- City of Kiverryn, Iskendryn, Andavaran -
What was that smell? It couldn't be her. Even after that trip to Yairin, when she hadn't bathed in a week and had spent the majority of her days beneath those twin sweltering suns, she hadn't managed to stink this bad. But, this abomination was seeping so far into her nose she worried she might be permanently smell-impaired if she didn't find the source of it soon. So, she lifted one arm and took a whiff.
No, not her.
Her legs dangled over the edge of the rooftop, kicking absentmindedly as she took another bite of her sandwich. Her gaze swept her immediate surroundings. She had been up there for the better part of an hour now, waiting, rather impatiently so, for the opportunity to present itself. Why did she ever listen to Ned anyway? His leads were always tenuous at best, and when he did have something good, his timing was just the worst. But, she had come here anyway, the mark far too promising to resist, and had secured her position on the ledge of one of the prettier buildings in Kiverryn. It afforded her an uninterrupted view of the street below, and would provide her the best angle of attack. It was the perfect spot.
Except for the horrid smell.
Raising the sandwich back to her face, she smelled it cautiously. Thankfully, it wasn't the source. Her eyes darted, instead, to the brown bottle at her side. Her eyes narrowed. She was alone on the rooftop, and there was nothing else that could be causing such a smell. The bottle had to be the culprit. Eyes squinted, brow furrowed, she slowly peeled the lid away and raised the bottle to her nose.
She nearly vomited into the street. That would have been bad enough. Worse still, was that, revolted by the horrible smell, she recoiled, and her grip on the bottle loosened. Wide-eyed, she watched it drop onto a passerby below. It struck him directly on the top of his head, smashing to a thousand pieces and dousing the poor man in the putrid liquid. She could only stare as he pitched forward, knocked unconscious by the blow, his body falling perfectly behind an empty merchant's stall, obscuring his body from view.
Shit.
She knew that man. Michael, he had called himself. He had seemed nice enough, a little weird, but he didn't deserve to die like that. Even more extraordinary, no one seemed to have witnessed her blunder at all. High up on the roof, she blinked slowly, eyes trailing over the street, but when absolutely no one made to help him, she shrugged and took another bite of her sandwich.
What could she do? She was on a timetable after all.
No sooner had the thought crossed her mind than her mark finally appeared down the street. A gilded carriage, it seemed to glide in her direction, bringing with it a lovely treasure that she was going to enjoy stealing from greedy Lord Such-and-Such.
Scarfing down the rest of her meal, she jumped to her feet on the edge of the rooftop and stretched her neck and shoulders, trying to loosen up. She readied herself, watching as the carriage made its way down the main street without the slightest knowledge that it was in danger. She smiled to herself.
This would be fun.
The carriage was almost directly below her when she jumped. Her body tensed, ready for the impact. This wasn't the first time she had done this, but she needed to focus. She had a limited window if she was going to remain unnoticed and steal everything in the carriage before the city guards caught her.
Her feet hit the roof, her body crouching low to soften the impact. She wasted no time, gripping the edge of the roof to slide her body through the open window on the right hand side. With assured finesse, she took her seat as casually as a noble gliding into a ballroom, crossing her legs and leaning back on the wooden bench with a flirtatious smile on her face.
"I've seen diamonds that pale in comparison to your beauty, your grace."
It was one of her better lines, if she did say so herself. It caught her mark's attention, crystal blue eyes widening in sheer surprise. Lady Teressa of House Phyre, only daughter of the Duke of Celembroke. She was far more beautiful than the rumors suggested. She was a tall figure, clad in a beautiful green satin dress and jewels that could feed any common family for years, but that was hardly what made her beautiful. Her blonde hair was swept up in a pretty updo, a few loose curls framing a soft, gentle face as blue eyes peered innocently at her. A rosy pink complexion flushed darkly in embarrassment and fright.
