The Dragon Thief [I]

Miserable Company [19]

Miserable Company

Lanna

When Lanna entered the library, Lucien was lounging against a desk. Gaslights flickered his shadow across aged bookshelves and scattered chairs. She came face to face to him dressed in her fierce fighting leathers, daggers hidden on her person. She wasn't playing a Mage tonight. Instead, she was Lannasia Derouv, Master Thief, her pretence exposed.

"You recognised me," she started, an edge to her tone. It was a statement, not a question. Lucien had said as much this morning during breakfast. The witch gestured to an armchair facing another as if he were a gracious host. Lanna didn't budge.

"I did," he sighed. He took a seat anyway. "You lied to me."

"It wasn't a lie."

"No?"

"We haven't met before."

A small smile hinted at Lucien's lips. "Hm. Technicalities. You were at Fellenhall Castle for the guild procession. You were accompanying your leader... what was her name again?"

"Milena," Lanna sneered. She remembered the guild procession. It was only last year. The High Lords and High Ladies of Elchwe held a grand ceremony to renew the fealties of the crown guilds. For show, Milena had said, but regardless she was expected to appear, and she brought Lanna and August along as her retainers. The Thieves' Guild was like the King's secret intelligence, their services exclusive to the crown and a selected few of higher nobles. It was sparsely known to exist by other guilds. At the procession, Milena visited the High Nobles and the vacant King privately, but during the two-day long gathering the three thieves wandered the castle freely, eating and drinking and enjoying the late-night revels. "Do you know her?" Lanna asked.

"I've met her before. We talked at the procession. You were there." Lucien tilted his head and pouted. "You really don't remember me, do you?"

Lanna shifted uncomfortably under that sulking gaze. She moved on.

"So you know who I am?"

"I have a good idea," Lucien shrugged. Then he gestured to behind his ear. "The tattoo confirmed it for me."

"What are you going to do now that you know?" she asked, her voice low, her eyes watching for the slightest movement. Lucien should have detected the underlying threat in her question-he should have known that a thief cornering him in an empty, out-of-way room was dangerous in of itself. But his cool demeanour never shifted. His little smile never disappeared.

A small laugh escaped his lips. "I'm not going to do anything, Lanna. If you want it kept secret from the other mages, then I will."

"I'm supposed to just believe you?" she scorned. "What do you benefit from this?"

Lucien rose and closed on the space between them. She had removed the ribbon in her hair long ago, letting her crimson tresses fall around her face. Lucien swept them into his fingers, playing with it as if it was fire. His hand grazed her cheek and the small touch made Lanna still.

"There are many benefits. For starters, if I play nice, I think it'll make you less likely to stab me in my sleep." He brought his hand to trail down Lanna's arm. Under her sleeve, his fingers crept to touch cold metal. "We could be friends," he continued, his touch drifting over her skin, leaving a tremble in its wake. Lanna suspected he was using magic. What did a witch's magic even look like? Slowly, his amber eyes glinted and met hers. "It wouldn't be too bad, would it?"

Sense slowly returned to Lanna. She had been bewitched for a moment, lulled by Lucien's soft voice and musky scent. She fought her quickened heartrate and took a coy step back.