that the odds were I was going to be caught and thrown in jail.

The nearer I drew to the palace, the quicker the excitement faded away. It was a wonder I didn't collapse from fear right there on the cobblestone street. How much crazier could I get? I was already a fugitive, not to mention the summoning of Yín sè and stealing the scrolls. With my track record I could be put away forever.

What was the policy of entering the palace? Was just anyone permitted to go in, or only members of the royal family and their staff? It could make the difference between evading the guards and being captured.

My questions were answered when the door came into view. Heavy and bolted, it discouraged anybody and everybody from even nearing the intimidating chateau. It certainly made me think twice about what I was really doing. There was hardly a chance that I'd even be able to get into the palace, let alone remove a priceless treasure from the premises.

In any case, it was much too bright to attempt my heist; I decided to wait until the Sun went down. It was a long wait, and seeing as I didn't want to return to the hotel room and Hayden's icy attitude I wandered into shops established around the base of the palace.

They were filled with expensive trinkets and lush fabrics, every piece of merchandise practically bursting with glamour and opulence. Nothing I would be able to afford with my collection of coins. The shopkeepers gave me dirty looks, most likely thinking it odd that a girl was out by herself and browsing expensive jewellery.

Finally the Sun began to set, long after I had become tired of looking at elegant products. I breathed deeply as the red and black palace reflected the colours in the sky and tried to calm my racing heart. How in the world was I going to do this?

The two guards at the front switched off with one other, and I saw my chance. He was rather thin and scrawny, probably the same weight as me, and the black armour that was traditional for the Royal Guard hung loosely about his frame.

I walked towards him slowly and deliberately. His head cocked in confusion at my steady pace, one hand on the longblade that was much too big for his body. I doubted I could even use something like that, let alone a skinny teenage boy. Hayden used a longblade, but with his height he was able to handle it with ease.

In several moments I reached my destination. There was about a foot of space between us, the proximity seemingly fraying his nerves as he held the longblade out awkwardly in front of himself.