She was one of the most eligible ladies in the kingdom. Her dowry was a tremendous sum, and it came with a beautiful wife and a powerful father-in-law who was a personal friend to the king of Iskendryn. She was quite the prize. Many men had competed for the honor of her hand in marriage, and, finally, a lucky lord of another kingdom had won it. There was only one problem. No one had asked Lady Teressa if it was what she wanted at all.
"Who are you?" the lady asked, clutching her collapsible fan to her bodice.
"The best thing that's ever happened to you, I'll wager," she said as she leaned forward as if to kiss the young lady. Slowly, she pulled the fan from her grasp and took her hand in her own. "My name is Elusia Vale, Lulu to my friends, and I'm here to steal away the most beautiful treasure in the kingdom."
"My dowry is..."
"I'm not just here for the dowry, my lady." With a pointed kiss to her knuckles, Lulu grinned. "Just say the word and I'll spirit this carriage away from the city and take you far away from whatever lord you've been sold to."
Her chest was heaving against the low-cut bodice of her dress, her eyes still wide and her cheeks flushed. The lady had lived a sheltered life. This was likely the most exciting thing to have ever happened to her. Lulu almost felt a little sorry for her. She wasn't even trying that hard.
"Why...why would you risk your life for this?" Lulu frowned at the question. But, Teressa wasn't finished. "I know why you'd steal my dowry...I mean, why would you risk your life to take me away? My father and my betrothed will look for me. If they catch you..."
"Ah," Lulu laughed. "They have to find me first. And, they won't. But, make no mistake, my lady. I'm here for you. Consider your dowry just my payment for services rendered. So, how about it, my lady? Do you want to marry your lord and live the sheltered life you've always known? Or, do you want to be whisked away by a mischievous and gorgeous outlaw?"
For the first time, Teressa's eyes began to sparkle as a genuine smile unfurled across soft, plump lips. "How are we to get out of the city unnoticed?"
Lulu surged across the small space between them and pressed a passionate and ardent kiss to those beautiful lips, relishing in the soft gasp Teressa gave and the way she melted into her. Lulu pulled away before she could lose herself in the sensation. There was still work to be done. With a quick wink, she climbed from the carriage and managed to knock out the driver with the barest hint of effort. She tossed him from the carriage. The armed escort traveling with them seemed none the wiser. They were probably the worst guards she had ever seen. Iskendryn soldiers weren't known for their perceptiveness.
But, she wasn't about to complain. They made her job infinitely easier. When they reached the next intersection, she turned down a side street. The guards began to protest, but, then, the street filled with a thick fog, blocking the carriage from view. Lulu snapped the reigns and the horses bolted down the street and through the southern gates. It was easy enough to lose the guards, their frantic calls making her laugh as she spirited Teressa away from the city. The carriage shook and rumbled as stone streets gave way to uneven dirt roads.
Lulu never slowed the pace as she called for Teressa to join her, leaning across the seat to help the lady climbing from the window and into the seat beside her. She nearly lost her footing during the dangerous exchange, but then she was next to Lulu as the wind whipped past them, her blonde curls beginning to fall from the delicate pins holding her hair. The horses' hooves thundered against the dirt, and Lulu was grinning from ear to ear. For the first time in her life, Teressa felt the rush of freedom wash over her, and she let out a rather unladylike whoop of joy. Her experience with adventure had only ever been in the pages of her books, but now, there she was, escaping with an outlaw into parts unknown. Where would they end up? Teressa found she didn't care.
She was free.
Thank you so very much for stopping by to read! I cannot fully explain what it means to me that you've taken the time to enter a world I've spent so much time and love creating. It has been my shining light throughout my struggle with my depression, and if even one person can find enjoyment in this world, as I have, then I consider my struggles worthwhile!
I hope you've enjoyed the book so far, and I hope you decide to journey with Lulu and Idelle through The Broken Song Series. Please, feel free to comment and vote. Every read matters tremendously to me, and every piece of feedback is helpful and appreciated!
Updates will be every Friday at 6:00 pm EST. Updates will vary in length, but they will be faithfully posted until the work is finished. I hope you enjoy, truly, and thank you, again, for taking this journey with me!